Four people who died in a traffic crash on a Kansas highway were related — an Aurora couple and two of their grandchildren. Reported by Denver Post 17 hours ago.

Patch Urbandale, IA --

The Urbandale Public Swimming Pool at 7201 Aurora Ave. is open with some new Friday night events that are sure to make a splash – like Friday’s Pirate Night, when swimmers are encouraged to come dressed like a pirate, search for underwater treasures, walk Reported by Patch 5 hours ago.

Patch North Canton, OH --

Aurora and Hoover fought to the bitter end at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium, but it was the Greenmen who came away with the 7-5 win in Thursday's Division I regional semifinal. 

Aurora struck first, scoring a run early on, but Hoover surged an Reported by Patch 7 hours ago.

EZTransportCorp.com, a company that provides Car Transport Services, announces same day pick-up availability for vehicles in Chicago, IL

(PRWEB) May 31, 2013

EZTransportCorp.com now offers same day pick-up availability for Car Transport Services in Chicago, IL.

Thousands of car shipping carriers pass through Chicago each day. Vehicles can be picked up on the same day if it's located in a major city listed below or is within 20 miles of a major highway.

Same day car transport pick-up from EZTransportCorp.com is available in the following major cities:

Chicago, IL    
Aurora, IL    
Rockford, IL
Joliet, IL    
Naperville, IL    
Springfield, IL
Peoria, IL    
Elgin, IL    
Waukegan, IL

About EZ Transport Corp:
EZTransportCorp.com is an auto transport companywith over 30 years of experience in the car transport industry. Their large network of shipping partners includes over 5,000 trucking companies and 30,000 Car Carriers nationwide. EZ Transport Corp services are available to car dealerships and industry professionals as well as regular consumers who only need to transport 1 vehicle. For more information, visit http://www.eztransportcorp.com Reported by PRWeb 12 hours ago.

Express Line Moving, a company that provides national relocation services, announces availability of Long Distance Relocation Services to Illinois

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) May 31, 2013

Express Line Moving announces the availability of Last Minute Relocation Services for residential and commercial customers moving to Illinois. Customers relocating to Illinois can now book long distance moving services online at ExpressLineMoving.com

To fulfill requests for last minute moves, Express Line Moving has expanded their fleet of moving vehicles. Last minute moving accommodations to Illinois can now be booked within 24 hours.

Express Line Moving is currently offering 2 months of Free Storage to customers moving long distance to the following cities in Illinois:

Chicago, IL    
Aurora, IL    
Rockford, IL
Joliet, IL    
Naperville, IL    
Springfield, IL
Peoria, IL    
Elgin, IL    
Waukegan, IL

(This offer will expire on June 30, 2013)

Express Line Movers use the highest quality materials to pack their client's belongings in their old home and unpack them in the new home. All packages are carefully inventoried, photographed and labeled. Express Line Moving uses a unique inventory system will allow clients to review all of the items that are packed on the day of the move.

About Express Line Moving:
Express Line Movers have over 20 years of professional moving experience. Express Line Moving services are available for both residential, commercial and international customers. Whether you're moving across the country or across the street, the team at Express Line Moving can provide you with professional, courteous and affordable moving services. For more information, visit http://www.expresslinemoving.com Reported by PRWeb 11 hours ago.

More than 450 undergraduate and graduate degrees were conferred at the university's 106th commencement ceremony

Seward, Neb. (PRWEB) June 01, 2013

Concordia University, Nebraska, awarded 451 degrees to graduates during its 2013 commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 11.

Commencement speaker Dr. Douglas Tewes used Concordia’s theme Bible verse for 2012-13 -- “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of His household.” – to explain a Christian’s obligation to serve.

“I think that as citizens of God’s kingdom, we have responsibility in our citizenship here in America,” Tewes said. In addition to delivering the commencement address, Tewes also received the honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Concordia.

Six other individuals received honorary degrees and awards during commencement. Those receiving honors were Rev. James P. Brown, Sr., the Doctor of Letters degree, William Hartmann and Grace Mueller Hughey, the Crest of Christ award, Wilbert Rusch, the Master Educator award, and Thom and Joani Schultz, the Distinguished Service award.

Undergraduates earning degrees from Concordia were eligible for distinction or high distinction honors. Up to 10 percent of those who earned, at minimum, a 3.75 GPA graduated with high distinction. An additional 15 percent of those earning degrees with a minimum 3.5 GPA graduated with distinction.

Concordia University, Nebraska, founded in 1894, is a fully accredited, coeducational university located in Seward, Neb. that currently serves over 2,100 students. Concordia offers more than 50 professional and liberal arts programs in an excellent academic and Christ-centered community that equips men and women for lives of learning, service and leadership in the church and world. For more information, visit cune.edu.

Concordia University, Nebraska graduates earning their degrees in May 2013:
(Nebraska listed first, other states follow in alphabetical order)

Hilary Buoy, Ainsworth, Neb., M.Ed.
Samantha Lathrop, Arlington, Neb., B.S.Ed., LTD
Trent Laune, Ashand, Neb., M.B.A.
Emily McAllister, Atkinson, Neb., B.S.Ed., LTD
LeAnn Miller, Battle Creek, Neb., B.A., DCE
Brett Schuster, Beatrice, Neb., M.Ed.
Jordan Schultz, Beemer, Neb., B.A.
Thomas Malander, Belgrade, Neb., B.S.
Cory Scott, Belgrade, Neb., M.B.A.
Jenna Daggit, Bellevue, Neb., M.Ed.
Christine Holland, Bellevue, Neb., M.Ed.
Stacy Kobza, Bellevue, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Nancy Sivils, Bellevue, Neb., M.Ed.
Laurie Walker, Bellevue, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Heather Findell, Bennington, Neb., M.Ed.
Sarah Meier, Blair, Neb., M.Ed.
Ashley Luethje, Bradshaw, Neb., B.A.
Brent Houchin, Bruning, Neb., B.S.
Jodi Dickson, Carleton, Neb., M.Ed.
Meridee Heikes, Cedar Rapids, Neb., B.S.
Amy Burch, Ceresco, Neb., M.Ed.
Stacey Adamson, Cody, Neb., M.Ed.
Lindsay Anderson, Columbus, Neb., B.A.
Ashley Frese, Columbus, Neb., M.Ed.
Shannon Honold, Columbus, Neb., M.Ed.
Ashley Penne, Columbus, Neb., B.A.
Amanda Richards, Columbus, Neb., M.Ed.
Nicole Sempek, Columbus, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Angela Bruhn, Creston, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Takota Thiem, Crete, Neb., B.A., Pre-Seminary
Alison Mueller, Crofton, Neb., M.Ed.
Danielle Masur, David City, Neb., B.S., B.S.Ed.
Beth Kohmetscher, Deweese, Neb., B.S.
Christina Tomka, Dodge, Neb., B.S.
Amanda Stewart, Doniphan, Neb., M.Ed.
Wendy Boller, Dorchester, Neb., B.A.
Laura Pulliam, Dorchester, Neb., M.Ed.
Jeremiah Luber, Eagle, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Susan Vanis, Elgin, Neb., M.Ed.
Bryan Heidemann, Elk Creek, Neb., B.A.
Keith Ahlers, Elkhorn, Neb., M.Ed.
Adam Lambert, Elkhorn, Neb., M.Ed.
Nathan Ernstmeyer, Elwood, Neb., B.A.
Jordan Ahl, Fairbury, Neb., B.S.
Elizabeth Wiseman, Fairbury, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Linda Priefert Carroll, Fairmont, Neb., B.A.
Gina Kotas, Fort Calhoun, Neb., M.Ed.
Elizabeth Brewer, Fremont, Neb., M.Ed.
Morrow Longacre, Fremont, Neb., M.Ed.
Jill Pullen-Russman, Fremont, Neb., M.Ed.
Karissa Weinrich, Fremont, Neb., B.S.Ed., LTD
Holly Saalfeld, Garland, Neb., B.S.
Melissa Myers, Geneva, Neb., M.Ed.
Cassey Schaefer, Gibbon, Neb., M.Ed.
Brandy Tacha, Gibbon, Neb., M.Ed.
Victoria Preitauer, Gothenburg, Neb., B.A.
William Bombeck, Grand Island, Neb., M.Ed.
Jennifer Carr, Grand Island, Neb., M.Ed.
Daniel Gibson, Grand Island, Neb., B.S., B.S.Ed., LTD
Beth Leech, Grand Island, Neb., M.Ed.
Timothy Leech, Grand Island, Neb., M.Ed.
Daria Pierorazio, Grand Island, Neb., M.Ed.
Sheila Quintana, Grand Island, Neb., M.Ed.
Rob Schmidt, Grand Island, Neb., B.A.
Ashley Suntych, Grand Island, Neb., M.Ed.
Julia Wood, Greeley, Neb., M.Ed.
Jaime Bizal, Gretna, Neb., M.Ed.
Amanda Clark, Hastings, Neb., M.Ed.
Sharon Shriver, Hastings, Neb., M.Ed.
Allie Kenning, Hebron, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Joshua Duncan, Hickman, Neb., B.A., B.F.A.
Amanda Emerson, Hickman, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Martin Riley, Hickman, Neb., M.Ed.
Kellie Fegter, Holdrege, Neb., B.S.
Jennifer Kurpgeweit, Kenesaw, Neb., M.Ed.
Lance Ott, Kennard, Neb., B.S., M.Ed.
Jody French, Lewellen, Neb., M.Ed.
Lori Arterburn, Lincoln, Neb., M.B.A.
Joseph Beran, Lincoln, Neb., B.A.
Kyleah Bowder, Lincoln, Neb., B.S.
Shawn Carr, Lincoln, Neb., M.Ed.
Christopher Cassel, Lincoln, Neb., M.B.A.
Joanne Catlett, Lincoln, Neb., M.Ed.
John Chatwell, Lincoln, Neb., B.S.
Manuel Escamilla, Lincoln, Neb., M.Ed.
Nicolas Esser, Lincoln, Neb., B.S.
Ian Euler, Lincoln, Neb., B.S.
Laura Fugate, Lincoln, Neb., M.Ed.
Carlene Fuss, Lincoln, Neb., M.Ed.
Benjamin Haney, Lincoln, Neb., M.Ed.
Margaret Hobelman, Lincoln, Neb., M.B.A.
Megan Houlden, Lincoln, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Jordan Jacobsen, Lincoln, Neb., B.A.
Brent Johnson, Lincoln, Neb., M.Ed.
Samantha Karnes, Lincoln, Neb., B.S.
Mark King, Lincoln, Neb., M.Ed.
Amanda Kisker, Lincoln, Neb., B.A., B.S.
Tyler Kohmetscher, Lincoln, Neb., B.S.
Aaron Lane, Lincoln, Neb., B.A.
Ashleigh Lang-Petersen, Lincoln, Neb., M.B.A.
Robbie Lierman, Lincoln, Neb., M.B.A.
Briar McCoy, Lincoln, Neb., B.A.
Brandon McWilliams, Lincoln, Neb., B.A.
Craig Nannen, Lincoln, Neb., B.S.Ed., LTD
Derek Neihardt, Lincoln, Neb., B.S.
Darren Parrott, Lincoln, Neb., M.B.A.
Chelsea Peck, Lincoln, Neb., B.S.
Alexandra Peters, Lincoln, Neb., M.Ed.
Shawn Podraza, Lincoln, Neb., M.Ed.
Nolan Schaefer, Lincoln, Neb., B.S.
Wendy Scharp, Lincoln, Neb., B.A.
Elizabeth Smith, Lincoln, Neb., M.Ed.
Mary Stahly, Lincoln, Neb., M.B.A.
Paige Suiter, Lincoln, Neb., M.Ed.
Michael Tewes, Lincoln, Neb., B.S.
Alyssa Troester, Lincoln, Neb., B.A.
Mason Van Nostrand, Lincoln, Neb., B.S.
George Wagaman, Lincoln, Neb., M.B.A.
Dennis Wagner, Lincoln, Neb., M.B.A.
Mark Wentz, Lincoln, Neb., M.Ed.
Jeremy Wiemer, Lincoln, Neb., M.Ed.
Jennifer Rose, Louisville, Neb., M.Ed.
Megan Heiser, Lynch, Neb., B.S.
Porter Birtell, Madison, Neb., B.A.
Deborah Lewis, Malcolm, Neb., M.Ed.
Alyssa TeSelle, Milford, Neb., B.A.
Jordan Fowlkes, Newman Grove, Neb., B.A.
Bethany Osberg, Norfolk, Neb., B.A.
Diane Price, Norfolk, Neb., M.Ed.
Stacey Puett, Norfolk, Neb., M.Ed.
Megan Skalberg, Norfolk, Neb., M.Ed.
Preston Sunderman, Norfolk, Neb., B.S.Ed, LTD
Ashlee Brown, North Platte, Neb., B.S.
Makenzie Deutschman, North Platte, Neb., B.S.Ed., LTD
Samantha Bainbridge, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Sarah Baird, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Mikayla Baker, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Debra Benes, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Amy Benson, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Erin Blaha, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Brian Boone, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Barbara Caples, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Rhiannon Christensen, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Lisa Clark, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Stephanie Cody-Goossen, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Daniel Coffey, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Amy Crowe, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Amy Dahmke, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Sarah Davenport, Iowa, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Tamika Davis-Gray, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Rommie Derry, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Penny Eastwood, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Kathleen Egan, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Laura Feller, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Amanda Flemmer, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Aretha Foye, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Sara Fredrickson, Omaha, Neb., B.F.A.
Nikki Frenche, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Jill Garrett, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Julie Gibson, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Ashley Girvan, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Staci Grant, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Vincent Gregorio, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Robert House, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Tiffany Howard, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Rachel Howe, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Michelle Ibarra, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Paige Jenkins, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Ashley Johnson, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Anne Keth, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Deborah Knutson, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Jason Koba, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Martin Kois, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Stephanie Kopecky, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Tracey Kovar, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Angela Lewis, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Darci Lewis, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Seth McClurkin, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Allison Mellick, Omaha, Neb., B.A.
Christopher Minardi, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Diann Moore, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Colin Morrissey, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Cecilia Neiman, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Christie Nielsen, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Steven Odom, Omaha, Neb., B.A.
Courtney Pfeifer, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Aiesha Rahn, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Kathleen Reed, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Michelle Rima, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Angela Royers, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Sommer Ruhland, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Stephanie Schmidt, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Irene Simonenko, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Susan Snow, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Maureen Soto, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Micaela Steele, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Jessica Strickland, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Michele Sweetmon, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Patricia Tello, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Shelita Thompson, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Pamela Trausch, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Meagan Tripp, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Traci Walter, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Dennise Washka, Omaha, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Wendy Weber, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Felicia Webster, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Emily Weston, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Suzanna White, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Katy Williams, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Cathy Wollman, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Jamie Woods, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Amanda Wright, Omaha, Neb., M.Ed.
Seth Kalhoff, O'Neill, Neb., M.Ed.
Michelle Tomjack, O'Neill, Neb., M.Ed.
Paige Augustine, Osceola, Neb., B.A.
Benjamin Fisher, Overton, Neb., B.S.Ed., LTD
Zackary Warner, Palmyra, Neb., B.A.
Brandy Komasincki, Papillion, Neb., M.Ed.
Claire McCalman, Papillion, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Cory Prelerson, Papillion, Neb., B.S.
Angela Whitfield, Papillion, Neb., M.Ed.
Vida Paustian, Plattsmouth, Neb., M.Ed.
Laura Jeppesen, Pleasant Dale, Neb., B.S., B.S.Ed., LTD
Derek Rodine, Polk, Neb., B.A.
Danielle Alderson, Randolph, Neb., M.Ed.
Clarissa Eloge, Rising City, Neb., M.Ed.
Jaime Selden, Rising City, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Jacquelyn McDermott, Scotia, Neb., M.Ed.
Richard Eber, Seward, Neb., M.Ed.
Beth Einspahr, Seward, Neb., M.Ed.
Philip Friedrich, Seward, Neb., B.S.
Anna Meyer, Seward, Neb., B.F.A., LTD
Judith Mullally, Seward, Neb., M.A.
Trevor Oliver, Seward, Neb., B.S.
Brandi Pflughaupt, Seward, Neb., M.Ed.
Micah Pomerenke, Seward, Neb., B.S.Ed., LTD
Kyle Soflin, Seward, Neb., B.A.
Elizabeth Werner, Seward, Neb., M.Ed.
Bart Miller, South Sioux City, Neb., M.Ed.
Tonia Todd, South Sioux City, Neb., M.Ed.
Nicole Vance, South Sioux City, Neb., M.Ed.
Amber Hamik, St. Paul, Neb., M.Ed.
Brandon Starkey, St. Paul, Neb., B.S.
Joanna Roberts, Stanton, Neb., M.Ed.
Heather Niedfeldt, Stella, Neb., B.S.Ed., LTD
Juliane Miller, Superior, Neb., M.Ed.
Alexa Hopping, Sutherland, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Cara Debuhr, Tecumseh, Neb., M.Ed.
Duke Waln, Valentine, Neb., M.Ed.
Alex Callan, Wahoo, Neb., B.S.Ed.
Jena, Kaufman, Wakefield, Neb., M.Ed.
Michelle, Kelsey, Washington, Neb., M.Ed.
Kelli, Claassen, Waverly, Neb., B.F.A.
Margaret, Doane, Waverly, Neb., M.Ed.
Ballad, Hummel, Waverly, Neb., M.Ed.
Evan, Kucera, Waverly, Neb., B.S.
Daniel, Miller, West Point, Neb., B.A.
Sara Glasgow, Wilber, Neb., M.Ed.
Lori Peters, Wood River, Neb., M.Ed.
Dean Crawford, York, Neb., B.A.
Erienne TeSelle, York, Neb., B.S.

Belinda Dragg, Orrville, Ala., M.Ed.

Elizabeth Kelly, Palmer, Alaska, B.S.Ed., LTD

Chris Kosberg, Anthem, Ariz., B.S.Ed., LTD
Kyle Hoffman, Phoenix, Ariz., B.A.

DeLeon Dallas, Chula Vista, Calif., B.A.
Julian Silva, Covina, Calif., B.A.
Teresa Carlile, Fresno, Calif., M.Ed.
John Hunter III, Long Beach, Calif., B.A.
Carlos Bolanos, Montclair, Calif., B.A.
Matthew Wingert, Orange, Calif., B.A.
Akeem Christian-Starks, Santa Ana, Calif., B.S.

Christa Lindeman, Arvada, Colo., B.S.Ed., LTD, DCE
Mallory Hicks, Aurora, Colo., B.A.
William Vann, Castle Rock, Colo., B.S.Ed.
Dustin Atkinson, Colorado Springs, Colo., B.A., Pre-Seminary
Kristopher Bedwell, Colorado Springs, Colo., B.A.
James Jensen, Denver, Colo., B.A., B.Mus.
Rebecca Elmshauser, Englewood, Colo., M.Ed.
Brandon Pflug, Fort Morgan, Colo., B.S.Ed.
Erin Walth, Golden, Colo., B.S.Ed., LTD
Nicole Mapes, Greeley, Colo., B.S.
Nicholas Milberger, Highlands Ranch, Colo., B.S.
Krista Schafer, Holyoke, Colo., B.S.
Andrea Gaide, Lakewood, Colo., B.S.
Nicholas Thill, Littleton, Colo., B.S.
Emily Brandt, Loveland, Colo., B.A.
Tyler Shaw, Montrose, Colo., B.S.Ed.
Kristen Shavlik, Roxborough, Colo., B.S., B.Mus.
Kelsie Elder, Thornton, Colo., B.S.
Nicholas Hoffmann, Westminster, Colo., B.A., DCE

Janis Thiemann, Jacksonville, Fla., B.S.Ed., LTD
Nathan Sielk, Miami, Fla., B.S.Ed., LTD, DCE
Zachary Goodrich, Tampa, Fla., B.A.

Katie Worthington, Peachtree City, Ga., B.S.Ed., LTD

Jeana Kaio, Wai'ehu, Hawaii, B.S.Ed., LTD
Colten Quinabo, Wailuku, Hawaii, B.A.

Heather Kois, Boise, Idaho, B.S.Ed., LTD
Lindsey Kellerman, Mountain Home, Idaho, B.S.Ed., LTD

Joseph Gillespie, Arlington Heights, Ill., M.S.Family Life
Jeanette Hayden, Joliet, Ill., B.A.
Connie Kettner, Neunert, Ill., B.S.Ed., LTD
Dawn Martin, Rockford, Ill., B.S.Ed., LTD
Rachel Little, Sparta, Ill., B.A.
Cody Collier, Springfield, Ill., B.S.Ed., LTD
Stephanie Mueller, Wheaton, Ill., B.A., B.Mus., LTD

Heidi Wilkinson, Bloomington, Ind., B.S.
Kelly Thiessen, Columbus, Ind., B.S.Ed., LTD
Rachell Dewell, Fort Wayne, Ind., B.S.Ed., LTD
Allison Huston, Fort Wayne, Ind., M.Ed.
Katie Keily, Norman, Ind., B.A., B.S.Ed., LTD

Alicia Wosepka, Ackley, Iowa, B.A.
Stacey Holt, Auburn, Iowa, B.A., DCE
Jessica Olson, Carlisle, Iowa, B.A.
Claire White, Clarinda, Iowa, M.Ed.
Phillip Harm, Council Bluffs, Iowa, M.B.A.
Jessica King, Council Bluffs, Iowa, M.Ed.
Tami Kuenning, Council Bluffs, Iowa, B.S.Ed.
Mandy Sanders, Council Bluffs, Iowa, M.Ed.
Jacqueline Slade, Council Bluffs, Iowa, M.Ed.
Caleb Davison, Davenport, Iowa, B.A.
Stephen Henderson, Davenport, Iowa, M.S.Family Life
Lee Johanson, Davenport, Iowa, B.A.
Leslie Rudzinski, Davenport, Iowa, M.S.Family Life
Kathy Schneiderman, Davenport, Iowa, M.Ed.
Jordan Haroldson, Des Moines, Iowa, B.S.Ed., LTD
Ashley Willoughby, Fairfield, Iowa, B.S.Ed., LTD
Cole Egger, Galva, Iowa, B.A.
Lauriel Weekly, Glenwood, Iowa, M.Ed.
Katrina Schulteis, Greenfield, Iowa, B.F.A.
Rachel Iltis, Le Claire, Iowa, B.S.Ed., LTD
Kimberly Miller, Mason City, Iowa, B.S.
Brenda Dowthitt, Neola, Iowa, B.S.Ed.
Codi Kargle, Ogden, Iowa, B.A.
Sarah Mahnken, Schleswig, Iowa, B.A.
Courtney Cale, Sioux City, Iowa, B.S.Ed., LTD
Brian Friesner, Sioux City, Iowa, M.Ed.
Lark Rich, Sioux City, Iowa, M.Ed.
Serena Weber, Sioux City, Iowa, B.A.
Christina Roach, Spirit Lake, Iowa, B.S.
Daniel Klinge, State Center, Iowa, B.S.
Brooke Curtis, Treynor, Iowa, M.Ed.
Kayla Kightlinger, Urbandale, Iowa, B.S.Ed., LTD, DCE
Marilyn Shults, West Des Moines, Iowa, M.A., M.S.Family Life
Madison Phillips, Woodward, Iowa, B.S.
Kate Phillips, Woodward, Iowa, M.Ed.

Whitney Holle, Bremen, Kan., B.S.Ed., LTD
Logan Waggy, Cheney, Kan., B.S.Ed., LTD
Andrew Hatesohl, Clay, Kan., B.A., Pre-Seminary
Michael Voelker, Greenleaf, Kan., B.S.
Samuel Fishburn, Haven, Kan., B.S.Ed., LTD
AJ Ebersole, Hutchinson, Kan., B.S.Ed.
Angela Lore, Olathe, Kan., M.Ed.
Alexandria Szalawiga, Olathe, Kan., M.B.A.
Sara Schultz, Wamego, Kan., B.A., B.Mus.

Christopher Francik, Louisville, Ky., M.Ed.
William Cox, Paducah, Ky., B.S.Ed., LTD

Elizabeth Buss, Baton Rouge, La., B.S.Ed., LTD

Alexa Marquardt, Bel Air, Md., B.S.Ed., LTD

Katelyn Sievert, Frankenmuth, Mich., B.S.Ed., LTD
Joseph Weilnau, Monroe, Mich., B.S.
Ethan Hutton, Norton Shores, Mich., B.A.

Adam Strohschein, Annandale, Minn., B.S.
Kelsie Zellar, Eagle Lake, Minn., B.A.
Kathleen Bergt, Fairmont, Minn., B.A., B.S.Ed., LTD
Matthew Harwell, Glencoe, Minn., M.A., M.S.Family Life
Samantha Lafontaine, Hermantown, Minn., B.S.
Steven Whitney, Kenyon, Minn., B.A., DCE
Angela Harstad, Lewiston, Minn., B.S.Ed., LTD
Hayley Koeritz, Northrop, Minn., B.F.A.
Stacy Gaunt, Rochester, Minn., B.S.Ed.
Robert Bernard, Roseville, Minn., M.Ed.
Mark Meyer, Trimont, Minn., B.S.Ed., LTD
Joseph Brandenburg, Waconia, Minn., B.A.

Gloria Deas, Gulfport, Miss., M.Ed.

Jacob Hamilton, Higginsville, Mo., B.A., Pre-Seminary
Amanda Mayfield, Jackson, Mo., B.S.Ed., LTD
Benjamin Skelton, Jackson, Mo., B.S.Ed., LTD
Emma Gaither, Joplin, Mo., B.S.Ed., LTD
Matthew Buchholz, Kansas City, Mo., B.S.Ed., LTD
Travis Ferguson, Kansas City, Mo., B.A.
José Rodriguez III, Kansas City, Mo., B.A.
Andrew Lehenbauer, Lake Ozark, Mo., B.A., Pre-Seminary
Nathanael Steadman, Lake Ozark, Mo., B.A.
Alyssa Bauwens, Perryville, Mo., B.F.A.
Eric Fox, Smithville, Mo., B.S.
Elizabeth Salzberg, St. Charles, Mo., B.S.Ed., LTD
Paul Fortmeyer, St. Joseph, Mo., B.S.
Rachel Weinhold, St. Joseph, Mo., B.S.Ed., LTD
Charles Dunbar, St. Louis, Mo., B.A.
Carly Ebersole, St. Louis, Mo., B.S.Ed., LTD
Rebecca McCracken, St. Louis, Mo., B.A.
Emily Metcalf, St. Louis, Mo., B.S.Ed., LTD
Andrew Metcalf, St. Louis, Mo., B.S.
Brandon Metcalf, St. Louis, Mo., B.A., DCE
Sharie Moen, St. Louis, Mo., B.A.
Rachel Pfotenhauer, St. Louis, Mo., M.Ed.
Ryan Sanft, St. Louis, Mo., B.S.
Sarah Sprague, St. Louis, Mo., B.S.Ed., LTD
Jessica Williams, St. Louis, Mo., B.A.
Brittany Becker, St. Peters, Mo., B.F.A.
Daniel Chrismer, St. Peters, Mo., B.A.

Katelyn Butts, Kalispell, Mont., B.A., B.S.Ed., LTD

Rachael Oetting, Sparks, Nev., B.S.Ed., LTD

Rebekah Motley, Lancaster, Ohio, B.S.Ed.

Gregory Hintz, Broken Arrow, Okla., M.S.Family Life
Amy Perigo, Enid, Okla., M.Ed.

Levi Wiseman, La Grande, Ore., B.S.Ed., LTD
Miles Barrow, Portland, Ore., B.A.

Joel Heckmann, Canton, S.D., B.A., Pre-Seminary
Heath Broekemeier, Elk Point, S.D., B.A.
Rebecca Thaler, Lake Andes, S.D., M.Ed.
Austin Albers, Sioux Falls, S.D., B.S.Ed.
Katie Herther, Sioux Falls, S.D., B.S.Ed., LTD
Patrick Phelps, Black Hawk, S.D., B.A.

Alyssa Koch, Murfreesboro, Tenn., B.A.

Ryan Fiero, Austin, Texas, B.A.
Aaron Ritz, Dallas, Texas, B.S.
Raul Lopez, El Paso, Texas, B.A.
Aaron Gillory, Houston, Texas, B.S.
Brian Towner, Houston, Texas, B.A.
Jennifer Wachsmann, Houston, Texas, M.B.A.
Jamarcus Walker, Houston, Texas, B.A.
Julia Marble, New Braunfels, Texas, B.S.Ed., LTD
Mikaela Barz, San Antonio, Texas, B.A., DCE
Virginia Sullivan, San Antonio, Texas, M.Ed.
JohnDavid Zischke, San Antonio, Texas, B.A.
Kenneth Zoeller, Spring, Texas, B.A.

Stephen Kuske, Green Bay, Wis., B.S.Ed, LTD
Andrew Kowalewsky, Jackson, Wis., B.A.
Erin Hanna, Random Lake, Wis., B.F.A.
Amanda Schroeder, Stevens Point, Wis., B.A.
Peter Gonring, Whitefish, Wis., M.Ed.

Christopher Podlich, Brisbane, Australia, B.A.

Esther Johnson, Monrovia, Liberia, B.S.Ed., LTD

Karol Arguello, Managua, Nicaragua, B.S.

Jan Hudak, Vavrisovo, Slovakia, B.S. Reported by PRWeb 7 hours ago.

Despite taking three big men in its incoming recruiting class, it appears Missouri coach Frank Haith will be adding another post player to the mix in the fall. Hayden Barnard, a 6-foot-9 center from Aurora, Ill., has decided to enroll at Missouri as a preferred walk-on in the fall, according to Metea Valley High School coach Bob Vozza. Reported by KansasCity.com 4 hours ago.

Patch Downers Grove, IL --

Three students from Community High School District 99 have been named winners of the 32nd annual Congressional Art Competition in the 11th District.

The overall winner, announced by Congressman Bill Foster (D-11) on Monday, was Katie Berendt, a junior from Downers Grove North High School. Her piece, "Breaking Captivity," will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. for the next year, along with other winners from across the country.

Second place was awarded to "Bright Eyes" by Naperville Central senior Mark Irion. Third place went to "Breaking Through" by Downers Grove South junior Egle Keturakyte, and fourth went to "Crash" by South sophomore Sarah Wagner.

Irion's work will hang in Foster's Washington D.C. office, and the pieces by Keturakyte and Wagner will hang in his offices in Aurora and Joliet.

“It’s always a pleasure to see the ability and imagination of our students,” Foster said in a release. “I congratulate all of this year’s participants for showcasing the creativity and talent we have throughout our district.”

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.

- -

*There are plenty of ways to keep up on Downers Grove news:*

· *Sign up for our daily email newsletter*

· *Like us on Facebook for a slightly different take* Reported by Patch 5 days ago.

As of Firefox 23, currently in the Aurora channel, Mozilla's browser supports the Content Security Policy 1.0 spec. CSP is designed to enable websites to whitelist a series of domains that can serve JavaScript code to prevent XSS attacks. The idea is simple. By specifying precisely where the code can come from, arbitrary or injected JavaScript code can't be run. The need for a CSP comes from the fact that very few sites these days only run code hosted under their dom... Reported by Softpedia 4 days ago.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS — The driver of a car who died in a head-on collision with a semi truck on Interstate 70 in Glenwood Canyon last week has been positively identified as Sherrie Hart, 53, Reported by Denver Post 4 days ago.

In a story May 28 about a car accident that killed five teenagers, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Robin and Aurora Cabrera were their parents' only children. They were their parents' only daughters. Reported by SignonSanDiego 4 days ago.

A prehistoric beast the size of a pheasant has become a contender for the title of oldest bird to stalk the Earth.

The small, feathered "Dawn" bird lived around 160m years ago, about 10m years before Archaeopteryx, that holds the official title of the earliest bird known to science.

The new species, which scientists have named Aurornis xui, had claws and a long tail, with front and hind legs similar to those of Archaeopteryx, but some features of its bones were more primitive. It measured 50cm from its beak to the tip of its tail.

Encased in sedimentary rock, the fossil preserved traces of downy feathers along the animal's tail, neck and chest, but the absence of larger feathers suggests it was not able to fly.

When scientists reconstructed the evolutionary tree of similar beasts using measurements from their skeletons, A xui appeared on the bird lineage, but closer to the base of the tree than Archaeopteryx.

"It's an important fossil," said Gareth Dyke, a senior palaeontologist involved in the study at Southampton University. "Aurornis pushes Archaeopteryx off its perch as the oldest member of the bird lineage."

Archaeopteryx holds a prized position in evolutionary history. The fossil, discovered in Germany in 1861, proved that modern birds evolved from dinosaurs, and was the first fossil to support Darwin's theory of evolution, which had been published only two years earlier.

Researchers named the new species Aurornis xui because it marks the earliest days of the evolutionary path that led to modern birds. Aurornis combines aurora, the Latin for dawn, and ornis, the Greek for bird. The second part of the name, xui, honours Xu Xing, a Chinese palaeontologist, according to a report in Nature.

Scientists at the Yizhou Fossil and Geology Park in north-eastern China bought the remains from a local fossil dealer, who claimed they had been unearthed in Yaoluguo in western Liaoning, where sedimentary rock was laid down 153m to 165m years ago.

It is not uncommon for scientists to work with fossil dealers, but it can be a risky business. Unless experts can confirm where a fossil came from, it can be impossible to gauge their age.

The high value of exotic fossils has led to a flood of fakes onto the market that have duped scientists in the past. In 2009, researchers retracted a paper that claimed cheetahs originated in China, after the fossil they studied was found to be glued together from less interesting remains.

When it was bought, the latest specimen was only partially prepared, but further work by Pascal Godefroit and others at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels revealed the intricate details of the skeleton. They saw no signs of forgery and said the chances of it being a fake were low.

Analysis of the sediments proved that the fossil came from the Tiaojishan formation as the dealer claimed, and not younger deposits nearby.

Though the remains themselves are stunning, scientists are more interested in what the new species means for the evolution of birds and bird flight. In 2011, Xu Xing claimed that Archaeopteryx was not an ancient ancestor of modern birds after all. The latest study overturns that claim, and returns Archaeopteryx to the avian lineage.

"This work makes Archaeopteryx a bird again, and given that we have the original specimen here in London, we're very pleased to have it reinstated," said Paul Barrett at the Natural History Museum in London. "It makes life simpler. If Archaeopteryx was an early bird, we only have to worry about one origin of flight."

Dawn is only the latest small-bodied, bird-like creature from the Jurassic to be unearthed by fossil hunters. The picture emerging is of a time when scores of bird-like dinosaurs and dinosaur-like birds lived side-by-side, with only minor differences separating one species from another.

"This emphasizes how grey the dividing line is between birds and dinosaurs. There's such a gradation in features between them that it's very difficult to tell them apart. It only takes relatively small changes in our knowledge of these to flip around some of the evolutionary relationships between them," said Barrett.

Though the Dawn bird is older than Archaeopteryx, claiming the title of oldest known bird is no simple matter. Features of Archaeopteryx are used to define what a bird is, so species that lived beforehand are in murky territory.

"The new species is certainly an older member of the bird lineage than Archaeopteryx, and it's fair to call it a very primitive bird. But what you call a bird comes down to what you call a bird, and a lot of definitions depend on Archaeopteryx," said Barrett.

Fossils that captured evolution in action:

*Tiktaalik*
Better known as the "fishapod," Tiktaalik was discovered in the Canadian Arctic in 2004. This 375m-year-old creature lived at a crucial time in history, when fish first left the oceans and became land dwellers. Tiktaalik looked like a primitive fish crossed with early four-legged animals. It had lungs and gills, and fins that could support much of its weight.

*Archaeopteryx*
The classic transitional fossil, Archaeopteryx had feathers like a bird, but teeth, claws and a bony tail like a dinosaur. The first remains were discovered in Germany in 1861, only two years after Darwin published his theory of evolution. In 1868, Thomas Huxley suggested that Archaeopteryx was an evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds. The animal became central to the evolution debate.

*Amphistium*
Amphistium is a 50m-year-old relative of the flatfish. While modern flatfish, like flounder, plaice and sole, have both eyes on one side of the head, the shift in eye position is incomplete in Amphistium. One eye has begun to move towards the other. Specimens of Amphistium had lain in museums for more than two centuries before their importance became clear.

*Ambulocetus*
The evolutionary leap from land to marine mammals was a problem for Darwin, but Ambulocetus gave a snapshot of the process in action. Known as the walking whale, Ambulocetus was an early whale discovered in Pakistan in 1992. It could walk on four legs on land and in water, and heard by picking up vibrations through its jawbone, just as modern whales do.

*Thrinaxodon*
Known from fossils unearthed in Antarctica and South Africa, this creature lived 245m years ago. It captures the extraordinary transition from reptile to mammal. Descended from reptiles, it had scales and laid eggs, but like mammals, had whiskers, warm blood and perhaps a fur coat.

*Ian Sample*

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk

Please follow Science on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

 
 
 
  Reported by Business Insider 4 days ago.

AURORA, Colo., May 29, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On the heels of the surprise representation filing for American Airlines mechanics and related craft by the Teamsters yesterday, the National Mediation Board (NMB) thwarted the efforts of American Airlines mechanics to place the... Reported by PR Newswire 4 days ago.

This medical air transport agency, in three Northwest U.S. states, has taken their employee scheduling and workforce management abilities to new heights.

Aurora, OR (PRWEB) May 29, 2013

With multiple locations and over 200 employees covering thousands of miles throughout Oregon, Washington and Idaho, Life Flight Network says that they had outgrown the usefulness of spreadsheet crew scheduling.

“The spreadsheet did not allow for individual employee schedule changes without involving managers/schedulers. The option of empowering the employee to self-submit availability, make trades, and request vacation/time off makes EMS Manager the best system for our company,” indicates Dominic Pomponio RN, CFRN Region 3 Director, Life Flight Network.

Life Flight Network selected EMS Manager after testing demos from a number of online scheduling companies. The company operates multiple bases with ground EMS, helicopter, and fixed-wing operations. They sought a scheduling and workforce management system that was more efficient, and more fitting, for their entire operation. Life Flight Network states the system capabilities, customer service and ease of setting up EMS Manager fit their company’s needs and expectations.

“EMS Manager has allowed Life Flight Network to review availability and schedule accordingly. We utilize a 12-week schedule, so there is a greater likelihood in changes of availability throughout the scheduled period. EMS Manager allows the employee to submit their availability and take ownership in the scheduling process, thus making for a more consistent and fair schedule for all,” adds Pomponio. “Administrators and staff value the ability to access the system from our smartphones. Admin staff can also page out (notify) members about any schedule changes and alert them of open positions. EMS Manager’s customer service is very responsive. As an administrator, I know I can call or email and get an answer immediately.”

Life Flight Network, named the 2009 Air Medical Program of the Year by the Association of Air Medical Services, provides life-saving transport for seriously ill or injured patients from the scene of an emergency or from one hospital to another. Much of the area Life Flight Network services is remote, making a flight-based option pivotal for residents and visitors needing medical attention. Life Flight Network’s unique combination of air and ground ambulances and highly skilled personnel, represents an integral part of local emergency medical systems.

###

Aladtec, Inc. is a proud provider of web-based software solutions for online employee scheduling and workforce management applications. The company’s flagship products, EMS Manager and FIRE Manager, are leaders in the public safety sector. Together with their newest product, Zanager, they serve nearly 1,000 EMS agencies, fire departments, police departments and other businesses. Over 60,000 employees use Aladtec’s online employee scheduling and workforce management products. Aladtec is headquartered just outside the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area in Hudson, Wisconsin. For more information, visit http://www.aladtec.com.

# # #

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Aladtec, Inc.
906 Dominion Drive
Hudson, WI 54016-4538
(888) 749-5550 Toll-Free
(715) 690-2300 Phone
(801) 406-5550 Fax
mellissa(at)aladtec(dot)com
info(at)aladtec(dot)com | http://www.aladtec.com Reported by PRWeb 4 days ago.

Attorney General Eric Holder is reportedly meeting with members of the press, to hear what they had to say about the Justice Department's actions towards the Associated Press and a Fox News reporter. Apparently, my invitation to this meeting got lost in the mail (perhaps it is in my "Spam" folder, I'll admit I didn't check...), so allow me to use the format of this column to say what I would have said to Eric Holder had I met with him.

Mister Attorney General, the reason I have such a problem with issuing warrants or subpoenas for news reporters is because I am aware of the history of the laws being used to do so. I have a hard time believing that you or your boss (a former constitutional professor) are completely unaware of these precedents in American history, but I haven't heard anyone else mentioning them, so I thought it fell to me to bring them up.

The Espionage Act of 1917 wasn't the first time the federal government decided to criminally target people who had the audacity to publish writings critical of those in power. That infamy belongs to the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. The "sedition" part was directly targeted at newspaper editors who disagreed with the ruling Federalists, at the time. Benjamin Franklin's grandson, Benjamin Franklin Bache, was specifically targeted for his Philadelphia paper the Aurora (Philly was the nation's capital at the time). He died of yellow fever before he could be convicted of sedition, but other Antifederalist publishers did spend time in jail for the "crime" of criticizing the government. A sitting member of Congress who also published a newspaper, Matthew Lyon, was jailed for sedition during this time period, and he subsequently won re-election to his House seat while he was in prison.

This may sound like ancient history, so let's jump forward a century, to the Espionage Act passed during World War I -- which is still in force today (although it has been revised a bit). Like its predecessor, this law was passed to target "sedition" -- which at the time was classified as anyone speaking out either against the war or against the military draft. Once again, the law was not used to prosecute spies so much as it was used to prosecute those who didn't agree with America's entry into the war. This is the law that put Eugene Debs in prison with a 10-year sentence. It was also the law used against a moviemaker who had done nothing more than create a film about the American Revolution. He was found guilty of sedition for merely portraying the British in an unkind light in his film (pretty hard not to do, when the subject is the Revolution) -- because Britain was now our wartime ally. He also received a 10-year prison sentence.

One case brought under the Espionage Act back then created two phrases most Americans still recognize, even if few know their origin or the case's actual name. But when the Supreme Court ruled on Schenck v. United States, it gave birth to both "a clear and present danger" and also "falsely shouting fire in a theater." The clear and present danger to the United States that the court ruled could be punished? The "fire" that was being falsely shouted? It was a one-page pamphlet being handed out to men eligible for the military draft, one side of which was titled: "Long Live The Constitution Of The United States." When read today, it's hard to understand why anyone went to jail for it. The "clear and present danger" was, in fact, that young men would refuse to accept being drafted. Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote, in upholding the conviction: "The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theater, and causing a panic." Most Americans aren't even aware of what this court case was about, even if they do recognize snippets of this ruling which put rather large and arbitrary limits on the First Amendment.

In World War II, the Espionage Act was used to deny a mailing permit to fervent F.D.R. critic Charles Coughlin, which killed the distribution of his Social Justice. The Attorney General at the time also attempted to use it against other "vermin publications." From this point on, subsequent Supreme Court rulings have put much stricter limits on how the Justice Department can act towards reporters -- the most famous being the "Pentagon Papers" case in the Vietnam era. A new legal standard for the press was thus created, one in which reporters cannot be held in jeopardy for printing government information which has been leaked to them. Many news organizations, to put this another way, have printed portions of the "Wikileaks" documents, but none have been accused of any crime for doing so. This is supposed to be the new, modern standard.

This is what makes the Justice Department's recent actions towards the media so disturbing -- because it represents a step backward to a much uglier time, with fewer legal protections for the press. There is a very fine line between targeting leaking and targeting the media who print the leaks, and sedition laws were often passed with the specific intent of reining in unruly press as their main objective. This is historic fact. When the Justice Department applied for a warrant to search the emails of Fox reporter James Rosen, it specifically stated that he might be a "co-conspirator" with whomever leaked the information to him. Now the Obama administration would have us believe that Rosen was never the target, and there was no intent to ever prosecute him. Far from being exculpatory, however, this is even more disturbing, because of the misuse of the legal system it represents. The warrant application swore to a federal judge that Rosen was indeed a possible criminal, when apparently someone else was the real target. I fail to see how this is not lying to the judiciary branch, personally -- in a document signed by the Attorney General of the United States.

Historically, the federal government does not have a very good track record when attempting to interfere or intimidate its critics in the press. The press, in fact, is the only private industry even mentioned in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. I have to believe that freedom of the press was prominently placed in the First Amendment for a good reason. That reason is to prevent the federal government -- even in wartime, and even over governmental secrets -- from ever using its power to threaten members of the press.

So, Attorney General Holder, forgive me if I so far have not been impressed with your "just trust us" attitude towards using the full weight of the Justice Department to root around in the communications of two prominent media organizations. The history of the federal government doing so is not a shining one, to put it bluntly. You are not on firm ground, you are at the top of a very slippery slope indeed. Signing a search warrant application accusing a member of the press with being a co-conspirator to espionage was a serious lapse in judgment. The only way to rectify this lapse now and insure it does not happen again is to throw the full weight of the Justice Department and the White House behind those in Congress working to create a new federal "reporter shield law" (and don't exclude the bloggers, either!). Because -- once again -- the First Amendment doesn't seem to be enough to stop such abuses. Which is disappointing, to say the least.

 

Chris Weigant blogs at:


Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Become a fan of Chris on The Huffington Post

  Reported by Huffington Post 4 days ago.

It was a drive like any other drive. I got on Highway 99 and headed south, confident, after checking Google Maps, that I’d be downtown in 20 minutes. Then, near the Aurora Bridge, 99 became a parking lot. A portion of the route had been closed for construction. I’d had no idea. “Th Reported by Seattle Times 21 hours ago.

Holly Madison is really rocking the post-baby glow these days. On Saturday, the 33-year-old stunned in a sparkly ensemble for the annual Simon G. Soiree, held at TAO inside the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas. Madison, who gave birth to daughter Rainbow Aurora back in March, finished off her look with equally sparkly platform heels....Read more» Reported by Celebuzz 8 hours ago.

Patch Yorkville, IL --

Marie Lillian Worland, age 89, of Yorkville, IL passed away on Friday, May 31, 2013 at Sandwich Rehabilitation and Health Care in Sandwich, IL. She was born on November 14, 1923 in Aurora, IL the daughter of Stephan and Lillian (Voelkner) Bazan.

Mar Reported by Patch 3 hours ago.

A surprisingly strong geomagnetic storm swept over our planet this weekend, resulting in a surprisingly strong set of videos showing the northern lights (and the southern lights, too).A couple of the videos pack in some extra goodies. For example, Oregon photographer Brad Goldpaint's video of the aurora over Crater Lake features a long-exposure streak left behind by the International Space Station...

 
 
 
  Reported by msnbc.com 4 hours ago.

HARTFORD, Conn. -- A plan by Connecticut officials to withhold some Newtown school shooting records from the public would be another blow to government transparency, which has taken hits in other states in recent years, advocates for freedom of information laws say.

The proposal is in a bill privately crafted by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's office, the state's top prosecutor and legislative leaders. It would allow authorities to withhold from the public photographs, videos, 911 call recordings and other records depicting the physical condition of any victim of the Dec. 14 shootings, unless the family gives written permission.

The legislation would bar the release of emergency responders' audio transmissions but allow the public to view transcripts of the recordings at a cost of 50 cents a page. The bill also would limit disclosure of the death certificates of the 20 first-graders and six educators killed in the attack to immediate family members only.

Media groups and advocates of public records laws worry the bill, which is pending, would set a bad precedent by exempting specific incidents from FOI laws. They say it would encourage other crime victims to ask the state to limit disclosure of records now routinely released to the public, and it appears to make the Newtown killings more important than the dozens of other killings in Connecticut each year.

They also question the bill being drafted in secrecy and not being subjected to the public hearing process like other bills are. The legislative session ends next Wednesday.

"If you hide away documents from the public, then the public has no way of knowing whether police ... have done their jobs correctly," said Sonny Albarado, city editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and board president of the Society of Professional Journalists, a free press advocacy group based in Indianapolis.

"It sets a tone where it makes it easier to hide other things, and the public suffers, in my view," Albarado said. "Obviously, the mass murder of 26 people is a very horrific crime. But 26 people die regularly in most large towns within a few weeks or within a few months and we don't express the same kind of horror and we don't afford those victims or the perpetrators any kind of anonymity."

The SPJ and other media groups have noted their opposition to the bill in letters to Malloy, and several newspapers in the state have published editorials and columns criticizing the legislation.

Malloy is defending the proposal, saying that the state wants to protect and respect the wishes of relatives of the Newtown victims and that the bill applies only to the Sandy Hook shootings.

Parents of some Newtown shooting victims said at a news conference at the state Capitol on Friday that one of their main concerns was photos of the massacre scene being posted online.

"I'm fully supportive of an open and transparent government, but I can't understand how distributing graphic photos of murdered teachers and children serves any purpose other than causing our families more pain," said Dean Pinto, whose 6-year-old son, Jack, was killed in the school shooting.

"Unfortunately, newspapers are no longer the only disseminators of information," he said. "The world of information has changed substantially over the past few years and our Freedom of Information laws need to adjust to the times. There are many who lack the common sense and decency of mainstream media (and) who will freely use these images for their own disgusting purposes."

Albarado, the SPJ president, said there have been efforts in many states in recent years to restrict the release of public documents.

"I see, overall, just a general effort to erode FOI laws and public records laws throughout the country," he said.

Officials in cities and towns where other mass shootings happened have handled the release of public records in different ways.

Colorado officials are denying media requests for records on the Aurora movie theater shootings last year that killed 12 people and injured 70. But 13 years ago, Colorado authorities released some surveillance video of the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton that left 13 people dead, and those videos are all over the Internet.

After 32 students and faculty were killed at Virginia Tech in 2007, officials released some public records related to the shootings but not the 911 call recordings or the killer's medical records.

Wisconsin authorities released 911 calls after six people were shot to death at a Sikh temple last year. In Manchester, Conn., police released 911 calls related to a 2010 shooting at a beer distributorship, where eight people were fatally shot by a co-worker, who also killed himself.

Colleen Murphy, executive director and general counsel of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission, said she has seen a chipping away of public disclosure laws by the state legislature and courts in recent years. Her agency enforces Connecticut's public records and meetings laws.

Murphy said the commission is concerned about several bills in this year's legislative session. They include proposals to exempt the pardon process from public view, further restrict information about government employees from being released and allow public agencies to charge people for just viewing public records.

And about a half dozen times since 2010, the state Supreme Court has overturned rulings by the Freedom of Information Commission after the commission ordered the release of public documents.

"I've seen a gradual sea change ... toward more people asking questions about why should the public have access to information instead of why shouldn't they," Murphy said. "We forget why we have these laws. Any record created by government belongs to the people."

___

Associated Press writer Susan Haigh in Hartford, Conn., contributed to this report. Reported by Huffington Post 2 hours ago.