A vehicular homicide charge has been filed against a friend of WBBM-Ch. 2 morning news anchor Randy Salerno in a snowmobiling accident near Eagle River, Wis., Thursday night that killed Salerno, police said.
Scott D. Hirschey, 44, was arrested Friday afternoon on one count of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, according to a statement from the Vilas County Sheriff's Department. Hirschey was injured in the crash and would not appear in court on the charge until he is released from the hospital, authorities said.
The sheriff's office said Salerno, 45, was a snowmobile passenger who died after the vehicle's driver lost control and hit several trees. "Alcohol and speed are believed to be a factor in the crash," the department said in a news release.
According to the Channel 2 Web site, Salerno was on a long-planned winter weekend trip with several old friends. The group flew from Chicago on Thursday in a private plane piloted by one of Salerno's friends. They landed in far northern Wisconsin and checked into a resort in the Eagle River area.
The group was returning from dinner late Thursday night on snowmobiles. After one of them broke down, Salerno and Hirschey, a childhood friend, doubled up on a snowmobile designed for one person, the station reported. They apparently lost the trail and headed across Plum Lake. On the other side of the lake, their snowmobile slid off the trail and struck a tree. Hirschey was thrown from the snowmobile, while Salerno took the full force of the impact, the station said.
Despite attempts to revive him, Salerno was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Hirschey was flown to Marshfield, Wis., where he was in serious but stable condition at St. Joseph's Hospital.
Police said they received a call about the accident shortly after 11:30 p.m.
There have been 10 snowmobiling fatalities—at least eight of which were alcohol-related—since the 2007-08 winter season started, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. In the previous three seasons, there have been an average of 33 snowmobile fatalities each year, more than half of which were alcohol-related.
Wisconsin laws prohibit operating a snowmobile with a blood-alcohol level greater than 0.08 percent. In November, the state enacted a 55 m.p.h. limit for nighttime snowmobiling. More than half of the state's fatalities happen at night. Salerno, a Chicago-area native, served alongside Roseanne Tellez on Channel 2's morning news from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. and the 11 a.m. news, according to the Web site. He began work at the station in September 2004.
"Randy was a talented news anchor and a major reason for our recent morning show success," station President and General Manager Joe Ahern said in a statement. "But it was Randy's sense of humor and quick wit that separated him from the rest. He was a skilled journalist, trusted colleague and dear friend to many in our newsroom—especially to our morning team."
Prior to working at Channel 2, Salerno worked at WGN-Ch. 9 from 1993 to 2004 as anchor of the midday newscast.
On the air Friday morning, former WGN colleagues recalled Salerno as witty, calm in a crisis and always ready to help a colleague despite the competitiveness of the industry.
"He was so laid back," said news anchor Robin Baumgarten. ". . .He was like, 'dude whatever, it will get done.' "
Before anchoring midday at WGN, Salerno was a general assignment reporter and the weekend morning news anchor from 1994 to 1999.
Before working at WGN, he was a reporter and weekend anchor at WNYT-TV in Albany, N.Y. Prior to that, he worked at WMBD-TV and WHOI-TV in Peoria. He began his broadcasting career at WIFR-TV in Rockford as a general assignment reporter.
He won a local Emmy Award for his work on Channel 2's 2004 broadcast of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.
Salerno received his bachelor's degree in communications from Illinois State University. He lived in Crystal Lake, where he grew up, with his wife, Irene, and their 3 children.
source:By Jason Meisner and David Elsner | Tribune reporters
Saturday 26 January 2008
Monte Carlo Fire in Las Vegas Forces Guests to Flee (Update5)
-- A three-alarm fire billowing black smoke charred the top of MGM Mirage's 32-story Monte Carlo Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip earlier today, forcing the evacuation of its 3,002 rooms and gaming hall. More than a dozen people suffered minor injuries.
``Our firefighters had to hang out of the windows'' to put out the blaze, Steven Smith, Clark County fire chief, said in a televised interview. The cause of the fire, which was mostly confined to the exterior of the building, is under investigation. There was no immediate indication of arson, he said.
Five guests and eight engineers suffered from minor smoke inhalation, said Gordon Absher, a spokesman for MGM, in an interview. The blaze started around 11 a.m. local time, drew 120 firefighters, and was contained by 12:15 p.m., he said.
``The fire was restricted to the exterior of the building,'' Absher said, relaying information from the fire department. ``The sprinklers didn't even go off in some of those (top floor) rooms, because there was no smoke.''
The fire raised memories of the 1980 blaze at the MGM Grand Hotel, which killed 87 people and led to new safety measures for hotels in the U.S.
Today's fire affected the roof of the Monte Carlo and at least two floors below, Absher said. The Monte Carlo has 3,015 employees, and the casino has more than 102,100 square feet of gaming space, according to its Web site.
Built by Mandalay
MGM, the world's second-largest casino company, fell $2.25, or 3.1 percent, to $70.80 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading today. The shares were down prior to the first reports of the fire. The company's shares climbed 47 percent last year.
The Monte Carlo, which sits on the Las Vegas Strip adjacent to MGM's $7.8 billion CityCenter project, opened in 1996 and was renovated in 2004. It was built by Mandalay Resort Group, which MGM bought in 2005.
It's one of more than two dozen casinos on the strip, and is the 13th largest by casino floor space and 11th by rooms. The casino won $160 million from gamblers in 2006, according to Jefferies & Co. estimates, the seventh-highest amount among Las Vegas Strip casinos.
The top floor features personalized concierge service for guests who stay in one of 45 deluxe rooms, seven suites or eight one- or two-bedroom penthouses, according to the hotel's Web site.
Backed-Up Traffic
The Nevada Public Safety Department shut down some exit ramps from Interstate 15 in Las Vegas and some nearby roads as traffic began to back up while motorists slowed to look at the fire, department spokesman Kevin Honea said in a telephone interview.
``I can't tell you exactly how far it's backed up,'' Honea said. ``I-15 traffic is still flowing. It looks like it normally does at 4 p.m., and it's noon.''
The MGM Grand blaze on Nov. 21, 1980, flashed through the casino at a rate of 19 feet per second, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. An investigation determined that a sprinkler system could have averted the disaster; legal settlements totaled more than $223 million, the newspaper said. The hotel is now Bally's.
To contact the reporter on this story: Ryan Flinn in San Francisco at rflinn@bloomberg.net
``Our firefighters had to hang out of the windows'' to put out the blaze, Steven Smith, Clark County fire chief, said in a televised interview. The cause of the fire, which was mostly confined to the exterior of the building, is under investigation. There was no immediate indication of arson, he said.
Five guests and eight engineers suffered from minor smoke inhalation, said Gordon Absher, a spokesman for MGM, in an interview. The blaze started around 11 a.m. local time, drew 120 firefighters, and was contained by 12:15 p.m., he said.
``The fire was restricted to the exterior of the building,'' Absher said, relaying information from the fire department. ``The sprinklers didn't even go off in some of those (top floor) rooms, because there was no smoke.''
The fire raised memories of the 1980 blaze at the MGM Grand Hotel, which killed 87 people and led to new safety measures for hotels in the U.S.
Today's fire affected the roof of the Monte Carlo and at least two floors below, Absher said. The Monte Carlo has 3,015 employees, and the casino has more than 102,100 square feet of gaming space, according to its Web site.
Built by Mandalay
MGM, the world's second-largest casino company, fell $2.25, or 3.1 percent, to $70.80 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading today. The shares were down prior to the first reports of the fire. The company's shares climbed 47 percent last year.
The Monte Carlo, which sits on the Las Vegas Strip adjacent to MGM's $7.8 billion CityCenter project, opened in 1996 and was renovated in 2004. It was built by Mandalay Resort Group, which MGM bought in 2005.
It's one of more than two dozen casinos on the strip, and is the 13th largest by casino floor space and 11th by rooms. The casino won $160 million from gamblers in 2006, according to Jefferies & Co. estimates, the seventh-highest amount among Las Vegas Strip casinos.
The top floor features personalized concierge service for guests who stay in one of 45 deluxe rooms, seven suites or eight one- or two-bedroom penthouses, according to the hotel's Web site.
Backed-Up Traffic
The Nevada Public Safety Department shut down some exit ramps from Interstate 15 in Las Vegas and some nearby roads as traffic began to back up while motorists slowed to look at the fire, department spokesman Kevin Honea said in a telephone interview.
``I can't tell you exactly how far it's backed up,'' Honea said. ``I-15 traffic is still flowing. It looks like it normally does at 4 p.m., and it's noon.''
The MGM Grand blaze on Nov. 21, 1980, flashed through the casino at a rate of 19 feet per second, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. An investigation determined that a sprinkler system could have averted the disaster; legal settlements totaled more than $223 million, the newspaper said. The hotel is now Bally's.
To contact the reporter on this story: Ryan Flinn in San Francisco at rflinn@bloomberg.net
Tuesday 22 January 2008
S&P 500 futures extend fall, down 5.3 percent
FRANKFURT, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Futures SPc1 on the U.S. S&P 500 .SPX stock market index extended their fall on Tuesday, trading 5.3 percent lower at 1,255.30 points at 0830 GMT.
Dow Jones futures DJc1 were down 5.4 percent and Nasdaq futures NDc1 traded 5.7 percent lower.
Wall Street's cash equities markets were closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Day. (Reporting by Peter Starck; Editing by Quentin Bryar)
Dow Jones futures DJc1 were down 5.4 percent and Nasdaq futures NDc1 traded 5.7 percent lower.
Wall Street's cash equities markets were closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Day. (Reporting by Peter Starck; Editing by Quentin Bryar)
Investors lose 160 bln dollars within minutes in India share market
NEW DELHI, Jan. 22 (Xinhua)-- Investors lost 6.55 trillion rupees (some 160 billion U.S dollars) on Tuesday within minutes of opening of the Bombay Stock Exchange, which was immediately suspended for an hour after the 30-share barometer index Sensex hit the circuit limit of 10 percent.
This loss comes on top of over 11 trillion rupees (some 300 billion dollars) loss suffered by investors in the last six days.
The Sensex lost 5,251.15 points in last seven trading sessions including Tuesday's early morning trade till suspension, while investors' wealth -- measured in terms of cumulative market capitalization of all the listed companies -- has declined by a whopping 18.4 trillion rupees (some 501.8 billion dollars).
As per information available on the Bombay Stock Exchange website, the total market capitalization stood nearly at 60 trillion rupees (1.63 trillion dollars) at the end of Monday's trading against 71 trillion rupees (1.93 trillion dollars) before bourses began business last week on January 14.
The 30-share barometer Sensex tumbled 2,029.05 points to 15,576.30 within minutes of start of trading Tuesday. Monday it lost 1,408 to 17,605.35 points on concerns regarding the US economy going into recession.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday said he was confident the local stock market would grow in an orderly manner despite a vicious sell off on Monday.
"Let me say orderly growth of the capital market is a priority concern for our government," said Singh.
A sharp fall in the Indian stock market on Monday was triggered by uncertainties in the global economy and was in no way related to any change in India's economic fundamentals, a statement of the government said.
"The fundamentals in the domestic economy are quite strong. Today's market fall reflects the continuing uncertainties in the global economy and not any change in the fundamentals of the Indian economy," the government said in the statement.
Editor: Feng Tao
www.chinaview.cn
This loss comes on top of over 11 trillion rupees (some 300 billion dollars) loss suffered by investors in the last six days.
The Sensex lost 5,251.15 points in last seven trading sessions including Tuesday's early morning trade till suspension, while investors' wealth -- measured in terms of cumulative market capitalization of all the listed companies -- has declined by a whopping 18.4 trillion rupees (some 501.8 billion dollars).
As per information available on the Bombay Stock Exchange website, the total market capitalization stood nearly at 60 trillion rupees (1.63 trillion dollars) at the end of Monday's trading against 71 trillion rupees (1.93 trillion dollars) before bourses began business last week on January 14.
The 30-share barometer Sensex tumbled 2,029.05 points to 15,576.30 within minutes of start of trading Tuesday. Monday it lost 1,408 to 17,605.35 points on concerns regarding the US economy going into recession.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday said he was confident the local stock market would grow in an orderly manner despite a vicious sell off on Monday.
"Let me say orderly growth of the capital market is a priority concern for our government," said Singh.
A sharp fall in the Indian stock market on Monday was triggered by uncertainties in the global economy and was in no way related to any change in India's economic fundamentals, a statement of the government said.
"The fundamentals in the domestic economy are quite strong. Today's market fall reflects the continuing uncertainties in the global economy and not any change in the fundamentals of the Indian economy," the government said in the statement.
Editor: Feng Tao
www.chinaview.cn
Oscar nominations to be announced
The films and stars shortlisted for this year's Oscars will be announced in Los Angeles later.
The nominees are expected to include Daniel Day-Lewis, Johnny Depp and Cate Blanchett for movies There Will Be Blood, Sweeney Todd and I'm Not There.
There is still some doubt about the impact the ongoing US writers' strike will have on the format of the 80th Academy Awards ceremony on 24 February.
Jon Stewart, the face of TV's satirical Daily Show, is to host the event.
The nominations will be announced at 0530 Los Angeles time (1330 GMT) at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
They were selected during a two-week ballot of more than 5,800 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
A total of 24 categories will be announced, including the best acting performances of the year, technical awards in areas such as editing, design and music, and the prestigious prize for best picture.
Picket threatened
Among the other likely nominees are Atonement, the World War II romantic drama starring James McAvoy and Keira Knightley, which was named best film at the Golden Globe Awards earlier this month.
The other main winners at the Golden Globes were the Coen brothers' production No Country for Old Men and French film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
However, the results were announced during a low-key press conference rather than at the traditional glittering ceremony.
This was because members of the Writers Guild of America - on strike over royalties since 5 November - had threatened to picket the awards if they went ahead.
In a show of support, actors' union The Screen Actors Guild stated its members would not cross any picket lines, meaning any ceremony would have gone ahead with few celebrities.
It is rumoured that the Academy has a back-up plan so the Oscars can be held without the endorsement of writers or actors, the Associated Press reported, but no details have been released.
"We are planning to have our show on 24 February at the Kodak Theatre with an audience of 3,300 people and a television audience significantly larger than that," academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger has said.
The nominations will be screened live on BBC News 24 and BBC World from 1330 GMT on Tuesday.
Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk
The nominees are expected to include Daniel Day-Lewis, Johnny Depp and Cate Blanchett for movies There Will Be Blood, Sweeney Todd and I'm Not There.
There is still some doubt about the impact the ongoing US writers' strike will have on the format of the 80th Academy Awards ceremony on 24 February.
Jon Stewart, the face of TV's satirical Daily Show, is to host the event.
The nominations will be announced at 0530 Los Angeles time (1330 GMT) at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
They were selected during a two-week ballot of more than 5,800 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
A total of 24 categories will be announced, including the best acting performances of the year, technical awards in areas such as editing, design and music, and the prestigious prize for best picture.
Picket threatened
Among the other likely nominees are Atonement, the World War II romantic drama starring James McAvoy and Keira Knightley, which was named best film at the Golden Globe Awards earlier this month.
The other main winners at the Golden Globes were the Coen brothers' production No Country for Old Men and French film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
However, the results were announced during a low-key press conference rather than at the traditional glittering ceremony.
This was because members of the Writers Guild of America - on strike over royalties since 5 November - had threatened to picket the awards if they went ahead.
In a show of support, actors' union The Screen Actors Guild stated its members would not cross any picket lines, meaning any ceremony would have gone ahead with few celebrities.
It is rumoured that the Academy has a back-up plan so the Oscars can be held without the endorsement of writers or actors, the Associated Press reported, but no details have been released.
"We are planning to have our show on 24 February at the Kodak Theatre with an audience of 3,300 people and a television audience significantly larger than that," academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger has said.
The nominations will be screened live on BBC News 24 and BBC World from 1330 GMT on Tuesday.
Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk
Founding fathers not quite so noble...
We the people are constantly reminded, especially during an election year, of he great, moral, highly religious men who founded this great God-fearing nation. Under closer scrutiny, however, things may not look quite so noble.
Here are some interesting facts about and quotes from our illustrious founding fathers:
Benjamin Franklin, a Deist, lived abroad much of his time. While in London he was a member of a fraternity known as The Hell Boys, whose goals were to enjoy the virtues of drink and debauchery of the flesh. He is quoted as saying, “Lighthouses are more helpful than churches.”
James Madison wrote, in 1785: “What have been Christianity’s fruits? Superstition, bigotry, and persecution.” And added: “Religious bondage shakles and debilitates the mind, and unfits it for any noble purpose.”
Alexander Hamilton’s profession was that of smuggler and rum-runner, while John Hancock’s only ties to any organization was the Masonic Lodge, whose rites, supposedly heavily bent toward Deism, is still debated today.
In 1802 Thomas Jefferson wrote to John Adams: “I long for the time when the Den of the Priesthood is finally broken up.”
In another letter in 1823, he wrote, “hopefully the day will come when the Trinity will be classed with the Fables of Minerva and Jupiter,” and of his hope that “no young man living in the U.S. today will not die but as a Unitarian.”
George Washington was, at best, an indifferent member of Martha’s Episcopal Congregation, refusing to kneel at appropriate times in the service, and always walking out before taking the Eucharist. At his death his minister declared, sadly, Washington was a Deist.
In a sermon delivered in Albany, N.Y., one of the chief ministers, reported on by the Daily Observer Oct. 29, 1831, is quoted as saying “Among our Presidents from Washington downward, not one was a Professor of Religion.”
Finally, John Adams, in signing a treaty between U.S. and Tripoli, in 1797 wrote, “Let there be no doubt, the U.S. is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion.”
It would seem, at least in this instance, hindsight could use a good pair of Mr. Franklin’s bi-focals.
Jim Johnson
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Bluefield, W.Va.
Here are some interesting facts about and quotes from our illustrious founding fathers:
Benjamin Franklin, a Deist, lived abroad much of his time. While in London he was a member of a fraternity known as The Hell Boys, whose goals were to enjoy the virtues of drink and debauchery of the flesh. He is quoted as saying, “Lighthouses are more helpful than churches.”
James Madison wrote, in 1785: “What have been Christianity’s fruits? Superstition, bigotry, and persecution.” And added: “Religious bondage shakles and debilitates the mind, and unfits it for any noble purpose.”
Alexander Hamilton’s profession was that of smuggler and rum-runner, while John Hancock’s only ties to any organization was the Masonic Lodge, whose rites, supposedly heavily bent toward Deism, is still debated today.
In 1802 Thomas Jefferson wrote to John Adams: “I long for the time when the Den of the Priesthood is finally broken up.”
In another letter in 1823, he wrote, “hopefully the day will come when the Trinity will be classed with the Fables of Minerva and Jupiter,” and of his hope that “no young man living in the U.S. today will not die but as a Unitarian.”
George Washington was, at best, an indifferent member of Martha’s Episcopal Congregation, refusing to kneel at appropriate times in the service, and always walking out before taking the Eucharist. At his death his minister declared, sadly, Washington was a Deist.
In a sermon delivered in Albany, N.Y., one of the chief ministers, reported on by the Daily Observer Oct. 29, 1831, is quoted as saying “Among our Presidents from Washington downward, not one was a Professor of Religion.”
Finally, John Adams, in signing a treaty between U.S. and Tripoli, in 1797 wrote, “Let there be no doubt, the U.S. is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion.”
It would seem, at least in this instance, hindsight could use a good pair of Mr. Franklin’s bi-focals.
Jim Johnson
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Bluefield, W.Va.
Monday 21 January 2008
Actress Suzanne Pleshette dies
Actress Suzanne Pleshette - best known as the feisty, but level-headed wife of Bob Newhart on television's 1970s hit The Bob Newhart Show - has died.
She was 70.
Pleshette died of respiratory failure at her Los Angeles home on Saturday, friends and associates told local media. She had received chemotherapy for lung cancer in 2006 and appeared at a Bob Newhart reunion in September in a wheelchair.
Newhart has issued a statement calling his co-star "an indomitable spirit" and "one of those people you thought would go on forever.
"She was a pro's pro and I know she was looking forward to getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on her birthday, January 31," said Newhart.
Raven-haired Pleshette trained for the stage in New York, became a regular on television shows in the 1970s and 1980s and most recently appeared in a recurring role on Will and Grace. But she was best loved as the no-nonsense Emily Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show, from 1972 to 1978.
With her saucy wit, throaty voice and flair for comedy, Pleshette was the antithesis of the traditional staid American television wife and the on-screen dynamic between the two leads guaranteed the show legions of fans.
The actress garnered two Emmy Award nominations for her work on The Bob Newhart Show, as well as a nod for her leading performance in the 1991 television movie Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean.
Pleshette was married three times, most recently to comic actor Tom Poston.
Poston appeared in the original Newhart series and returned to play handyman George Utley on the 1980s revival sitcom Newhart. He died in April 2007.
Pleshette's first marriage was to actor Troy Donahue. Her second was to businessman Tom Gallagher, who died in 2000 from lung cancer.
Source:http://www.abc.net.au
She was 70.
Pleshette died of respiratory failure at her Los Angeles home on Saturday, friends and associates told local media. She had received chemotherapy for lung cancer in 2006 and appeared at a Bob Newhart reunion in September in a wheelchair.
Newhart has issued a statement calling his co-star "an indomitable spirit" and "one of those people you thought would go on forever.
"She was a pro's pro and I know she was looking forward to getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on her birthday, January 31," said Newhart.
Raven-haired Pleshette trained for the stage in New York, became a regular on television shows in the 1970s and 1980s and most recently appeared in a recurring role on Will and Grace. But she was best loved as the no-nonsense Emily Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show, from 1972 to 1978.
With her saucy wit, throaty voice and flair for comedy, Pleshette was the antithesis of the traditional staid American television wife and the on-screen dynamic between the two leads guaranteed the show legions of fans.
The actress garnered two Emmy Award nominations for her work on The Bob Newhart Show, as well as a nod for her leading performance in the 1991 television movie Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean.
Pleshette was married three times, most recently to comic actor Tom Poston.
Poston appeared in the original Newhart series and returned to play handyman George Utley on the 1980s revival sitcom Newhart. He died in April 2007.
Pleshette's first marriage was to actor Troy Donahue. Her second was to businessman Tom Gallagher, who died in 2000 from lung cancer.
Source:http://www.abc.net.au
Lonesome Giants kicker pays attention to all the Tyne details
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- His right foot is black and blue, and this will not do. This will not do at all. New York Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes is a fastidious sort -- every button is buttoned, every hair in place, every tooth is immaculate -- and for him to walk around with ugly bruising on his right foot, well, that will have to be addressed this week.
"Some ice, some sort of cream," he said. "I'll take care of it."
Of course he will. Lawrence James Henry Tynes is all about the details. It is his attention to detail, in fact, that allowed him to convert one of the more improbable kicks in NFL postseason history, the 47-yarder in overtime that lifted the Giants to a 23-20 victory Sunday against Green Bay for the NFC championship and a spot in the Super Bowl.
After the game Tynes was asked repeatedly how he had been able to make that kick in overtime after missing two tiebreaking attempts in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter, including a 36-yard shank on the final play of regulation.
The unspoken question was clear: After choking twice, how did he not choke a third time? Answer: Tynes doesn't think he choked. Not the first time when he missed a 43-yarder with 6:49 left in regulation, and not the second time when he badly missed from 36.
The first miss was the wind's fault, Tynes said of gusts that dropped the wind chill to minus-20 throughout the game and then pushed his 43-yarder wide left. He learned from that one and started his winning kick a little farther to the right than normal, and let the wind guide it through the goalposts. The second miss, he said, was "the operation," referring to a high snap that had holder Jeff Feagles stretching to catch the ball and then rushing to set it down.
"A little bit of a high snap threw the timing off," he said. "I'm moving into the kick and then when I have to slow down, there's nowhere for me to go, so I go sideways -- and so does the kick. To me that was not a perfect operation. If everything had been perfect (on the final kick of regulation) I'd have been upset with myself, but I knew we could do better."
That's how he justified to himself his first two misses and managed to stay cool for the overtime kick, even as his head coach was seething and his teammates were seemingly freezing him out. After Tynes' first miss, coach Tom Coughlin angrily yelled at him, "Come on!"
After Tynes' second miss, the one that forced overtime, none of his teammates said a word to him on the sideline. None but his holder, Feagles, who gave him the usual, "Keep your head up, we're going to need you again." Everyone else on the Giants sideline ignored him, even the team managers, who had been keeping players warm all game. They didn't bother to drape a jacket over Tynes' shoulders as he stood alone near midfield, listening to the crowd cheer for his miss and watching the Packers win the coin flip to get the ball first -- and perhaps exclusively, had Brett Favre not thrown that interception -- in overtime.
Tynes would say later that the lack of communication from his teammates was "no big deal. ... I don't talk to anyone during games anyway." He would also explain away his decision not to celebrate his winning kick on the field with his teammates. As the ball was tumbling through the uprights, silencing the Lambeau Field crowd and sending his teammates onto the field in a frenzy, Tynes turned and ran 75 yards through the opposite end zone, through the tunnel and into the locker room. He ran alone.
"I was cold," he said. "I wanted to get inside."
Maybe it's just that simple -- his teammates were celebrating a trip to the Super Bowl, but he was cold. He'd meet them inside. Who knows? But I will say this: I shadowed Tynes for most of an hour inside the Giants locker room, and Feagles was again the only teammate who said a word to him. Yes, there was a 10-minute period immediately after the game when the media was not allowed inside the locker room, and perhaps the entire organization used that time to kiss Tynes' feet -- but for the next hour, not a single teammate said a word to the guy who kicked the game-winning field goal in the NFC title game. That seems strange.
But then, Tynes is a little strange -- at least for the culture of the NFL. He spent his first 10 years in Scotland, the son of a U.S. Navy master chief, and didn't play football until his senior year of high school in Milton, Fla. Before landing with the Giants he was cut twice by Kansas City and spent one year kicking professionally in Europe and two in Canada. And of course he's a kicker, an ostracizing position. While his teammates were doing their thing on the team's practice field late last week, Tynes was alone inside Giants Stadium working on his own.
Tynes was alone again Sunday after the game. A winning NFL locker room is a loud, emotional place. Multiply that by XLII and you've got the atmosphere inside the Giants locker room. But Tynes dressed quietly, slipping his still-tied tie over his neck and buttoning every button on his double-breasted blue suit and pushing his hair just right and saying to no one in particular, "I've got to brush my teeth." He uses an electric toothbrush, if you're wondering. An electric toothbrush and Crest. Details matter.
Details certainly matter to Tynes. During his postgame news conference a reporter said to him: "During the regular season you were like 22-for-26. Is this the first time you missed two field goals in a game?"
And Tynes answered: "I was 23-for-27, and yes."
Two misses in one game -- in the fourth quarter, no less -- but kicking in this game couldn't have been easy. Both teams averaged less than 33 yards per punt. Kickoffs were stalling near the 15-yard line. The sub-zero temperature turned the ball slippery and hard -- so hard that it left bruises all over the top of Tynes' foot.
"I didn't feel it during the game," Tynes said. "But I feel it now."
Things could feel worse. Tynes could have missed that kick in overtime. Imagine being that guy -- the fastidious Scottish kicker who cost his team not one, not two, but three chances to get to the Super Bowl. Tynes briefly allowed himself to consider that possibility.
"Make the kick," he remembers thinking, "or I'm spending the night in Appleton."
Alone. As usual.
Source:By Gregg Doyel
CBSSports.com National Columnist
"Some ice, some sort of cream," he said. "I'll take care of it."
Of course he will. Lawrence James Henry Tynes is all about the details. It is his attention to detail, in fact, that allowed him to convert one of the more improbable kicks in NFL postseason history, the 47-yarder in overtime that lifted the Giants to a 23-20 victory Sunday against Green Bay for the NFC championship and a spot in the Super Bowl.
After the game Tynes was asked repeatedly how he had been able to make that kick in overtime after missing two tiebreaking attempts in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter, including a 36-yard shank on the final play of regulation.
The unspoken question was clear: After choking twice, how did he not choke a third time? Answer: Tynes doesn't think he choked. Not the first time when he missed a 43-yarder with 6:49 left in regulation, and not the second time when he badly missed from 36.
The first miss was the wind's fault, Tynes said of gusts that dropped the wind chill to minus-20 throughout the game and then pushed his 43-yarder wide left. He learned from that one and started his winning kick a little farther to the right than normal, and let the wind guide it through the goalposts. The second miss, he said, was "the operation," referring to a high snap that had holder Jeff Feagles stretching to catch the ball and then rushing to set it down.
"A little bit of a high snap threw the timing off," he said. "I'm moving into the kick and then when I have to slow down, there's nowhere for me to go, so I go sideways -- and so does the kick. To me that was not a perfect operation. If everything had been perfect (on the final kick of regulation) I'd have been upset with myself, but I knew we could do better."
That's how he justified to himself his first two misses and managed to stay cool for the overtime kick, even as his head coach was seething and his teammates were seemingly freezing him out. After Tynes' first miss, coach Tom Coughlin angrily yelled at him, "Come on!"
After Tynes' second miss, the one that forced overtime, none of his teammates said a word to him on the sideline. None but his holder, Feagles, who gave him the usual, "Keep your head up, we're going to need you again." Everyone else on the Giants sideline ignored him, even the team managers, who had been keeping players warm all game. They didn't bother to drape a jacket over Tynes' shoulders as he stood alone near midfield, listening to the crowd cheer for his miss and watching the Packers win the coin flip to get the ball first -- and perhaps exclusively, had Brett Favre not thrown that interception -- in overtime.
Tynes would say later that the lack of communication from his teammates was "no big deal. ... I don't talk to anyone during games anyway." He would also explain away his decision not to celebrate his winning kick on the field with his teammates. As the ball was tumbling through the uprights, silencing the Lambeau Field crowd and sending his teammates onto the field in a frenzy, Tynes turned and ran 75 yards through the opposite end zone, through the tunnel and into the locker room. He ran alone.
"I was cold," he said. "I wanted to get inside."
Maybe it's just that simple -- his teammates were celebrating a trip to the Super Bowl, but he was cold. He'd meet them inside. Who knows? But I will say this: I shadowed Tynes for most of an hour inside the Giants locker room, and Feagles was again the only teammate who said a word to him. Yes, there was a 10-minute period immediately after the game when the media was not allowed inside the locker room, and perhaps the entire organization used that time to kiss Tynes' feet -- but for the next hour, not a single teammate said a word to the guy who kicked the game-winning field goal in the NFC title game. That seems strange.
But then, Tynes is a little strange -- at least for the culture of the NFL. He spent his first 10 years in Scotland, the son of a U.S. Navy master chief, and didn't play football until his senior year of high school in Milton, Fla. Before landing with the Giants he was cut twice by Kansas City and spent one year kicking professionally in Europe and two in Canada. And of course he's a kicker, an ostracizing position. While his teammates were doing their thing on the team's practice field late last week, Tynes was alone inside Giants Stadium working on his own.
Tynes was alone again Sunday after the game. A winning NFL locker room is a loud, emotional place. Multiply that by XLII and you've got the atmosphere inside the Giants locker room. But Tynes dressed quietly, slipping his still-tied tie over his neck and buttoning every button on his double-breasted blue suit and pushing his hair just right and saying to no one in particular, "I've got to brush my teeth." He uses an electric toothbrush, if you're wondering. An electric toothbrush and Crest. Details matter.
Details certainly matter to Tynes. During his postgame news conference a reporter said to him: "During the regular season you were like 22-for-26. Is this the first time you missed two field goals in a game?"
And Tynes answered: "I was 23-for-27, and yes."
Two misses in one game -- in the fourth quarter, no less -- but kicking in this game couldn't have been easy. Both teams averaged less than 33 yards per punt. Kickoffs were stalling near the 15-yard line. The sub-zero temperature turned the ball slippery and hard -- so hard that it left bruises all over the top of Tynes' foot.
"I didn't feel it during the game," Tynes said. "But I feel it now."
Things could feel worse. Tynes could have missed that kick in overtime. Imagine being that guy -- the fastidious Scottish kicker who cost his team not one, not two, but three chances to get to the Super Bowl. Tynes briefly allowed himself to consider that possibility.
"Make the kick," he remembers thinking, "or I'm spending the night in Appleton."
Alone. As usual.
Source:By Gregg Doyel
CBSSports.com National Columnist
Sunday 20 January 2008
Don King says blame Garden for setting out-of-this-ring prices
Promoter Don King often jokes that he has been blamed for every disaster in history, from the San Francisco earthquake to the Johnstown flood.
But one thing that King didn't want to be blamed for was the over-inflated ticket prices for the Roy Jones, Jr.-Felix Trinidad match at the Garden Saturday night. Front-row seats for the fight were initially priced at $15,000, with second row going for $12,500, third row $10,000 and fourth row $7,500.
"I had nothing to do with that. That was all done by Madison Square Garden," King said. "It was a big mistake."
Even though slightly less than 400 tickets were priced at the higher rate, the sticker shock had a trickle-down effect and sent a chill through the market. That, coupled with the fact that the fight lacked pizzazz, made it a tough sell.
The Garden dropped the price of the tickets on Tuesday, hoping to salvage the event, but the premium seats were still going for $5,000. No one at the Garden would comment on the thinking behind the pricing for Jones-Trinidad.
Perhaps their thinking was influenced by the way tickets sold for the Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton fight on Dec. 8 in Las Vegas. It was a hot fight, with few tickets offered to the general public. Scalpers were getting upwards of $20,000 for ringside seats. But those prices were driven by Brits who came over from England to support Hatton, who hails from Manchester, and didn't have tickets. That market didn't exist for Jones-Trinidad.
King said he was not involved in scaling the prices for tickets because the Garden bought the show from him for $8.5 million. Some executives at the Garden had balked at that price, thinking it was not going to be profitable enough for the arena. King circumvented them and went directly to Charles and James Dolan, the Cablevision magnate and Garden chairman, respectively, and struck the deal.
After making the deal with King, James Dolan came back to his Garden executives and told them to make it work for the arena. Their idea was to scale the premium seats at a higher rate to help recoup the site fee that was given to King. Besides the highest-price tickets, there were 10 different price levels, with the cheapest being $100.
King promoted the show heavily, but primarily because he wanted to increase the HBO Pay-Per-View sales, of which he has a cut.
The prices for Jones-Trinidad were wildly out of whack compared with the most recent successful shows at the Garden involving Miguel Cotto, another Puerto Rican boxing icon. The tickets for Cotto-Zab Judah last June were priced from $500 for ringside to $50 for the least expensive seats. The fight was a sellout, with 20,658 in attendance. Cotto-Shane Mosley drew 17,135, with ringside going for $750 and the cheapest ticket being $50. Ringside tickets for the upcoming heavyweight unification match between IBF champ Wladimir Klitschko and WBO champ Sultan Ibragimov are $1,000.
The Garden needed Jones-Trinidad to be a blockbuster at the box office to make a profit. That wasn't going to happen. And King, who already had $8.5 million in the bank, didn't want to take the blame for that.
CALZAGHE IN VEGAS: It looks like a deal to bring Joe Calzaghe to the U.S. to fight Bernard Hopkins has been finalized. The fight, April 19 in Las Vegas and on HBO, will be just the third outside of England for Calzaghe, the 168-pound king. Promoter Frank Warren has scheduled a press conference in London for Tuesday for a major announcement on Calzaghe's next fight. ... Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya are talking about a rematch in September. Their first fight did a record at the gate and on Pay-Per-View. Mayweather beat De La Hoya in the first fight and after what Mayweather did to Hatton (10th-round KO), it's obvious that Mayweather-De La Hoya II is merely a money grab.
BY TIM SMITH
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
But one thing that King didn't want to be blamed for was the over-inflated ticket prices for the Roy Jones, Jr.-Felix Trinidad match at the Garden Saturday night. Front-row seats for the fight were initially priced at $15,000, with second row going for $12,500, third row $10,000 and fourth row $7,500.
"I had nothing to do with that. That was all done by Madison Square Garden," King said. "It was a big mistake."
Even though slightly less than 400 tickets were priced at the higher rate, the sticker shock had a trickle-down effect and sent a chill through the market. That, coupled with the fact that the fight lacked pizzazz, made it a tough sell.
The Garden dropped the price of the tickets on Tuesday, hoping to salvage the event, but the premium seats were still going for $5,000. No one at the Garden would comment on the thinking behind the pricing for Jones-Trinidad.
Perhaps their thinking was influenced by the way tickets sold for the Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton fight on Dec. 8 in Las Vegas. It was a hot fight, with few tickets offered to the general public. Scalpers were getting upwards of $20,000 for ringside seats. But those prices were driven by Brits who came over from England to support Hatton, who hails from Manchester, and didn't have tickets. That market didn't exist for Jones-Trinidad.
King said he was not involved in scaling the prices for tickets because the Garden bought the show from him for $8.5 million. Some executives at the Garden had balked at that price, thinking it was not going to be profitable enough for the arena. King circumvented them and went directly to Charles and James Dolan, the Cablevision magnate and Garden chairman, respectively, and struck the deal.
After making the deal with King, James Dolan came back to his Garden executives and told them to make it work for the arena. Their idea was to scale the premium seats at a higher rate to help recoup the site fee that was given to King. Besides the highest-price tickets, there were 10 different price levels, with the cheapest being $100.
King promoted the show heavily, but primarily because he wanted to increase the HBO Pay-Per-View sales, of which he has a cut.
The prices for Jones-Trinidad were wildly out of whack compared with the most recent successful shows at the Garden involving Miguel Cotto, another Puerto Rican boxing icon. The tickets for Cotto-Zab Judah last June were priced from $500 for ringside to $50 for the least expensive seats. The fight was a sellout, with 20,658 in attendance. Cotto-Shane Mosley drew 17,135, with ringside going for $750 and the cheapest ticket being $50. Ringside tickets for the upcoming heavyweight unification match between IBF champ Wladimir Klitschko and WBO champ Sultan Ibragimov are $1,000.
The Garden needed Jones-Trinidad to be a blockbuster at the box office to make a profit. That wasn't going to happen. And King, who already had $8.5 million in the bank, didn't want to take the blame for that.
CALZAGHE IN VEGAS: It looks like a deal to bring Joe Calzaghe to the U.S. to fight Bernard Hopkins has been finalized. The fight, April 19 in Las Vegas and on HBO, will be just the third outside of England for Calzaghe, the 168-pound king. Promoter Frank Warren has scheduled a press conference in London for Tuesday for a major announcement on Calzaghe's next fight. ... Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya are talking about a rematch in September. Their first fight did a record at the gate and on Pay-Per-View. Mayweather beat De La Hoya in the first fight and after what Mayweather did to Hatton (10th-round KO), it's obvious that Mayweather-De La Hoya II is merely a money grab.
BY TIM SMITH
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Serena sees off stubborn Vaidisova
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Champion Serena Williams applied the pressure when she need to and withstood a tough fourth-round challenge from Nicole Vaidisova on Sunday to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals.
The American seventh seed won the match 6-3 6-4 after being forced to dig deep in the second set when her 12th-seeded Czech opponent attempted to force a decider.
However, just as the rangy Vaidisova looked to capitalize on a second set break of serve, the American broke immediately back to go ahead 5-4 with the opportunity to serve for the match.
The 18-year-old Vaidisova, who smashed her racket on the court at the end of that game, was seen talking to herself constantly during the changeovers.
Williams then capitalized on the teenager's frustration and served to love to seal victory.
"I think I had my chances, especially in the second set," Vaidisova told reporters. "Didn't choose the right shot, maybe went for too much. She pushes you to do that.
"That was the difference. The points that were very important, she went out there and played a great point."
Williams, who beat Vaidisova in the semi-finals at Melbourne Park last year, said she believed her opponent had a big future.
"It's definitely interesting playing her," said Williams.
"She's so unpredictable. I think that's really a good thing.
"Last couple of times I played her, her serve has just been really, really, really good."
Williams will face either third-seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic or Australia's Casey Dellacqua in the last eight.
"At the end of the day, I never really get upset at whoever I play because I'm totally fine.
"As long as I'm not playing Venus in the quarters, it doesn't matter to me.
"Eventually you're going to have to play everyone else."
By Greg Stutchbury
Reuters
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
The American seventh seed won the match 6-3 6-4 after being forced to dig deep in the second set when her 12th-seeded Czech opponent attempted to force a decider.
However, just as the rangy Vaidisova looked to capitalize on a second set break of serve, the American broke immediately back to go ahead 5-4 with the opportunity to serve for the match.
The 18-year-old Vaidisova, who smashed her racket on the court at the end of that game, was seen talking to herself constantly during the changeovers.
Williams then capitalized on the teenager's frustration and served to love to seal victory.
"I think I had my chances, especially in the second set," Vaidisova told reporters. "Didn't choose the right shot, maybe went for too much. She pushes you to do that.
"That was the difference. The points that were very important, she went out there and played a great point."
Williams, who beat Vaidisova in the semi-finals at Melbourne Park last year, said she believed her opponent had a big future.
"It's definitely interesting playing her," said Williams.
"She's so unpredictable. I think that's really a good thing.
"Last couple of times I played her, her serve has just been really, really, really good."
Williams will face either third-seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic or Australia's Casey Dellacqua in the last eight.
"At the end of the day, I never really get upset at whoever I play because I'm totally fine.
"As long as I'm not playing Venus in the quarters, it doesn't matter to me.
"Eventually you're going to have to play everyone else."
By Greg Stutchbury
Reuters
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
Jones wins unanimous decision over Trinidad
NEW YORK - The stage couldn't get much bigger for two fighters who have been considered past their prime for several years.
Four-time world champion Roy Jones Jr. and five-time champion Felix "Tito" Trinidad were looking to recapture past glory at Madison Square Garden in a fight that should have happened years ago.
Jones captured that glory in dominating fashion as he scored a unanimous decision victory over Trinidad in front of 12,162 on Saturday night. The win put an exclamation point on the career of a fighter who many view as an all-time great.
Jones won easily on all three scorecards, 116-110, 117-109, 116-110. Trinidad was game, landing several body shots early in the fight. But Trinidad, who fought in the welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight divisions for most of his career, didn't have the power to hurt Jones.
Jones didn't have any issues showing his power as he knocked down Trinidad in the seventh and 10th rounds. The knockdowns notwithstanding, Jones credited Trinidad for being a hard puncher and being able to take punches.
"He's got a hard head and I jammed a knuckle," said Jones, who landed 147 power punches compared to 101 for Trinidad. Jones said to Trinidad after the fight: "I can't believe you stayed in there 12 rounds with me."
Jones, who viewed the fight as a stepping stone, was hoping to land a big-money bout with Joe Calzaghe. "As soon as I knock out Trinidad, I'm going to Wales," he said at his media workout.
With Calzaghe recently signing a deal to fight Bernard Hopkins April 12 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Jones will have to look elsewhere for his next opponent.
Jones didn't seem too broken up about it at his media workout when told Calzaghe inked a deal with Hopkins. "I would fight Glen Johnson, Antonio Tarver, Chad Dawson - I don't care," Jones said. "Let me tell you one more time, my time, my probation period is over. I don't care who he is."
He reiterated that stance after the fight. "I don't care who you bring next," Jones said. "I'll fight anybody, anywhere, anytime."
As for Trinidad, he gave Jones credit for his speed and strategy. "Roy was very fast and strong," Trinidad said. "And he threw great punches."
Trinidad, whose last fight was nearly three years ago and thought he could've won the fight if not for the knockdowns, said he will talk things over with his father before making any decisions on his future.
Jones landed 172 of 482 punches in the fight, compared to 160 of 552 for Trinidad. But Trinidad landed 59 jabs, compared to just 25 for Jones. Still, it was the power punches that won the fight for Jones.
BY MARCUS HENRY | marcus.henry@newsday.com
Four-time world champion Roy Jones Jr. and five-time champion Felix "Tito" Trinidad were looking to recapture past glory at Madison Square Garden in a fight that should have happened years ago.
Jones captured that glory in dominating fashion as he scored a unanimous decision victory over Trinidad in front of 12,162 on Saturday night. The win put an exclamation point on the career of a fighter who many view as an all-time great.
Jones won easily on all three scorecards, 116-110, 117-109, 116-110. Trinidad was game, landing several body shots early in the fight. But Trinidad, who fought in the welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight divisions for most of his career, didn't have the power to hurt Jones.
Jones didn't have any issues showing his power as he knocked down Trinidad in the seventh and 10th rounds. The knockdowns notwithstanding, Jones credited Trinidad for being a hard puncher and being able to take punches.
"He's got a hard head and I jammed a knuckle," said Jones, who landed 147 power punches compared to 101 for Trinidad. Jones said to Trinidad after the fight: "I can't believe you stayed in there 12 rounds with me."
Jones, who viewed the fight as a stepping stone, was hoping to land a big-money bout with Joe Calzaghe. "As soon as I knock out Trinidad, I'm going to Wales," he said at his media workout.
With Calzaghe recently signing a deal to fight Bernard Hopkins April 12 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Jones will have to look elsewhere for his next opponent.
Jones didn't seem too broken up about it at his media workout when told Calzaghe inked a deal with Hopkins. "I would fight Glen Johnson, Antonio Tarver, Chad Dawson - I don't care," Jones said. "Let me tell you one more time, my time, my probation period is over. I don't care who he is."
He reiterated that stance after the fight. "I don't care who you bring next," Jones said. "I'll fight anybody, anywhere, anytime."
As for Trinidad, he gave Jones credit for his speed and strategy. "Roy was very fast and strong," Trinidad said. "And he threw great punches."
Trinidad, whose last fight was nearly three years ago and thought he could've won the fight if not for the knockdowns, said he will talk things over with his father before making any decisions on his future.
Jones landed 172 of 482 punches in the fight, compared to 160 of 552 for Trinidad. But Trinidad landed 59 jabs, compared to just 25 for Jones. Still, it was the power punches that won the fight for Jones.
BY MARCUS HENRY | marcus.henry@newsday.com
Suzanne Pleshette Dies in Los Angeles
Suzanne Pleshette, the husky-voiced star best known for her role as Bob Newhart's sardonic wife on television's long-running "The Bob Newhart Show," has died at age 70.
Pleshette, whose career included roles in such films as Hitchcock's "The Birds" and in Broadway plays including "The Miracle Worker," died of respiratory failure Saturday evening at her Los Angeles home, said her attorney Robert Finkelstein, also a family friend.
Pleshette underwent chemotherapy for lung cancer in 2006.
"The Bob Newhart Show, a hit throughout its six-year run, starred comedian Newhart as a Chicago psychiatrist surrounded by eccentric patients. Pleshette provided the voice of reason.
Four years after the show ended in 1978, Newhart went on to the equally successful "Newhart" series in which he was the proprietor of a New England inn populated by more eccentrics. When that show ended in 1990, Pleshette reprised her role — from the first show — in one of the most clever final episodes in TV history.
It had Newhart waking up in the bedroom of his "The Bob Newhart Show" home with Pleshette at his side. He went on to tell her of the crazy dream he'd just had of running an inn filled with eccentrics.
"If I'm in Timbuktu, I'll fly home to do that," Pleshette said of her reaction when Newhart told her how he was thinking of ending the show.
Born Jan. 31, 1937, in New York City, Pleshette began her career as a stage actress after attending the city's High School of the Performing Arts and studying at its Neighborhood Playhouse. She was often picked for roles because of her beauty and her throaty voice.
"When I was 4," she told an interviewer in 1994, "I was answering the phone, and (the callers) thought I was my father. So I often got quirky roles because I was never the conventional ingenue."
She met her future husband, Tom Poston, when they appeared together in the 1959 Broadway comedy "The Golden Fleecing," but didn't marry him until more than 40 years later.
Although the two had a brief fling, they went on to marry others. By 2000 both were widowed and they got back together, marrying the following year.
"He was such a wonderful man. He had fun every day of his life," Pleshette said after Poston died in April 2007.
Among her other Broadway roles was replacing Anne Bancroft in "The Miracle Worker," the 1959 drama about Helen Keller, in New York and on the road.
Meanwhile, she had launched her film career with Jerry Lewis in 1958 in "The Geisha Boy." She went on to appear in numerous television shows, including "Have Gun, Will Travel," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Playhouse 90" and "Naked City."
By the early 1960s, Pleshette attracted a teenage following with her youthful roles in such films as "Rome Adventure," "Fate Is the Hunter," "Youngblood Hawke" and "A Distant Trumpet."
She married fellow teen favorite Troy Donahue, her co-star in "Rome Adventure," in 1964 but the union lasted less than a year. She was married to Texas oilman Tim Gallagher from 1968 until his death in 2000.
Pleshette matured in such films as Hitchcock's "The Birds" and the Disney comedies "The Ugly Dachshund," "Blackbeard's Ghost" and "The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin." Over the years, she also had a busy career in TV movies, including playing the title role in 1990's "Leona Helmsley, the Queen of Mean."
More recently, she appeared in several episodes of the TV sitcoms "Will & Grace" and "8 Simple Rules ... For Dating My Teenage Daughter."
In a 1999 interview, Pleshette observed that being an actress was more important than being a star.
"I'm an actress, and that's why I'm still here," she said. "Anybody who has the illusion that you can have a career as long as I have and be a star is kidding themselves."
Source:http://ap.google.com
Pleshette, whose career included roles in such films as Hitchcock's "The Birds" and in Broadway plays including "The Miracle Worker," died of respiratory failure Saturday evening at her Los Angeles home, said her attorney Robert Finkelstein, also a family friend.
Pleshette underwent chemotherapy for lung cancer in 2006.
"The Bob Newhart Show, a hit throughout its six-year run, starred comedian Newhart as a Chicago psychiatrist surrounded by eccentric patients. Pleshette provided the voice of reason.
Four years after the show ended in 1978, Newhart went on to the equally successful "Newhart" series in which he was the proprietor of a New England inn populated by more eccentrics. When that show ended in 1990, Pleshette reprised her role — from the first show — in one of the most clever final episodes in TV history.
It had Newhart waking up in the bedroom of his "The Bob Newhart Show" home with Pleshette at his side. He went on to tell her of the crazy dream he'd just had of running an inn filled with eccentrics.
"If I'm in Timbuktu, I'll fly home to do that," Pleshette said of her reaction when Newhart told her how he was thinking of ending the show.
Born Jan. 31, 1937, in New York City, Pleshette began her career as a stage actress after attending the city's High School of the Performing Arts and studying at its Neighborhood Playhouse. She was often picked for roles because of her beauty and her throaty voice.
"When I was 4," she told an interviewer in 1994, "I was answering the phone, and (the callers) thought I was my father. So I often got quirky roles because I was never the conventional ingenue."
She met her future husband, Tom Poston, when they appeared together in the 1959 Broadway comedy "The Golden Fleecing," but didn't marry him until more than 40 years later.
Although the two had a brief fling, they went on to marry others. By 2000 both were widowed and they got back together, marrying the following year.
"He was such a wonderful man. He had fun every day of his life," Pleshette said after Poston died in April 2007.
Among her other Broadway roles was replacing Anne Bancroft in "The Miracle Worker," the 1959 drama about Helen Keller, in New York and on the road.
Meanwhile, she had launched her film career with Jerry Lewis in 1958 in "The Geisha Boy." She went on to appear in numerous television shows, including "Have Gun, Will Travel," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Playhouse 90" and "Naked City."
By the early 1960s, Pleshette attracted a teenage following with her youthful roles in such films as "Rome Adventure," "Fate Is the Hunter," "Youngblood Hawke" and "A Distant Trumpet."
She married fellow teen favorite Troy Donahue, her co-star in "Rome Adventure," in 1964 but the union lasted less than a year. She was married to Texas oilman Tim Gallagher from 1968 until his death in 2000.
Pleshette matured in such films as Hitchcock's "The Birds" and the Disney comedies "The Ugly Dachshund," "Blackbeard's Ghost" and "The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin." Over the years, she also had a busy career in TV movies, including playing the title role in 1990's "Leona Helmsley, the Queen of Mean."
More recently, she appeared in several episodes of the TV sitcoms "Will & Grace" and "8 Simple Rules ... For Dating My Teenage Daughter."
In a 1999 interview, Pleshette observed that being an actress was more important than being a star.
"I'm an actress, and that's why I'm still here," she said. "Anybody who has the illusion that you can have a career as long as I have and be a star is kidding themselves."
Source:http://ap.google.com
Saturday 19 January 2008
Jane Felix-Brown and Omar bin Laden Plan Horse Race for Peace
Jane Felix-Brown, now Zaina Alsabah, and her husband Omar Osama Bin Laden, son of Osama bin Laden, are planning a 4800 km horse race that will span across North Africa. They hope to bring attention to the cause of peace.
At a café in a Cairo mall, Omar says “It’s about changing ideas of the Western mind.” Omar continues, “A lot of people think Arabs - especially the bin Ladens, especially the sons of Osama - are all terrorists…This is not the truth.”
The couple hopes to start the race in March.
Jane Felix-Browne and Omar bin Laden are still planning the event, seeking government approval for the route and sponsors to fund the race and money for child victims of war.
Omar says they will be riding 48km per day, taking weeklong rests in each country they pass.
Teams are encouraged to join from all over the world. The couple wants the race to be the equine vrsion of the Paris-Dakar car rally.
Commenting on the car rally and his race, Omar said, “I heard the rally was stopped because of al-Qaida. I don’t think they are going to stop me.”
befound@finditt.com
www.finditt.com
At a café in a Cairo mall, Omar says “It’s about changing ideas of the Western mind.” Omar continues, “A lot of people think Arabs - especially the bin Ladens, especially the sons of Osama - are all terrorists…This is not the truth.”
The couple hopes to start the race in March.
Jane Felix-Browne and Omar bin Laden are still planning the event, seeking government approval for the route and sponsors to fund the race and money for child victims of war.
Omar says they will be riding 48km per day, taking weeklong rests in each country they pass.
Teams are encouraged to join from all over the world. The couple wants the race to be the equine vrsion of the Paris-Dakar car rally.
Commenting on the car rally and his race, Omar said, “I heard the rally was stopped because of al-Qaida. I don’t think they are going to stop me.”
befound@finditt.com
www.finditt.com
DNA points to new killer in '99 case
FORT COLLINS, Colorado (CNN) -- New evidence points to a different killer in the case of a Colorado man convicted in the sexual mutilation slaying of a woman when he was a teenager, the special prosecutor named to review the case said Friday.
Adams County District Attorney Don Quick recommended that Tim Masters, now 36, be freed pending a new trial.
Masters was convicted and sentenced in 1999 to life in prison for the slaying of Peggy Hettrick 12 years earlier. But Quick said DNA evidence found on Hettrick's clothing matched another man, casting further doubt on a case already under a microscope.
The new evidence surfaced after the Colorado Bureau of Investigation conducted new tests on DNA found on Hettrick's clothing, finding partial profiles that did not match Masters.
Masters' defense team pursued further testing with a laboratory in the Netherlands that ultimately provided a match with another man who had once been considered a suspect.
The CBI laboratory reviewed the Dutch lab's findings and "confirmed the results consistent with the alternate suspect and inconsistent with Tim Masters," Quick said.
He did not identify the alternate suspect.
Masters' defense attorneys are in court alleging police and prosecutorial misconduct and arguing for a new trial.
Hearings on the case were scheduled to resume Tuesday, when the two original prosecutors in the case -- both now judges -- had been expected to take the stand.
Don't Miss
* Police still arguing over merits of '99 conviction
* Defense demands new trial for Masters (pdf)
* Prosecution says evidence not turned over (pdf)
* Defense response to prosecution (pdf)
Quick, who has already backed defense contentions that key pieces of evidence were withheld during the original trial, said he would make his recommendations for a new trial Tuesday morning.
"We're going to go upstairs and see if there's anything that can be done this weekend" to get Masters out of prison, he said. "If not, it'll be done Tuesday morning."
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The case will be examined on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360° Friday at 10 p.m. ET.
The new defense team's claims of misconduct are supported not only by the attorneys who represented Masters in 1999, but also by former police officers, investigators and forensic experts, some of whom say police ignored other viable suspects.
From Eliott C. McLaughlin
CNN.Com
Adams County District Attorney Don Quick recommended that Tim Masters, now 36, be freed pending a new trial.
Masters was convicted and sentenced in 1999 to life in prison for the slaying of Peggy Hettrick 12 years earlier. But Quick said DNA evidence found on Hettrick's clothing matched another man, casting further doubt on a case already under a microscope.
The new evidence surfaced after the Colorado Bureau of Investigation conducted new tests on DNA found on Hettrick's clothing, finding partial profiles that did not match Masters.
Masters' defense team pursued further testing with a laboratory in the Netherlands that ultimately provided a match with another man who had once been considered a suspect.
The CBI laboratory reviewed the Dutch lab's findings and "confirmed the results consistent with the alternate suspect and inconsistent with Tim Masters," Quick said.
He did not identify the alternate suspect.
Masters' defense attorneys are in court alleging police and prosecutorial misconduct and arguing for a new trial.
Hearings on the case were scheduled to resume Tuesday, when the two original prosecutors in the case -- both now judges -- had been expected to take the stand.
Don't Miss
* Police still arguing over merits of '99 conviction
* Defense demands new trial for Masters (pdf)
* Prosecution says evidence not turned over (pdf)
* Defense response to prosecution (pdf)
Quick, who has already backed defense contentions that key pieces of evidence were withheld during the original trial, said he would make his recommendations for a new trial Tuesday morning.
"We're going to go upstairs and see if there's anything that can be done this weekend" to get Masters out of prison, he said. "If not, it'll be done Tuesday morning."
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The case will be examined on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360° Friday at 10 p.m. ET.
The new defense team's claims of misconduct are supported not only by the attorneys who represented Masters in 1999, but also by former police officers, investigators and forensic experts, some of whom say police ignored other viable suspects.
From Eliott C. McLaughlin
CNN.Com
Kira Plastinina Becoming Fashion Phenomenon
Kira Plastinina is making a name for herself as one of the world's fashion phenoms.
Plastinina, 15, has had her own brand for three years and it is quickly picking up worldwide. Kira Plastinina Style is one of the fastest-growing fashion brands in Russia, boasting 40 stores in Russia, the Ukraine, and Kazakhstan.
Plastinina also has a top-selling Kira perfume and the backing of Paris Hilton, who has modeled in Moscow show.
The brand will now venture into the U.S. with her first 10 stores to hit early in 2008 to grow to 50 by the end of the year.
The first Kira Plastinina store in the U.S. arrives in March on the corner of Houston and Broadway, in New York City; overall, five stores are planned for Manhattan and another five for Los Angeles.
Her target demographic is 14-to-25-year olds.
To view more videos or post your own videos, check out http://video.finditt.com
For more fashion news, please check out http://news.finditt.com/NewsList.aspx?cat=3
Plastinina, 15, has had her own brand for three years and it is quickly picking up worldwide. Kira Plastinina Style is one of the fastest-growing fashion brands in Russia, boasting 40 stores in Russia, the Ukraine, and Kazakhstan.
Plastinina also has a top-selling Kira perfume and the backing of Paris Hilton, who has modeled in Moscow show.
The brand will now venture into the U.S. with her first 10 stores to hit early in 2008 to grow to 50 by the end of the year.
The first Kira Plastinina store in the U.S. arrives in March on the corner of Houston and Broadway, in New York City; overall, five stores are planned for Manhattan and another five for Los Angeles.
Her target demographic is 14-to-25-year olds.
To view more videos or post your own videos, check out http://video.finditt.com
For more fashion news, please check out http://news.finditt.com/NewsList.aspx?cat=3
Baltimore Ravens Name Eagles Assistant John Harbaugh as Coach
The Baltimore Ravens hired Philadelphia Eagles assistant John Harbaugh as coach yesterday, replacing the fired Brian Billick.
Harbaugh, 45, has been with the Eagles for the past 10 seasons -- the first nine as special-teams coordinator and last year as secondary coach. He's never been a head coach on any level.
``I'm a football coach, and I am excited to be the head coach of the Ravens,'' Harbaugh told the team's Web site. ``It's a big job and an opportunity to work with great people. I cannot wait to get started.''
The Ravens, who were 5-11 this season, fired Billick on Dec. 31, ending his nine-year tenure with the National Football League team. Billick had an 80-64 record with a Super Bowl championship after the 2000 season and American Football Conference North division titles in 2003 and 2006.
Team spokesman Chad Steele, in a telephone interview, declined to disclose terms of Harbaugh's contract. He said Harbaugh would be introduced at a news conference today.
``He has worked very hard to become a head coach in the National Football League,'' Eagles coach Andy Reid said in a statement. ``John is a good friend, a great coach, and he has played a vital role in the success we have shared here.''
Postseason Trips
Philadelphia made the NFL playoffs six times during Harbaugh's tenure, with four straight appearances in the National Football Conference championship game and a loss to New England in the Super Bowl after the 2004 season.
Harbaugh's hiring leaves the Washington Redskins and Atlanta Falcons as the only two of the NFL's 32 teams looking for a coach. Joe Gibbs resigned as the Redskins' coach and president Jan. 8, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family, while the Falcons haven't replaced Bobby Petrino, who quit Dec. 11 with three games left to become coach at the University of Arkansas.
The Ravens' decision came one day after Jason Garrett said he would remain as an assistant with the Dallas Cowboys, rather than accepting the Ravens' offer to replace Billick. Garrett, who also spoke with the Falcons, had the assistant head coach title added to his duties as Dallas's offensive coordinator two days ago.
Coaching Family
Harbaugh comes from a family of coaches. His father Jack was coach at Western Michigan and Western Kentucky. His brother Jim -- who played with the Ravens in 1998 during a 15-year career as an NFL quarterback -- just completed his first season as coach at Stanford, and his brother-in-law Tom Crean is the basketball coach at Marquette University.
Under Harbaugh, the Eagles had 15 NFC special-teams players of the week honorees, one special-teams player of the month and three special-teams Pro Bowl berths. Harbaugh was voted by his peers as the NFL's special-teams coach of the year in 2001.
He was a college assistant at Western Michigan, Morehead State, Cincinnati and Indiana from 1984-97 before joining the Eagles.
To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Bollerman in New York at dbollerman@bloomberg.net
Harbaugh, 45, has been with the Eagles for the past 10 seasons -- the first nine as special-teams coordinator and last year as secondary coach. He's never been a head coach on any level.
``I'm a football coach, and I am excited to be the head coach of the Ravens,'' Harbaugh told the team's Web site. ``It's a big job and an opportunity to work with great people. I cannot wait to get started.''
The Ravens, who were 5-11 this season, fired Billick on Dec. 31, ending his nine-year tenure with the National Football League team. Billick had an 80-64 record with a Super Bowl championship after the 2000 season and American Football Conference North division titles in 2003 and 2006.
Team spokesman Chad Steele, in a telephone interview, declined to disclose terms of Harbaugh's contract. He said Harbaugh would be introduced at a news conference today.
``He has worked very hard to become a head coach in the National Football League,'' Eagles coach Andy Reid said in a statement. ``John is a good friend, a great coach, and he has played a vital role in the success we have shared here.''
Postseason Trips
Philadelphia made the NFL playoffs six times during Harbaugh's tenure, with four straight appearances in the National Football Conference championship game and a loss to New England in the Super Bowl after the 2004 season.
Harbaugh's hiring leaves the Washington Redskins and Atlanta Falcons as the only two of the NFL's 32 teams looking for a coach. Joe Gibbs resigned as the Redskins' coach and president Jan. 8, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family, while the Falcons haven't replaced Bobby Petrino, who quit Dec. 11 with three games left to become coach at the University of Arkansas.
The Ravens' decision came one day after Jason Garrett said he would remain as an assistant with the Dallas Cowboys, rather than accepting the Ravens' offer to replace Billick. Garrett, who also spoke with the Falcons, had the assistant head coach title added to his duties as Dallas's offensive coordinator two days ago.
Coaching Family
Harbaugh comes from a family of coaches. His father Jack was coach at Western Michigan and Western Kentucky. His brother Jim -- who played with the Ravens in 1998 during a 15-year career as an NFL quarterback -- just completed his first season as coach at Stanford, and his brother-in-law Tom Crean is the basketball coach at Marquette University.
Under Harbaugh, the Eagles had 15 NFC special-teams players of the week honorees, one special-teams player of the month and three special-teams Pro Bowl berths. Harbaugh was voted by his peers as the NFL's special-teams coach of the year in 2001.
He was a college assistant at Western Michigan, Morehead State, Cincinnati and Indiana from 1984-97 before joining the Eagles.
To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Bollerman in New York at dbollerman@bloomberg.net
Friday 18 January 2008
UK: British Airways plane land crashes, 6 injured
In an incident that injured six people and caused delays at the world's busiest airport in London, British Airways jet crash landed short of the runway at London Heathrow on Thursday.
The undercarriage of the Boeing 777 was wrecked with the back end and the engines touching the ground. Passengers poured out of emergency slides while firefighters sprayed safety foam around the jet.
One said he felt he had won the "lottery" by escaping unharmed.
Television pictures showed skidmarks carving up the grass ahead of the runway used by Flight BA38 from Beijing with 136 passengers and 16 crew on board. All the injuries were reported as minor.
Paul Venter, a passenger on the flight, said the plane hit problems just as it was about to land.
"I could hear the undercarriage come out and the next moment the plane just dropped," he said.
"The wheels came out and went for touchdown, and the next moment we just dropped. I couldn't tell you how far.
"When everything came to a standstill, I looked out of the window and the undercarriage was gone and the plane was on its belly.
"I didn't speak to the pilot, but I saw him, and he looked very pale."
BBC television quoted the pilot as saying he had lost all power as it was landing and had to glide it in.
The incident happened shortly before Prime Minister Gordon Brown was due to take off from Heathrow for China on an official visit. His flight was briefly held up.
The southern runway was closed at Heathrow, causing delays. Some flights were being to other airports.
Another passenger, Fernando Prado, told BBC television by telephone that all the passengers had been evacuated within two or three minutes, adding of his escape: "I won the lottery today."
A Heathrow spokesman said the plane carried out an emergency landing at 12.42 pm (1242 GMT) and that it had been fully evacuated.
"The Heathrow southern runway has been closed, but the northern runway remains open," he added.
BA chief executive Willie Walsh said: "We are very proud of the way our crew safely evacuated all 136 passengers on board.
"The crew are very experienced and are trained to deal with circumstances like this."
He said the Air Accidents Investigation Branch would probe what happened and the airline would cooperate fully.
"It would be innapropriate for me to speculate as to the likely cause of this incident," Walsh added.
He said the aircraft in question was about six years old and BA had 43 Boeing 777s in operation.
Six passengers were taken to hospital with minor injuries, said a spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service.
A London police spokesman said there was no suggestion that terrorism was involved.
The British prime minister was travelling with a party of around 30 journalists, businessmen and personalities, including Virgin chief Richard Branson and Olympic athlete Kelly Holmes. -AFP
Source: Bonny Apunyu http://somalinet.com
The undercarriage of the Boeing 777 was wrecked with the back end and the engines touching the ground. Passengers poured out of emergency slides while firefighters sprayed safety foam around the jet.
One said he felt he had won the "lottery" by escaping unharmed.
Television pictures showed skidmarks carving up the grass ahead of the runway used by Flight BA38 from Beijing with 136 passengers and 16 crew on board. All the injuries were reported as minor.
Paul Venter, a passenger on the flight, said the plane hit problems just as it was about to land.
"I could hear the undercarriage come out and the next moment the plane just dropped," he said.
"The wheels came out and went for touchdown, and the next moment we just dropped. I couldn't tell you how far.
"When everything came to a standstill, I looked out of the window and the undercarriage was gone and the plane was on its belly.
"I didn't speak to the pilot, but I saw him, and he looked very pale."
BBC television quoted the pilot as saying he had lost all power as it was landing and had to glide it in.
The incident happened shortly before Prime Minister Gordon Brown was due to take off from Heathrow for China on an official visit. His flight was briefly held up.
The southern runway was closed at Heathrow, causing delays. Some flights were being to other airports.
Another passenger, Fernando Prado, told BBC television by telephone that all the passengers had been evacuated within two or three minutes, adding of his escape: "I won the lottery today."
A Heathrow spokesman said the plane carried out an emergency landing at 12.42 pm (1242 GMT) and that it had been fully evacuated.
"The Heathrow southern runway has been closed, but the northern runway remains open," he added.
BA chief executive Willie Walsh said: "We are very proud of the way our crew safely evacuated all 136 passengers on board.
"The crew are very experienced and are trained to deal with circumstances like this."
He said the Air Accidents Investigation Branch would probe what happened and the airline would cooperate fully.
"It would be innapropriate for me to speculate as to the likely cause of this incident," Walsh added.
He said the aircraft in question was about six years old and BA had 43 Boeing 777s in operation.
Six passengers were taken to hospital with minor injuries, said a spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service.
A London police spokesman said there was no suggestion that terrorism was involved.
The British prime minister was travelling with a party of around 30 journalists, businessmen and personalities, including Virgin chief Richard Branson and Olympic athlete Kelly Holmes. -AFP
Source: Bonny Apunyu http://somalinet.com
Morning Radio Host Steve Harvey: On Top of the Hill, Not Over It
On the eve of his 51st birthday, Radio host Steve Harvey has shaved his head and shows it off on the cover of JET. Harvey says he was inspired to change how people view men in their 50s after talking to one of his listeners.
According to JET, "The girl said to me, 'Steve you're 50 and you are over the hill.' I started thinking, 'Wow, I am over the hill? I said, 'OK, I got to do something to stop this line of thinking. Because at 50, I should not be thought of as over the hill. At 50, a man ought to feel that he is on top of the hill. At 50, you are still fly,'" he told JET. (p. 60)
According to JET, "The girl said to me, 'Steve you're 50 and you are over the hill.' I started thinking, 'Wow, I am over the hill? I said, 'OK, I got to do something to stop this line of thinking. Because at 50, I should not be thought of as over the hill. At 50, a man ought to feel that he is on top of the hill. At 50, you are still fly,'" he told JET. (p. 60)
Harvey returned to the airwaves with "The Steve Harvey Show" in September, 2005. It originates from WBLS-FM in New York and is syndicated..
The Steve Harvey JET issue is on sale beginning Monday, January 21.
From Corey Deitz,
Your Guide to Radio.
Miss America uses smarts for charity
I'm Lauren Nelson. I'm Miss America, and I am not smarter than a fifth-grader.”
That's what Oklahoma's own Miss America said Thursday on national television as she won $175,000 on the Fox game show, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” But she proved she is smarter than her fifth-grade opponents, even if she did get some coaching from a grade-schooler with questions up to the $175,000 one.
She won the money by answering a math question correctly, and then realizing she probably didn't know the correct answer to the next question worth $300,000.
The $175,000 question was a fourth-grade math question: What is the greatest common factor of 12 and 36?
"I know this. I'm confident,” Nelson said. She wavered just a second, then confidently holding up her tiara-adorned head, she said, "I'm going to go with my gut and go with 12 and lock it in.”
Her young opponents answered 12, 6, 4 and 4.
"Lauren, I don't know how to tell you this,” host Jeff Foxworthy said. "You just won $175,000!”
Actually, she won the $175,000 for the Miss America Organization Scholarship Fund.
Source: By Heather Warlick newsok.com
1,000-footer sinks while docking in Lake Superior port
Walter J. McCarthy Jr. salvage plan approved by officials
DULUTH, MINN. - The U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of
Natural Resources in the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin, have approved the salvage plan for the motor vessel Walter J. McCarthy Jr.
The 1,000-foot vessel, operated by the American Steamship Company, struck a submerged object, Monday, while backing into Hallet Dock #8, in Superior, Wisconsin.
The object punctured the stern causing flooding in the engine room.
American Steamship requested to de-ballast and re-float the vessel as quickly as possible to ensure freezing temperatures do not cause structural damage.
De-ballasting involves removing water in designated tanks to help stabilize the vessel.
The vessel will utilize shore power to operate internal and external pumps.
Engineers, involved in the salvage, believe it will take two to three days to complete the de-ballasting.
Once re-floated, an evaluation of the damage will begin.
The plan includes repairing the damage and properly disposing the remaining water at a waste treatment facility.
The salvage plan does not require divers; however they may be used in future operations.
Approximately 450 gallons of miscellaneous oils have been removed from the flooded engine room.
Adjacent tanks, engines and generators contain an additional 2,500-3,000 gallons of oil and fuel, but pose no threat for release.
EMR, Inc. has been hired to act as the vessel's pollution control company and will monitor clean up efforts in conjunction with local Coast Guard officials.
Water samples were collected, Tuesday, from both inside and outside the vessel and tested to determine quantity and type of pollutants in the water.
Results were passed to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday afternoon.
Wisconsin DNR issued a permit to allow for release of lake water trapped within the engine room.
All levels in the initial tests met Wisconsin thresholds for legal release.
Throughout salvaging, water samples will be taken to ensure environmental impact is minimal.
Source: http://SooToday.com
DULUTH, MINN. - The U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of
Natural Resources in the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin, have approved the salvage plan for the motor vessel Walter J. McCarthy Jr.
The 1,000-foot vessel, operated by the American Steamship Company, struck a submerged object, Monday, while backing into Hallet Dock #8, in Superior, Wisconsin.
The object punctured the stern causing flooding in the engine room.
American Steamship requested to de-ballast and re-float the vessel as quickly as possible to ensure freezing temperatures do not cause structural damage.
De-ballasting involves removing water in designated tanks to help stabilize the vessel.
The vessel will utilize shore power to operate internal and external pumps.
Engineers, involved in the salvage, believe it will take two to three days to complete the de-ballasting.
Once re-floated, an evaluation of the damage will begin.
The plan includes repairing the damage and properly disposing the remaining water at a waste treatment facility.
The salvage plan does not require divers; however they may be used in future operations.
Approximately 450 gallons of miscellaneous oils have been removed from the flooded engine room.
Adjacent tanks, engines and generators contain an additional 2,500-3,000 gallons of oil and fuel, but pose no threat for release.
EMR, Inc. has been hired to act as the vessel's pollution control company and will monitor clean up efforts in conjunction with local Coast Guard officials.
Water samples were collected, Tuesday, from both inside and outside the vessel and tested to determine quantity and type of pollutants in the water.
Results were passed to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday afternoon.
Wisconsin DNR issued a permit to allow for release of lake water trapped within the engine room.
All levels in the initial tests met Wisconsin thresholds for legal release.
Throughout salvaging, water samples will be taken to ensure environmental impact is minimal.
Source: http://SooToday.com
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