Saving the Athletic Field at Abraham Lincoln High

A group of Lincoln High School alumni have gotten together to not only honor one of Southern California’s most revered athletes, but to promote the long overdue rehabilitation of the LHS sports stadium and track facility.

In the mid 1930's Kenneth S. "Kingfish" Washington played at Lincoln High. He then went on to become one of the first African-Americans to play in the National Football League in the modern, post-World War II, era.

"He's someone I think we should all look up to," according to Lincoln High running back, Danny Querra. "He really dedicated himself to Lincoln football."

But since his time at Lincoln High, the field has degraded significantly.

So, as part of efforts to remedy the situation, the 1st Annual Kenny Washington Memorial Game was held Friday night.

The Kenny Washington Stadium Foundation wanted to use that event to share with the community their vision for the development of the field.

The group hopes to start with five goals to improve the field, according to their website.

They include:

- Installation of an artificial playing surface on the Football/Soccer field

- Renovation of the school athletic track

- Installation of a video-capable scoreboard

- Installation of a bronze statue of Kenny Washington

- Redesign and rebuilding of school stadium seating and press box construction

The they hope to complete those major renovations in about four years.

Explore Your Inner Diva This Halloween

Once again it's time to exploit your inner desire to dress like a diva, or peasant, or simply wear a plumed hat.

On Sunday, October 9th, the LA Opera is opening its overstuffed costume shop, just in time for Halloween.

"This is the biggest walk-in closet that I take care of," says Gloriana Siman, Production and Stock Coordinator.

It's called the "Revenge of the LA Opera Costume Shop Sale!"

Trick-or-treating connoisseurs will have the opportunity to snag one-of-a-kind items that have been seen on the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, according to the LA Opera Website.

Prices range from $20 for individual accessories including masks, wigs, belts and shoes, and military items, to $300 for complete costumes.

The sale will take place in the Costume Shop's parking lot with gates opening to the general public at 11 A.M. The address is 330 South Alameda Street, Los Angeles CA 90013.

Street parking is available, and there will be secured pay parking in the Little Tokyo Galleria parking structure, directly across the street from the sale at 333 South Alameda.

The sale will continue until 4pm, according to the website, or until the stock is sold out (whichever comes first). Cash or credit cards will be accepted.

Hackers Scam Friends of Victim

It was an email that NBC 10 Jersey Shore Reporter Ted Greenberg couldn’t help but feel suspicious about.

The message, from Norma Henson, claimed that she had been mugged while on vacation in London and needed $1650 wired to her. Ted decided to call Henson and his suspicion was confirmed.

Henson wasn’t in England but instead at her home in Pine Hill, NJ. It was true however, that she was the victim of a crime, though it took place in cyberspace rather than the streets of London.

On Thursday Henson replied to what she claims looked like a legitimate email from Verizon. She sent her username and password. By Friday morning, she says hackers took control of her email and facebook, leading to the same message that Ted received being sent to all of her friends. Henson quickly took action.

“I called the bank, they’ve frozen my accounts,” said Henson. “I called all the credit card companies.”

Henson also filed a complaint with police and hopes they will trace where the email originated.

NBC Philly contacted Verizon, which is aware of the Phishing scam.

“They’re looking for any type of donations that they can use to access your account and create mischief” said Lee Gierczynski, a Verizon Spokesperson. “If customers do receive emails like that asking for any sensitive information they should treat them suspiciously.”

“They could take everything, because I pay bills online, I check my banking account online, my credit card accounts online,” said Henson.

“I never should have answered the email. Bottom line.”

SD County Employee Salary Database Causes Concerns

A database which hosts the salaries of San Diego County employees has raised some questions about a controversial pay and pension process and whether providing the information should be seen as a violation of privacy in general.

On Tuesday local watchdog group, The Investigative News Source, released salary information and names of county employees through a database on their website.

The INS is an agency based out of San Diego State University that aims to provide in-depth and data-driven journalism to the public at large and their release means anyone can view the salary information of any San Diego county employee at the click of a mouse. 

“We believe in giving the public the most information possible," said INS’ Editor and Director, Lorie Hearn. "People should be able to see where their tax money goes."

Across the nation similar databases have been created in places such as New York  and Arizona.

The public can gleam much from the numbers in INS' database including such information as District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis made $234,568 in 2010 or that the department of Child Support collectively took home more than $26 million.

The database also provides a list of county departments, with everything from the San Diego County Sheriff’s office to employees at the County Library listed.

Nearly 20,000 names of county employees, as well as a search function based solely on them, are featured on the site where users can search the county employee’s salary for vacation, sick and special pay, along with their regular and base pay.

Not only does the database feature employees who have worked within the county since 2007, it also provides the information of those who only worked for a brief period at a time, Hearn said.

The release isn’t the first for INS, which bought salary records for 2007 to 2009 from the county last year and posted them online. At that time the agency focused mainly on which employees in certain positions made the most money.

The county said the cost, totaling $980, went toward programming, though this year’s documents came free, Hearn added.

 

Release concerns

At the center of the salary database are two main issues, the first of which is the most basic: Is the releasing of county salary information considerate of the employees within the report?

It seems the answer is split down the middle with court rulings and precedents on one side and on the other the feelings of those whose salary information can now be found.

After their first database release last year INS saw a good amount of upset county employees, according to Hearn. “We got a number of calls and comments about how this was an invasion of their privacy,” said Hearn.

In 2010, their post “San Diego County Payroll” received more than 80 comments; many of which were from those in disagreement with the agency’s move to provide names with the salary information.

“How dare you use my name and my salary,” said one user, “My privacy has been invaded and I will be going to work demanding ANSWERS!!! (sic),” they added.

“I am a public employee and understand the need for transparency in government but this was going too far,” said another “…when you... violate the privacy of so many workers out there you are asking for a lot of trouble. What if one of these workers is trying to escape a stalker?”

Earlier releases

Feelings and claims of invasion of privacy aside, the idea that releasing salary information is beneficial has been acted upon time and time again.

After all, according to INS’ Kevin Crowe, part of the reason why the agency felt comfortable to release the information was based on earlier outcries for better salary reporting resulting from scandals in cities such as Bell, Los Angeles.

Furthermore, it’s been common practice for local and state-wide agencies to post city, state and county positions, and their salary, on the web. The only main difference being that information may be posted on a year by year basis and does not include names.

Additionally, news organizations like the Sacramento Bee have maintained similar databases of the compensation and names of state employees, including those of university employee, for more than three years, according to INS.

In terms of legality, a 2007 ruling by the California Supreme Court determined the benefit to the public outweighed any concerns over privacy or embarrassment.

“Using names makes everything much more transparent,” said Lonie Luntar, President and CEO of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association.

Luntar argued that a database of names allowed the public to track which employees get what in terms of salary over a certain period of time.

In the end, even with some push-back, not all county employees view releasing salary information with names as harmful.

Among last year’s criticism, there were comments that supported the use of names. 

Hearn said she heard positive feedback from one county employee who thanked her for putting up the information after they had been in a salary negotiation and was able to see what those above them made.

Add-ons controversy

Being a data-driven agency, INS investigated into the salary figures and found what some see as a questionable process in employee compensation.

So called, “add-ons” or "special pay", a collection of special benefits that are put onto county employee salaries accounted for more than $100 million over the past four years, according to INS. This includes additions such as car and uniform allowances; some of which count toward retirement, said Crowe.

The additional compensation, or special pay, can go also toward hazardous assignments and being bilingual.

According to Crowe, though the number has dropped to $13 million in the past two years after due to economic constraints, add-on pay was as much as $43 million in 2007 and 2008.

“County employees often perform specialized or dangerous work,” said Eric Banks, President San Diego County Contract Bargaining 221 in a released statement, “the compensation they receive for these special skills or for working in hazardous environments, such as jails, ensures that the County is able to attract and retain the best and the brightest among us."

As the the report points out, getting paid for those "special skills" can have a large benefit for some, "For an employee with 25 years of service and a high base salary of $65,000 at retirement, for example, $2,500 in special pay would boost the annual pension pay by about 4 percent, or $1,872 per year. That’s $37,440 over 20 years."

The issue isn’t so much the skills employees are getting paid for said Luntar, who did question how much those skills affect the jurisdiction in general; rather Lunar said it’s how visible the process is to taxpayers.

Whereas a general salary increase of a county employee is debated upon by locals and viewed in the media, according to Luntar these special pay add-ons can be approved on a much less transparent basis.

What may be a bigger issue here is that the add-ons can affect pensions, which Luntar said the state and taxpayers are already facing an uphill battle with. "We don't consider it necessary," said Luntar, especially given how already generous the pension process is."

For now though things will remain the same.

At the moment the county is not in the position to legally change the process of extra payments and add-on, which would require new legislation to make happen.

 

Family Asks Hit-and-Run Suspect to Surrender to Police

A Cedar Hill family is asking a man suspected of critically injured a 7-year-old girl in a hit-and-run crash to turn himself in.

Seven-year-old Timiyah Miles was struck Sunday while walking on the sidewalk with a family friend on East Grauwyler Road in Irving.

Police said 27-year-old Marvin Perez was driving eastbound on Grauwyler Road when he inexplicably crossed the center median, jumped a curb and crashed his green Mazda 626 into Timiyah and the family friend.

Investigators said Perez sped away in his car before ditching the vehicle and running as witnesses pursued him.

"It could be your daughter," said Cecelia Miles, the child's grandmother. "Just put yourself in our shoes for a few moments and look inside your heart and realize you have to turn yourself in."

Timiyah has a critical head injury and is in a medically induced coma.

"It's not right our little girl is lying in a bed right now fighting for her life," Miles said.

The family friend who was with Timiyah is in critical condition at a Dallas hospital.

Police said they hope to make an arrest soon.

"We need to know that he will not do this to anybody else," said Regina Allen, Timiyah's aunt.

Irving police are asking anyone with information about Perez to call investigators at 972-273-1010.

"We believe in God for a miracle, and that's what it's going to take -- a miracle," Miles said.

If Timiyah recovers, she will need significant therapy. The Miles family has started a medical care fund for her at Wells Fargo bank.

Coyote Attacks 3-Year-Old Saginaw Boy

A coyote who attacked a young Saginaw boy in his front yard on Wednesday was shot and killed when it continued to stand its ground, the boy's father said.

"A coyote knocked me down and did this," 3-year-old Colton Coursey said, pointing to a scratch on his hand.

His mother had gone inside briefly but raced back out.

"All of a sudden I hear him scream, and I come back out and I see him on the ground and the coyote a few feet from him," Ricca Coursey said.

The boy's father, who was inside taking a shower, also rushed outside.

"I could see the fear on his face," Jarred Coursey said. "I knew something had happened. As a dad, it just took over me to take care of the situation."

He said he tried to scare the coyote away, but it refused to back off.

"The coyote was standing right here," Jarred Coursey said. "It just turned and faced me straight on. I was saying, 'Get out, get out,' and it would not move."

He got his shotgun and killed the animal.

Coyotes -- pushed into neighborhoods by development and the drought -- are a problem in cities across North Texas.

"It's very nerve-wracking to know that you can come out and there's a coyote in the front yard," the mother said.

Saginaw animal control officers took the animal, and tests showed it did not have rabies, the family said.

Missing Boy, Mother Found

A missing 19-month-old Philadelphia boy and his mother who allegedly abducted him, have been found.

Kanief Dandy and his mother Natia Dandy, 34, were found at the Lancaster train station on Friday around 8:30 p.m.

The Pennsylvania State Police had issued an Amber Alert for Kanief after he went missing Wednesday afternoon.

Philadelphia Police say Kanief was abducted by Natia around 4 p.m. during a scheduled, supervised visit at a Department of Human Services office at 15th and Arch Streets in Center City.

The case worker called 911 but Dandy fled the building with her son, headed west on Arch street and was long gone by the time police arrived, according to Lieutenant Patrick Doherty with Central Detectives.

Police said she fled on foot with the child while pushing a black stroller.

State Police also say there was a delay in the Department of Human Services' report of the abduction. While the incident happened at 4 p.m., state police claim that DHS did not report the abduction until 7 p.m.

Dandy has a history of mental illness and according to court records, has also been in and out of jail over the years. She is also known to frequent homeless shelters in Philadelphia, according to police.

Investigators say that Kanief is unharmed. Dandy was taken into custody and is currently being interviewed by police.

No word yet on any charges against her.

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Soldier Remembers Afghanistan War

Ten years ago Friday, the war began in Afghanistan and no one remembers it better than the men and women who fought on the front lines.

Ret. Col. Mark Earley of Riverside County was an Army commander sent to Afghanistan shortly after operations began in 2001. He commanded 1000 soldiers, all of which landed in either Afghanistan or Iraq. It didn't take long for the young officer to learn the lasting pain of war.

"One of the first soldiers we lost was a young medic from a unit that we had operational control over, " said Earley. "I thought 'how ironic was that?' The man went to to help others, to save others, but he dies in a rocket-propelled grenade attack."

Although some once called Afghanistan a quagmire, Ret. Col. Earley says he saw progress. Roads and schools were built, women won new freedoms and there was economic development to rival the opium drug trade. Still, the soldier-turned-City Council aide says more days of fighting and dying are likely to come.

"These things take a long time, " said Ret. Col. Earley. "Unlike a TV sitcom or a small magazine article, it's going to take a while to bring this to resolution."

Ret. Col. Earley says there's one thing he knows for sure -- freedom is not free.

 

2 Children Arrested for Robbery on A.C. Boardwalk

Investigators say they arrested two young thieves on Thursday in Atlantic City.  The robbery suspects are just 10 and 14-years old.

The victim told police she was sitting on a bench on the Boardwalk when she was approached by two boys on bikes. The 10-year old allegedly grabbed her cell phone and the pair rode away.

An alert officer later spotted the two riding along Atlantic Avenue.  Police say one of the boys had the victim’s cell phone.

The 14-year old was in possession of a phone that had been stolen earlier in the week, said investigators.

Both are charged with robbery, conspiracy and receiving stolen property.

Latino Homeownership on the Rise

For some, it is a fading American dream. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2010 saw the biggest drop in home ownership since the Great Depression. But for one demographic, home ownership is on the rise.

At 26 years old, Eva Serrano has purchased her very first home. "I had pretty good credit so when I went to go ask how much I would be able to qualify for I was really surprised,” said the kindergarten teacher. According to U.S. Census numbers Serrano is just one example of Latino homebuyers who are thriving during a record low housing market. In the past decade Latino homeownership has risen 2 %.

“I think the biggest reason is opportunity, I think specifically because a lot of the neighborhoods that many Latinos live in are also some of the lower priced neighborhoods,” Said Rafael Perez, with IMortgage.

With more inventory on the market and record low interest rate, he says Latinos are becoming more savvy and cautious when it comes to real estate.

He helped Serrano purchase a short sale in South Chula Vista through the FHA 203K Rehab Loan. “This [loan] gives someone with limited resources, like a first time homebuyer, access to funds to actually rehab the property."

“That was really helpful because I was able to get contractors in and it's all going through the loan, so I won't have to pay them extra or on the side,” Said Serrano, who purchased a 2 story, 3 bedroom, 1,200 square foot house for $221,000. Nearly half of what the home went for at the height of the housing market. A home, that with hard work, Serrano hopes will have potential for growth.

"I just imagine the end product and I'm just excited I still don't feel like it's mine yet…I still come and show up really shy because it's all mine.”

 

Fired Arlington Dispatcher Disputes Firing

An Arlington emergency dispatcher who was fired after the shooting death of a rookie police officer says she only did what she was trained to do.

Officer Jillian Smith was killed Dec. 28 while taking a domestic assault report from Kimberly Carter. Carter's former boyfriend, Barnes Nettles, returned to her apartment and killed Smith, Carter and himself.

The Arlington Fire Department said dispatcher Joanie Ware, a nine-year veteran, failed to follow proper procedure when Smith did not respond over the radio when contacted.

Ware, who is fighting her termination, said she is a scapegoat because the policies in place are vague and often undefined.

"Policy manuals are rife with misspellings, inconsistencies and vague direction and terminology," said Randle Meadows, president of the Arlington Police Association.

Meadows pointed to terms and phrases such as “use appropriate judgment” and “usually a good idea” as ones used to direct dispatchers in decisions.

“If you're going to terminate people on lack of judgment, then you need to train people on what the proper judgment is," he said.

According to the police department's investigation of the incident, mistakes made by Ware and the 911 call-taker hindered officers' response.

The call-taker who took the 911 call from the neighbor who called after Carter's 11-year-old daughter ran to the neighbor's apartment for help did not relay the information that an officer was down to the dispatcher in a timely manner, officials said.

The 911 call-taker later resigned.

However, the investigation also found that there was nothing officers or dispatchers could have done to prevent Smith's death.

Meadows is calling for an internal audit and overhaul of the current policies but said the fire department has not responded to his suggestions.

“If they're not communicated, then I have to assume that none are being done,” he said.

Arbitration on Ware's termination case begins Monday morning.

The T's New Buses Get Hidden Traffic Advantage

New buses along the busiest transit route in Fort Worth can speed through traffic signals thanks to an infrared secret.

The Signal Priority Urban Route, or Spur, buses went into service in east Fort Worth on Monday.

The 60-foot articulated buses are the first phase in The T's development of an enhanced bus corridor on East Lancaster Road.

The route's average weekday ridership of 3,6000 is The T's largest bus ridership.

But with so many stops along East Lancaster Avenue, The T had to find a way to speed up the service.

A device on the bus emits an infrared signal that alerts the traffic light that the bus is near. That signal will then tell the computer running the light to either extend the green light so the bus can make it through or accelerate the red light so the bus keeps moving.

"This gives the bus a little more window time so that it can keep up a high frequency schedule on that corridor," said Joan Hunter, Fort Worth Transportation Authority spokeswoman.

It similar to the system used by firetrucks and ambulances but it won't be abrupt like it is for emergency vehicles, Hunt said.

Other drivers will hardly be able to notice a difference in the traffic signals. The T said the only way to tell is to use a stopwatch and compare times, but even that would be an imperfect way to measure the emitters' impact.

Most passengers said they've noticed the buses are where the schedule says they should be.

The T will add several more features to the corridor in the next year, such as improved bus shelters that tell passengers how long it is until the next bus arrives, a feature that will also be found online.

The T also plans on adding enhanced bus shelters and live tracking of the Spur buses to better inform passengers when their bus will arrive.

Murder of 9-Year-Old Girl Sparked by Anger: Prosecutors

Prosecutors say a suburban Philadelphia man accused of killing his 9-year-old neighbor had been angry at the girl and said he wanted to “snap” her neck.

Twenty-four-year-old Souderton resident James Lee Troutman is charged with first-degree murder in the May 9 death of Skyler Rae Kauffman. Authorities say she was choked and beaten to death.

Prosecutors say in court papers filed Thursday that Troutman believed Kauffman had gotten him in trouble in connection with an incident at his apartment the month before. Court papers allege Troutman told a friend he was angry at Kauffman and wanted to “snap” her neck.

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman wants the alleged statement allowed as trial evidence.

Defense attorney William Craig Penglase says mental health will be an issue in the case.

 

Redmond O' Neal Sent to Another Facility Until November

Redmond O'Neal was released to the Pasadena Recovery Center Friday and will return to court in mid-November to asses his therapy progress.

LA Superior Court Judge Keith I. Schwartz mentioned the overcrowding of prison inmates in California as a reason to not send him straight to jail.

Schwartz ordered O'Neal to see two doctors at least once a week while at the  center to better monitor his health and psychiatric state. O'Neal will also be drug tested once a week and GPS monitoring will be placed on him.

O'Neal, son of the late actress Farrah Fawcett and actor Ryan O'Neal, was taken into custody last month after it was revealed he violated his probation when he used a phone to arrange for narcotics delivered to him while he was in a rehabilitation facility.

O'Neal was able to obtain a cell phone from another resident that was at the center, said Carol Newman, manager of O'Neal's previous program.

O'Neal was sent to rehab after he was originally charged of heroin and gun possession in August.

 

California Faculty Association Poised to Strike

Frustrated with wavering negotiations over unpaid wages to the California State University system’s workers, the California Faculty Association recommended its members take action.

“We are going to work like hell to let [the CSU] hear our voices,” said CFA president Lillian Taiz. “Honestly, if they want to fight, and it appears they do, we know how to give them one.”

Pending a vote by CFA members to further discussions regarding unpaid raises, the labor union’s board of directors may call for a one-day strike Nov. 17 at CSU Dominguez Hills, CSU East Bay or both. Already set in motion are plans for informational picketing Nov. 8 and 9 at respective CSU campuses.

This is the latest jab in an ongoing brawl between the CFA and the California State University Chancellor’s Office over several contentious topics, including deteriorating teaching conditions.

The latest job actions are exclusively based on disputed pay raises. Faced with drastic budget cuts to the CSU system, Chancellor Charles Reed made use of a CFA contract clause – one that allows for renegotiation based on economic conditions – to block pay raises to faculty for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years.

During the final phase in the collective bargaining process, a neutral panel sided with the union.

“Based on the hearing and argument provided by the Counsel, and their final positions, and the discussion as laid out above, it would appear appropriate to adopt the 1.3 percent CFA offer,” reads the fact-finding report on the negotiations.

So far, the chancellor is sticking to his guns on the matter, stating that it would be unfair to award a portion of the faculty wages when economic hardships have negatively affected the entire system.

`We have made our final proposal and that is to maintain the status quo,” said Mike Uhlenkamp, spokesman for the Chancellors Office.

He added that while the CSU would like to give raises to its employees, the reality is that the system’s budget significantly shrunk.

“What we are taking about is one quarter of one percent of a $5 billion – billion with a capital ‘B’ – budget,” Taiz said, in regards to the amount requested to cover the disputed raises.

Uhlenkamp said any planned job actions by CSU faculty would impact students.

“It is irresponsible to use students as pawns in this,” Uhlenkamp said.

However, Taiz, who is a professor of history at Cal State Los Angeles, believes this is a teachable moment.

“I think as teachers we have to show our students, especially the students who go to the CSU – the working class student – that at a certain point you have to stand up for yourself,” she said.

If a strike is called by the CFA board, faculty who take part face a potential dock in pay, but would be protected from any disciplinary action.

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Metro's Purple Line Advances

Metro's Purple Line is moving to its next stop.

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley announced Friday that the Federal Transit Administration has approved the project to move into the preliminary engineering phase.

That authorizes more detailed plans, schedules, cost estimates and completion of environmental studies.

The Purple Line is a proposed 16 mile east-west light rail that will operate between Bethesda in Montgomery County and New Carrollton in Prince George's County.

It will have 21 stations and connect to four branches of the Metro system.

"The Purple Line will be an environmentally-friendly option that will reduce gridlock and connect citizens to economic opportunities throughout the region," O'Malley said.

“The Purple Line is a great way to make the wonderful and diverse communities of Prince George’s County more accessible to residents and visitors and it will help to create new jobs and commerce for our residents,” said Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker III.

“Governor O'Malley and I have made public transportation one of our top priorities because we understand that Maryland cannot continue to move forward if we are buried in gridlock," Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett said.

Officials are hoping to begin construction on the project in 2015 with service beginning in 2020.

Second Confirmed Case of TB in Ellis County

The state health department said there is a second confirmed case of tuberculosis in Ellis County, while the Denton school district said it would test hundreds of students for exposure to the infection.

The Texas Department of State Health Services said 221 people in Ellis County have tested positive for exposure to tuberculosis after a high school teacher was diagnosed with the disease. Health officials have analyzed 1,577 skin tests in Ellis County, the department said.

A Denton High School student who attended Ennis High School last year was hospitalized Tuesday with a suspected case of tuberculosis.

The Denton Independent School District said it would carry out an emergency plan to test hundreds of students for exposure to the disease.

"This is all a precautionary measure," district spokeswoman Sharon Cox said. "We want our students to be healthy and safe throughout the district. We don't want parents to panic."

The district, which is working with the Denton County Health Department, will conduct skin tests on about 200 students Tuesday.

"We looked at the rosters, and we contacted any student that was involved in his activities or classes, and we also contacted students that were on the bus with him," Cox said.

Anyone who was in close contact with the student who has the suspected case of tuberculosis is asked to get tested.

Doctors say people are only at risk for contracting the airborne bacterial infection if they are in close proximity to a person with an active case for a prolonged period of time. Casual contact should not lead to an infection.

Dr. Bing Burton, the director of the Denton County Health Department, said the skin tests will give health officials a sense of how active the disease is.

"Have there been multiple exposures, or did we catch this thing really soon and maybe there haven't been exposures?" Burton said.

Those who test positive for exposure to tuberculosis will get a chest X-ray.

All of the people tested will also get a second skin test in 10 weeks. Health officials said two tests are necessary in case new cases develop.

"It is possible that at some point, there might be an expansion to do a skin testing of the entire school," Burton said.

Denton High School parent Heidi Klein said she agreed with the district's strategy.

"I think it is better to be overly cautious with those kids but not create a widespread panic with the entire student population. ... If in two weeks, eight, nine, 10 kids are home sick with an active form, you know, yeah, maybe we will be a little more worried then," she said.

More: What to Know About Tuberculosis

Possible Hepatitis A Exposure at Allentown Restaurant

A warning for recent guests at an Allentown restaurant; you may have been exposed to Hepatitis A.

The Allentown Health Bureau is investigating a confirmed case of Hepatitis A in an employee at the Pasta Alla Rosa Restaurant on Hamilton Street. While the Bureau says the employee only had limited food handling duties, they still recommend that anyone who ate at the restaurant between September 23 and October 7 receive vaccinations or immune globulin (antibodies).

The Bureau says that unvaccinated guests who ate at the restaurant during the previously mentioned time period should contact their health care provider to discuss post-exposure prophylaxis (prevention). The prevention is only beneficial if taken within 14 days of exposure. Guests at the restaurant who have already been vaccinated against Hepatitis A are protected and don’t need to take action.

The Bureau recommends that unvaccinated guests between the ages of 1 year and 40 years be vaccinated while unvaccinated guests over the age of 40 receive immune globulin.

Unvaccinated guests who don’t receive vaccination or immune globulin are advised to seek medical treatment if they begin to experience the following symptoms:

•    Yellowing of eyes or skin

•    White stool

•    Dark urine

•    Nausea

•    Vomiting

•    Diarrhea

The Allentown Health Bureau will make vaccine available next Monday. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., they will have a walk-in clinic at 245 North Sixth Street for unvaccinated guests between the ages of 1 and 40.

The Bureau also requested a supply of immune globulin from the Pa. Department of Health. The Bureau will offer it to unvaccinated guests over 40 once it becomes available.

 

LA Fire Chief in "Inappropriate" Photos

In a stunning development in the porn scandal rocking the LA City Fire Department. the newly appointed fire chief has admitted that he too took part in "inappropriate" photos taken in front of a city fire engine.

Chief Brian Cummings says that 13 years ago, while serving as a captain with the LAFD, he allowed pictures to be taken of himself with a bikini-clad woman and firefighters under his command, in front of a fire engine.

In addition, the chief allowed the woman to pose partially naked in front of the engine. These actions apparently violate LAFD policy. "This is clearly irresponsible and inappropriate," Cummings said in a statement released Friday. "I am accountable for my actions."

Cummings admitted to the photos Friday, just two weeks after NBC4 revealed that two other LA fire stations allowed their engines to be used in two porn movies.

The department promised to fully investigate that alleged misconduct, but two days ago said their investigation had hit a dead end, because it failed to identify firefighters who might have taken part in the porn movies.

Cummings also told NBC4 that no firefighters would be disciplined because of a two-year statute of limitations on acts of misconduct; the porn movies were made in 2008.

On Friday, Cummings told a different story about the porn flick investigation. Cummings said the investigation remains a "top priority" for the LAFD, and they still plan to "identify individuals in the Fire Department who may have been involved."

In the wake of the porn and picture incidents, the chief says he will present a new Code of Conduct to the LA Fire Commission, and plans to provide ethics training to all department personnel.

Additionally, the chief says he's volunteering for 120 hours of community service to reinforce "the public's trust" in him.  

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in a statement: "I have accepted Chief Cumming's apology, and I support his proposesd steps to rebuild the public's confidence in his professionalism."

More on the LA Fire Department Porn Investigation:

Porn Actress to LA Firefighters: I'm Sorry

Firefighters Won't Be Punshed For Porn

LA Firefighters Investigated for Helping Make Porn

Mayor Condemns LAFD Role in Porn Films

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College Students Picket Bank of America

For the second day in a row, the downtown Los Angeles branch of the Bank of America at 7th and Figueroa had a big protest at its doorstep.

This time, students from a number of community colleges converged at the bank to express their anger.

“Hey. Hey! B of A, give our money back today,” they chanted as they marched in a circle outside the bank.

Roughly 100 students held up signs reading “we’re an investment, not an entitlement” or “Budget cuts never help” as they continued to chant.

Then they presented a facsimile of a check for a $400 million over draught fee which bank security personnel promptly threw away.

Thursday, a group protesting the bank’s foreclosure policy held a sit-in inside the bank that led to 11 arrests.

Friday, the group was noisy, but peaceful.

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Residents Evacuated After Natural Gas Leak: La Mesa

A natural gas leak in a La Mesa neighborhood prompted a small-scale evacuation Friday afternoon, according to Heartland Fire & Rescue.

The incident occurred in the 8500 block of Alpine Ave where the line was reported broken just before 1 p.m. said Sonny Saghera, Public Information Officer.

Crews were on the scene in five minutes and after an initial investigation determined a construction team misjudged the number of lines in the area based on their marked plans and ended up breaking the one, Saghera said.

Several residents were evacuated from their homes and remained outside of the residences for nearly an hour, Saghera added.

Within 15 minutes San Diego Gas and Electric officials were on the scene and were able to clamp the severed line.

La Jolla House Tour to Aid Baby Izaiah

A Vista boy who was paralyzed by a DUI driver may be getting a new home in a unique way after a recent set back.

Izaiah Wallis, known as Baby Izaiah, was riding in his stroller last October when he was struck by a teenage drunk driver. Since then, he's undergone countless surgeries and spent months in intensive care.

However a recent discovery of mold in his home has proved harmful to his recovery.

"It is now critical that we get Izaiah moved into his own small home as the situation for his health has become urgent and life-threatening,” said Linda Van Kessler from Passion 4 K.I.D.S, an organization that has been a big support of the toddler.

Luxury Homes Group in La Jolla has joined Passion 4 K.I.D.S in order to make sure Izaiah gets a better chance at recovery by pledging to donate a large portion of the sale of a La Jolla home which was said to be worth 15.9 million.

Visitors will be able to view the home on October 8 and 9 from noon until 4 p.m.

Furthermore, if someone happens to bring the person who ends up paying full price for the home, organizers said they will give them one million dollars.

Not only does the charity event benefit Izaiah's eventual move to a new home, the money raised will also go toward Fueled by the Fallen (Supporting our fallen Heroes and their families).

For more information about the home, please visit this website.

 

Rowlett Pushes for More Parks

The city of Rowlett is pushing for parks and playgrounds to get kids off the couch and get them moving.

Kaboom, a nonprofit group, has designated Rowlett as a "playful city" because the city has made a commitment to build more parks and have more programs that promote fitness and fight obesity in the city.

"This holds us accountable as a city," city spokesman Jermel Stevenson said. "We are committed to working with our school districts, our nonprofits, our faith-based organizations -- they are the ones we go to when it's time to build a new park or start a new program."

Rowlett has 30 parks, but half of them are undeveloped. The city has a park plan which will be viewed for adoption by the city council on October 18th.

Kaboom has designated eight other Texas cities as playful cities, including Arlington, Grand Prairie and The Colony.

Feds Crack Down on Pot Dispensaries

Federal prosecutors are cracking down on dozens of marijuana growers and dispensaries in California, saying they are really for-profit trafficking operations - not efforts to help sick people.

Dozens of people have been indicted, and numerous pot dispensaries ordered to shut their doors in a wide-ranging series of investigations conducted by U.S. Attorneys in several parts of the state.

 

“The California marijuana industry is not about providing medicine to the sick,” said Laura E. Duffy, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of California. “It’s a pervasive for-profit industry that violates federal law.”

 

Among those named in indictments unsealed Friday were seven people affiliated with a now-defunct North Hollywood operation called NoHo Caregivers, where investigators said they found 23 pounds of pot, a pound of hashish and two 16-year-old boys smoking the merchandise.

 

Others named in a variety of cases include:

• A Wilshire Blvd. attorney who prosecutors said conducted a pot-growing operation from his law office.
• Two Modesto men who allegedly had 500 pot plants growing in a cornfield, with an assault rifle nearby.
• A father and son accused of running a “marijuana store” in Fresno County.

Prosecutors also issued letters to dozens of dispensaries – which they called “marijuana stores” around the state that are operating in cities that have banned them. These include operations in Pomona, Laguna Niguel, Murietta and others.

 

Marijuana dispensaries operate in a precarious environment in California, because while it’s legal under state law to operate a non-profit dispensary for patients who have prescriptions, that’s still against federal law.

 

Federal officials and the Obama Administration have said that they won’t go after people who are really ill, or collectives that are truly distributing pot to patients who need it.

 

But they say a huge for-profit industry has grown up in the state, masquerading as medical collectives.

 

"The federal enforcement actions are aimed at commercial marijuana operations," said André Birotte Jr., the United States Attorney for the Central District of California. The marijuana industry is controlled by profiteers.”

 

But advocates of medical marijuana said pot provides needed relief for chronic conditions including the pain from end-stage cancer and degenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis.

 

Joe Elford, chief counsel for the pro-medical marijuana group Americans for Safe Access, predicted that it won’t be long before patients begin to fight back.

 

"It’s extremely unfortunate for a lot of folks who really need this medicine," Elford said. "If they see problems in the way it’s being implemented they could work with us on it. But it’s not an excuse to really deprive people of medical marijuana."

 

The crackdown comes at an already difficult time for the hundreds of pot dispensaries that have crowded street corners throughout the state since medical marijuana became decriminalized.

 

On Tuesday, a California appeals court ruled that cities and counties could not regulate the stores in any way that makes it appear that local governments are endorsing the sale of marijuana. The ruling is expected to lead to a ban on pot dispensaries in many cities, and up-end efforts in Los Angeles to regulate them.

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Komen to Reformulate Perfume After Unfavorable Allegations

A perfume endorsed by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation has come under fire.

The "Promise Me" perfume is facing accusations that certain incredients may be dangerous carcinogens that could cause cancer.

A group called "Breast Cancer Action" sent the perfume to be tested at Analytical Sciences, a California chemical lab.

A report on the test revealed it contained galaxolide, a synthetic musk that has been shown to accumulate in the body of women whose perfumes contained it, according to DailyFinance.com. The report goes on to allege that the ingredient may be a contributing factor in the development of breast cancer.

The Dallas-based Komen group said the accusations made aren't true and that it had scientists and health teams review every ingredient in the perfume — none of which, it says, are linked to cancer in humans.

DailyFinance said the perfume will be reformulated without certain ingredients being criticized.

The perfume, which runs about $60 a bottle, was first released in 2001. 

 

Convicted Granddaughter Killer: “I Lost My Mind”

A judge released video evidence from the trial of a woman who threw her granddaughter off an elevated walkway at Tysons Corner.

A jury convicted Carmela dela Rosa Thursday of first-degree murder for throwing 2-year-old Angelyn Ogdoc to her death in November.

In a videotaped confession to police, dela Rosa said that she "just lost it" and did a "terrible thing."

“I lost my mind,” she said.

Dela Rosa's defense had claimed she didn't know right from wrong, but the jury rejected the insanity defense.

Dela Rosa intentionally killed the child out of anger toward James Ogdoc, her son-in-law, prosecutors argued. She did not forgive him for getting her daughter pregnant out of wedlock.

In the videotaped confession, dela Rosa also said she was jealous of the attention Angelyn received.

“Everybody loves her,” she said.

The judge also released surveillance video from the mall of the family arriving at the mall for dinner and leaving, with dela Rosa carrying the child, just before dropping her off the walkway.

The jury recommended a sentence of 35 years in prison for Carmela dela Rosa. The prosecution sought a life sentence. The judge will issue a sentence in January. The crime carries a minimum of 20 years.

Occupy Philly Marches to Stock Exchange

The second day of protests from "Occupy Philadelphia" is underway in Center City.

On Friday, around 5:30 p.m., protesters began to march around City Hall to the Philadelphia Stock Exchange.

The group also set up a small tent city at City Hall early Friday morning.

On Thursday, several hundred people carrying signs protested peacefully outside the government building in a rally modeled after similar protests in New York and other places. The demonstrations are aimed at condemning corporate greed and its influence on government.

Mayor Michael Nutter visited with protesters overnight, answered questions and posed for pictures.

As of now, the protests have remained peaceful and no arrests have been made.

City officials have said the group is welcome to stay for now, but officials have also encouraged them to get a permit.

Police Station Evacuated for Grenade-Shaped Lighter

The Williamsburg, Va., Police Station was evacuated after a woman walked in with what she believed might be an unexploded grenade.

It turned out to be a novelty cigarette lighter.

The woman, who has a background in military ordnance, found the device on the road and took it to the station at about 9:50 a.m. Friday, city spokeswoman Kate Hoving said. The station was evacuated, and an ordnance squad from Yorktown Naval Weapons Station was summoned to evaluate the device.

They determined it was a lighter made to look like a grenade, and the station was reopened shortly after 11 a.m.

Evacuating was the right thing to do under the circumstances, Hoving said.

Though the woman meant well, anyone who finds a suspicious device should call 911, Hoving said.

Charities Provide Mortgage-Free Home for Wounded Virginia Veteran

A veteran of Iraq who lost both of his legs in an IED attack in Iraq is living in an accessible home in Fredericksburg, Va., thanks to a couple of charities.

Over the summer, Homes for Our Troops gave Sgt. Jude Recendez and his wife, Kristine, a home well beyond ADA compliance. It was one of more than 100 mortgage-free homes the non-profit provided for wounded veterans.

Donations of land, building materials, and labor as well as contributions from the PGA charity Birdies for the Brave, helped make it possible.

Birdies for the Brave is holding a golf event on Oct. 24 at TPC Potomac.

17 AC Units Stolen from Medical Office

Police are investigating the theft of 17 central Air Conditioner units from a West Whiteland medical office.

The theft was discovered Friday morning around 7:30 a.m. at “the Commons at Oaklands” on 770 West Lincoln Highway in Exton, Pa.

Police also say the power was cut from eight other AC units.

If you have any information on this crime, please call the West Whiteland Police at 610-363-0200.

 

Interior Secretary to Address Controversial MLK Jr. Memorial Quote

The U.S. Department of the Interior secretary will address the controversy surrounding a quote carved into the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

Ken Salazar will discuss the issue with the National Parks Service after the memorial's formal dedication Oct. 16.

Author Maya Angelou first brought attention to the issue. The original quote was, "Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness." On the monument, it’s paraphrased to read “I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.”

Angelou said it makes Dr. King sound arrogant.

The entire quote didn’t fit on the monument.

Temple Hospital Tries to ID John Doe

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SDUSD Grace Period for Pertussis Vaccination Over

Yesterday was the last day of the 30-day grace period for students to get the whooping cough vaccine in San Diego Unified School District.

A new state law requires 7th through 12th graders to show proof they have received the Tdap booster shot before they attend class. If students within SDUSD could not obtain proof of a personal belief exemption, medical exemption, proof of a future appointment for vaccination or consent form for vaccination they were not allowed to come to school Friday.

But unlike some other school districts in San Diego County, SDUSD allows its students up to 30 days after their first day of school on Sept. 6 to be immunized.

Schools within SDUSD were instructed to send home notes with students who did not have any of the four exclusions, according to Nursing Program Manager Jennifer Gorman. Those students are not allowed to attend class until they receive their Tdap or met one of the exemptions.

SDUSD approached lawmakers in Sacramento to allow the 30 day grace period since it was difficult to reach all the students during vacation. The law was mandated in the middle of summer break on July 1.

“We were looking at having some 30,000 students without the vaccine,” Gorman said.

Controversy has surrounded the vaccination issue as parents have to decide whether or not to immunize their children. Studies have recently revealed booster shots fade after time, and sometimes do not work at all.

A recent case in San Diego aligns with studies that the vaccination can be ineffective. Friday morning a 9-year-old girl in Ramona contracted whooping cough, making her case the 379th in the San Diego region this year, according to San Diego County Health officials. The child was up to date on her immunizations.

Local lawmakers say they will consider tougher requirements for schools that have been defying state law by letting students who cannot prove they have had the whooping cough vaccine remain on campus.

Worker Suffers Serious Injuries in Construction Site Fall

Montgomery County Fire and EMS rescued a construction worker after a fall in Gaithersburg, Md., Friday morning.

Police found the man in storm management area at the Gaithersburg Station Apartments construction site at 300 East Diamond Ave. He had fallen about 10 feet.

Dozens of rescuers needed about a half hour to get him out of the hole.

He suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Gaithersburg Station Apartments will be a mixed use facility including businesses and apartments.

Church Deacon Accused of Stealing from Poor Fund

Prosecutors say a former deacon and pastoral associate at a northern New Jersey church stole $53,000 from an account designated for needy parishioners.

James Looby, 51, served at St. Therese Lisieux Church in Cresskill before resigning in May 2010 and moving to Del Valle, Texas.

Two months later, a routine audit by the Archdiocese of Newark uncovered the missing funds.

Bergen County prosecutors say Looby faces two counts of theft.

Looby allegedly obtained a credit card for the church account and used it to withdraw funds from January 2006 until he resigned.

Prosecutors say he used the money for personal expenses, like buying airline tickets and paying credit card bills.

It wasn't known if Looby had retained an attorney, and a phone number for him could not be located.

Chargers' Jackson Returns to Practice

Different week. Same routine.

After missing Wednesday and Thursday practice for the second straight week, Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson again returned to action Friday and looked sharp, an encouraging sign leading up to Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos.

Jackson is dealing with a hamstring injury that forced him to play just 22 of the offense's 66 snaps in Week 4. He did his damage against the Miami Dolphins before sustaining the ailment, catching three first-half passes for 108 yards and a touchdown.

Chargers coach Norv Turner will update his status following practice and detail the length of his participation.

Cornerback Quentin Jammer (hamstring) also returned to practice after missing Thursday's session with an illness. He is expected to start after missing last week's game, his first inactive contest since 2007.

Tight end Antonio Gates was held out all week. He is not expected to play Sunday.

Miller Time

For the first time of many, the Chargers must scheme against Broncos rookie linebacker Von Miller.

The No. 2 overall pick sacked Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers twice last week, registering the first as a pass-rushing end and the second as a blitzing outside linebacker.

Miller, whose four sacks are tied for the AFC West lead, took 27 of his 67 snaps while lined up at left end.

"He's super fast," quarterback Philip Rivers said. "That's the first thing that jumps out is the speed he has. He was a half-yard or so last week from having three sacks. Aaron got just back to the line of scrimmage or he would have, so he certainly has had an impact early on in his career. He along with (Elvis) Dumervil and their crew of pass rushers will be a challenge."

Sunken Ship USS Radford Another “Irene” Casualty

No one's complaining about another casualty from Hurricane Irene.

Divers told The Philadelphia Inquirer the hurricane ripped apart the warship that officials sank off the coast of New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland to become an artificial reef.

The USS Arthur W. Radford was towed into the Atlantic Ocean two months ago. The destroyer, used in the Persian Gulf War 20 years ago, is now part of the Del-Jersey-Land reef that's managed by Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland..

It was sunk Aug. 10 about 29 miles from Cape May Point, NJ and Ocean City, Md. It's also 29 miles from River Inlet in Delaware. At 564 feet long, it is the biggest vessel to be turned into an artificial reef in the area.

The hurricane passed over it less than three weeks after its sinking.

“The large main section, from the bridge to the stern, is still upright and actually moved about 200 feet,” said Ted Green of Salisbury, Md., a diver and charter-boat captain. “What's also remarkable is that it didn't tip over.”

Green says the battering will make the ship even more attractive to divers because they'll be able to explore all the deck levels.

Read more about the ship's sinking here.

Aztecs Honor Vets During SDSU Homecoming

San Diego State University students killed in action were remembered Friday as part of the university's homecoming events.

"Taps" could be heard on campus as a remembrance ceremony was held on the lawn next to the trolley station near the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center..

Participants expressed gratitude for the sacrifices of students on the battlefield.

SDSU Student Veterans Organizer Nathaniel Donnely, a veteran himself, said it's important to remember those who served their country.

"This is kind of the recognition that we do know what you all have done and we thank you," he said.

Different student organizations gave a wreath for the war memorial to acknowledge their respect for the fallen.

On the memorial itself, dedicated in 1996, there are the names of 222 former SDSU students lost in service during their country during World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

San Diego State University is the highest ranked university in California, ranking 30th among 100 universities nationwide for military vets preparing for the next phase of their lives, according to the campus Veterans Center.

 

California Bans Cellphone Used by Trolley Drivers

State regulators have banned California train drivers from using cellphones in the wake of a deadly Los Angeles crash blamed on texting.

Federal regulators already have such a ban for national rails. The California ban extends that to regional lines such as the Bay Area Rapid Transit District, LA Metro and San Diego trolley.

The California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday unanimously voted to ban use of cellphones, pagers, satellite phones and other personal electronic devices by rail transit personnel. It makes permanent an emergency ban already in place.

Cameras will be placed in train operator cabs to enforce the ban.

The ban was prompted by a 2008 head-on crash between a Metrolink commuter train and a freight train in Chatsworth. Twenty-five people died and more than 100 were hurt.

Copyright NBC San Diego / Associated Press

Southern California Cities Among the Most Promiscuous

Casual sex is alive and well in Southern California, according the findings of a recent survey.

Residents of two Southern California cities are among the top sheet-touslers in the nation, according to OKCupid.

The dating site found San Bernardino and San Diego to be among the top 10 Most Promiscuous U.S. Cities.

While Portland, Oregon took the top spot, San Bernardino came in seventh place followed by San Diego in ninth.

OKCupid tallied how many of their users sought “casual sex” relationships via their profiles, and from which cities they hailed.

The West Coast reigned supreme, claiming five spots. California was the most well-represented state, with three cities among the top ten. San Francisco came in fifth on the list.

Notably missing from the list is Los Angeles. A recent-- and equally unscientific-- study by the makers of Trojans Condoms found that Angelinos have more sex than just about anyone.

Take a look at OKCupid's complete list here:

1. Portland

2. Seattle

3. Pittsburgh

4. Miami

5. San Francisco

6. Dallas

7. San Bernardino, Calif.

8. Denver

9. San Diego

10. Houston

For some light and entertaining reading, OKCupid keeps a compilation of dating research via its blog.

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Self-Proclaimed Psychic Scared Girl Into Stealing Family Jewelry: Deputies

Authorities are searching for more victims in the case of a woman who allegedly claimed to be psychic and scared a 12-year-old girl into stealing about $10,000 worth of family jewelry.

In return, the suspect said she would remove a terrible curse.

"(She) told the victim that she believed the victim to be cursed and several horrible things would come to both the victim and the victim's family if the curse was not removed,'' Deputy Robbie Royster, of the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station, said.

The investigation began in August 2011 when the girl began sneaking out of her home to visit a classmate and her mother, suspect Jackeline Lopez, according to investigators. Lopez told the girl she could see the future and conducted psychic readings in her garage, which was decorated with candles, chalk outlines, replicas of human skulls, beads, dolls and black cauldrons, investigators said.

As part of the reading, Lopez encouraged the girl to bring her jewels that she placed in a cauldron, according to authorities. She assured the girl the process would remove the curse, but kept telling the girl she needed more jewelry, deputies said.pez was arrested on suspicion of extortion. She posted bond and was released from jail.

A court date was set for Oct. 18.

Contact Investigators: 661-272-2477

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Southbound I-295 Flyover Bridge To Open This Weekend in D.C.

The new flyover bridge along I-295 (Anacostia Freeway) in southeast Washington opens this weekend.

It represents the first major phase of completed work on the 11th Street Bridge Project.

The opening will occur in phases starting at midnight Friday, October 7 and is expected to be completed by the following afternoon. Southbound traffic will be shifted from the current lanes to the new flyover bridge, so expect delays, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) warned.

The flyover bridge is 1,368 feet long and rises 68 feet in the air at the highest point.

“Construction on the 11th Street Bridge Project started in December 2009 and is scheduled to be completed by July 2013. The purpose of the Project is to replace the two existing Anacostia River Bridges which have outlived their design life, provide the missing connections to the Anacostia Freeway, improve and enhance pedestrian and bicycle access and reduce commuter cut-through traffic in the local neighborhoods”, DDOT said in a news release.

 

 

 

Former Loudoun Youth Football President Charged With Embezzlement

The former President of the Upper Loudoun County Youth football team, Raymond J. Taylor, 44, of Purcellville, Va. has been charged with embezzling $50,000 from his league.

While Taylor was President, board members of the Upper Loudoun Youth Football League discovered discrepancies in the accounts.  The members reported their suspicions to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Department in late September.

Taylor was arrested October 6, on six counts of embezzlement.

Redmond O'Neal Faces Sentencing for Violating Probation in Rehab Facility

Redmond O'Neal, son of actor Ryan O'Neal and the late actress Farrah Fawcett, was exepcted to be sentenced Friday after he was found to have violated his probation last month.

O'Neal, 26, admitted to the court he violated his probation while in a rehabilitation facility.

A letter from a rehabilitation facility indicated O'Neal was in violation of the terms. The letter stated that O'Neal accessed a payphone and had drugs delivered to the facility.

O'Neal was taken into custody after the hearing without bail.

LA Superior Court Judge Keith I. Schwarz  told O'Neal he might consider sending him back to the facility if he met certain conditions. This would include no access to a phone.

Schwartz also warned O'Neal he could sentence him to six years in state prison from an original probation violation and a concurrent three-year sentence.

During the hearing, a representative from the facility acknowledged the center fell short in their supervision of O'Neal.

O'Neal pleaded no contest to felony possession of heroin and possessing a firearm in August. He was sentenced to a one year in-patient rehabilitation program and five years of probation.

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Emanuel Announces 200 Health Tech Jobs Coming to Chicago

Mayor Rahm Emanuel told a group of Merge Healthcare providers Friday he wasn't counting the number of jobs he helped bring to Chicago since his time in office.

But he is, and he should.

Emanuel cited nearly 7,000 new jobs he announced so far, from GE Capital, United Airlines, Walgreens, Chase Bank, SeatonCorp, EMC Inc., Allscripts, Motorola Solutions and Ford. (Well, Ford may be the work of others.)

He racked up more Friday thanks to Merge Healthcare adding 200 health information technology jobs to the city in the next two years.

Merge also will set up 100 Vitals Kiosks, internet-connected health stations where folks can check their vitals for free, throughout the city.

Another big win for Emanuel as he continues to hold up Chicago in the conventions field, the company will hold its national convention in Chicago through 2014.

"I cannot thank Merge enough, not only for the 200 jobs but for the 100 kiosks throughout the city that will be part of this integrated, comprehensive strategy to drive economic growth, create jobs and create a better, healthier workforce."

Mayor 1%

“American politics reached a pivot point this week,” writes E.J. Dionne in the Washington Post.

The anti-Wall Street demonstrators have created a new pole in politics. Americans have always been wary of concentrated power. The tea party had great success in focusing anxieties on what it argues is an excessively powerful federal government. Now, an active and angry band of citizens is insisting that the concentrated power Americans most need to fear exists on Wall Street and in the financial system.

The protesters Occupying Wall Street, and those Occupying Chicago, refer to themselves as “The 99%” -- the vast portion of the American public that has seen its standard of living erode as the nation’s wealth is concentrated in the bank accounts of the wealthiest 1%. As one protestor’s sign read, “This Revolution Will Not Be Privatized. We Are The 99%.”

You have to wonder whether the non-stop demonstration in front of the Federal Reserve Building is making Mayor Rahm Emanuel nervous. Like the prankster who posted signs in the window of the Board of Trade, Emanuel is part of The 1%. Not only did Emanuel make his fortune as an investment banker, he collected a large portion of his campaign contributions from the financial services industry, and he has governed on its behalf, by pressuring unions to give up overtime pay, cancelling schoolteachers’ raises, and privatizing recycling. It has paid dividends, including this flattering profile in Bloomberg Business Week.

“Government is too big and expensive” was a popular platform in February. Since his election, Emanuel has tried to channel populist anger against labor unions, by complaining that public school students “got the shaft” under a contract that guaranteed teachers a 4 percent annual raise. In October, populist anger seems to be running in the other direction.

Occupy Wall Street does not present itself as an electoral movement, advocating for or against political candidates. It may never become one. But this can’t be a comfortable time to be a 1% Politician, especially for a Democrat whose ambitions don’t end at the mayor’s office.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was another 1percenter who responded to the crisis of his times and took on the Wall Street bankers. In the late 1920s, the Top 1% held a larger portion of the nation’s They grumbled that he was a “traitor to his class,” but in fact, he saved his class from revolution.

'Suspicious' House Fire Kills Boy

Sherrif's homicide detectives labled the fire that killed a 3-year-old boy Thursday as “suspicious” and began an investigation into the cause of the two-story fire that broke out in an unincorporated area near Compton.

The fire began at around 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the only two-story home on Lennon St. in the Rosewood section of the county east of Compton and was brought under control at 5:11 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Ivan Buggs died at a hospital, said coroner's Chief Craig Harvey.

The child's demise is regarded as "a suspicious death," a Sheriff's Department statement said. But the cause of the fire and its point of origin were not immediately determined.

The boy's 38-year-old mother was inside the home when the fire started and escaped with minor injuries, said L.A. County sheriff's Deputy Benjamin Grubb.

The woman was "very upset ... very despondent" as she was being questioned by homicide investigators Thursday night, said sheriff's Lt. Mike Rosson, a member of the squad investigating the blaze.

The early indication is that she and the boy were upstairs, "and at some point the child went downstairs," Rosson said.

The woman smelled smoke, tried to go down the stairs but the ground floor was already ``filled with smoke and heat,'' he said, adding she then went out the balcony and returned in a futile effort to get inside.

The boy was later found by firefighters and taken to Memorial Hospital of Gardena, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

 

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Fuel Tanker Explodes at Gas Station in Westchester

A fuel tanker making a delivery to a gas station in Westchester County erupted into a fireball early Friday.

There were no injuries, but authorities in Pelham Manor said a nearby convenience store was severely damaged.

Authorities said the driver and the gas station attendant escaped from the Oil City station on Secor Road without injuries.

Fire officials said the explosion could have been catastrophic if it had happened at another time of day, but because it was 2 a.m., no one was at the gas station.

Firefighters were able to save a nearby auto body shop that also caught fire.

Fire Chief Joseph Ruggiero said the tanker truck was offloading when something went wrong.

The incident is under investigation.

Prince Harry Arrives in El Centro

Buckingham Palace said Friday that Prince Harry has arrived in the United States for a two-month military helicopter training course.

The prince, a British Army captain, will start his training at the Naval Air Facility at El Centro, Calif. -- a two-hour drive from San Diego -- where he will fly Apache helicopters in the desert near the Mexican border. The facility hosts allied troops throughout the year because its hot, dusty conditions replicate Afghanistan's harsh environment and the clear weather allows for constant flying.

Harry is among 20 students in the British Army participating in the training that ends at an Air Force station in Gila Bend, Ariz. where they will fire missiles, rockets and cannons from the Apache helicopters.

Harry's not the first royal visitor California has had this year. In July, Prince William and his new bride Kate Middleton visited Los Angeles for their first official trip to California as a couple.

Copyright NBC San Diego / Associated Press

Hennessey's CFO Arrested on Embezzlement Charges

A former executive of a restaurant chain with several San Diego locations was arrested on 19 felony counts including the embezzlement of more than $1 million.

James Cram, the one-time Chief Financial Officer of Hennessey's Inc., was arrested Thursday morning by police in Redondo Beach.

Cram, 54, faces 19 felony counts including grand theft, money laundering and tax evasion police said.

Owners Paul and Jennifer Hennessey employed Cram from 2006 to 2010 before they suspected he was embezzling funds.

Investigators allege Cram took approximately $1,146,000 during his employment with the restaurant chain.

He is being held on $500,000 bail.

The chain began with a Hermosa Beach location and has grown to 10 Hennessey's locations including Carlsbad, La Jolla, Downtown and Pacific Beach.

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Alleged Heroin Smuggler Busted At Dulles

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said they busted a woman for smuggling heroin into Dulles International Airport last month.  The woman allegedly swallowed the drugs.

Sixty-one year old Olanrewaju Foashade Halimat arrived at Dulles from Ethiopia on September 22nd, according to a CBP press release.

Officials said they routinely conduct random inspection operations on arriving and departing passengers, looking for drugs, weapons, and other prohibited products.  

During an interview with Halimat, who is from Nigeria, CBP officers allegedly found inconsistencies in her story.  They later x-rayed her and discovered "foreign objects" inside her abdomen.  At that time, they filed a criminal affidavit against her.  Halimat passed those objects, which turned out to be 47 pellets of heroin, officials said.  They weighed about 500 grams, with a street value of $35,000.

CBP officers turned Halimat and the heroin over to the U.S. Customs and Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigation agents.  The U.S. Attorney's Office is now prosecuting Halimat. 

Ingesting narcotics pellets is a high-risk proposition which can lead to almost certain overdose if it breaches inside a carrier's intestines, CBP officials said.

CBP said the charges and allegations in criminal complaints are accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

How to Get the Most Out of Fashion Focus

In a few weeks, designers-in-residence at the Chicago Fashion Incubator at Macy’s on State Street will unveil their latest collection at Fashion Focus Chicago, on Tuesday, October 18 at Millennium Park.

This high-profile event provides designers their best public relations opportunity of the year as reporters, bloggers, investors, buyers and other designers will be among the crowd awing at the local design talent.

However, designers should see this as more than just a one-night PR opportunity but rather a series of reasons to proactively connect with potential consumer and customers before, during and after the show.

Designers that take a quick break from finishing the details of their line and take advantage of the PR tips below will find they double the value of the evening.



Starting now, let your family, friends and business contacts know about the show.

• Utilize social media to invite friends and followers to the show. Include a link to the event and you’ll be surprised how many people show up to support you.

• Make a personal phone call to consumers, buyers, investors and suppliers that have expressed an interest in your business. This simple tactic will reinforce that you value the relationship and take your business seriously.

• Email reporters, bloggers and alumni associations to let them know about the show. Reassure them you will make time for them at the event if they are interested in learning more about your collection and business. You might want to go so far as to designate a time and place where you can easily be located after the event.

The night of the event will likely be overwhelming, but as a business owner you need to prepare so you can demonstrate that you deliver under pressure.

• Write your key talking points on a note card. They should be simple and succinct -- name of your line, who is your target audience and why, and what’s different or special about your line. You might also want to note who you are not. People appreciate a businessperson with focus and a filter.

• Despite the party atmosphere, view the evening as a business event. Dress and speak professionally. Prioritize business contacts over friends and family.

• Make it easy to network by having business cards handy. The cards should include your contact information, the name of the line, and links to any websites with you collection. Don’t feel the need to overdesign the card. Less is more.

Take advantage of the post-show buzz to gather feedback.

• Utilize social media, again, and thank friends and family for supporting you. Send a link to the event photos and your line.

• Personally contact any business connections -- customers, consumers, peers, suppliers, and investors -- and ask for their feedback.

• Post show pictures on your company website.

• Be responsive to media interested in learning more about you and your line. Be prepared with brand and collection fact sheets as well as personal bio sheet.

These are easy steps any designer can do to create buzz and make opportunities for themselves to propel their business.

Who to Watch at Chicago Ideas Week: Gunny Harboe

There's a lot to wrap your mind around with the approaching Chicago Ideas Week, and we're helping with series of speaker profiles designed to highlight the benefit to you.

In this profile: Gunny Harboe

Accolades: Named Chicago's 2010 Chicagoans of the year and the Tribune's 1999 Chicagoan of the year. Also nabbed a 2001 Young Architects award from the American Institute of Architects.

Why you should care: Okay, so what does architecture have to do with running a business? On the surface, maybe not so much. But if you're willing to indulge in metaphors and read deeper meanings into what Harboe has to say, you'll likely be dazzled, particularly if preserving this city's tradition of the famous, almost stubborn Midwestern work ethic. As Harboe's accolades indicate, this is a guy who has made the city a better place, though not in the way you might expect for an architect. He's tirelessly worked to preserve, restore, or rehabilitate landmarks like the Rookery Building and the Hotel Burnham. To unpack the metaphors here, think of it like this: He has the ability to develop a vision and execute it. That's not so different from running a business, now, is it?

When you can see him: October 15, Wrigley Field, 15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Check out the full list of speakers and register for passes on the Chicago Ideas Week website at ChicagoIdeas.com.

Woman Arrested After Diet Pill Theft Caught on Tape

Denton police have arrested and accused a woman of theft after they say she stuffed her underware full of diet pills.

Officers believe Christina Antoinette Jackson and two others stole thousands of dollars worth of pills on Aug. 30.

The women were caught on video lifting their dresses and stuffing the pills into their girdles.

She is being held on $10,000 bond after being arrested in Dallas on a warrant from the August theft.

Denton police have not yet determined if Jackson had anything to do with the second theft on Sept. 19.

Michaele and Tareq Salahi Items Going Up for Auction

The alleged White House party crashers are moving on from their broken marriage.

Tareq Salahi told Reuters that he would be auctioning off some of the ex-couple's stuff this weekend.

Up for sale - a platinum Tiffany wedding ring, some sculptures, underwear and a selection of hotel bathrobes.  An undisclosed portion of the proceeds will be distributed to several charities.

The couple is accused of sneaking into a White House state dinner in 2009.  Michaele later appeared on the reality television show "Real Housewives of D.C."

Michaele and Tareq broke up last month - after she left him for Journey guitarist Neal Schon.

Tareq Salahi has since filed for divorce.

The auction is set to happen on October 8 at the 9021GO showroom in California.

 

Occupy LA to "Kick Off the Weekend' in Downtown Los Angeles

Protesters representing various groups plan to march in downtown Los Angeles Friday before engaging in a weekend of activity near City Hall.

The Occupy LA protest began last week at City Hall. A scattered encampment grew outside during the week, and protesters said they plan to increase their presence through the weekend.

"It's not so much how we're going to end this week, but how we're going to kick off the weekend," said Thomas Smith, of Occupy LA.

The encampment went from 70 tents to about 125 tents overnight, Smith said. He was asked about the goal of the protests.

"The goal is to have the voice of the people heard," Smith said. "Right now, we've created an environment in downtown Los Angeles where individuals can come together and voice different opinions without any bias from others.

"It is a people's movement -- we are not affiliated with any party. We are grassroots. It's warming to know that we still have that energy within our great nation."

The protests stem from demonstrations at or near Wall Street in New York City that began Sept. 17. As many as 700 people have been arrested since then.

Maintaining compliance with police is a priority for the group, Smith said.

ReFund California March, Sit-In at Bank of America



A protest march Thursday was headed by ReFund California -- a statewide effort that its leaders say is designed to force banks to keep families in homes, pay their fair share of taxes and help rebuild hard-hit neighborhoods. The group marched from California Plaza to 7th and Figueroa streets, where some blocked an intersection and others conducted a sit-down in a Bank of America lobby.

They presented an oversized check to the "People of California" in the amount of $673 billion.

The bank's security called police. Five women and six men were arrested on suspicion of trespassing, said LAPD Officer Richard French. Bail was set at $5,000 a person, according to the LAPD.

Some members of Occupy LA participated in the march organized by ReFund California.

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What We Hope Happens During Bears' White House Visit

The 1985 Bears are getting to finally take their Super Bowl trip to Washington to visit the Bears-Fan-in Chief, President Obama. Though we have no doubt they'll be on their best behavior, they are a team known as much for their behavior off the field as their domination on it.

Here's what we hope will happen during their White House visit:

Jim McMahon will finally own the Punky QB tag, and show up to the White House in a pink-mohawks, spiked leather jacket and a dog collar.

Richard Dent, still wearing his yellow Hall-of-Fame coat, will try to work the words "Hall of Fame" into every conversation.

Willie Gault will fill in as a Secret Service person. He's in the shape to do it, and even once did a cameo as a Secret Service agent for President Jed Bartlett on "West Wing."

Steve McMichael will break at least one priceless antique in the East Room. If anybody can do it and get away with the crime with a devious smile, it's Mongo.

Mike Singletary's eyes will be employed in the War on Terror.

Kevin Butler, eager to show that he's "still got it," will start a kicking competition in the Rose Garden. While his leg still has plenty of strength, he has lost aim over the years, and ends up killing an heirloom rose bush planted by Eisenhower.

The offensive line will line up to give just one snap to the Pres. You know he wants to do it.

Mike Ditka will lead meetings in the Cabinet Room and the Situation Room, and the war and recession will end instantly.

Wife Acquitted for Husband's Murder: "No Real Winners"

A Queens woman who testified that she shot her husband in self-defense says there are "no real winners" following her murder acquittal.

Barbara Sheehan spoke to reporters Friday after walking home from church in Queens.

The jury did convict her of a weapon charge on Thursday. Although an appeal is being weighed, the judge said Sheehan must report to prison next week.

Sheehan said she planned to spend the weekend at home with her two grown children.

The defendant said she shot retired NYPD Sgt. Raymond Sheehan after suffering decades of physical and verbal abuse. He was hit 11 times.

Follow us on Twitter @NBCNewYork and at Facebook/NBCNewYork.

Sears Eyeing Texas, Ohio for New Headquarters

Sears could be relocating their world headquarters to Texas.

Leaders from the company visited both Austin and Columbus, Ohio, as potential sites for its new headquarters.

The company is looking for tax incentives to justify moving the company, and potentially thousands of jobs, from Illinois. 

In January, the state of Illinois raised it's corporate income tax rate 46 percent to 7 percent from 4.8 percent, the Plain Dealer reported.  The state also raised its personal income tax from 3 to 5 percent.

The company has been based in the Chicago area since it was founded in 1886.  In 1993 they moved from the 110-story Sears Tower in downtown Chicago to a business park in the suburb of Hoffman Estates.

Reports say the company hopes to make a decision by the end of the year.

One of Sears' main competitors, J.C. Penney, is based in Plano.

Who to Watch at Chicago Ideas Week: Zoe Damacela

Keeping in line with our objective, we've highlighted another influential speaker to consider at the upcoming Chicago Ideas Week.

In this profile: Zoe Damacela

 

Accolades:  Zoe Damacela, 19, is perhaps one of the youngest speakers at Chicago Ideas Week. She learned the fundamentals of business, and participated in various business plan competitions during her years at Whitney Young High School, and it led to running her own clothing line, Zoe Damacela Apparel.

 

Why you should care:  Damacela will make you feel lazy. The daughter of a single parent, she started sewing her own clothing at 14, opened her own business and is now attending Northwestern University. She’s been featured on Oprah’s Angel Network, The Tyra Banks Show, and recently won Seventeen Magazine’s “Pretty Amazing Teen” contest. Damacela also visited the White House and met President Obama.

 

As she began her first year at Whitney Young, Damacela launched her apparel line with profits from previous business ventures (a greeting card line, started at age 8). During her junior year, she enrolled in the NFTE entrepreneurship course at Whitney Young High School, which changed her outlook on business, she says. Zoe Damacela Apparel was awarded top honors at the NFTE Chicago Citywide Business Plan Competition, and then went on to place second in the NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge. 

 

Damacela's mother gave her a little tough-love advice early on: if she wanted something, she'd have to find a way to pay for it. Now, she runs her clothing line out of a Pilsen apartment, and expects sales to grow by more than 200 percent this year.

  

Check out her super-cute, high-quality, Akira-meets-Forever 21 clothing line here.

 

When you can see her:  She’s part of “Ideas Worth Spreading” - October 15th, 2011, Oriental Theatre, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM