Woman gets nearly 20 years in Ligonier bank robber
The government may have had a theory about Sarah Blair’s role in a Ligonier bank robbery, but it couldn’t prove she organized the crime without information she gave under immunity once she agreed to plead guilty, a federal judge ruled yesterday.
U.S. District Judge Alan Bloch also ruled that the government couldn’t prove without the Sheraden woman’s testimony that a shot fired at a Dollar General store two miles away just prior to the robbery on Aug. 6, 2008 was intended to draw police way from the First Commonwealth Bank on Route 30.
Bloch refused to increase her sentence for either of those reasons before sentencing her to 19 years and seven months in prison. He also ordered Blair, a career criminal whose age is either 35 or 40, according to court records, to pay more than $169,000 in restitution to the victims and sentenced her to five years of probation.
Blair said she pleaded guilty in an attempt to give the victims closure.
"I am humbly apologetic for my actions," she told the judge.
The restitution includes the $77,000 stolen from the bank,Beads necklace, about $2,bracelets,000 for property damaged during the robbery, $3,000 for therapy-related costs for one of the victims,money clips, and $86,000 to Travelers Insurance,key rings, which paid workers’ compensation claims to two bank employees who were injured.
Three other people charged separately in the bank robbery are awaiting trial: Ricardo Brown, 23, of Garfield; Lyle McKenzie Haines Milner, 21, of New Kensington; and Rahil Rahman,Atlas charm bracelet, no address or age available.
Woman charged with starving baby arrested in fathe
A woman charged with assault for the malnutrition of her infant was arrested by deputy sheriffs Wednesday while hiding in her father’s Bethlehem home more than a month after she failed to show in court for the case, according to court records.
Jennifer A. Bahn,bracelets, 32, was wanted on a bench warrant for failing to appear July 20 on charges related to the "extreme malnutrition" of her infant daughter. A doctor testified that the baby’s condition and poor diet could have led to life-threatening problems.
A county sheriff found Bahn around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in a locked bedroom in her father’s home at 69 W. Garrison St.,watches, according to court records. Bahn’s father,tiffany, Daniel Lau, is charged with hindering apprehension and obstruction of justice.
According to court records:
Lau told Northampton County Deputy Sheriff George Volpe that he hadn’t seen or spoken to Bahn in three days and repeatedly said she wasn’t inside. As they spoke, Lau stepped out onto the porch and quickly shut the door behind him.
Lau allowed Volpe to search his home,rings, but said he couldn’t open a locked bedroom door at the rear of the home. Lau said the room belonged to Bahn.
After the door was opened, Bahn was found hiding at the end of a bed.
Lau, 59, is free on $30,bangles,000 bail. Bahn was sent to Northampton County Prison.
After Bahn didn’t attend the July hearing, charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of children were sent to Northampton County Court. Police said the infant is in the custody of the Northampton County Children and Youth Division.
Man admits to stabbing woman
A man who stabbed his former girlfriend several weeks after she broke up with him has been convicted of multiple charges.
Herbert Junior Williams, 52, also rammed a deputy’s cruiser before temporarily escaping to Florida.
He pleaded guilty Tuesday in Stafford County Circuit Court to malicious wounding, wounding in the commission of a felony,cuff Links, grand larceny, hit and run and assault on a police officer. He will be sentenced Oct. 25.
According to evidence presented by prosecutor Teresa Polinske, Williams and Rosetta Baker lived together on Meadows Drive in southern Stafford until late December, when she told him the relationship was over.
A family member picked Williams up on Dec. 27, Polinske said,Atlas charm bracelet, and he left with all of his things.
On Dec. 30, he called Baker and begged to come back,money clips, according to the evidence. She said no, but he showed up at her home anyway.
Baker called some male relatives who later forcibly removed Williams from the home.
Deputies responded to the ensuing fight, which ended with Williams being charged with public intoxication and spending the night in jail.
Early the next morning, Polinske said, Williams returned to the home, but Baker was not there. She returned later in the day with her daughter, who informed her that Williams was in the home.
Baker went to magistrates in Fredericksburg and Stafford but was told there was nothing they could do, Polinske said. Baker spent New Year’s Eve night with her daughter.
Early Jan. 1, Baker returned home with family members. After they searched the home and found no one,bracelets, she went inside.
She was getting ready to bathe when Williams came up behind her. He stabbed her twice in the chest and once in the arm as soon as she turned around.
Other family members rushed upstairs after hearing her scream, and Williams left in Baker’s 1996 Tahoe.
Deputy Mark Coffman stopped the car on State Route 3 near the Blue and Gray Parkway.
After stopping, Williams backed into Coffman’s cruiser — causing its airbag to deploy — and took off.
He wasn’t found until Jan. 9,rings, when police in Miami responded to a suspicious vehicle report and found Baker’s car in a parking lot.
Polinske said Williams told them, "This is my girlfriend’s car, and I stabbed her."
He later told Detective Gerald Lloyd that he "lost it" after the breakup and went to Miami because he used to know a girl in the red light district there.
Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
Email: kepps@freelancestar.com
Handsome and inclusive Budget
from BUSINESS LINE, February 27,key rings, 2010 Presenting a broadly acceptable Budget for a country of India’s size and complexities is always a formidable task. It is especially so in such difficult and uncertain times as we are passing through these days, when the entire economy and polity are so severely buffeted by clashing sectional and sectoral demands. The Finance Minister, therefore,bangles, deserves kudos for coming out with a handsome Budget in such times. He has handled the contrary demands he faced with a deftness that can come only from long experience in public life and government.
I am sure it will be widely acknowledged that he has manoeuvred his way out of the difficult times with great adroitness. He has contained fiscal deficit to the extent feasible and that too without curtailing growth. He has given concessions where required, raised allocations for the poor, especially the rural poor, besides offering much required relief to tax-payers that should sustain demand for consumer goods in the economy.
Some duties have, of course, been raised and these will, no doubt, add to some pressure on prices. These increases were, however, largely expected, and the manufacturers and consumers had taken them into account. I think that the roll-back of incentives, talked about for so long,bracelets, has been kept within bearable limits.
Social stability As in the last Budget, the Finance Minister has once again focussed his attention on reaching the poorest of the poor. That is where the benefits of all national efforts towards boosting growth must be directed. India must begin to rise from deep below – from where all growth will ultimately come.
Also, it is only by adopting an inclusive growth paradigm that orderly and sustainable economic progress and social and political stability can be attained. If growth and its benefits do not reach the bottom, everything we have attained so far will be jeopardised. The increase in allocations for these sections and the improvements envisaged in delivering the benefits to them are,Charm bracelet, therefore, especially welcome.
Farm focus The renewed and increased emphasis on raising agricultural production and providing incentives for food storage and processing are other very important points. As we have seen, the last two years’ inflationary pressures have largely, almost solely, been the outcome of scarcity of agricultural commodities.
It is the most urgent need of the times not only to arrest negative growth in agriculture but reverse the falling trend and boost production of all commodities, including oil-seeds. The increase in allocations for this area is highly commendable. In addition, this calls for some very innovative measures all along the base and frontiers of agriculture.
Overall, I am sure Mr Pranab Mukherjee’s Budget will put India on a path that will lead to achieving the targets he has set for the country for 2010-2011 and beyond. It is a handsome and inclusive Budget which will propel the country’s ambition of fulfilling the dreams of a billion-plus population.
Mukesh Ambani Copyright 2010 Business Line
Discount Teknomek stainless steel equipment for sc
Throughout the whole of July, the stainless steel manufacturer Teknomek will be offering discounts on a variety of its hygiene-standard stainless steel catering products just in time for the school summer break. Many educational establishments take advantage of the summer months to renovate school facilities including the catering department and Teknomek sells a variety of stainless steel catering products ready to fit and accommodate any professional kitchen.
Teknomek’s top seller for stainless steel catering equipment is the Bain Marie & Heat Gantry top hot cupboard, which is manufactured in stainless steel with painted steel cladding, 4 swivel castors, 2 locking breaks, sliding doors with an internal shelf and gastronorm tray fittings. As well as this,rings, Teknomek offers cold units with refrigerated glass surroundings ideally suited to be fitted in any school canteen.
Furthermore, Teknomek provides top quality products for the front of house including tables, trays and variety of trolleys, such as colour coded service trolleys,pendants, cutlery trolleys, plate trolleys, stainless steel tray trolleys and many more. Also available are heated plate dispensers manufactured in chromium nickel steel that come in double or single sizes,bracelets, accommodating either 120 plates or 60 plates.
Teknomek is Europe’s leading manufacturer of catering stainless steel furniture and equipment, providing high quality and cost-effective stainless steel solutions to industry hygiene requirements for all sectors such as pharmaceutical,Atlas charm bracelet, catering and veterinary.
For further details on Teknomek’s stainless steel catering products check out www.teknomek.co.uk
ADVANCE ONLY TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR MARSHALL UNIV
Marshall University issued the following news release:,Bead bracelet
Advance only tickets are still on sale for Marshall University’s Paint the Capital City Green during which fans can meet new head football coach and Hurricane native Doc Holliday to learn about the future of Thundering Herd football.
Paint The Capital City Green, presented by Friends of Coal,bracelets, is the nation’s largest indoor pep rally for Thundering Herd alumni, fans and friends. The event is hosted by the Big Green Scholarship Foundation, the Marshall University Alumni Association,Atlas charm bracelet, the Greater Kanawha Valley Alumni Club and the Charleston Quarterback Club. Event proceeds benefit the Big Green Scholarship Foundation and the Marshall University Alumni Association.
Individual tickets are $50 and a limited number of table sponsorships are still available. Tickets must be purchased by close of business on Monday, Aug. 16 to be entered into a drawing to win two tickets to the Herd’s season opener against Ohio State Thursday, Sept. 2. The winner will also receive complimentary hotel accommodations in the Columbus area.
Festivities will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18, at Charleston’s Embassy Suites Hotel with a pep rally and tailgate spread featuring entertainment by mascot Marco, the cheerleading squad and Dance Team, as well as music from members of the Marching Thunder. A formal program begins at 7 p.m. For ticket information, call the Big Green Scholarship Foundation at 304-696-4661.
Holliday will share the stage with Marshall University President Stephen J. Kopp and Athletic Director Mike Hamrick as well as key members of the squad as they discuss the future of Marshall football. Hamrick, the former director of athletics at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, rounds out his first full year at Marshall. He also will introduce the Herd’s new head basketball coach Tom Herrion.
Holliday, a native of Hurricane, W.
Va.,cuff Links, was named head football coach in December 2009. He is widely regarded as one of the top recruiters in the nation and he brings 31 years of collegiate coaching experience to Marshall that includes stops at Florida, North Carolina State and WVU.
Highlights of his career include coaching in 20 bowl games and three national championship games. He also has coached 11 players that have gone on to the National Football League. Holliday comes to Marshall after serving as associate head coach at West Virginia for the past two seasons. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com
Dave Wellman, 304/696-7153.
Volleyball team preparing for Lady Vol Classic
Tennessee’s Lady Vols opened volleyball practice Wednesday in preparation for the season-opening Comcast Lady Vol Classic tournament Aug. 27-28.
Coach Rob Patrick hosts a free coaches clinic 1-4:30 p.m. Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Patrick welcomed back first-team All-SEC senior Nikki Fowler,necklaces, who spend her summer with the U.S. Women’s National A2 Blue Team, which won gold at the USA Volleyball Open National Championships.
Four freshman have joined a veteran team that went 24-8 last season.
Wade List: Three basketball Lady Vols made the preseason Wade Watch List.
Kelley Cain, Angie Bjorklund and Shekinna Stricklen are among the 25 early candidates for the State Farm Wade Trophy, presented to the nation’s outstanding women’s player.
Connecticut had two players on the list,Atlas charm bracelet, Maya Moore and Tiffany Hayes. Stanford (Nnemkadi Ogwumike and Kayla Pedersen) and Ohio State (Jantel Lavender and Samantha Prahalis) also had two.
Track: Phoebe Wright was named national indoor track scholar athlete of the year for 2010 by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Wright, who graduated as NCAA 800-meter indoor and outdoor champion, follows former Lady Vol Sarah Bowman, who won the award the previous two years.
UT also was cited by the coaches as the national indoor scholar team of the year for the second straight season. The Lady Vols’ cumulative GPA was 3.14.
Swimming: Tennessee junior Jennifer Connolly finished first in the women’s 100-meter backstroke B final and ninth overall at the U.S. swimming championships on Wednesday in Irvine, Calif.
Connolly won the B final for the second consecutive year with a time of 1 minute, 01.11 seconds, .83 seconds ahead of Lauren English at William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center.
She qualified for the B final by finishing 12th in the prelims in 1:02.68.
Senior Tricia Weaner was 71st (1:05.15) and Morgan Farrell finished 103rd (1:06.08).
In the 200 freestyle prelims,bracelets, sophomore Kelsey Floyd and signee Alexandria Frasier finished 82nd (2:04.51) and 83rd (2:04.57),bangles, respectively. Marifrances Henley, a swimmer from North Carolina State and Tennessee Aquatics club team member, was 126th (2:07.65).
Ricky Henahan of UT finished 23rd in 57.04 in the 100 back. Henahan swam 56.11 in the preliminaries. Drew Craig was 85th (59.13).
UT’s Michael Christy finished 72nd in the 200 freestyle in 1:53.99. Freshmen Alex Ward of Knoxville placed 44th in the 200 butterfly (2:04.37).
First Lady’s Spain Vacation Draws Criticism
There is nothing like a little Mediterranean beach vacation to unwind. Unless you happen to travel with dozens of Secret Service agents,tiffany, trailed by photographers and dogged by controversy.
Michelle Obama hoped to enjoy a quiet summer break in southern Spain with her younger daughter and a few friends. But the Andalusian getaway has gotten away from her as the European media document her every flamenco dance step and critics back home question the wisdom of such a lavish vacation, which involves at least some taxpayer money, in a time of austerity.
As Mrs. Obama and her entourage toured the picturesque southern city of Ronda on Saturday, the blogosphere has been filled with commentary about what many saw as a tone-deaf trip in the same week the United States reported the loss of 131,000 more jobs. "A modern-day Marie Antoinette," scolded a New York Daily News columnist.
The White House was reluctant to discuss Mrs. Obama’s trip. The only official comment came from Robert Gibbs,bracelets, the White House press secretary, at a briefing last week when he said that Mrs. Obama "is a private citizen and is the mother of a daughter on a private trip. And I think I’d leave it at that."
Privately, officials note that the first lady is paying for her own room, food and transportation, and the friends she brought will pay for theirs as well. The government pays for security, and the Secret Service, not the first lady, determines what is needed.
Officials said some reports of the trip had been exaggerated. Mrs. Obama is not traveling with 40 friends, one official said, but with two friends and four of their daughters, as well as a couple of aides and a couple of advance staff members. The staff is with her because she will pay a courtesy call on King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia on the island of Majorca on Sunday before flying home to Washington.
Every first lady in modern times has flown on government planes with a sizable security detail, and it is hard to pinpoint the cost to taxpayers. The Air Force jet she flew costs $11,351 per hour to operate, according to several reports, meaning a 14-hour round trip would cost nearly $160,Charm pendant,000. The first lady would reimburse only the equivalent of first-class commercial tickets for herself and her daughter Sasha, the rest of the seats being occupied mainly by Secret Service. Officials said their friends flew on separate commercial flights.
Laura Bush took vacations without her husband each year of George W. Bush’s presidency, traveling with her Secret Service detail on a government plane to meet friends for camping in national parks. But that never generated as much furor, in part because vacationing in the United States is not as politically delicate for American leaders and their families as doing so in foreign countries.
The Obama family traveled to Acadia National Park in Maine in July and plans to spend time in the Gulf of Mexico and on Martha’s Vineyard this month.
"It’s always very difficult to lead a private life when you’re a public person," said Anita McBride, who was Mrs. Bush’s chief of staff. "No one would deny any of our hard-working public officials an opportunity for a vacation. Everybody needs that. But I think the more expensive or lavish a trip might be perceived, the more criticism you invite."
While some Americans frown, the Spanish eagerly welcomed the Obama group, seeing it as a boost for a tourism sector severely hit by the country’s economic downturn. Since her landing at Malaga’s airport on Wednesday, Spanish media have covered the first lady’s trip almost minute by minute, from a tour of the Alhambra palace to a stop at an ice cream shop.
Their Andalusian stay was to end Saturday night with a charity dinner organized and attended by celebrities like Eva Longoria Parker and Antonio Banderas.
Mrs. Obama and friends have been staying at the five-star Hotel Villa Padierna near Marbella, where at least 30 rooms were reserved for the entourage, including those for security. The hotel is one of Spain’s more luxurious establishments, with rooms ranging from $500-a-night to a $6,600 suite with 24-hour butler service.
The Spanish excitement grew so much that the media reported one study claiming the publicity from her visit would be worth $1 billion for a country. The attention has gotten so intense that the Spanish newspaper El Pais chastised local authorities for showing a "puerile enthusiasm" for the visit.
Credit: PETER BAKER and RAPHAEL MINDER; Peter Baker reported from Washington,Beads necklace, and Raphael Minder from Madrid.
Vols, Lady Vols talking about preseason event for
Tennessee is considering holding a fan-friendly preseason basketball event on Oct. 22,bracelets, the day before the Vols football team plays host to Alabama.
UT administrators and coaches met on Tuesday to open discussions on the possibility of the event at Thompson-Boling Arena.
"We’re investigating the opportunities," Lady Vols athletic director Joan Cronan said. "If we do it,Charm pendant, we’ll probably do both the men’s and women’s (programs) together."
The last time Tennessee held a preseason event was in 2005.
Cronan said she anticipates there will be more meetings on the possibility of the event and what it would consist of before any decisions are made.
UT men’s coach Bruce Pearl has taken a stance in the past that he’s not an advocate of "Midnight Madness," as he would rather use the NCAA-allotted time to prepare his team for the season.
"I’d rather lock the doors at midnight and have a hard practice and see who pukes first on the court,Charm bracelet," Pearl once said, jokingly.
But Pearl has also said he’ll do whatever university leadership deems best for the programs, and said that under the right circumstances he would be interested in a preseason event that would both entertain the fans and be useful to the players.
If UT does hold a preseason basketball event prior to this season, it’s unlikely it would be at midnight.
Credit: The Knoxville News-Sentinel,necklaces, Tenn.
Hot gifts for Valentine’s Day
Frank Serna sat inside the Victoria Mall Wednesday, sipping coffee as his wife of 53 years, Lala, shopped.
But the San Marcos resident didn’t mind the wait and actually might benefit from it. You see, he had the cufflinks sneaking suspicion she was picking out his Valentine’s Day gift.
“I don’t know,” he said with a gray-mustached smile.
With just days left until Cupid strikes, shoppers are storming stores looking for the perfect gift for that special someone.
And a lot of the old favorites still hold strong.
Cards, candy and an evening out came in as the most popular gifts this year, according to a National Retail Federation news release.
Consumers will spend an average $102.50 on Valentine’s Day merchandise this year, according to the release, while national spending will reach an estimated $14.7 billion.
When it comes to jewelry, wedding sets are big sellers this year, said Debbie Kaspar, a sales associate with bracelets Green Brothers Jewelers in Victoria. Diamond pendants in the shape of hearts and diamond studs are next on the list.
“The love market, I’d say, is still right up there with everything else,” she said.
Kaspar advised people to take time when picking out jewelry — allow a couple of days, at least, to make the decision — because, although there might be things available, you want to make sure it’s just right.
A dozen red roses is still the best seller in the flower world, said Susie Starkey, who owns Sunshine Florist on Laurent Street.
Although the shop takes orders as long as it can, she advised people to get their orders in early. Her shop goes through between 2,000 and 3,000 roses per Valentine’s season, she said, but they don’t have an unlimited supply.
“Some of them that do wait until the last minute, you tell them you’re out of roses and they don’t know what to do now,” she said, explaining that Friday will be her busiest day.
Frydoun Darshad who owns the Olde Victoria at the Oak Room restaurant, said he’s gearing up for a busy holiday. The eatery has a special menu and candlelight ambience planned.
All early reservations are booked, he said, but a few later slots — around 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. — were still open Wednesday afternoon.
For those who wait too late to get a reservation, other options are available.
One alternative is to go out on Friday, when things won’t be quite so hectic, he said, or to take a later reservation on tiffany and co Valentine’s Day.
Candy and stuffed animals are big at Tracy’s Hallmark in the Victoria Mall, manager Donna Jones said, but other items, such as mixed bags with balloons or angel figurines, have also sold well.
When it comes to cards, the big thing is sound. Whether it’s cards that play music or ones that allow you to record your own voice, they’ve been popular for 2009, Jones said.
For the younger generations, it’s holiday-themed Webkinz — stuffed animals that come with codes that allow the owner to play with a virtual version of the animal online — that have sold well.
Others might be rushing for that last-minute gift, but back at that table in the mall, Serna was still biding his time. His shopping is already complete.
“I got her a heart on a chain,” he said of his wife. “I’m all done.”
WHAT ARE PEOPLE SPENDING ON THIS YEAR?
58 percent: Greeting cards
47 percent: Dinner at a favorite restaurant
45.8 percent: Candy
35.7 percent: Flowers
16 percent: Jewelry
11 percent: Gift card or gift certificate
10.4 percent: Other
10.2 percent: Clothing
source: National Retail Federation poll