NetStory27: 2012

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Thousands Look for 3 GIs Missing in Iraq

BAGHDAD - The U.S. military on Sunday confirmed that an Iraqi interpreter was killed along with four U.S. soldiers in an attack south of Baghdad, leaving three American soldiers missing.

A U.S. statement Saturday said only that a patrol of seven American soldiers and an Iraqi army translator had been attacked and that five people were killed and three were missing. It was unclear whether all the missing were Americans.

Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, the chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, told reporters Sunday that the interpreter was among the dead.

He also said about 4,000 American forces were involved in the search for the three missing troops in the notorious …

USOC lands new sponsor through 2012

The U.S. Olympic Committee has signed up a new sponsor, the Deloitte tax and financial services company.

The USOC, working hard to retain sponsors in the rough economy, signed one in a new category Monday after not getting renewals from three key companies.

Deloitte signed through 2012 and is the 18th company under …

Snake theory has no leg to stand on

Biologists have assumed that snakes gained an advantage duringevolution by getting rid of their legs. Among biomechanicalresearchers who ponder such things, it was believed energyexpenditure during locomotion is less for limbless animals than fortheir limbed counterparts of equal size. Hence, it was argued,snakes evolved toward the …

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Group buys controlling stake in Mexicana airlines

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A group of Mexican investors has bought a controlling stake in Mexicana airlines in a bid to save the debt-ridden company, the consortium announced Saturday.

The group, called Tenedora K, said it acquired a 95 percent stake in Nuevo Grupo Aeronautico SA de CV, the holding company that controls Mexicana de Aviacion and the domestic airlines Mexicana Click and Mexicana Link. It said the pilots' union will hold the remaining 5 percent of shares.

Mexicana officials did not return phone calls seeking comment. The pilots' and flight attendants' unions could not be reached.

The deal was announced in a statement from the consortium released by the private …

Why it takes so long to trace a bad tomato

Food and Drug Administration detectives had a hot lead, narrowing down on a grower who just might have supplied salmonella-tainted tomatoes. Then the patient changed her story: She'd eaten a round tomato, not a Roma one after all.

"We basically had to throw it all out and start over," says Dr. David Acheson, the agency's food safety chief.

Why is it taking so long to find the source of those bad tomatoes? It largely boils down to the frailty of human memory and the mysteries of the tomato bin.

Unlike many other foods, tomatoes don't come with bar codes that let investigators quickly track their supplier. Consumers seldom even know what …

Presenter conquers his fear

BBC Points West presenter David Garmston will be tackling his fearof heights for charity.

David, aged 45, has agreed to do an abseil down the fire brigadetower in Temple Back, Bristol, to raise money for breast cancercharity Bosom Buddies.

He will be joined by many …

Getting elected sheriff: On the Bill of Rights?

Ray Mallow Mielzynski isn't your typical sheriff candidate. Running for the top law enforcement spot in Nye County, Nevada, Mielzynski is running on the Bill of Rights. Mielzynski placed an ad in a local newspaper outlining his platform, which included:

1) Only criminals go to jail and they will go to jail! …

Nepal's former rebels withdraw plans to form new government

Nepal's former rebels who won the most votes in a recent election for a governing assembly have said they will not form a coalition government because the assembly did not elect their candidate for president.

"After our candidate was defeated in the presidential election we have lost the moral grounds to lead the new government," Prachanda, leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), told reporters Tuesday.

He said the Maoists would be the opposition. His party secured the most votes in the April election for the Constituent Assembly, but did not win a majority of seats. Since that poll, Nepal's main political parties have been unable to …

Our views: ; Iraq should not show ingratitude; Oil-producing nations will hurt themselves if they cut production

DESPITE the talking points from the left, America did not invadeIraq for its oil. The war on terrorism was served by the liberationof Iraq from a dictator who financed terrorism and indeed terrorizedhis own citizens.

Now, after five long years of American sacrifice and severaldecades in Saddam Hussein's brutal wilderness before that, Iraq isfinally getting ready to rejoin the world.

As such, it will enjoy many economic benefits. The standard ofliving for its people will rise, just as it has in Japan, Germany,Italy, South Korea and other lands that the United States hasliberated over the years.

But along with economic recovery comes certain …

CSU men top Mid-Con standings

That's no mistake at the top of the Mid-Continent Conference standings. The Chicago State Cougars are indeed tied for first place with a 2-0 record.

For the first time since joining the conference in 1994, the Cougars find themselves out front following a 76-67 overtime victory Saturday over Western Illinois at the Jacoby Dickens Center.

The Cougars' victory didn't come easy. The Leathernecks came out red-hot, taking an early 27-11 lead with less than 10 minutes remaining in the first half. However, the Cougars came storming back to cut the visitors' lead to 30-29 at the intermission.

Keying the comeback was a spectacular dunk by senior guard Craig …

Knicks suspend Marbury for 1 game without pay

Stephon Marbury was suspended one game without pay and docked additional salary Friday by the New York Knicks, who say he refused to play in Wednesday's 110-96 loss at Detroit.

Marbury disputed the Knicks' allegation, telling the New York Post that coach Mike D'Antoni never gave the order.

"If you say I got to play, I'm going to play," Marbury said. "If he said I have to play, guess what, I'm going to get on the court and play, period. If I refuse to play, I'm getting suspended. I never told him I'm not going to play. Those words never came out of my mouth. That's insubordination."

Marbury is to sit out the Knicks' home game …

Deliberations resume in cabbie's slaying

A Cook County jury will resume deliberations today in the murdertrial of a former city Public Health Department employee accused ofkilling 62-year-old veteran taxi driver Haroon Paryani by drivingParyani's Ford over his body three times after a fight over cab fare.

Jurors deliberated for six hours Friday before Judge JamesSchreier sent them to a hotel just after 11 p.m. They are to resumeat 9:30 a.m.

During closing arguments, prosecutors maintained that Paryani wasdefenseless against Michael Jackson's deliberate attacks, and defenseattorneys painted Jackson as a victim of a cruel, disgruntled cabbie.

Jackson, 38, is charged with first-degree murder and …

Capitol Visitor Center Opening Delayed

WASHINGTON - The projected opening date of the Capitol Visitor Center has been pushed back again, from September to summer 2007, because of continued construction problems.

The $584 million project is already more than two years behind schedule and $200 million over budget, but architect Alan Hantman told a Senate subcommittee last week that problems with the fire protection system, gift shops and utility tunnel will cause more delays.

The new tentative time frame of July 2007 appears to be reasonable, said officials with the Government Accountability Office.

The wall stone installation is well behind schedule, the fire alarm system has been redesigned several times, and the gift shop is over budget, according to the GAO, which monitors the project's progress.

The 580,000-square foot underground center on the Capitol's east side is the largest addition in the building's history, increasing its size by two-thirds.

It will include an exhibition area twice as big as the rotunda where visitors can see artifacts, documents and the catafalque that supported the caskets of people who have lain in state. There will be galleries where visitors can see live feeds of congressional business and use monitors to scan voting records, and a 600-seat cafeteria.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Tara Donovan

TARA DONOVAN

ACE GALLERY

Tara Donovan's work is high in-call it a howthe . . . whathe . . . jeez factor. It has the kind of labor-intensiveness feasible in art on a miniature scale, embroidery perhaps, but it leans to the huge; and the hugeness is often constituted of extraordinarily plentiful wee parts. Haze, 2003, the piece de resistance of Donovan's current show, contains nearly two million drinking straws, stacked pointing outward against a wall in such a way as to create a surface of subtle swells and hollows. It is over twelve feet high and more than forty feet long. The gallery checklist names straws as the solitary medium-no glue, no pins, no stabilizing attachment of any kind. You wonder how she did it-or, at the least, how long it took.

All the sculptures here are floor pieces, with the exception of Haze, and most attained little height-even, effectively, no height at all. (Transplanted, 2001, is thirty-two inches high; the other works reach a maximum of four and a half inches.) It was in Minimalism and post-Minimalism-the stack and scatter works of Richard Serra and Eva Hesse, for example-that sculpture renounced its old elevation from the ground, on base or pedestal, and stretched out low on the floor. Between then and now, a healthy variety of artists have taken oedipal aim at the art of that time: Back in the '80s, for example, Tony Tasset based upholstered-furniture-like works on Donald Judd's serial arrangements of boxes, and more recently, in a different vein, Karen Kilimnik has worked on the scatter principle, converting it from a formal and theoretical rethinking of artmaking methodology into an eccentric meditation on fashion and postadolescent yearning. Donovan, however, heads back in the opposite direction: There is nothing subversive here, nothing quirky, no jokes. She is interested in a magical transformation of mundane materials-pencils, straws, Scotch tape, Elmer's glue-into visual lusciousness.

Judd and Serra certainly achieved grand visual effects, but their sensibility was more cerebral and austere than Donovan's, and surely many viewers had to be pretty much taught to enjoy rows of concrete or plywood boxes or piles of torn rubber. (Surely many remain bewildered by them even now.) Donovan's work is more seductive, and strikingly pictorial: Her reference, apparently, is landscape. Colony, 2002, demonstrates that seventeen thousand pencils set in vertical clusters on the floor, in a stubby height-range never rising above two and a half inches, will look to the standing viewer like a sprawling city of low- and high-rises seen from the air. Nebulous, 2002, the Scotch-tape work, suggests, maybe, a reef of underwater sponges, filmy, delicate, translucent, subtly colored. Moire, 2000, made of overlapping spools of adding-machine tape, recalls the form-creating power of soft, malleable weight seen in Robert Morris's felt works but is laid out like a region of terraced hills. And Haze, with its softly modulated surface, peaked skyline, and, again, subtle color shifts, might be a cloud bank, or a mountain range under snow.

Apparently quite carefully composed, Donovan's sculptures are scatter pieces without randomness; and given their shallow-to-flat plane and their landscape trace, they are also something like painterly. In this sense they may seem to some quite retrograde, a dilution of principles that once were avant-garde. I share this reservation to some extent; in the visual pleasure of these works there may be a kind of gentrification of some once quite uncompromising aesthetic real estate. The best of Donovan's pieces, though, do everything she wants them to. The devices they depend on-incommensurate accumulation, an out-of-kilter relationship of part to whole, the goading of a single medium into utterly unpredictable effects-are none of them new, but damn, they work.

Nuclear talks focus on verification

Negotiators from six nations began Thursday to hash out exactly how they will verify North Korea's declaration of its nuclear materials, the U.S. envoy said.

The first round of six-nation talks in nine months comes after North Korea handed over the much-delayed list of materials last month, then blew up the cooling tower of its main reactor to demonstrate its commitment to disarmament.

"All and all, it was a good start to the process, but I think the effort to negotiate a verification protocol will be very important," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill told reporters. He has said the actual verification process could take as long as several months.

The envoys have given the task of determining specifics of the verification process to a working group, Hill said. Though there are basic agreements that the process would include site visits, interviews with North Korean officials and examination of documents, "there's a lot of technical issues there," he said.

"We can't say how quickly it will happen," Hill added.

South Korean envoy Kim Sook said Thursday's talks were held in a "serious and businesslike atmosphere." Negotiators also touched on details of a meeting for the foreign ministers of the six countries and future steps in the disarmament process, he said.

Meetings on Friday were expected to focus on the issue of economic and energy assistance for North Korea, Hill said.

The energy-starved North was promised fuel aid equivalent to 1 million tons of oil under the February 2007 deal. Japan has since opted out of contributing, citing a lack of progress by North Korea in resolving the issue of its abductions of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and '80s. Pyongyang has complained that countries involved in the talks have supplied only 40 percent of promised energy shipments.

In response to North Korea's nuclear declaration, the United States had announced it would remove the North from a list of state sponsors of terrorism and relax some economic sanctions against the communist nation.

The exchanges paved the way for the resumption of the six-nation meetings in Beijing. The talks also include host China, Japan and Russia.

"I want to emphasize that all of us ... gathered here share the same strategic objectives," China's nuclear envoy Wu Dawei said at the start of the talks Thursday. "The ultimate objective is the realization of a nuclear-free Korean peninsula."

The nuclear standoff began in late 2002 when the U.S. accused the North of seeking to secretly enrich uranium in violation of a 1994 disarmament deal.

The architect of Pakistan's nuclear program, Abdul Qadeer Khan, told The Associated Press last week that he recalled uranium enrichment equipment being sent from Pakistan to North Korea in 2000.

The United States had previously insisted that North Korea detail its alleged uranium enrichment program as well as nuclear cooperation with Syria in the declaration.

But Washington has apparently backed down from that demand, drawing criticism from American conservatives who say the Bush administration is going too far to strike a deal with the North before leaving office next year.

Pyongyang's nuclear declaration, which was delivered six months later than the country promised, is said to only give the overall figure for how much plutonium was produced at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex _ but no details of bombs that may have been made.

Experts believe the North has produced as much as 110 pounds of weapons-grade plutonium, enough for up to 10 nuclear bombs.

___

Associated Press writer Kwang-Tae Kim contributed to this report.

Man charged with driving with worker on car hood

A man is facing assault charges after deputies said he hit a state transportation worker and continued driving several miles while the man clung to the hood of the car. Marin County prosecutors charged 73-year-old Peter Buchanan with assault with a deadly weapon, reckless driving and hit-and-run driving Wednesday.

Authorities say Buchanan, an attorney, was returning to his office on Dec. 27 when he drove through a line of cones in Mill Valley and hit David Ramsey, a member of a Caltrans crew.

To avoid getting run over, authorities say Ramsey jumped on the hood of the Mercedes. But Buchanan allegedly continued driving, heading north on Highway 101 at speeds of 40 mph.

Authorities said Ramsey was able to jump off after two drivers blocked Buchanan's car when it exited the highway. Ramsey was not hurt.

___

Information from: Marin Independent Journal, http://www.marinij.com

Lawmakers disagree over early education: Some say program too costly; others call it important

DAILY MAIL CAPITOL REPORTER

A battle is brewing between the Senate and the House of Delegatesover a bill that would restrict the enrollment of 4-year-olds inearly childhood programs at public schools.

House Education Chairman Jerry Mezzatesta pushed the bill throughthe House, saying county school systems were increasing enrollment of4-year-olds to qualify for more money under the state school aidformula at a rate the state could not afford.

But Sen. John Unger contends that the increase in enrollment of 4-year-olds is more than offset by the overall decline in enrollment inWest Virginia schools. He also cites studies that show the benefitsof early childhood education are so great that West Virginia would beworse off if it doesn't invest in it.

"Invest now or invest more later," Unger, D-Berkeley, said."Research also shows a lot of the brain development, a lot of thelearning, occurs between birth and 5 years old."

A report for the Southern Regional Education Board found that high-quality pre-kindergarten programs could help children be betterprepared for school, improve students' scores on standardized tests,reduce students' chances of repeating a grade, reduce referrals tospecial education and improve students chances of finishing highschool. Those findings were based on evaluations of 10 programs.

Another study conducted by the High/Scope Educational ResearchFoundation of adults who were born into poverty and then participatedin high-quality, active learning pre-school programs at ages 3 and 4found they had half as many criminal arrests, higher earnings andproperty wealth and greater commitment to marriage than counterpartswho didn't participate in such programs. Over participants'lifetimes, the public receives an estimated $7.16 for every dollaroriginally invested, the study found.

Considering that West Virginia has the lowest per capita income inthe nation and a high rate of children in poverty, Unger said thestate needs to take advantage of early childhood education programsif it expects to compete with states like Ohio, Pennsylvania andMaryland. That's especially true as the tough standards of thefederal No Child Left Behind Act takes effect in the years ahead, hesaid.

But Mezzatesta, D-Hampshire, said the state can't afford to letcounty school systems increase enrollment of 4-year-olds because Gov.Bob Wise has not included any extra money in the school aid formula.

"Tell them to identify where the money is going to come from,"Mezzatesta said of senators such as Unger who are opposed to theHouse bill.

The House bill no longer would allow counties to get fundingthrough the school aid formula for enrolling more 4-year-olds. Schoolsystems would have to create pre-school education plans and getpermission from the Legislature to increase enrollment of childrenunder age 5.

Tom Lange, president of the West Virginia Education Association,said his group still is studying the House bill but is concernedabout taking money for 4-year-olds out of the school aid formula.

"We think it's important that 4-year-olds receive an education,"he said. "It's critical in development."

Unger is defending a law that former Senate Education ChairmanLloyd Jackson, D-Lincoln, pushed through the Legislature last year torequire pre-school education for 4-year-olds to be available in allcounties by 2012 for everyone who wants it, either through publicschools, Head Start or other programs.

"We can afford it, because the money has already been allocated,and if we don't spend it for early childhood education, we're goingto end up spending it for other things other than education," Ungersaid.

From last year to this year, overall school enrollment in thestate dropped by 641 students. Unger said that if public schools takeon an additional 500 4-year-olds each year, as projected, the stateschool system still would have a net decrease of 141 students thisyear and enough money to cover costs.

But Mezzatesta said that's not so, because Wise already hascaptured the money that would be saved by declining enrollment andused it elsewhere in the state's tight budget.

Unger said Senate leaders haven't determined what they will dowith the House bill, but they're likely to change it if they don'tkill it.

Writer Jim Wallace can be reached at 348-4819 or by e-mail atjimw@dailymail.com.

2 dead in Las Vegas federal building shootout

A gunman man who opened fire with a shotgun at a federal building Monday, killing a court security guard and wounding a U.S. marshal before he was shot to death, was upset over losing a lawsuit over his Social Security benefits, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.

The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case, said 66-year-old Johnny Lee Wicks opened fire with a shotgun at a security checkpoint, touching off a running gunbattle with deputy U.S. marshals.

Although the investigation is continuing, the officials said evidence points to Wick's anger over his benefits case as the motive for the shooting.

Court records show Wicks sued the Social Security Administration in 2008, alleging he was the victim of racial discrimination because his benefits were reduced when he moved from California to Nevada in January of that year. The case was thrown out and formally closed last Sept. 9.

Gunfire erupted at the courthouse moments after 8 a.m., at the start of the work week, and lasted for several minutes. Shots echoed around tall buildings in the area, more than a mile north of the Las Vegas Strip. An Associated Press reporter on the eighth floor of a high-rise within sight of the federal building heard a sustained barrage of gunfire.

A passer-by said he counted at least 40 shots.

"The first shot that I heard was a shotgun blast. I knew it wasn't fireworks," said Ray Freres, 59, a sandwich shop manager and Vietnam veteran who said he was behind the federal court building at the time.

"I heard an exchange of gunfire. I was watching the street," Freres told the AP. "If they were coming my way, I was going the other way."

The U.S. Marshals Service said the victims included a 48-year-old deputy U.S. marshal who was hospitalized and a 65-year-old court security officer who died.

The dead guard was Stanley Cooper, a retired Las Vegas police officer employed by Akal Security, said Jeff Carter, spokesman for the Marshals Service in Washington.

Las Vegas police did not immediately provide information about Cooper. Carter said he was a police officer for 26 years and became a federal court security officer in Las Vegas in 1994.

Authorities did not immediately release the names of the wounded marshal.

U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., told reporters it appeared the gunman acted alone and the shooting was not a terrorist act.

In a handwritten lawsuit filed in March 2008, Wicks complained that his Social Security benefits were cut following his move and accused federal workers of discrimination because he is black.

"This case from the start was about race," Wicks wrote in the seven-page complaint, which has occasional spelling and grammatical errors.

"Lots of state worker(s) and agencies have took part in this scam mainly for old blacks who are not well educated," he wrote.

Wicks claimed the benefits reduction actually began in the state of California, after he had a stroke and wasn't able to go to government offices to protest an earlier benefit reduction.

He also claimed that Social Security staff called his new landlord in Las Vegas and told her not to help him.

"I didn't see it or hear it but I know it happen(ed)," Wicks wrote.

The case was formally dismissed Sept. 9 by U.S. District Court Judge Philip Pro in Las Vegas following a hearing Aug. 17 before federal Magistrate Judge George Foley Jr.

FBI Special Agent Joseph Dickey said the gunman, dressed in black pants, shirt and jacket, opened fire in front of a set of security metal detectors just inside the rotunda of the federal building,

"From what witness accounts have said, he walked in with a shotgun underneath his jacket and opened fire when he opened the doors," Dickey said. "Seven officers responded and returned fire."

Ensign said the guard who died had been shot in the chest.

A YouTube video recorded the sound of the running firefight as the man retreated across Las Vegas Boulevard toward another federal building and a historic school.

"I could see guards and everything coming out, and then all of a sudden I just started hearing pop, pop, pop. I mean, just like 30 or 40 shots," said Troy Saccal, a tax services manager who was arriving for work at the time.

Saccal said he thought he saw one guard slump to the ground and another move to help him.

The gunman died moments later in the bushes outside the restored Fifth Street School, where his body remained for several hours.

A Las Vegas police spokeswoman, Officer Barbara Morgan, said the man had been shot in the head.

John Clark, director of the U.S. Marshals Service in Washington, called the security officers heroes.

"The brave and immediate actions of these two individuals saved lives by stopping the threat of a reckless and callous gunman," Clark said in a statement.

Bullet holes marked the entrance of the eight-story modern federal building, which was locked down after the shootout and closed for the day. After police arrived, paramedics helped two people out and down a ramp to ambulances.

A helicopter view showed heavily armed officers in flak jackets scouring the federal building's roof. Shortly afterward, employees in small groups were escorted by armed officers to the auditorium of the Las Vegas Academy, a school three blocks away.

Dickey called the building evacuation "standard procedure" in such an incident.

The gunfire erupted as downtown was busy with office workers and jurors reporting for duty, both at the federal building and the 16-story Regional Justice Center, which houses state and local courts two blocks away.

The state courthouse was evacuated as a precaution and closed for the day, court spokesman Michael Sommermeyer said. Sommermeyer said later he could find no criminal or civil court filings under Wicks' name.

The Lloyd D. George U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building opened in 2002 and is named for a longtime senior federal judge who still hears cases. It has federal courts covering Nevada and offices for federal officials including Ensign and fellow U.S. Sen. Harry Reid. Neither was in the building at the time, authorities said.

The structure was touted as the first federal building built to comply with blast resistance requirements following the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City.

___

Barrett reported from Washington. Associated Press Writer Oskar Garcia in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

Top editor: AP, members can work through disputes

The executive editor of The Associated Press said Tuesday the news cooperative hopes to work through problems with a handful of newspapers who say they may leave the AP as it implements a new pricing plan that changes how papers get daily content.

Kathleen Carroll told a crowd of newspaper editors that cancellation notices from member newspapers are common but not usually public knowledge. She said in most cases, the news service and newspaper are able to work out the disagreement.

"We certainly hope that that would be the case in this next two-year period," Carroll said. "We certainly hope that the basic fundamentals of the economy and the marketplace will firm up enough so that the pressure is off some of the people who own the AP."

Carroll spoke at the Associated Press Managing Editors conference in Las Vegas, where leaders of the world's largest newsgathering organization were meeting with editors to talk about journalism industry issues and the relationship between the AP and its members.

The 1,500 U.S. daily newspapers that own the news service, elect a board of directors and use its content are seeing their service change at a time when the industry is struggling to offset lost print ad revenue, preserve jobs and not sacrifice content.

AP's new pricing plan is centered on offering a core service of national, state and international breaking news, with options for adding other services or purchasing stories individually, instead of providing news feeds defined largely by the volume of news delivered _ large, medium or small. The plan was approved by the board in October.

The AP has said the changes will mean millions of dollars in savings for newspapers.

"Ninety percent of members will see reductions," said John Lumpkin, vice president of U.S. Newspaper Markets for AP. "The 10 percent that won't are obviously not happy about it."

Lumpkin said the handful of newspapers who have given cancellation notices to the AP include the Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Wash., the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Bakersfield Californian and the Yakima Herald-Republic in Washington.

Gary Graham, managing editor for the Spokesman-Review, said his newspaper's decision to drop AP services starting Jan. 1 was purely about keeping staffers in its newsroom, not AP's content.

"For us, it boiled down to dollars and cents," Graham said. "Local news is our franchise."

APME is an organization of editors of newspapers served by the AP. Founded in 1846, the AP is the world's oldest and largest newsgathering organization, with 243 bureaus in 97 countries.

___

Associated Press Managing Editors: http://www.apme.com

Associated Press Member Choice: http://www.ap.org/choice/

Pohlman does job for Barrington

Barrington 14, Glenbrook South 3

Dan Pohlman gained 134 yards on 12 carries as No. 3 Barringtonovercame Glenbrook South's defensive effort for a 14-3 home victoryFriday.

Glenbrook South got on the board first, converting a Pohlmanfumble into a 35-yard field goal by David Splitoff with 4:13 left inthe first quarter.

Barrington answered three minutes later with a 31-yard touchdownpass from Bob Jackson to Tim Meyer. The one-play drive was set up byJerry Magee's fumble recovery.

Barrington converted another turnover into a nine-play, 51-yarddrive, capped by Preston Viller's one-yard touchdown run. The bigplay on the drive was a 26-yard run by Pohlman on fourth-and-two atthe Glenbrook South 27-yard line.

Pohlman came out of the game after the run, but reports indicatedit was only a leg cramp.

Barrington threatened late in the third quarter, reaching theGlenbrook South 25-yard line on a 30-yard run by Jackson. The drivestalled, however, and Meyer missed a 42-yard field goal.

The game was plagued by turnovers on both sides. Barrington lostthree fumbles and an interception. Glenbrook South was guilty of twofumbles and an interception.

Snarling Italian can shatter Scots hopes ; Rino Gattuso will roar back into Glasgow this week determined to show how good he has become.

Rino Gattuso will roar back into Glasgow this week determined toshow how good he has become.

The former Rangers man will anchor Italy's engine room in theEuro 2008 eliminator with Scotland at Hampden.

Gattuso enjoyed a successful spell at Ibrox a decade ago and hassince matured into one of the best central midfield men in Europe.

Former Dons keeper Theo Snelders played alongside the Italianwith the Light Blues and knows just how good the tough tackler is.

The FC Twente coach is convinced Gattuso will be desperate to endAlex McLeish's qualification dream.

But Snelders will be rooting for his old Pittodrie pal after BigEck organised tickets for the Hampden clash.

"The drive Rino had when he was just a youngster wasunbelievable," said Theo.

"It was hard to say back then that he would develop into theplayer he is now.

"But he showed a great deal of determination early in his careerand is now an important part of Italy's midfield.

"He was already a great professional, doing additional work inthe gym in a bid to do everything he could to make himself a betterplayer when he was still very young.

"Rino has already been back to Glasgow with AC Milan in theChampions League.

"But he will still be keen to show everyone what he can do and totry to help Italy reach the Euro 2008 finals.

"It was clear he had the potential to go on and carve out asuccessful career. But he has probably achieved a lot more thanpeople expected him to."

Snelders has marvelled at the way Gattuso has developed into oneof the most feared players in Serie A.

Walter Smith originally lured him to Scotland from Perugia inJuly 1997.

Despite a promising start Smith's successor Dick Advocaat didn'trate him and he returned to his homeland to sign for Salernitana forpounds4million.

A year later and giants Milan paid double that fee for hisservices.

While Gattuso might not fall into the Italian master categorySnelders reckons stopping the snarling ball-winner could have amajor bearing on how the game progresses.

"Rino might be more of a defensive player than some of the otherItalians but he allows other more attack-minded players to perform.

"He is a great player to have in your team because he is so goodat getting the ball back.

"Having Rino in the team is almost like an insurance policy andgives more creative players freedom."

Snelders, who still keeps in regular contact with his former Donsteam-mate Jim Bett, is predicting a tough battle for McLeish's Scotshopefuls.

"All of Scotland's players will have to perform to the best oftheir abilities," he added.

"Italy are one of the best teams in the world so it's going to beextremely tough.

"It will take a superhuman effort against a fantastic team but itcould still happen.

"I was at the France game last year when Scotland won 1-0 so Imight be some sort of lucky charm.

"I'll try to contact Alex before the game and I'm grateful forthe tickets because I realise there was a great demand for one ofthe biggest matches in years.

"It should be an exciting game and I can only wish Scotland allthe best."

Monday, March 12, 2012

The ICBA Services Network

The ICBA Services Network, the business services subsidiary of the Independent Community Bankers of America, has elected Marti Rodamaker, president and CEO of First Citizens National, Mason City, Iowa, chairman of its board of directors.

Rodamaker is chairman of ICBA Securities board of directors and of the ICBA lending committee. She also is a member of the ICBA policy development and strategic planning committees, and the ICBA board of directors. She is also a past president of the Iowa Independent Bankers.

Franchitti Wins Rain-Shortened Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS - Dario Franchitti prayed for rain as the dark clouds gathered above and fast cars filled his mirrors. "It was going to come down to a dogfight, and there's a lot of strong cars," the Scotsman said. "Whatever happened, if it came down to that dogfight, it was going to be hard, so I was hoping for the rain."

He got it, winning an abbreviated Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, another bittersweet day for the Andretti family at America's richest race.

Franchitti inherited the lead when the leaders pitted one last time for fuel, even as the skies darkened, and then drove slowly to the checkered flag in a downpour when the race was stopped after 166 laps, or 415 of the scheduled 500 miles.

"Our roll of the dice proved to be the lucky one," a jubilant Franchitti said. "I made a couple of good restarts and the rain came."

None too soon by Franchitti's reckoning.

As the dark clouds drew ever closer, crew chief John Anderson told him on the radio, "The rain's eight blocks away."

"Come on!" Franchitti said. "I was just hoping it would start soon."

The race had already been interrupted by rain for three hours shortly after the midway point, and Franchitti won it under a caution light brought out when teammate Marco Andretti crashed three laps from the premature finish.

It was a confusing and difficult day for nearly everyone.

A third of the race was run under caution - 11 yellow flags, 55 laps in all - and the winning average speed was more than 30 mph slower than the record.

"Restart after restart," said runner-up Scott Dixon. "It's just one of those days where you feel like you haven't even raced. It's sort of being on the freeway and watching lots of people smash into each other. It's just a frustrating day in general."

Not for the 34-year-old Franchitti, who got the biggest win of his life and gave his team its second Indy victory in three years.

Franchitti made a victory lap of the 2.5-mile oval in the heavy rain as actress wife Ashley Judd, soaking wet in a summer dress, climbed the pit wall and dashed toward the victory celebration.

Once Franchitti got out of his car, he was mobbed, hugged and kissed by teammates Tony Kanaan, Danica Patrick and Michael Andretti.

"I can't believe it. It's the Indy 500!" Franchitti said. "To be a member of this club is fantastic. I kind of have half of an idea of what it means to win this race. I'm so happy."

Two-time winner Helio Castroneves said Franchitti's win proves it's "not the young guy, not the fast guy, but the smart guy, and you have to put yourself in the right place at the right time."

Franchitti, who is expected to collect at least $1.5 million from a total purse of more than $10.5 million when the checks are handed out at the victory dinner Monday night, led 34 laps and averaged 151.744 mph, far off the record 185.81 mph by Arie Luyendyk in 1990.

Castroneves finished third, and Sam Hornish Jr. was fourth. The rest of the top 10 were Ryan Briscoe, Scott Sharp, Tomas Scheckter, Patrick, Davey Hamilton and Vitor Meira.

Patrick was the only one of the three women in the field to have an impact. Sarah Fisher finished 18th, two laps behind. Rookie Milka Duno ran no higher than 22nd before crashing after 65 laps and ended up 31st.

It was some consolation for the Andretti family, which has seen little but bad luck since patriarch Mario Andretti won in 1969. Andretti Green Racing had five cars in the field and at one point was running 1-2-3 with Kanaan, Marco Andretti and Patrick.

Kanaan, Franchitti's best friend, led a race-high 83 laps and appeared in control when rain poured down the first time after 113 laps, just four laps after he took the lead with a pass of Andretti on a restart.

Franchitti was fifth when the race resumed and fell all the way to 14th after a pit stop to replace a tire. After that, Franchitti had a very fast car indeed. He moved through traffic under the green flag, getting to seventh on lap 131, just before the leaders began making green flag pit stops.

Kanaan still appeared to be the guy to beat after the first rainstorm, fighting off Marco Andretti after the long delay and holding the top spot. But after Marty Roth crashed on lap 151, bringing out another yellow flag - and even knowing rain was moving closer - Kanaan, Hornish and several other contenders chose to pit for fuel and tires on lap 155. Franchitti, who led three times in the race and had moved up to third place, stayed out and led the rest of the way.

"That's the Indianapolis 500," Castroneves said. "You bet it all. Dario took a gamble. He'll be happy with the result and the paycheck."

Andretti, who lost this race last year as a 19-year-old rookie when Hornish passed him on the final straightaway, slipped into the pack after the rain delay and was trying hard to move back into contention late in the race when he tried to make a pass in traffic. He came together on the backstretch with Dan Wheldon, who gave Andretti Green its first Indy victory in 2005.

Andretti's car veered hard into the outside wall, slid back across the track in traffic and flipped on its top after it hit the infield grass. It finally came to rest on its wheels, and Andretti climbed out uninjured.

"My mirror was broke, so I had no idea who was outside of me. I apologize. I was upside down for a long time," Marco said. "I'm one lucky guy.

"I'm going to be bruised, but to come out of that bruised, I'm going to be happy. What's making me overcome the bruises right now is I'm so proud of Dario Franchitti."

The two team wins have been about all the good luck the Andrettis have had at Indy for the last four decades, but Michael Andretti, who finished 13th on Sunday, wasn't complaining.

"It's still all about winning, isn't it?" said the man who has led more laps at Indy than any other non-winner. "That's why we have five cars out there. At the end, we want one of them winning. I'm so very happy for Dario personally. He's been such a big part of AGR since day one."

Any chance Kanaan had to win evaporated on lap 156 when Jaques Lazier crashed in front of him. Kanaan spun, barely avoiding the inside barrier near the pit entrance. He rolled into the pits with a flat tire and was later penalized when his crew changed all four tires in a closed pit, instead of just the one that was flat. He wound up 12th, just ahead of team co-owner Michael Andretti.

"It's one of those sort of bittersweet moments," Franchitti said, referring to the red flag. "I'm looking at it and I'm seeing Tony leading the thing and looking like he's going to win it. I'm thinking, 'Well, I think my car is good enough here, but at the same time, my best friend's leading this race, my other two teammates (Marco Andretti and Patrick) are second and third. It was looking like a pretty good day for us.

"The selfish side of me's thinking, 'I hope we go back racing because I think we can do something.' I wouldn't be anywhere near as happy as I am now (if Kanaan had won), but it probably would have been the second best result of the day."

Cal eliminates Oklahoma State 6-2

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Ashley Decker's first triple of the season helped the California Golden Bears move on in the losers' bracket of the Women's College World Series with a 6-2 victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday.

Decker, a freshman, struck out and walked in her previous at-bats before hitting a bases-loaded triple in the fifth inning down the right field line. That sparked the come-from-behind win.

The loss was the second in a row for the Cowgirls and eliminated them from the eight-team field. OSU finished the season 42-20 in becoming the first team eliminated.

Decker's hit came off losing pitcher Kat Espinosa, who in five innings allowed nine hits and six runs. She walked two and struck out eight. Espinosa (23-10) got the first out in the fifth inning before Britt Vonk singled and Jace Williams doubled.Then, after an out, Espinosa walked Frani Echavarria to load the bases, setting the stage for Decker.

"I was really pumped up," Decker said."We had bases loaded and two out.I just wanted to find a way to put the ball where no one was standing. The ball was up and inside and I was looking for it there."

With a 1-1 count, Decker hit the ball into right field, where OSU's Sammy Diffendaffer tried for a diving catch. The ball rolled to the fence and three runs scored. Decker scored moments later on an error by OSU shortstop Chelsea Garcia to give the Golden Bears a 5-2 lead.

California (45-12),which plays Baylor later Saturday in another elimination game, got another run in the sixth when Elia Reid homered to left field off Espinosa. It was Reid's ninth homer of the season and her 26th RBI.

Jolene Henderson threw the complete game for her 40th win of the season against nine losses. Henderson hit Mariah Gearhart on her first pitch of the game, then retired the next 10 batters before running into trouble in the top of the fourth inning. The Cowgirls got five consecutive singles to take a 2-1 lead. Tamara Brown and Ashley had the RBI singles.

Henderson fanned six and walked none.

Chavez: Venezuela free to sell its oil anywhere

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Thursday that his government is free to sell its oil to any country it wishes, although he didn't directly answer a question about whether he is shipping fuel to Syria.

Chavez was asked about news reports that Venezuela is selling diesel fuel to Syria, which was condemned Thursday by the U.N. General Assembly for its bloody crackdown on government opponents. Chavez is an ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

"Have we accepted that anyone impose conditions on us for selling oil to the United States, or anyone else in this world? We're free," the Venezuelan leader said.

Chavez did not, however, say whether Venezuela has shipped fuel to Syria, which is under sanctions imposed by the U.S. and other countries.

"Have we asked the United States what it does with the fuel that we take to the United States?" Chavez added. "The greater part of the streets of Washington are paved with Venezuelan asphalt."

Chavez, who commented while standing with actor Sean Penn at the presidential palace, noted Venezuela sells large amounts of oil to the United States, which remains its largest customer despite years of strained relations.

Chavez has accused the United States and its allies of provoking violence in Syria in order to try to oust Assad. The Venezuelan leader has said it seems to be a similar pattern to events in Libya that led to the overthrow and killing of Moammar Gadhafi.

Last year, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on Venezuela's state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela SA, saying it had delivered to Iran at least two cargos of refined oil products worth about $50 million.

Those sanctions have had little impact. The sanctions bar the Venezuelan oil company from any U.S. government contracts and from export licenses for sensitive technology, but don't prevent it from selling oil to the United States.

'Damaged' control: No defect with Jenks

Bobby Jenks is no stranger to proving people wrong.

He proved his estranged parents wrong by showing he could amount to something. He proved the Los Angeles Angels wrong when they basically gave him away, deeming him an off-the-field explosion waiting to happen.

And for the first couple of days during the winter meetings, with concerns possibly originating from his own team, it looked like the White Sox closer had to prove some people around baseball wrong.

According to a New York Mets source, the Sox approached the Mets about a possible trade involving Jenks, which instantly raised a red flag: Even with Jenks entering his first year of arbitration eligibility, why would the Sox be looking to deal an elite closer heading into his prime unless something was wrong with him?

Add to that the fact that Jenks' velocity has lost a few ticks each season since he took the South Side by storm in 2005, and -- wham -- the barrel-chested Jenks suddenly was being labeled damaged goods.

Never fear. General manager Ken Williams sent a message to critics Tuesday while dispelling rumors that the Sox are looking to move the anchor of their bullpen.

''Everyone wants to come up with a reason why they believe we will listen to overtures,'' Ken Williams told the Sun-Times. ''Then all of a sudden, I'm shopping someone. If I didn't listen, that would be a sign of incompetence.''

Williams contends he was approached by representatives of several teams about Jenks and agreed to listen. Another team rumored to be asking about Jenks was the Milwaukee Brewers, who are in the market for a closer.

''[Jenks] doesn't throw 100 mph anymore, so what?'' Williams said. ''The short story is Bobby Jenks is one of the best closers in the game.

''I'll never deny that there hasn't been one player in eight years that I said, 'I won't listen to you about him.' Carlos Quentin almost won the MVP this year, and if someone calls, I'll listen. If someone wants to do something stupid, I'll let them.''

The Sox will begin grooming right-hander Jhonny Nunez, whom they acquired from the New York Yankees in the Nick Swisher deal, for a possible closer role, but he might be a few years away -- about the time Jenks is a free agent.

''We like [Nunez],'' Williams said. ''He can factor into the mix at some point this season.''

Pitching coach Don Cooper said he hasn't lost sleep over Jenks' velocity dipping.

''What's not to like about this guy?'' Cooper said. ''If someone out there is trying to cut down my guy, stop right there. He's become a pitcher. He's not out there trying to win Kewpie dolls.

''The strikeouts are down because no one wants to be 0-2 against him and let Bobby have them by the [throat].''

But even with all the love going out to Jenks, manager Ozzie Guillen offered a warning.

''I worry about Bobby being in shape for spring training,'' Guillen said. ''But worry about his velocity? No, because Bobby can still pitch. Sometimes he was not 97 or 98, but he still got people out. He was not consistent, but I worry about him maintaining his shape. Not for me, not for the club, but for him.

''I always talk to him and say, 'If you take care of yourself, you're going to be a rich man.'''

And sooner than later. The Sox have a record of avoiding arbitration hearings, choosing instead to negotiate extensions with their players.

Talks with Jenks will begin soon.

''Bobby,'' Williams said, ''he's our guy.''

Photo: Brian Kersey, AP / Bobby Jenks' velocity has dipped each year since 2005, but the Sox insist they're still in love with him. ;

spice it up

SPICES ARE FOOD'S BEST FRIENDS, BRINGING RICH FLAVOR AND AN ASTONISHING ARRAY OF HEALTH BENEFITS TO ANY MEAL

For Centuries, spices have been used to preserve food and enhance its flavor, and as remedies tor a long list of ailments. With the rise of allopathic medicine, much of that folk wisdom fell out of favor, and spices were replaced with prescription drugs.

Today the pendulum is swinging back, and researchers are confirming what herbalists have known all along-the spice rack can be as potent as a medicine chest. Spices are rich sources of antioxidants and phytochemicals, both of which help our cells repair damage while easing symptoms of many common conditions. "They're powerhouses of pleasure and health," observes Victoria Zak, author of The Magic Teaspoon.

There's another advantage as well. Flavoring food with more spices and less butter, oil, cream and salt can help improve health and make weight management easier.

Science has not yet investigated all of the dozens of spices on store shelves. But here is the latest research on eight of the most familiar.

Cayenne: The pepper spice that puts the zing in chili and other dishes, cayenne's claim to fame conies from its compound capsaicin, a popular ingredient in pain-relieving creams. But w,iit, there's more: One study found that a diet rich in cayennespiced chili protected against the formation nf LDL ("bad") cholesterol, while another demonstrated that chili helped keep insulin levels low after meals. "Cayenne is the red-hot mama of healing spices," says Zak. "It's great for warming and as an all-around body tonic."

Cinnamon: One of the most versatile spices, cinnamon can be used to flavor everything from cookies to soups. And that's a wise choice because cinnamon has plenty to offer. Not only does it ease common tummy troubles like gas and bloating, but in a recent clinical trial, cinnamon significantly lowered fasting blood glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol levels in diabetics. Worried about E. coli?. New research shows that cinnamon can wipe out the bacteria. When a teaspoon of cinnamon was added to highly contaminated apple juice, the E. coli was reduced by 99.5 percent after three days.

Coriander: For hundreds of years, coriander has been a favorite remedy for anxiety and insomnia. Now research has confirmed its tension-taming properties. Like cinnamon, coriander aids digestion. And it has shown promise in reducing blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Zak recommends a simple method for getting a daily dose of coriander-adding it to honey. "Stir a teaspoon of coriander into one-half cup of honey for an uplifting afternoon treat, " she explains. Or mix it with hot water, tea or hot cereal.

Ginger: A common ingredient in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicines, ginger boasts an antioxidant power equal to vitamin C. Among the spice's reported health benefits; easing arthritis pains, improving digestion, and treating colds, coughs and flu. Plus, research has shown that ginger is more effective at combating motion sickness than Dramamine.

Oregano: Reducing inflammation and battling bacteria and viruses are good reasons to include oregano in favorite foods. And now scientists may have discovered why the spice is so effective. In a study examining the antioxidant activity of nearly 40 different herbs and spices, oregano won the highest scores, beating out apples, oranges and blueberries.

Rosemary: A staple in Mediterranean cuisine, rosemary fights the formation of blood clots and reduces inflammation, making it a powerful ally against heart disease. Even the fragrance of this powerful antioxidant has healing properties. Aromatherapy research has shown that inhaling essential oils of several spices, including rosemary, eased depression and pain in arthritis patients. A 2004 study found that rosemary's phytochemicals may even be useful in treating Alzheimer's disease.

Saffron: Harvested from crocus blossoms, saffron is one of the world's most cherished spices. It's also a potent antioxidant, packing more punch than vitamin E. On the health front, saffron has been shown to protect against cancer and to treat depression as well as Prozac. "This spice is a great rejuvenator and circulatory tonic," Zak says. "If your spirits need lifting, saffron is for you."

Turmeric: A common ingredient in curries, turmeric is a powerful antioxidant that protects against cancer, lowers cholesterol and eases arthritis aches and pains by reducing inflammation. It has also been shown to increase insulin sensitivity by 300 percent. More good news: Researchers at UCLA found that curcumin, a compound in turmeric, was more effective at preventing the development of brain-damaging plaques seen in Alzheimer's disease than any drug being tested. It is probably no coincidence that India's populace has the lowest rate of Alzheimer's in the world-and a diet rich in turmeric.

Take a look at your store's spice shelves, and you'll see that we've only scratched the surface of what's available. Even though research has a long way to go when it comes to unlocking the health secrets of spices, there are plenty of reasons lo enjoy their abundant flavor and satisfying aromas in the meantime.

PERFECT SPICED CIDER

Makes 20 servings

The proportions in this recipe need not be absolute. Remove and discard the apples when they get soft and brown.

1 gallon apple cider

2 3-inch cinnamon sticks

4 medium apples

2 tsp. whole cloves

1 lemon, sliced

1. Combine cider and cinnamon sticks in Dutch oven or large pot over low heat.

2. Insert cloves in apples. Add to cider.

3. Increase heat, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

4. Add lemon slices, and serve warm.

Do-Ahead Tip: For a large party, make three separate batches. Start the first a half-hour before the party. When that batch begins to get low, put on the second pot. Have the third assembled in the refrigerator and ready to go, if needed. Keep the apples (cloves inserted) and lemon slices separate until the last batch goes on the stove.

PER SERVING: 96 CAL; 0G PROT; 0G TOTAL FAT (0 SAT. FAT); 24G CARB.; 0MC CHOL; 20MC SOD.; 0G FIBER; 20.8G SUCARS.

Reprinted from out sister publication, Vegetarian Times.

[Sidebar]

HOW TO BUY AND STORE SPICES

Faced with the option of buying spices in glass or plastic containers, choose glass, Zak says. And unless you're cooking industrial quantities of food, go with the smallest size. "Spices should not be kept more than six months as a general rule." she says, explaining that sitting on the shelf longer can rob a spice of flavor. "Spices that are not fresh will show it. They lose their color and appear blanched or have no aroma. Fresh spices are fragrant."

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Father charged with killing boy buried in US

GARY, Indiana (AP) — Prosecutors in northwestern Indiana have charged a man and a woman in the death of his 13-year-old son who relatives say was kept locked in a dog cage.

Lake County police say Riley Choate and Kimberly Kubina were charged Tuesday with murder, battery, neglect and criminal confinement. Court documents allege Riley Choate regularly beat Christian Choate and kept him caged for months on end without regular meals. Authorities say Kubina lived with the Choates at the time.

Earlier Tuesday, Riley Choate pleaded not guilty to charges that he moved his son's body and failed to notify authorities.

The boy's body was found last week in a shallow grave in a mobile home park in Gary

Defense attorney Randy Godshalk says there appear to be inconsistencies in some witnesses' stories.

Gas Crisis evolves with Eid approaching.

Gas crises increase before any Islamic occasion in Yemen, and this time of year is no different. The approaching Eid Al-Adha'a, or Celebration of Sacrifice, has thrown Yemen into another gas crisis.

Yemen witnessed gas shortages during the early days of Ramadan, as well as holidays in past years, without any justification. Gas sellers and influential people have a monopoly on this important substance, and use these occasions to increase the prices of gas due to the rise in demand.

The prices of gas cylinders have doubled. The usual price is 650 YR but during this period it has hiked to 1300 YR.

"Yesterday, after a long search for gas, I bought a gas cylinder for YR 1300," said Naser al-Hamami, a government employee. "I am wondering what the reasons are behind this crisis, wasn't Yemen exporting its first shipment of gas two weeks ago? There is corruption in the country. Yemen is rich in gas so what are the justifications of this increase?"

Al-Hamami, who is close to official sources, believes that concerned parties, particularly municipal officials do not perform their duties honestly in monitoring the process of selling gas because they take a part of gas revenues for themselves.

This means that when the gas prices increase, the portion for municipal officals increases automatically.

Gas vendors find their business has become difficult, and find themselves waiting for days to refill their supply of gas to sell to their customers.

"I have been waiting for three consecutive days to get gas from gas stores but to no avail," said Mohammad al-Usabi, an owner of a handcart he uses for house-to-house gas selling. "Nowadays, I am without work because I cannot afford to buy from my distributors, as they sell a cylinder for YR 900, and that is the vendor price."

Al- Usabi said he finds it difficult to sell gas to his customers for more than YR 900 because of the price, and prefers waiting until the crises is over to resume his work.

Men, women and children are waiting in long lines at gas stores searching for gas. According to them, these stores sell propane cylinders for YR 650.

The problem is greater for owners of cafes and restaurants. Some of them have closed their shops because of a lack of gas.

"I closed my coffee shop because I cannot get gas to cook and make tea for my customers," said Gamil al-Hazmi, owner of a coffee shop in the al-Hasaba area.

The Ministry of Oil and Minerals did not give specific information about the gas crisis, and attributed the shortage to a group in the Mareb governorate which has tried to stop gas trucks from coming from Mareb to Sana'a.

"Last Wednesday, a gang of people, looking for money, tried to stop the trucks but the problem was solved two days ago," said Ministry of Oil and Minerals' Spokesperson Aref Muharram.

He went on to say that gas sellers, both owners of gas stores and gas vendors, utilized this incident to raise the prices of cooking gas. "The crisis is over, gas stores are full of gas and people have to be assured everything is OK," said Muharram.

Two weeks ago, Yemen exported the first shipment of natural liquefied gas from its five-billion-dollar strategic gas project in the Mareb governorate, via Balhaf Port, Shabwa governorate, to American and Asian markets.

Yemen is one of the fifth countries in the world which has giant gas reserves. It is considered the second in the Arab world, after Qatar, in terms of producing and exporting natural gas to the world.

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company