French oil body expects firms to remove staff from Algeria

Source: reuters // Reuters

PARIS, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The head of France's oil industry body, UFIP, said on Thursday he expected French energy firms would remove some employees from Algeria and other high-risk areas after Islamist militants took dozens of people hostage at an Algerian gas plant.

Energy companies such as Total with operations in Algeria have declined to discuss what measures they will take following Wednesday's attack, but UFIP head Jean-Louis Schilansky said security was bound to be increased.

"These facilities are very vulnerable. I think that a number of companies will repatriate some of their staff because conditions today are very difficult," he told reporters.

French firms have been reluctant to discuss plans beyond saying they have stepped up security in the wider regions since French aircraft started bombing Islamist rebels in Mali a week ago to halt their advance on the capital Bamako.

"We have security plans in place and remain vigilant, but we are far from the concerned area," said a spokesman for Lafarge, the world's largest cement maker. Lafarge has two cement plants and 22 concrete production centres located in northern Algeria, where it employs 2,000 staff.

Oil giant Total, which produces about one percent of its total output in Algeria, declined to discuss staffing levels. "We are permanently monitoring the situation and are taking all steps needed to ensure the security of our premises and staff in the region," said a Total spokesman.

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Source: http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/french-oil-body-expects-firms-to-remove-staff-from-algeria

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WRESTLING Kettering shines during Military Appreciation Night at WL Northern WITH VIDEO

Captains notch pair of victories

Mike Gorman of Walled Lake Northern puts the clamps on Waterford Mott's Isaiah Robles in a 160-pound match.

Patrick Kern (left) of Walled Lake Northern and Gavin Collum of Waterford Kettering went head to head in their 152-pound match.

Walled Lake Northern's Jerry Brendel felt the pain from Waterford Mott's Tyler Stafford, who eventually pinned him.

Army Sargeant First Class Vernetta Lamping (left) and Staff Sargeant Harold Montague were interested observers of the wrestling meet.

COMMERCE TWP. ? A KLAA double dual wrestling meet was on the agenda Wednesday at Walled Lake Northern High School, but the military was front and center during Military Appreciation Night.

Service veterans and retirees were recognized during an evening of patriotism and gratitude for the armed forces.

Staff Sargeant Harold Montague, and Sargeant First Class Vernetta Lamping, both from the Michigan Army National Guard and both neatly dressed in combat fatigues, were interested observers during the evening.

?I?m impressed with the dedication and shape these guys are in,? said Montague, who knows something about fitness as an active duty Marine for eight years before joining the National Guard and working with recruiting and retention.

Lamping, team leader for the Pontiac area, was grateful for the recognition.

?I think it?s wonderful that they would take the time to not only honor active duty personnel but retirees as well,? she said.

Army Major Jeff Hoose, who has served nearly 25 years as an enlisted solider and a commissioned officer, served as honorary captain for Northern?s squad, who were outfitted with Michigan National Guard singlets for the occasion.

Also, a wrestler from each squad was honored for leadership, dedication, sportsmanship and academics with Northern?s Jacob Jackson, Western?s Austin Murray, Mott?s Alex Moorer and Kettering?s Dave Delehanty earning honors.

Northern wrestling coach Andrew Wilson said some members of the Northern squad have relatives currently serving in the military.

?(This is) not only (to) highlight our program but to show some respect to the community,? said Wilson of the evening?s theme.

Waterford Kettering, though, stood atop of all the teams, registering a narrow 34-31 decision over Northern before pounding Walled Lake Western, 63-5. Northern defeated Waterford Mott, 47-19, and Walled Lake Western nipped Mott, 42-36.

The Captains are undefeated at 3-0 in the KLAA North and Kettering coach Brett Hanna is feeling good. ?It was a total team effort, everybody stepped up,? said Hanna.

But the Captains were feeling the heat against Northern where, after Andrew Hahnenberg (112), Corey Howell (135), Christian Lauderback (140), Noah Holland (145) and Mike Gorman (160) registered victories, the Knights found themselves up 28-12 with five matches remaining.

Gorman had nipped Kettering?s Dalton Bedgood, 2-1, in a key match. But Wilson was looking for more with the Captains? strength coming up. ?I was thinking we need to steal one more match,? said Wilson, who couldn?t get it. Kettering?s Zach Carter (171) and Tyler James (189) each got bonus-point victories, and Northern?s Justin Miller, in the final match, needed to pin Kettering?s Cory Conrad at 103 to tie the match. Conrad courageously fought off the pin, and nearly pinned Miller in the third period before succumbing, 7-4.

?There are those subtle things that make a difference,? Wilson said. ?Our squad wrestled really well ... we?re improving every time.?

Western squeezed out a victory over Mott as both teams struggle to stay out of the KLAA North cellar.

Marcus Johnson (160), Jack Michalski (171) were among Warriors who earned victories to lead Western.

Mott?s Jason Medawar recorded a pair of victories on the night to key the Corsairs.

Last Updated: 1/16/2013 11:41:41 PM EST

Source: http://miprepzone.com/oakland/results.asp?ID=8888

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Eureka woman dies in Oil Well Hill crash

Kellie Elizabeth McFarland, 51, of Eureka was killed Monday evening in a crash on Highway 101 north of Willits.

MacFarland was driving a 1967 Chevy pickup truck northbound on Highway 101 north of Willits when she lost control as the pickup entered the left-hand turn north of Reynolds Highway. The pickup veered across the highway through grove of trees and rolled about 60 feet down an embankment, landing on its roof, says the California Highway Patrol report. MacFarland was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle per CHP. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The weather was clear with temperatures near freezing and the roadway was wet. Whether alcohol or drugs were a factor remains under investigation, according to CHP.

Little Lake Fire Department responded to the crash at 7:20 p.m. with 17 firefighters. There were two engines and three duty vehicles on scene to help safely control traffic and aid in the recovery of the victim. Firefighters were released from the scene at 10:40 p.m.

Source: http://www.willitsnews.com/ci_22378476/eureka-woman-dies-oil-well-hill-crash?source=rss_viewed

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US home construction in 2012 highest in 4 years

In this Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, photo a new home is constructed in Pepper Pike, Ohio. US home construction surges 12.1 percent in December to end best year since 2008. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

In this Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, photo a new home is constructed in Pepper Pike, Ohio. US home construction surges 12.1 percent in December to end best year since 2008. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

In this Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, photo a new home is constructed in Pepper Pike, Ohio. US home construction surges 12.1 percent in December to end best year since 2008. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

In this Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, photo a new home is constructed in Pepper Pike, Ohio. US home construction surges 12.1 percent in December to end best year since 2008. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

In this Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, photo a new home is constructed in Pepper Pike, Ohio. US home construction surges 12.1 percent in December to end best year since 2008. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

In this Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, photo a new home is constructed in Pepper Pike, Ohio. U.S. home construction surges 12.1 percent in December to end best year since 2008. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

(AP) ? U.S. builders started work on homes in December at the fastest pace in 4 ? years and finished 2012 as their best year for residential construction since the early stages of the housing crisis.

The Commerce Department said Thursday that builders broke ground on houses and apartments last month at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 954,000. That's 12.1 percent higher than November's annual rate. And it is nearly double the recession low reached in April 2009.

Construction increased last month for both single-family homes and apartments. And the pace in which builders requested permits to start more homes ticked up to a 4 ? year high.

For the year, builders started work on 780,000 homes. That's still roughly half of the annual number of starts consistent with healthier markets. But it is an increase of 28.1 percent from 2011. And it is the most since 2008 ? shortly after the housing market began to collapse in late 2006 and 2007.

Steady hiring, record-low mortgage rates and a tight supply of new and previously occupied homes available for sale have helped boost sales and prices in most markets. That has persuaded builders to start more homes, which adds to economic growth and hiring.

"There is no denying that the housing market recovery is solidifying, and we expect construction activity to ramp up to the 1 million annualized threshold by the end of this year," said Michael Dolega, an economist with TD Economics, in a note to clients.

Dolega said the gains in home building helped boost construction hiring in December by 30,000 jobs ? the most in 15 months. He predicts the construction industry could add half a million jobs in 2013.

In December, the pace of single-family home construction, which makes up two-thirds of the market, increased 8 percent. While that's well below healthy levels, single-family housing starts are now 75 percent higher than the recession low reached in March 2009.

Apartment construction, which is more volatile, surged 23 percent last month. It is now back to pre-recession levels.

Applications for building permits, a sign of future construction, inched up to a rate of 903,000 ? the highest level since July 2008.

"The strong rise in single-family starts is a clear indication of builder confidence in the sales outlook," said Pierre Ellis, an economist at Decision Economics, in a note to clients.

Confidence among homebuilders held steady in January at the highest level in nearly seven years. But builders are feeling slightly less optimistic about their prospects for sales over the next six months, according to a survey released Wednesday.

In November, sales of previously occupied homes rose to their highest level in three years, while new-home sales reached a 2 1/2-year high.

Those factors have helped make homebuilders more confident and spurred new home construction. But homebuilders' are still warily watching the current standoff in Washington between President Barack Obama and Congress over several approaching budget deadlines, including the need to boost the nation's $16.4 trillion borrowing limit.

Though new homes represent less than 20 percent of the housing sales market, they have an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in tax revenue, according to data from the homebuilders association.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-17-Housing%20Starts/id-c3abed4ccbe44f1ea1b63fa9aad15258

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Two dead after helicopter crashes into crane in central London

Two people have died and 13 were injured after a helicopter crashed in central London this morning when it hit a crane on top of a tower block by the River Thames.

The stricken aircraft cartwheeled to the ground and exploded into flames before crashing into a street during the rush hour.

Burning wreckage and aviation fuel covered the road as eyewitnesses reported seeing cars on fire and hearing people screaming. Two people have been taken to hospital.

Related article: 'It was like a little earthquake': Witnesses speak of Vauxhall helicopter crash horror

David Cameron said after the tragedy that the issue of helicopters flying over central London needs to be examined, as astonishing eyewitness accounts emerged from the horrific crash.

It was revealed this afternoon that the crane operator only survived the crash because he was running late and was not in his cabin when the aircraft came down.

The pilot killed when the helicopter came down was named this afternoon as Pete Barnes.

The 'respected and well-liked' contract pilot had previously flown a number of celebrity clients and also worked on several Hollywood films.

London Fire Brigade station manager Bruce Grain, one of first firefighters at the scene, said it "was absolute chaos" but he revealed the fire was put out within 20 minutes.

Eight fire engines, four fire rescue units and around 60 firefighters plus officers attended the scene of the crash, a few hundred yards from MI6, on a busy road.


Firefighters rescued a man from a burning car and brought a blaze caused by the crash under control.

Damage can be clearly seen on the crane which the helicopter crashed into (PA)Four fire engines and two fire rescue units also attended reports of a crane in a precarious position. The brigade was called at 8am.

The crane was on top of a building called The Tower in the St George Wharf development, and is billed as one of Europe's tallest residential towers.

-->A spokesman for London Fire Brigade said: "We are taking lots of emergency calls at the moment".

One eyewitness reported seeing cars on fire and hearing people screaming.

As rush-hour traffic built up, the A3036 Wandsworth Road in Vauxhall was closed in both directions between Vauxhall Cross and the Lansdowne Way junction.

Flying conditions this morning were reflected in the fact that London City Airport in Docklands had delays due to poor visibility.

Paul Ferguson, who was working in an office near the incident, told BBC News: "There was a flash and the helicopter plunged to the ground. It exploded and you can imagine the smoke coming out of it.

"It was probably heading from the nearby heliport. It may be that on this misty morning the lights on nearby St George's Tower weren't on and it moved and clipped the edge of the crane and lost control."

Related slideshow: Helicopter crashes in Central London during rush hour covering road in burning fuel

Eyewitness Chris Matthison told BBC News: "There was some damage to the crane. It's possible the crane is lying across Nine Elms road.

"The top of the nearest building is steeped in mist and difficult to see."


He added: "I heard a very unusual dull thud, then there was silence. The silence really took my imagination. Emergency services responded very quickly."

Transport for London said buses in the Vauxhall area were subject to diversion and delays due to the incident. People were advised to avoid the area and seek alternative routes.

The aircraft is understood to be an AgustaWestland AW109, a lightweight, twin-engine helicopter with eight seats.

The Met Police said they were "aware" of 11 casualties, including two dead.

One person was taken to a south London hospital in a critical condition, three people suffering minor injuries were taken to south London hospitals and five people were treated at the scene for minor injuries.


Met Commissioner Sir Bernard said: "We believe at the moment there are something in the order of 11 casualties and the other reason we're a little unclear is because people are presenting to different places trying to get help."

There was some confusion around the number of people in the aircraft, although it was earlier reported that it was flying between Gatwick and Elstree with two on board.

However, a spokesman for the RNLI said London Coastguard was contacted by Battersea London Heliport, which confirmed it had lost contact with one of its aircraft.

A lifeboat was launched from the Tower RNLI lifeboat station to search the Thames but is understood to have since stood down.

Traffic chaos broke out in the wake of the incident, with Vauxhall Bridge Road southbound closed, Wandsworth Road partially closed, Nine Elms Lane partially closed and South Lambeth Road partially closed.

Vauxhall Tube, train and bus stations are also currently closed.

Cloud in central London was very low at the time of the accident, according to MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association.

Forecaster Paul Knightley said London City Airport was reporting a cloudbase of just 100ft (30.5m) at 8am.

"The top of the building would have been shrouded in cloud," he said.

Source: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/helicopter-crashes-into-crane-in-vauxhall-bus-station-london-082907793.html

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NYC school bus drivers, aides go on strike

Bus drivers and supporters walk a picket line in front of a bus depot in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. More than 8,000 New York City school bus drivers and matrons went on strike over job protection Wednesday morning, leaving some 152,000 students, many disabled, trying to find other ways to get to school. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Bus drivers and supporters walk a picket line in front of a bus depot in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. More than 8,000 New York City school bus drivers and matrons went on strike over job protection Wednesday morning, leaving some 152,000 students, many disabled, trying to find other ways to get to school. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Bus drivers and supporters walk a picket line in front of a bus depot in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. More than 8,000 New York City school bus drivers and matrons went on strike over job protection Wednesday morning, leaving some 152,000 students, many disabled, trying to find other ways to get to school. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Bus drivers and supporters walk a picket line in front of a bus depot in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. More than 8,000 New York City school bus drivers and matrons went on strike over job protection Wednesday morning, leaving some 152,000 students, many disabled, trying to find other ways to get to school. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Bus drivers and supporters walk a picket line in front of a bus depot in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. More than 8,000 New York City school bus drivers and matrons went on strike over job protection Wednesday morning, leaving some 152,000 students, many disabled, trying to find other ways to get to school. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Bus drivers and supporters walk a picket line in front of a bus depot in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. More than 8,000 New York City school bus drivers and matrons went on strike over job protection Wednesday morning, leaving some 152,000 students, many disabled, trying to find other ways to get to school. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

(AP) ? More than 8,000 New York City school bus drivers and aides went on strike over job protection Wednesday morning, leaving some 152,000 students, many disabled, trying to find other ways to get to school.

Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said the strike started at 6 a.m. Wednesday. About 200 bus drivers and bus matrons, who help kids on and off buses, were assembled on picket lines in the Queens section of the city.

"The first days will be extremely chaotic," Walcott told 1010 WINS radio. "It hasn't happened in New York City in over 33 years."

The union did not immediately return calls and emails seeking comment.

Matthew Mosca said his 5-year-old daughter, Ella, usually takes the bus from their home on Manhattan's East Side.

On Wednesday, they took a taxi.

"It's an inconvenience but I support the strike," Mosca said.

On Staten Island, parent Alicia Vuscemi had more scrambling to do, with kids at three different schools. Her son attends school in Brooklyn, and she got a pleasant surprise when his bus arrived. "I was still trying to figure out how he was going to get there," she said.

But she was concerned at the prospect of a lengthy strike. "Is it really going to last a while?" Vuscemi said.

Wednesday's walkout was by the largest bus drivers' union; some bus routes served by other unions were operating.

Most of the city's roughly 1.1 million public school students take public transportation or walk to school.

Those who rely on the buses include 54,000 special education students and others who live far from schools or transportation.

Parents have made plans to use subways, carpools and other alternatives, hitting slippery roads as sleet turned to rain around the city and temperatures were at or above freezing.

The city has put its contracts with private bus companies up for bid, aiming to cut costs. The Local 1181 of the Amalgamated Transit Union says drivers could suddenly lose their jobs when contracts expire in June.

The city plans to distribute transit cards to students who could take buses and subways and to reimburse parents who would have to drive or take taxis.

"We will get our children to school," Walcott said.

To do that, some parents had pieced together a patchwork of plans, such as a driving one child to one school and arranging a carpool to take a sibling to another school.

The union announced Monday it would strike amid a complicated dispute.

The city doesn't directly hire the bus drivers and matrons, who work for private companies that have city contracts. The workers make an average of about $35,000 a year, with a driver starting at $14 an hour and potentially making as much as $29 an hour over time, according to union President Michael Cordiello.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said the city must seek competitive bids to save money.

The union sought job protections for current drivers in the new contracts. The city said that the state's highest court, the Court of Appeals, has barred it from including such provisions because of competitive bidding laws; the union said that's not so.

Asked if the city is prepared to go as long as the last school bus strike in 1979 which lasted 14 weeks, Walcott said on WINS Radio, "This will go however long it goes. We have systems in place to support our parents and students."

Walcott, who was making the rounds of radio and television news shows Wednesday morning, told WNBC-TV there were no talks scheduled.

"We're not negotiating. They want us to do something illegal. We can't do that at all. We're always open for communication ... It's not our responsibility and job to negotiate. They work for private companies."

Asked if the city planned to take the striking union to court, Bloomberg told Fox 5 New: "I don't think it's time to do that" and characterized the union's actions as illegal.

"How is it illegal to provide the most experienced drivers and matrons in the school buses?" Cordiello asked Tuesday.

The contracts expire June 30.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-16-School%20Bus-Strike/id-e52592c8008442adb9a5077931de9bbd

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Source: http://flacopages.blogspot.com/2013/01/bray-family-genealogy.html

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Study examines link between incarceration and psychiatric disorders

Jan. 16, 2013 ? Psychiatric disorders are prevalent among current and former inmates of correctional institutions, but what has been less clear is whether incarceration causes these disorders or, alternatively, whether inmates have these problems before they enter prison.

A study co-authored by Jason Schnittker, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, shows that many of the most common psychiatric disorders found among former inmates, including impulse control disorders, emerge in childhood and adolescence and, therefore, predate incarceration. Yet, incarceration seems to lead to some mood related psychiatric disorders, such as major depression, which have important implications for what happens to inmates after their release.

Michael Massoglia, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Christopher Uggen, a professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota, co-authored the study, "Out and Down: Incarceration and Psychiatric Disorders," which appears in the current issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

Using data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, which took place between 2001 and 2003, the researchers examined the relationship between incarceration and psychiatric disorders after statistically adjusting for influences that might affect both, including an impoverished childhood background.

Their results reveal robust and long-lasting relationships between incarceration and psychiatric conditions that adversely affect one's mood, such as major depression.

"These conditions, in turn, are strongly related to other impairments, including a diminished capacity to form social relationships and to focus on daily activities including work," said Schnittker. "Although often neglected as a consequence of incarceration, mood related conditions might explain some of the difficulties former inmates experience following release."

In the study's conclusion, the researchers suggest that mental health treatment could help former inmates reintegrate into society and they encourage efforts to facilitate this. "Even though many former inmates want to get back on their feet after release, they experience numerous difficulties in doing so, some legal, some social, and some personal," Schnittker said. "Being depressed probably makes all of these obstacles even more difficult to overcome. Reentry requires motivation, and depression can rob you of that."

Schnittker's research interests are in medical sociology, focusing on mental health, physical health, and the relationship between the two. His current research on the effects of incarceration on the health of individuals, families, and communities is funded in part by a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Investigator Award in Health Policy.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/depression/~3/0pdzcNZ_jeM/130116085947.htm

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