Woman Caught Driving Illegally Because of Tinted Windows

April 28, 2013, 10:43 pm

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Patch Twinsburg, OH --

A 44-year-old Northfield woman was caught driving with a suspended license because she was pulled over for windows that were too tinted, according to Twinsburg Police.

On April 25, an officer pulled over a 1997 BMW driving on East Aurora Road because the windows were highly tinted.

The officer tested the tint and found that it was too tinted, according to the report.

The woman's information was run through the database and found that she shouldn't have been driving because her license was suspended and she had an active warrant for another traffic offense, according to the report.

The woman was arrested and taken to the Twinsburg jail, and she later posted bail. She will report to Stow Municipal Court on May 3. Reported by Patch 15 hours ago.

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AAA Urges Legislators to Vote Against Speed Limit Bill

April 29, 2013, 12:48 am

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AURORA, Ill., April 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- AAA urges Illinois legislators to vote no on SB 2356, which would increase the speed limit to 70 mph on Illinois' roadways. The bill has already passed through the Illinois Senate and awaits a full vote by the Illinois House.  ... Reported by PR Newswire 12 hours ago.

Win Tickets to Opening Weekend of 'Lark Eden' at Aurora Theatre

April 29, 2013, 5:13 am

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Patch Dacula, GA --

Enter to win a pair of fifth row tickets to an opening weekend performance of Lark Eden at the Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville on *Saturday, May 4, at 8 p.m.** *from Patch. 

Aurora's final play of its 17th season, Lark Eden is a southern comedy about chosen family and best friends. The play by Natalie Symons follows three lifelong friends over 75 years.

The play runs from May 2 through May 26. Full-price tickets start at $20. Visit www.auroratheatre.com for discount and matinee prices.

To enter Patch's ticket giveaway, simply tell us about your best friend in the comment section below by *Thursday, May 2, at 12 p.m*. We will randomly choose the winner from the comments. The winner will be announced by Thursday, May 2, at 6 p.m.

See our rules for more details. Reported by Patch 8 hours ago.

Firefly Cupcakes’ New Elmwood Location is a Featured Stop on Buffalo Bites Food Tour

April 29, 2013, 3:18 am

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Firefly Cupcakes has been added to the Buffalo Bites Food Tour of the Elmwood Village.

Buffalo, NY (PRWEB) April 29, 2013

Firefly Cupcakes is proud to announce that their new location on Elmwood Avenue will be featured in the Elmwood Village Food Tasting & Cultural Walking Tour. Hosted by Buffalo Bites Food Tour, Firefly has joined in as one of Buffalo’s must-haves.

Firefly Cupcakes began in East Aurora in 2010 and serves up delicious and sinful couture cupcakes. As cupcakes have taken the dessert world by storm in the past few years, Firefly hopes to add a unique flair to the trend with their magical cupcake offerings. With rotating flavors and inventive creations, Firefly Cupcakes will please any dessert lover.

The walking tours will take place Tuesdays through Saturdays, May through November. They depart daily at 11 a.m. and cost $42 for adults and $30 for children 12 and under. Group capacity is 16 and it is suggested to wear comfortable shoes and clothes. For more information about the tour and a calendar, please visit, http://www.buffalobitesfoodtours.com.

About the company:

Established in 2010, Firefly Cupcakes is based on the belief that cupcakes can be very special. Based in East Aurora, N.Y., Firefly currently has a cupcake flavor list that surpasses 200, and adds new flavors regularly. All of their cupcakes can be made into a vegan and/or gluten free version. They offer online orders for pickup, as well as deliveries and shipping (on selected items). Owner Wendy Egloff: “When I started this venture, I knew I wanted a name that reflected something special, different and just a little magical…Then I had fireflies pop in my head. It was a perfect fit!” For more information, please visit: http://www.fireflycupcakes.com. Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.

Lake Bluff School Board Names Educator to New Combined Post

April 29, 2013, 3:45 am

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Patch Lake Forest-Lake Bluff, IL --

The information below comes from District 65.

At its April 23 meeting, the Lake Bluff School District 65 Board of Education approved the hiring of Kevin Rubenstein, for the new position of director of special services/curriculum. The new post combines services, assessment and curriculum into one position, and will direct and supervise all functions related to curriculum and special education.

Since 2009, Rubenstein has been student services coordinator at Shepard Middle School in Deerfield, where he oversees all aspects of programming related to students with disabilities, students working below grade-level expectations, and English language learners. Previously, he was learning behavior specialist at Daniel Wright Jr. High School in Lincolnshire, teacher and case manager at Lake Zurich High School, and coordinator of alternate day assignment/in-school suspension at Stevenson High School.

Rubenstein is close to completion of an EdD degree (administration and supervision) from Loyola University and holds a master of science in education (educational leadership) from Northern Illinois University, a master of arts in teaching (special education) from National Louis a master of science (adult education/student affairs) from the University of South Maine and a bachelor of science (political science) from Illinois State University.

He will assume his post in July.

The Board’s creation of the new combined position came about after Dr. Anne Wirtz, Lake Bluff School District 65 director of student services & assessment, announced several months ago that she would will retire from her position of director of student services & assessment at the end of this school year.

Dr. Wirtz has been with the District for seven years. Before that, she spent 21 years in Lake Villa School District 41 as a teacher, coordinator and then director. She earned her doctor of education degree (educational leadership) from National Louis University, a master of arts (curriculum) from Aurora University, and a bachelor of science (elementary education and special education) from Western Illinois University. In addition to her work as an administrator, Dr. Wirtz has had classroom experience in teaching general education, gifted education, and special education students, most of it in K-8 settings.

“This change provides the District with a rare opportunity for growth and transition as we combine services, assessment and curriculum into one position,” explained Superintendent Dr. Jean Sophie. To ensure a smooth transition and to complete the curriculum review cycle, current curriculum consultant Joanne Trahanas will remain with the District on a temporary basis. Dr. Wirtz will also be available to assist in the transition. Reported by Patch 10 hours ago.

Romeoville Job Central: Kelly Services, Cintas, Plainfield Schools

April 29, 2013, 5:01 am

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Patch Romeoville, IL --

Welcome to Job Central, our weekly column listing local job advertisements and descriptions.

We scoured the Web to bring you a selection of local job ads, but if we left anything out, please don't hesitate to add the details in the comments section. Most listings were found via Indeed.com.

*Hiring? Email me at shannon.antinori@patch.com to be included in the next jobs roundup.*

• Kelly Services in Romeoville has several job openings. Interested and qualified candidates can email resumes to 2459@kellyservices.com or call 815-407-0618. Open positions include:

· *REACH TRUCK OPERATOR WITH BASILOID EXPERIENCE: *Material handler with RF Scanning and forktruck experience. Basiloid experience would be a bonus. Located in the Bolingbrook area. $11.50/hrl Mon-Fri days; Sun-Thu afternoons.
· *REACH TRUCK OPERATOR IN THE WOODRIDGE AREA: *Stand up forklift, RF Scanning, sit down forklift, double forks, shipping/receiving, loading/unloading. RECENT REACH TRUCK EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. $11/hr; 6AM-6:30 p.m. or 6 p.m.-6:30 a.m. Must be able to work every other weekend.
· *CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WITH EXPERIENCE USING AS400/EDI IN THE AURORA AREA: *Candidates must have a proficiency using AS400. 
· *MAINTENANCE WORKER IN THE JOLIET AREA: *Must have knowledge of maintenance, specifically with tools, some electrical knowledge, and all around repairs. $14/hr.
· *FABRICATOR/MAINTENANCE WORKER IN THE WOODRIDGE AREA: *Pay is $14-16/hr.

• Tee Time Lawn Care in Plainfield is seeking a sales account manager.

• Cintas in Romeoville is seeking a management trainee.

 • Plainfield School District 202 is seeking a part-time custodian.

• Whole Foods in Naperville is seeking a cashier.

 • TruGreen in Plainfield is seeking an outside sales representative.

• Naperville School District 203 is seeking a senior secretary.

• Macy's at The Promenade in Bolingbrook is seeking a loss prevention manager.

*Related Topics:* Job Central and Job Listings

  Reported by Patch 8 hours ago.

Man Arrested on Multiple Charges After Fleeing From Three Police Departments

April 29, 2013, 7:22 am

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Patch Montgomery, IL --

How many police departments does it take to catch a fleeing vehicle?

In the incident involving a Woodridge man, the answer would be three.

Jerry Williams Jr., 25, from Woodridge, Ill., was arrested a little after 12 a.m. on Tuesday, April 23 in the area of Route 71 and Hughes Road, and given multiple citations in the incident that involved three different police agencies, said the Kendall County Sheriff’s office

At 12:10 a.m. Sheriff’s deputies were notified of a vehicle that had fled a traffic stop in Aurora by Aurora Police. The vehicle entered Kendall County where it was pursued by Oswego Police, but fled from them as well.

At 12:20 a.m. Sheriff’s deputies located the vehicle on southbound Route 71 near Regal Oaks Court, and noted that it had no headlights on and was not driving within a single lane of traffic.

Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle, but it continued to flee. They decided to use a tire deflation device – similar to a set of spike strips – in an effort to stop the vehicle. The vehicle drove over the deflation device and continued south on Route 71, eventually leaving the roadway near the area of Hughes Road.

The driver, Williams, was arrested and charged with: aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer, driving under the influence, reckless driving, obstructing identification, possession of cannabis and no valid driver’s license.

He received traffic citations for: speeding, improper lane usage, no headlights when required, disobeying a traffic control device, failure to signal and no seat belt.

Williams is in custody at the Kendall County Jail with a court date set for May 8. Reported by Patch 6 hours ago.

Police Log: Knock-Knock Break-Ins; Plus, Arrests of Robbers, Thieves, Batterers

April 29, 2013, 8:05 am

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Patch San Leandro, CA --

*Saturday, April 27*

· *Battery *reported 12:35 a.m. on the 13800 block East 14th Street.
· *Vehicles reported stolen: *1:18 a.m. on the 14200 block of Doolittle Drive; 8:28 a.m. on 14900 Lark Street; 5:42 p.m. on 300 Farrelly Drive.
· *Stolen vehicles recovered: *9:50 a.m. on 2500 Walnut Drive; 12:01 p.m. Suffolk Drive at Dorchester Avenue; 8:17 p.m. 200 Oakes Boulevard.
· *Car break-ins: *10:52 a.m. along 3800 Waterfall Way; 3:50 p.m. on 15500 East 14th Street; 7:27 p.m. San Leandro Marina.
· *Death *reported 12:06 p.m. on the 1300 block of Leonard Drive.
· *Injury accidents *Washington Avenue at Springlake Drive 1:43 p.m., and 8:36 p.m. Floresta and Monterey boulevards.
· *Hit-and-run *2:07 p.m. Preda and Davis streets.
· *Robbery arrest *reported 3:24 p.m. on 15500 East 14th Street.
· *Robbery *logged 3:33 p.m. on 1200 Marina Boulevard.
· *Assault with deadly weapon *reported 6:39 p.m. on 1100 block of Fargo Avenue.
· *Burglary *reported 8:48 p.m. on 800 block Donovan Drive.

*Friday, April 26*

· *Fire *reported 1:13 a.m. at elementary school on the 14700 block of Juniper Street.
· *Vehicles reported stolen: *5:54 am. on 2500 Walnut Drive; 7:15 a.m. on 1200 Pearson Avenue; 3:34 p.m. on 15500 East 14th Street.
· *Stolen vehicles recovered: *9:29 a.m. on 500 Harlan Street; 12:13 p.m. on 15500 East 14th Street.
· *Injury accident *1:02 p.m. East 14th Street at Blossom Way.
· *Burglaries *reported: 1:57 p.m. on 15200 Hesperian Boulevard; 4:35 p.m. on 2200 Bancroft Avenue.
· *Robbery: *2:07 p.m. along 2100 Merced Street; 6:01 p.m. along 1700 142nd Avenue.
· *Theft arrest *2:17 p.m. on 1200 Marina Boulevard.
· *Lost pet *reported 2:51 p.m. Edmonton Avenue and Montreal Street.
· *Arson *investigated along 13700 Bancroft Avenue 4:37 p.m.
· *Assault with deadly weapon *reported 8 p.m. on 13800 East 14th Street.
· *Car break-in: *8:19 p.m. on 15500 East 14th Street.
· Arrest following *suspicious-person stop *on 600 Lewelling Boulevard 10:49 p.m.

*Thursday, April 25*

· *Burglaries *logged: 12:17 a.m. on 600 block White Fur Drive; 10:38 a.m. on 300 San Leandro Boulevard; 4:12 p.m. on 15200 Hesperian Boulevard; 4:19 p.m. along 800 Broadmoor Boulevard; 6:18 p.m. along 300 Haas Avenue; 9:48 p.m. on 900 Thornton Street.
· *Residential robbery *reported on 600 block of Black Pine Drive 1 a.m. -- one of two area knock-knock break-ins this week. Read more here.
· *Injury accident *6:46 a.m. Bancroft and Juana avenues.
· *Garbage reportedly dumped *West 134th Avenue and Aurora Drive 6:50 a.m., and 7:40 a.m. along 2400 Merced Street.
· *Battery *reported 9:08 a.m. on 900 143rd Avenue.
· *Battery arrests *made: 11:37 a.m. on 2200 Bancroft Avenue; 5:24 p.m. along 1800 Hays Street.
· *Hit-and-runs: *11:27 a.m. 1200 Dorothy Avenue; 4:53 p.m. on 1400 Washington Avenues.
· *Grand theft *logged 11:31 a.m. along 1500 Redwood Avenue.
· *Vandalism reported *11:34 a.m. and 11:54 a.m. on 800 Davis Street.
· *Theft arrests: *12:26 p.m. on 140800 East 14th Street; 3 p.m. on 1000 Macarthur Boulevard.
· *Car break-ins: *1:11 p.m. on 2900 Alvarado Street; 8:41 p.m. on 300 Estudillo Avenue.
· *Traffic-stop arrest *7:36 p.m. Pippin and Stone streets.
· *Alcohol and/or drug arrest: *Bancroft and Elsie avenues 6:33 p.m.
· *Stolen vehicle recovered: *6:14 p.m. Lafayette and California avenues.
· *Vehicle parts reported stolen *2:02 p.m. on 100 Castro Street.
· *Counterfeit bills* reported 11:10 a.m. on 500 East 14th Street.
· Two youth struck by car in Castro Valley.

*Wednesday, April 24*

· *Traffic-stop arrests *12:03 a.m. Williams Street at San Leandro Boulevard, 4:51 p.m. on 1400 Washington Avenue.
· *Car break-ins: *9:49 a.m. 1600 148th Avenue; 2:06 p.m. 600 Lewelling Boulevard; 3:28 p.m. 800 East 14th Street.
· *Burglaries *reported: 11:36 a.m. on 600 block Victoria Court; 1:35 p.m. along 100 Preda Street; 5:40 p.m. on 4500 Loch Lane.
· *Pedestrian arrest *11:36 a.m. Alvarado Street at Marina Boulevard.
· *San Leandro Involved In Oakland-Centered Drug & Gun Bust*: Story here.
· *Did Toddler See A San Leandro Mom Shot To Death?* Read more.

*Tuesday, April 23*

· *Stolen vehicle parts *logged 6:16 p.m. on the 1100 block of Warden Avenue.
· *Vehicles reported stolen: *on 3800 Waterfall Way 7:12 p.m.; 11:30 p.m. 2300 Cherry Street; 8:17 a.m. on 1700 Pacific Avenue; 8:58 a.m. on 14900 Portofino Circle.
· *Car break-in: *9:45 p.m. on 2100 Lakeview Drive.
· *Robberies *reported: 9:46 p.m. on 15000 Hesperian Boulevard; 2:46 a.m. on 600 Lewelling Boulevard.
· *Stolen vehicles recovered: *11:12 p.m. on 300 Joaquin Avenue; 1:11 a.m. on 500 block Pala Avenue; 12:41 p.m. Tiburon at Belvedere avenues.
· *Burglaries: *10:42 a.m. on 2300 Regatta Way; 2:30 p.m. along 600 Majestic Way.
· *Identity theft *filed 12:14 p.m. on 200 Sunnyside Drive.
· *Injury accidents: *12:22 p.m. Estudillo and Bancroft avenues; 3:24 p.m. East 14th Street and San Leandro Boulevard.
· Arrest after *suspicious-vehicle stop *5:02 p.m. Western Avenue at Dillo Street.
· *Grand theft *5:05 p.m. on 15500 East 14th Street.
· *San Leandro Business Owner Pleads Not Guilty to Child Molestation Charges:* click here.

*Monday, April 22 *

· *Theft arrest *1:51 a.m. along 15500 Washington Avenue.
· *Injury accident *9:01 a.m. Davis Street at Orchard Avenue.
· *Burglaries *reported: 10:22 a.m. on 600 Lewelling Boulevard; 1:42 p.m. along 400 Diehl Avenue; 9:38 p.m. on 700 block Buriat Street; 10:22 p.m. on 2000 Liberty Way.
· *Prowler reported *10:47 a.m. along 1400 Church Avenue.
· *Panhandler arrest *11:38 a.m. on 300 East 14th Street.
· *Car break-ins: *11:35 a.m. on 900 East 14th Street; 2:24 p.m. and 8:21 p.m. on 500 and 600 blocks Bancroft Avenue; 5:53 p.m. San Leandro Marina; 9:09 p.m. on 1200 Marina Boulevard.
· *Vehicle accident *2:29 p.m. West Juana Avenue at San Leandro Boulevard.
· *Robbery arrest *on 1400 Washington Avenue 3:39 p.m.
· *Robbery *reported 7:56 p.m. 400 Callan Avenue.
· Arrest following *suspicious-person stop *on 14700 block Sylvia Way 7:59 p.m.
· *Vehicles reported stolen *9:16 p.m. on 900 East 14th Street, and 11:07 p.m. along 1300 Gilmore Drive.
· *San Leandro Man Among North Oakland Gang Members on Trial for Murder*: Story here.

*Sunday, April 21*

· *Pedestrian arrests: *12:03 a.m. on 600 Lewelling Boulevard; 9:19 a.m. Toiler Avenue at East 14th Street.
· *Shots reportedly fired *12:36 a.m. East 14th and Williams streets.
· *Vandalism *2:14 a.m. on 900 Midway Avenue.
· *Thefts *reported: 2:53 a.m. along 13300 Menlo Street; 9:52 a.m. 700 Biltmore Street; 4:40 p.m. East 14th Street at Dutton Avenue.
· *Disturbance arrest *on 800 Harlan Street 4:06 a.m.
· *Vehicles reported stolen: *6:02 a.m. on 1700 138th Avenue; 10:25 a.m. on 1200 148th Avenue.
· *Burglaries: *12:52 p.m. along 1200 Terra Avenue; 5:24 p.m. on 1400 142nd Avenue; 9:29 p.m. 14800 East 14th Street.
· *Hit-and-runs: *1:28 p.m. Hesperian Boulevard at College Street; 6:51 p.m. on 400 Park Street.
· *Stolen vehicles recovered: *2:14 p.m. on 1100 East 14th Street; 5:12 p.m. Marina Boulevard at Orchard Avenue.
· *Battery arrest *on 1600 142nd Avenue 2:57 p.m.
· *Battery *reported on 1700 block Clarke Street 10:21 p.m. Reported by Patch 5 hours ago.

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Property Company Under 'Barrage' Of Theft, Break-In Claims

April 29, 2013, 5:38 am

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Outside in the world, Safeguard Properties was supposed to be protecting millions of homes that had slid into foreclosure, shoring up and repairing abandoned properties for the banks that were responsible for tending to all this real estate gone bad.

But inside the offices of Safeguard’s complaint department, Kevin Kubovcik says he gained a starkly different perspective on his company's pursuits as allegations of incompetence, malevolence and larceny rolled in day after day.

People with legal title to their property called to complain that Safeguard contractors had broken into their homes and carted off family heirlooms, valuable artwork and weapons, he recalled. People living next door to foreclosed properties complained that Safeguard mixed up the addresses and locked them out of their own homes.

Complaints came in seemingly without end. "I'd pick up the phone, put it down, and then it would ring again," Kubovcik said.

A recent Huffington Post investigation focused on Safeguard as the largest player in a little-scrutinized industry spawned by the American housing bust: the contractors tasked with the gritty work of maintaining a veritable empire of distressed real estate. Safeguard has been the target of dozens of lawsuits alleging that its contractors have wrongly broken into properties and carted off people’s property.

In response to previous questions from HuffPost about break-ins at occupied properties, Safeguard dismissed such incidents as "extremely rare" compared to the sheer volume of jobs the company manages. But Kubovcik, who logged and investigated complaints for more than two years until he left the company in April 2010, said his experience attests to precisely the opposite.

"It was a constant barrage," he said.

Kubovcik provided HuffPost with Excel spreadsheets that he said he had personally maintained during the time that he tracked complaints. Though the records are incomplete -- a four-month stretch from September through December of 2009 is missing -- they provide a detailed window into the frequency and types of complaints flowing into the company at the peak of the foreclosure crisis.

The complaints came from homeowners, mortgage companies and neighbors of the properties Safeguard managed. Between January and August of 2009, Kubovcik logged 682 such cases, according to his records, or about 85 per month. During the first three months of 2010, the pace increased to nearly 100 a month. The records show that more than two dozen mortgage companies hired Safeguard to perform work that led to a complaint. Citigroup, HSBC and Aurora Loan Services (now part of Nationstar) are the most frequent clients named in the records.

Safeguard CEO Robert Klein told HuffPost that his company has implemented procedures to avoid the sorts of troubles outlined in the complaints. He dismissed the validity of accounts from former employees.

"I would not take their word as gospel," he said, while declining to address the substance of Kubovcik's documents. "I'm comfortable that when we report a property as vacant, that it really is vacant. The vast majority of properties we maintain are being done so correctly."

For Kubovcik, one particularly hectic day stands out: March 18, 2010. On that day alone, his documents show nine separate complaints. One was from an unnamed tenant of a property in Georgia who returned home allegedly to find "numerous missing items." Another was made by a representative of a mortgage company in Arizona who complained that a contractor had taken a washer and dryer from a foreclosed or bank-owned home.

Also included in the day's tally were complaints made by three different people who apparently had the misfortune to simply live near a foreclosed or defaulted property. One in Michigan said that his property had sustained water damage, likely from work being done next door. Two others, in Ohio and Oregon, claimed that a contractor had "secured" their home in error, meaning a contractor had forced its way inside and then installed a lock on at least one door that would allow easy access for anyone with a passkey.

A fourth complaint, this one from Florida, alleged that a contractor had removed an entire roof in error.

"I tried my best to keep things like this from hitting the media," Kubovcik said.

Kubovcik said that he investigated the claims and sometime negotiated payouts, though often the company forced the contractors to pick up the tab. The most common strategy, he said, was to stall -- ignore the claim for as long as possible with the hope that the person who had called in would give up. "We would wear them down with paperwork and make them go away," he said.

As the lone member of the department, Kubovcik simply didn't have the capacity, he said, to fully investigate and resolve each case. "Whoever screamed the loudest got the attention," he said.

Kubovcik said he does not recall how the specific issues recorded that March 18 were resolved.

The most memorable claim Kubovcik recalled came from a family that had recently purchased a foreclosed home in Michigan. Though they were not behind on their mortgage payments, contractors from Safeguard broke into the house and secured their property anyway, he said. Contractors allegedly helped themselves to a daughter's wedding presents and Coach handbags meant for her bridesmaids, he said.

Kubvocik said decisions about whether to force entry into a private home should not be left to contractors, many of whom are poorly paid and trained. Too often, he said, they make the wrong decision, which even if nothing is removed can leave homeowners feeling vulnerable and frightened.

"It's called breaking and entering," Kubovcik said

A private company, Safeguard does not disclose profits, but in recent years the 23-year-old business has captured an increasingly large share of this kind of inspection and preservation work, according to contractors and others who work in the industry. In 2012, its contractors carried out 14 million work orders, according to the company. Safeguard also acquired the field services arm of Bank of America last year, increasing its portfolio by as much as one-third.

The company employs about 1,200 workers in its headquarters in Valley View, Ohio. Thousands of contractors in communities across the country work either directly for the company or as subcontractors through another business entity.

Though American home values have appreciated in recent months and new foreclosure filings have finally abated, companies like Safeguard still have plenty of work on their hands. Banks and federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, hold hundreds of thousands of homes on their books, and default and foreclosure rates remain historically high.

In March, representatives from Safeguard and similar companies visited at least 3.5 million properties, some multiple times, a figure based on the tally of foreclosed, defaulted and bank-owned properties provided by the online real estate company RealtyTrac.

Most of the allegations of abuse against Safeguard and others in the industry flow from one specific task required under most mortgage contracts: After a borrower falls behind by more than 45 days on mortgage payments, the bank is required to "inspect" the property -- usually at least once a month -- to determine if it has been abandoned. Left untended, abandoned homes can become dangerous eyesores. They also can fall into disrepair, eroding their value.

Industry rules prescribe that contractors check electric meters, talk to neighbors and look for other visible signs of neglect before reporting a house as abandoned. Yet contractors employed in the trade say that low pay -- typically $4 or $5 per inspection -- and poor oversight often yield shoddy or incomplete work. Some individuals don't even bother to get out of their car before determining that a property is abandoned, contractors say.

If a property is reported as vacant, a second contractor is scheduled to visit in order to change locks and take a series of steps to protect against damage, such as repairing broken windows. These contractors are also supposed to ensure that a house is truly abandoned before forcing their way inside, but often they don't, homeowners claim.

On Jan. 14, 2009, Kubovcik's records show, Christopher McLain called to complain that someone from Safeguard had broken into his Michigan home and taken, among other items, two guns.

In a recent interview, McLain, a single parent of four children, said that he fell behind on his mortgage payments after his business collapsed, but that he still took care of his lawn, and the house remained his legal possession.

A few days before McLain lodged his complaint, he said, a neighbor called to tell him that someone was removing possessions from his house. Among the missing items were two shotguns, hunting clothing, an expensive hunting bow and even family photos that were hanging on the wall, he said.

According to McLain, it should have been obvious to anyone entering that his place was not abandoned. He filed a police report and called his mortgage company, American Home Mortgage Servicing, he said. A representative at the mortgage company told him to call Safeguard and complain. He did, but never heard back from the company, he said. American Home did not respond to a request for comment.

Klein, the Safeguard CEO, said his company employs an "intensive quality control" process to avoid improper handling of properties. In the past year, he added, Safeguard has expanded its background check requirements to include both direct contractors and anyone they subsequently hire to perform the work.

"We make sure the people who work for us are 100 percent qualified," Klein said.

But complaints against his company and its contractors continue, according to homeowners.

Kara Lingenfelter was forced to leave her North Haven, Conn., home in a hurry this past November after a winter storm knocked out power to the region. At the time, she was negotiating with Bank of America for permission to short-sell her house, meaning to sell it for less than what she owed the bank.

She never moved back in, but also did not abandon the house, Lingenfelter said. Most of her belongings remained inside, she said.

On March 30 of this year, Lingenfelter returned to the property to discover that one of the door knobs had been replaced with a lock box, she said. She also discovered a long list of items missing, she asserted, including two pellet guns, an iPod, jewelry and her son's coin bank, which contained about $200 in change. Someone had even taken his Boy Scout badges and medals, she said.

"Every cabinet door, every box, every closet door was open," Lingenfelter said.

She filed a police report and a report with the Better Business Bureau. On April 2, she spoke with a Safeguard representative -- likely the person who now has Kubovcik's job.

"We'll get back to you," Lingenfelter said she was told. Reported by Huffington Post 8 hours ago.

CBS Reporter Draws Praise For Boston Coverage

April 29, 2013, 6:30 am

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NEW YORK (AP) — If John Miller had scheduled an earlier flight, the CBS News coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing and its aftermath would have been much weaker.

Miller was driving home on the afternoon of April 15 to pick up his wife for their flight to a vacation in Florence, Italy. A phone call alerted him to the bombings and he turned around and headed back to the office, where he's spent much of his time since.

His dual role as a low-key explainer and reporter helped keep CBS ahead on key details of the investigation as the suspects' identities began to emerge, and away from missteps made by other news organizations.

Miller, who appears primarily on "CBS This Morning," reported two days after the bombing that authorities had their eye specifically on someone seen by a store security camera. When Internet sleuths began speculating about potential suspects based on pictures taken at the scene, Miller steered CBS away from them. Miller similarly assured the network it wasn't true when rivals reported erroneously that a suspect had been arrested, said CBS News President David Rhodes.

His bosses knew as much from Miller's demeanor as his words that day. Miller sat calmly in the newsroom eating a sandwich while other news divisions were frantically reporting and unreporting an arrest, Rhodes said.

"One of the main reasons I'm watching CBS' coverage of the Boston story is because of John Miller," said Marcy McGinnis, a former CBS executive who is associate dean of Stony Brook University's journalism school. "I think he's got extraordinary sources. They give him information immediately. The night this (capture of the second suspect) was unfolding, I was in awe."

He's also very measured and clear in his delivery, she said.

Along with reporters, most broadcast news divisions employ analysts, usually former office-holders or experts with an insider's view of how things work. Hero pilot Chesley Sullenberger, who comments on aviation stories for CBS, is an example.

Miller, 54, handles both roles. He's a veteran reporter who worked at ABC News and its New York affiliate. His boss, CBS News Chairman Jeff Fager, calls Miller "one of the best reporters to have ever worked in television." Miller also worked for former New York and Los Angeles police commissioner Bill Bratton when Bratton ran those departments, and at the CIA, FBI and National Security Administration.

By 2011, Miller said he was looking to get back into journalism.

"I had been doing government work for 10 years after 9/11 and it was time to come home," he said.

His long list of contacts was an obvious selling point, and he pitched to Fager an ability to see stories where others wouldn't. His insider's knowledge of law enforcement would also help him identify experts in areas like improvised explosive devices and persuade them to be interviewed by CBS if the moment called for it.

Fager balked at that last point. He wanted Miller to be the person viewers were accustomed to hearing from. If it was a subject beyond what he knew, he could gather the information off-screen so he could talk about it on the air.

No one could have anticipated the rush of stories where Miller's expertise would be vital: the Aurora, Colo., theater shooting; the resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus; the shooting rampage and manhunt for a former Los Angeles police office; the Newtown, Conn., school shootings; and Boston.

Miller's knowledge of police operations enables him to act almost as an interpreter during breaking stories. On the night suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found hiding in a boat, Miller was able to explain how officials were going about trying to capture him. He knew police would try to stretch it out to make time move more slowly, and he prepared the television audience for this, too.

"It fills the airtime with something other than 'there were shots and we don't know what's going on,'" he said.

Following the Aurora shooting, Miller knew right away the police who would be responding since one of them once worked for him in Brooklyn, Rhodes said.

Miller is hesitant to even call his sources "sources."

"Sources are people you meet on other stories and you develop them into sources of information," he said. "I'm calling friends, and I'm asking them, 'What's happening here?'"

For all their benefits, there's a danger of those relationships getting in the way of his job if authorities are criticized for wrongdoing or failures in their response to situations. Would Miller be able to publicly criticize or question his former colleagues? Host Charlie Rose asked Miller on Thursday about whether the FBI failed to more aggressively follow up on concerns about older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev's turn to radical Islam.

"20/20 hindsight is going to be brilliant in this case because they're going to go backwards from a bombing reassessing it," Miller replied. He added: "The question is not 'did we do it by the book?' — sure we did — it's 'could we have done it any better if we had dug deeper or looked at something different?'"

Citing his experience at both the FBI and with New York police, Miller on Friday dismissed criticism that the investigators should have told New York that the Tsarnaevs planned to head there with bombs. Times Square security had already been beefed up following the marathon, he said. "This seems like a lot of gnashing of teeth over nonsense," he said.

For all her admiration of his work, McGinnis said she didn't know whether Miller would be able to set aside relationships from his past life in cases where things have not been handled well.

Fager said that such concerns don't hold up if you look at Miller's reporting. "He's tough," Fager said. "He's inquisitive. He'll go anywhere."

For his part, Miller said, "I am reluctant to criticize authorities."

"My interpretation of when they need to be (criticized) and somebody else's might be different," he said. "If you've been there and you know how that works and what it's like, and how easy it is to take potshots from the outside, your criticism is more measured, your analysis of what is worthy of criticism and what isn't is slightly different."

When the bombing story quiets down, Miller will no doubt have another pressing concern: his wife. That vacation.

"I am currently in the correspondent's protection program," he said, "broadcasting under another identity and up at the Holiday Inn here between 9th and 10th (Avenues) until they can negotiate a time when I can go home again."

___

EDITOR'S NOTE — David Bauder can be reached at dbauder(at)ap.org or on Twitter (at)dbauder. His work can be found at http:bigstory.ap.org/content/david-bauder. Reported by Huffington Post 7 hours ago.

Housing Partnership Equity Trust Launches With $100 Million In Funding For Affordable Multifamily Ho

April 29, 2013, 8:19 am

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Filed under: Investing

*Housing Partnership Equity Trust Launches With $100 Million In Funding For Affordable Multifamily Housing*

*First Transaction Enables Mercy Housing Lakefront To Acquire And Rehab A 128-Unit Property In Aurora, Illinois*

*Citi, Morgan Stanley, Prudential Financial, Inc., John D. And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, And Ford Foundation Provide Initial Capital Investment*




WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In a pioneering new approach to acquiring safe, decent and affordable housing, the newly formed Housing Partnership Equity Trust today announced it has raised $100 million from Citi, Morgan Stanley, Prudential Financial, Inc., the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Ford Foundation, and has begun investing in multifamily properties in partnership with 12 high-performing nonprofit housing providers across the country.

The Housing Partnership Equity Trust (HPET) was formed as a social-purpose real estate investment trust, or REIT, sponsored and operated by the Housing Partnership Network, a business collaborative of the nation's leading housing and community development nonprofits. HPET will provide a ready source of long-term, low-cost capital, enabling these 12 mission-driven nonprofits to quickly and efficiently acquire apartment buildings that provide quality homes for families, seniors and others with modest incomes.

In its first transaction, which closes today, HPET funds will enable Mercy Housing Lakefront to acquire and rehabilitate a 128-unit property in Aurora, Illinois, thus preserving critical affordable housing without dependence on Low-Income Housing Tax Credits or other public subsidies.

"The Housing Partnership Equity Trust demonstrates a new approach to funding affordable housing—one that will streamline the capital-raising process for acquiring affordable housing units and sharply reduce transaction costs as well as the time it takes to close on a transaction," said Drew Ades, Chief Executive Officer of HPET. "As evidenced by the speed and efficiency with which Mercy Housing Lakefront was able to acquire its new property in Aurora, the savings we create will translate into more affordable rents for the residents, greater financial sustainability for our nonprofit partners, and attractive, stable returns for investors. Over the next several months, we will raise additional funds to further expand our scale and impact."

"Even as the weak economy put downward pressure on the incomes of the working class and working poor, private investors in real estate, seeking double-digit returns, have either raised rents or cut back on capital investments in their properties," said Cynthia A. Parker, Chair of HPET's Board and President and CEO of BRIDGE Housing, which operates affordable properties throughout the West Coast and is one of HPET's 12 nonprofit partners. "Too many affordable properties are being lost due either to gentrification or neglect. By providing a ready source of funds, enabling BRIDGE and similar organizations to acquire properties, HPET is the answer that so many community development organizations have been looking for to address the pressing need to preserve and improve our existing stock of affordable rental housing."

"HPET represents a fundamental shift in both the way affordable housing is financed, and the way nonprofit real estate operators build their balance sheet and their capacity to expand their mission," said Ommeed Sathe, Vice President, Social Investments, Community Resources, Prudential Financial, Inc. "We view the creation of HPET as an important initial step in modernizing the financing structure for affordable housing, by aligning incentives through which investors get a steady return, while stabilizing the stock of affordable units."

"Mercy Housing Lakefront's acquisition of its new property in Aurora is a perfect example of what HPET was created to do," said Drew Ades. "The underwriting and return structure of HPET enabled Mercy Housing Lakefront to make a competitive bid, perform a thorough due diligence process, and ultimately close on the transaction in far less time than is typical of a transaction that would be dependent upon Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. By placing this property in the hands of a motivated and mission-driven nonprofit, whose interests in preserving the property is aligned with the tenants who live there, we are able to make an investment with an adequate return, cure significant deferred maintenance, improve energy efficiency, and extend the useful life of the property."

Typically, multifamily affordable housing transactions depend upon project-specific subsidies and investments from a wide range of tax credit and subsidy programs. Successful nonprofits become highly skilled at assembling resources from governments at the local, state, and federal level, and negotiating project-based financing agreements with multiple private financial institutions and investors. This approach maintains a strong focus on the performance of individual properties but makes it exceedingly difficult to quickly acquire properties, efficiently manage operations, raise capital, fuel growth, and spur innovation.

"HPET provides a unique approach to financing the acquisition of affordable housing," said Andrew Ditton, Co-Head of Citi Community Capital. "Since properties acquired through HPET generally will not rely on property-level subsidies, the nonprofit operator has the ability to build cash and liquidity through efficient operations, better aligning incentives and allowing nonprofits to increase their capacity, and provide an alternative investment channel to social-impact investors. Citi is proud to be part of this initiative."

Acquisitions funded by HPET will target properties with access to public transportation and other community amenities. Capital improvements will be made to lower operating costs and utility expenses.

"The Ford Foundation is proud to have helped launch HPET," said Lisa Davis, Program Officer, Ford Foundation. "We believe that it creates an important new mechanism to increase equitable access to safe, affordable housing, which, together with efficient transportation, and good jobs is fundamental to building prosperous metropolitan areas."

"Using philanthropic dollars to unlock private capital is a powerful way to creatively achieve impact at a meaningful scale," said Debra Schwartz, Director of Program-Related Investments at the MacArthur Foundation, in describing the critical role of "program-related investments" by HPET's two foundation investors. "By design, HPET makes it easy for mainstream investors to put large amounts of capital to work while dramatically improving the ability of leading nonprofits to increase their impact in communities across the nation."

The 12 nonprofit members of HPET are: AHC Housing, Inc.; BRIDGE Housing Corporation; Chicanos Por La Causa; Community Preservation and Development Corporation; Eden Housing, Inc.; Hispanic Housing Development Corporation; Homes for America, Inc.; LINC Housing Corporation; Mercy Housing; Nevada HAND, Inc.; NHP Foundation; and NHT/Enterprise.

*ABOUT THE HOUSING PARTNERSHIP EQUITY TRUST (HPET)*

The Housing Partnership Equity Trust was formed as a social-purpose REIT sponsored and operated by the Housing Partnership Network, a business collaborative of the nation's leading housing and community development nonprofits. HPET provides a ready source of long-term, low-cost capital, enabling the 12 mission-driven nonprofits it partners with to quickly and efficiently acquire apartment buildings that provide quality homes for families, seniors and others with modest incomes.

*ABOUT THE HOUSING PARTNERSHIP NETWORK (HPN)*

The Housing Partnership Network is an award-winning business collaborative of 100 of the nation's most successful affordable housing and community development nonprofits. Creating private sector partnerships and enterprises that achieve ambitious social missions, HPN and its members work together to scale innovation and impact, helping millions of people gain access to affordable homes and thriving communities that offer economic opportunity and an enhanced quality of life. In 2013, HPN was selected to receive the 2013 MacArthur Foundation Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, in recognition of its ongoing leadership and innovation in affordable housing.





The Harbour Group
Audrey Chang, 202-295-8779

*KEYWORDS:*   United States  North America  District of Columbia  Illinois

*INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:*

The article Housing Partnership Equity Trust Launches With $100 Million In Funding For Affordable Multifamily Housing Reported by DailyFinance 5 hours ago.

Fatal Collision on Route 29, Cicadas Coming and Rankings Released for Howard County Schools: Top April Headlines

April 29, 2013, 9:06 am

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Patch Elkridge, MD --

 

Curious to know the most-clicked on stories on Elkridge Patch in April? We have the top 10 below.



*Have a story you want the Elkridge Patch staff to pursue in May? Tell us about it in story comments below.* 



*Route 29 Closed Due to Fatal Collision (Update)*

One person died and part of US Route 29 was closed April 9 after a fatal collision just inside the Montgomery County line, according to Montgomery County Police. 

*Cicadas Return: 17-year Cicadas to Overtake East Coast by the Millions*

Marylanders can expect to see Magicicada Brood II cicadas starting in May and June, a sight not seen for 17 years. 

*12 Howard County High Schools Ranked Among Most Challenging in the Nation*

All 12 of Howard County’s public high schools made the list of America’s Most Challenging High Schools, published annually by the Washington Post.

*Pink Rabbit's Ride at Elkridge Library Ends (Updated)*

After a yearlong run at the Elkridge library, the “Pink Rabbit” sculpture has come down.

*Aurora Borealis May Be Visible in Maryland Saturday, Sunday*

Accuweather predicted a solar flare could create an aurora effect from the Arctic to the mid-Atlantic. 

*Man Attacked on U.S. 1; Cell Phone Taken: Howard County Crime Reports*

A man found in the 6200 block of Sandrise Court was bleeding from his mouth and moaning. He said he was jumped by three people while walking along U.S. 1 near the Elkridge Library sometime early in the morning on April 19.

*Ulman's Proposes Funds for New Elkridge Branch Library*

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman unveiled a $442.4 million capital budget that would dedicate a significant amount of funds for upgrades at schools, including at Deep Run Elementary, Bellows Spring Elementary, Elkridge Landing Elementary and Rockburn Branch Elementary -- in addition to $23.25 million for construction of Elkridge's new middle school.

*Murder Trial Begins for Robert Jarrett*

The trial began (and concluded) this month for a man accused of murdering his wife and burying her body under a shed in their yard. 

*Fighting an Invasion, one Vine at a Time*

One local man is waging war on vines in Elkridge and beyond.

*Long Reach High School on 2013 U.S. News ‘Best High Schools’ List*

Eleven Howard County high schools were ranked among the 2013 “Best High Schools in the Nation,” according to new rankings U.S. News & World Report released this week. Reported by Patch 4 hours ago.

Officials identify grandfather, baby who died in Aurora traffic accident

April 29, 2013, 11:44 am

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A grandfather and his baby granddaughter were the two who died in an Aurora traffic crash this weekend. Reported by Denver Post 2 hours ago.

Joseph Peterson: From Aurora to Sandy Hook, and the Character of America's Lawmakers

April 29, 2013, 11:43 am

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*The Initial Processing:*

July 20th, 2012: It's not really a shock, unfortunately, that someone would plan in advance a mass killing of unsuspecting strangers in a public place. American society has seen these events only increase in popularity within the past decade, and not just in movies.

Ergo, after seeing this morning's tweet about the massacre, I consciously dissected my own desensitized reaction to it. Sure, the more I dwell on what happened, the more I realize in my brain just how awful it is, but honestly my heart feels little ache, and that troubles me.

Partly I'm troubled because of the news attention this kind of event receives. It worries me that the notoriety of place and act become the trophy and not the message. In other words, for the sick or angry minds that fantasize such devilish acts, here is promise they will have their moment, and the world will know who they are. There is a delicate balance in the dissemination of the news to first do no harm, and second, shed light to understanding of our tragedy.

But more than the indirect danger of a salacious headline, I'm disheartened that what it takes for a nation as great as the United States to work up a united emotional reaction to bloodshed and injustice -- this loss of innocence and a feeling of contemplation as to what this all means -- isn't that 14 people died from getting shot. In the United States, more than 1,000 people die by gun violence every month. No, it's the phenomenon that it happened in the same place at the same time. News.

In the wake of this tragedy in Colorado, My hope is that this sort of event, which makes us contemplate the immediacy of life, extends the charitable flesh of our hearts to consider the others too -- those unnamed, collective masses that die every day, not just from gun violence, but also from hunger, preventable disease and unnecessary conflict.

And let us not only consider, but also lend our voices to the widening gap between reason and action. Let us blog and meme and hell-raise and advocate and tweet and post and share and fill our status updates with digital expressions of our compassion; but let us also back it up with real action, all the while hoping that our collective humanity in moments like Virginia Tech, Ft. Hood and Aurora aren't the sudden news-cycle-length exception to the rule, but only an intensification of it.

Speaking to that hope just after the Aurora shooting, President Obama said, "I'm going to continue to work with members of both parties and with religious groups and with civic organizations to arrive at a consensus around violence reduction."

*Fast Forward:*

April 18th, 2013: After another tragic shooting, Newtown, Connecticut, which struck the nerve I felt had become numb after Aurora, we are continuing that conversation President Obama promised to have after that day in Colorado. Now, in culmination of those efforts, last Wednesday, a minority number of senators chose to abandon reasonable, bipartisan-crafted policy, effectively halting several proposed gun control measures.

Former Arizona Congresswoman and leader against gun violence, Gabrielle Giffords, in a column she wrote for the New York Times, said of the senators, "their decision was based on a misplaced sense of self-interest... bringing shame on themselves and our government itself by choosing to do nothing."

And while Ms. Giffords wrote that she was furious, the president also did little to hide his disappointment from the Rose Garden podium as well saying that, "most of these senators could not offer any good reason why we wouldn't want to make it harder for criminals and those with severe mental illnesses to buy a gun. There were no coherent arguments as to why we wouldn't do this."

It seems the article I started to write and never could finish turned out to be troubling foreshadow for Sandy Hook and the ultimate victory of the gun lobby in Wednesday's Senate bill. I'm even more struck by how in the light of so much tragedy in one week for our country, those elected officials who stymied gun control efforts can bend and stretch their empathy in every hollow tweet and press release to pray for those in Boston and Texas, proclaiming business as usual for online gun-sale loopholes and ineffective background checks.

Think not that my intention is to to diminish the magnitude and tragedy of the Boston bombing and Texas explosion, but lip service to a tragedy void of political risk, is diminishing to those same leaders who, in their cowardice, gave no regard for the ceaseless slaughter of citizens which on a nearly hourly basis dwarfs the tragedies in Massachusetts and Texas. If it's a solitary event they want, Sandy Hook could be Exhibit A.

Then came the damning indictment on Wednesday the 17 of April, which rang true to the core of everything that is wrong with the current American political state. "It came down to politics," President Obama said at the White House briefing, "the worry that that vocal minority of gun owners would come after them in future elections." Sadly, this is one scenario where I wish he wasn't right.

And yet, when such an unspeakable horror as Sandy Hook cannot move a representative of the people to take a risk of conscience despite the political backfire, one must look at the coward for what he is, certainly not a senator. Not next time anyway. Reported by Huffington Post 2 hours ago.

UPDATE: Man Police Saved from Fiery Car Crash Jailed on LSD Charges

April 30, 2013, 1:57 am

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Patch Urbandale, IA --

*Updated at 5:45 p.m.*

Urbandale police officers saw drugs in plain view on March 7 when they went to the home of an Urbandale man to inform relatives that Ian Joseph Wasekuk, 19, had nearly died after crashing his car while "doing doughnuts" on a slick church parking lot across the street.

The car caught fire and Wasekuk was rescued by a police officer, who risked his own life when he pulled the unconscious Urbandale man from his vehicle.

Urbandale Police spokesman Randy Peterson said no one answered the door, but when they looked in the window at a lighted room, "they could see marijuana and other drug paraphernalia in plain sight."

The Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement (MINE) task force was called, a search warrant was obtained and a search warrant for the residence was executed, Peterson said. On April 11, Wasekuk was arrested for LSD and other drug charges, and was booked at the Polk County Jail, where he remains on $110,000 cash bond.

Peterson said Wasekuk was not immediately tested for drug use, as officers were more concerned with saving his life.

"Their main goal was to keep him alive," Peterson said. "He was seconds away from passing away."

*Earlier, Patch reported:*

The 19-year-old man who was saved from a fiery car crash by an Urbandale police officer earlier this year remains in the Polk County Jail on $110,000 bond on drug charges, including one on intent to deliver LSD.

Ian Joseph Wasekuk, 19, was arrested on April 11, according to Polk County Jail records.

In March, Urbandale Police Officer Zac McDowell and an Iowa State University student who was doing a ride-along, Nick Schroeder, pulled an unconscious Wasekuk from the burning car after he had crashed it while “doing doughnuts” in the parking lot of the Urbandale Baptist Church, 6501 Aurora Ave.



*Watch the video of dramatic rescue on Patch.*



Specific charges against Wasekuk are:

· Possession with intent to deliver Schedule I LSD ($100,000 bond)
· Possession with intent to deliver marijuana, a schedule I ($5,000 bond)
· Failure to affix required drug tax stamp ($5,000 bond)

*LINK UP WITH URBANDALE PATCH: *Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Have Urbandale news delivered to your inbox or smartphone every morning by signing up for our free newsletter. Reported by Patch 13 hours ago.

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Win Tickets to Opening Weekend of 'Lark Eden' at Aurora Theatre

April 30, 2013, 3:58 am

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Patch Norcross, GA -- Reported by Patch 11 hours ago.

High Pollen Count Top Patch Story For April

April 30, 2013, 3:59 am

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Patch Virginia Highland-Druid Hills, GA --

Here are the 10 most-clicked on stories of April on Virginia Highland/Druid Hills Patch.

*High pollen count continues, relief coming soon.*

*Atlanta police warn of Craigslist robbery crew.*

*House Hunt: New listings in Virginia Highland and Druid Hills.*

*Slice & Pint to open in Emory Village.*

*House Hunt: New listings in Virginia Highland and Druid Hills.*

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*House Hunt: New listings in Virginia Highland and Druid Hills.*

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*Manuel's closed all day Wednesday for movie work.*

*Post offices open late for tax day.*

*Car and home break-ins, sidewalk repairs on the way, cleanup day scheduled.*

*Aurora Coffee closing closing its Virginia Highland location.* Reported by Patch 11 hours ago.

Sandy Springs Police Chief Explains First Steps if a Bombing or Mass Shooting Occurs

April 30, 2013, 6:27 am

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Patch Sandy Springs, GA --

 

Since the Boston bombings, worried Sandy Springs residents have wondered if it could happen here.



*Sandy Springs experienced two bombings in 1997.*



Police Chief Ken DeSimone recently explained the initial steps of first responders if a mass shooting or attack occurs. 

“The first thing is respond to the scene,” he said. “Take control of the scene and set up command; provide first aid to the victims and start getting them out to hospitals or triage, then start the investigation.

DeSimone said the Joint Terrorism Task Force would be one of the SSPD’s first calls.

A Sandy Springs detective works full-time on the Joint Terrorism Task Force in the Atlanta FBI office. 

Last week, DeSimone told Patch, "If we have something come up that’s unusual, that we need to check out more, then we can assign it to him and he has all the assets and backing of the FBI.”

DeSimone added, “When the FBI comes up here, [that detective] is embedded with the team. We know somebody by face and by name, who knows everybody else on the team.” 

The authorities would then work to determine if the event is by a terrorist or someone proclaims to be mad at the world.

“A terrorist event is something that’s done because they want to send a political message. If the person is mentally unstable, that’s not a terrorist event,” the chief said.

Public Safety Director Terry Sult explained how investigators sometimes learn how the event unfolded after it’s over.“For example in Aurora [the Colorado movie theater shooting], they had an individual in custody but they thought they had multiple individuals that they were looking for because they had people wounded in different theaters,” Sult said.

He continued, "What they didn’t realize is that some of the bullets had gone through the walls and struck people so they still had a hot scene. Medical responders and EMTs have to wait until it’s fairly safe before they go in.”



**See also:** Police Chief, Public Safety Director Shed Light on City's Readiness  for Mass Attack**

Reported by Patch 9 hours ago.

Bellin, Aspirus will not be part of Quality Health Solutions

April 30, 2013, 3:18 am

≫ Next: Obituaries in Castro Valley Through April 30

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When Quality Health Solutions — purveyor of the non-Aurora Health Care accountable care organization — ramps up July 1, two of the hospital systems in the original group will not be participating. Bellin Health Systems of Green Bay and Aspirus of Wausau initially were going to join what was to be the largest accountable care organization (ACO) in Wisconsin. Executives with Bellin and Aspirus decided not to proceed in the Quality Health Solutions ACO for two different reasons. “What we aren’t… Reported by bizjournals 12 hours ago.

Obituaries in Castro Valley Through April 30

April 30, 2013, 4:35 am

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Patch Castro Valley, CA --

Castro Valley recently lost these residents and community members.

Helen Elizabeth Adams

Marie Katherine (Yeager) Brown

Mary Lujan Casarez

May Chung

Anthony Wayne Crissen

Gloria Kathryn (Bragg) McAdams

Donald J. Moeller

Aurora Moreno

Helen Scott 

This information was gathered Legacy.com. If someone from Castro Valley was missed, please post a link to the online obituary in the comments section below or post an obituary on Castro Valley Patch. Reported by Patch 11 hours ago.