Wynne wants answers on Toronto cannabis store location near school
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is looking into how a decision was made to place one of the province’s first government-run cannabis stores less than a kilometre from a school, as school board officials say they were left out of the process.Wynne said Thursday that safety remains her top concern as the province rolls out a chain of stores to sell and distribute recreational marijuana, which is expected to become legal this summer.The premier said she would ask her staff what led to the selection of the Toronto site.“I am going to ask a question about exactly how the decision was made,” she said. “I just want to know that the school board had input into it.”The province announced the locations of its first four pot stores on Wednesday, saying they’d be set up in Guelph, Kingston, Toronto and Thunder Bay.The site in east Toronto, however, is close to at least one school, which came as a surprise to the Toronto District School Board.The board wasn’t consulted about the location, said the board’s chair, Robin Pilkey.“If we had been consulted, we would have consulted with parents,” she said, noting that some have complained to the local trustee.“We’re kind of surprised, actually,” said Pilkey. “We heard nothing about this.”She said the lack of communication is concerning, given that dozens more shops are set to open across the province this year. Once locations are announced it becomes harder to change them, she said.“To me this is a bit like the Wild West — they don’t know how it’s going to run out, so I think caution in the beginning would have been a good idea,” she said.The Ontario Public School Boards Association said the site selection process itself isn’t clear and that needs to change.Ontario was the first province to announce a detailed plan to sell and distribute marijuana after the federal government announced it would legalize recreational pot by this summer.The province plans to set up a total of roughly 150 standalone cannabis stores by 2020, with the first 40 set to open this year.The stores will be run by a subsidiary of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, and the legal age to buy marijuana will be set at 19 — the same as for alcohol and cigarettes.The LCBO has said store locations would comply with local zoning rules, minimize proximity to schools and factor in where illegal dispensaries are currently operating.Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa said Thursday there are ongoing discussions with municipalities and other stakeholders about the placement of the stores, but noted that finding appropriate locations is more difficult in cities due to density.“In certain urban communities it’s difficult to have that degree of separation,” Sousa said. What’s more, he said, “in some of these locations we have illegal dispensaries so we want to combat them.”New Democrat lawmaker Peter Tabuns said there’s no indication, however, that the government’s plan will help tackle the black market.“I don’t think they’re going to have enough outlets to actually provide an alternative to people,” he said.
http://jrnl.ie/3303207 IT DEFINITELY FEELS like proper spring now in the veg patch, even though as I write there’s a carpet of frost on the grass outside the window.We’ve been pleasingly busy in the veg patch over the last few weeks and absolutely loving it – there’s something about this time of the year that just gladdens the heart.In the potting shed, I’ve an array of module trays to baby every day now – covering them with fleece at night time if it’s forecasted to be cold, and watering them in the morning.Potting shed plants Source: Shutterstock/locrifaOn a heated mat, they are inclined to dry out particularly on sunny days. My tomato plants are doing well and almost ready to move on from the module trays.I am debating whether to move them on into pots or hold them for a few weeks in the module trays so I can put them direct in the soil in the polytunnel. The latter option would be far less work.The aubergines and peppers are much slower to grow and will be fine where they are for now.Joining those long season veg that were sown in February, I’ve also sown trays of salad greens (oriental greens, lettuce, coriander and annual spinach), beetroot (early sowing for the polytunnel), baby turnips and little pots of celeriac and celery (see below).Out in the veg patch we’ve been continuing the clearing and preparing of beds. I prepped the spud bed, removing the plastic cover and turning the soil with a fork before sowing my early spuds (variety Orla) around Paddy’s Day.Amazingly, that first sowing of the year outside coincided with the fact that we’re still eating leeks, carrots and parsnips of good quality direct from the soil. Alas, the kale in the big polytunnel has now run to seed and has been fed to the hens.Garlic is growing well, having been planted last October. There’s little to do there, apart from ensuring the bed is hoed regularly to prevent weeds. Like everything else in nature, weeds are about to go mental so this is a good time to get in top of them, so that you enter into the busy spring period with a clean veg patch.Purple sprouting broccoli plants needed some tending, but are producing well (as always, the more you pick, the more they produce). My rhubarb is ready to eat now, but as it did last year the plants have quickly started to run to seed.Our Head Grower at GROW HQ, Richard Mee tells me that this is probably due to the plants being a little old, or under stress. His advice is to take them out and plant new ones.The Basics – Sowing CeleriacGrow celeriac as you would with celery, but because it stores well, there’s no need for succession sowing.A single sowing in late March or early April is all that’s required. Broadcast (sprinkle liberally) the seed into a pot filled with seed compost.As is the case with celery, celeriac seeds need light to germinate so do not cover the seed with compost.Place the pot somewhere warm (a sunny windowsill or a heating mat) – it’s slow to germinate so don’t expect any action for two to three weeks.Keep the compost moist. Prick the seedlings out into module trays (one seedling per module) about 2-3 weeks after germination (when about 3cm tall).Recipe of the Week – Purple sprouting broccoli and goat’s cheese risotto Source: Shutterstock/Lucie PeclovaHere’s a lovely Rachel Allen recipe for PSB in a goat’s cheese risotto. For more recipes visit rachelallen.com.Ingredients2 tablespoons olive oil1 onion, peeled and finely choppedSalt and freshly ground black pepper300g (11oz) risotto rice100ml (3½ fl oz) dry white wine850ml (1½ pts) vegetable or chicken stock10 purple sprouting broccoli spears, cut into 2cm (1in) pieces75g (3oz) peas (fresh or frozen)25g (1oz) butter50g (2oz) Parmesan cheese, finely grated75g (3oz) soft goat’s cheese DirectionsPreheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F/ Gas 4.Pour the olive oil into a large ovenproof saucepan and place on a medium heat. When it is hot, add the finely chopped onion. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 6-8 minutes until the onion is soft but not browned.Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium, stir in the risotto rice and cook for 1 minute, then pour in the dry white wine and bring to a simmer.Cook for 2 minutes, or until the wine has evaporated, then pour in the vegetable or chicken stock, whichever you are using, season again with salt and freshly ground black pepper and bring to the boil.Cover and cook in the oven for 7 minutes.Remove the risotto from the oven and stir in the purple sprouting broccoli pieces, then cover the pan again and cook for a further 7-9 minutes or until the rice is almost tender.Stir in the fresh or frozen peas, whichever you’re using, and return to the oven for 2 minutes.Once the rice and peas are cooked, use a wooden spoon to beat in the butter and the finely grated Parmesan cheese.Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and freshly ground black pepper if it’s needed, then serve the risotto on warmed plates with the soft goat’s cheese crumbled over the top.Michael Kelly is founder of GIY and GROW HQ. Click here for more GIY tips and recipes. Mar 25th 2017, 12:30 PM 41 Views By Michael Kelly Grower 3 Comments 
Short URL Michael Kelly Gardening: It’s spring in the veg patch and we have a recipe for broccoli and cheese risotto There’s something about this time of the year that just gladdens the heart, writes Michael Kelly. Saturday 25 Mar 2017, 12:30 PM Share15 Tweet Email6 Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article
American Soybean Association (ASA) offered comments to the Risk Management Agency (RMA) this week on its proposals to improve double cropping and replanting provisions of the basic crop insurance policy. RMA had asked for comments on their suggestions on providing greater flexibility in determining double crop eligibility; providing full coverage on both crops; and the basis for double cropping qualification. On behalf of ASA, President Richard Wilkins wrote, “Issues and problems with existing double crop provisions have emerged in several soybean-growing states. As farmers respond to new market opportunities and changing demand, ASA’s priority is that the crop insurance program support market signals, rather than getting in the way.”ASA generally supported the proposals, writing, “ASA supports the proposed alternative, which would allow eligible double cropping acres to be based on either the greatest number of acres, or percentage of acres historically double cropped, rather than the greatest number of acres double cropped in two of the last four crop years in which the first insured crop was planted.” ASA went on to write, “We support the recommendation from Mid-Atlantic region growers that full coverage of both crops in a double cropping rotation – even if a new rotation – be offered if local agricultural experts certify that the crop combination is a good farming practice in the county.”To read the full text of comments click here.
Around the county, green donation boxes are appearing with the name “Gaia Project.” I believe this organization is dubious and is not a reputable charity. The problem is, these boxes are multiplying in our county, and many highly rated charities are missing out on donations put into Gaia boxes. Plus the kindhearted people who donate might not have any idea to whom they donate.— Anonymously annoyedBoy are you cynical, Anonymously. Didn’t you know that if you paint it green and stick a happy Earth graphic on it, it’s automatically “environmental”?It takes virtually no digging online to turn up a vast amount of, well, let’s call it troubling information and allegations about the organization that has deployed them. Most of this material is years old, so we’re a little uneasy passing it right along.But here it is: Gaia Movement USA, based in Chicago, has been linked to a Danish organization called Tvind, or The Teachers’s Group. It purports to gather and sell used clothes and shoes in order to support environmental charities and train teachers to work in impoverished Africa. But The Chicago Tribune and other media have repeatedly underlined the flimsiness of that claim and the shadiness of the group’s history and leadership, several members of whom have been indicted, but not convicted, on charges related to money laundering, embezzlement and criminal tax evasion schemes in Denmark.Meanwhile, words like “scam” and even “cult” keep coming up, and so do lousy grades for transparency, charity and spending on verifiable environmental projects from organizations including The American Institute of Philanthropy, CharityWatch.org and the Better Business Bureau. According to some former teacher trainees and staffers who speak out in news reports, their mandatory highest priority was always raking in bucks for the organization via those green boxes.
More specifically, Adkins says, it’s about providing information that isn’t readily available elsewhere. There will be some overlap between content in the Chronicle and on the app, but with several new staff members brought on specifically for the digital magazine, the focus is putting out exclusive stories.The nature of the NFL schedule—one game per team per week, usually on Sunday afternoons—lends itself to a unique publishing schedule as well. It allows Adkins’ team to capitalize on the market when it’s most hungry for that extra content.“Everybody has limited information right after the game. You basically know score, statistics and a couple of key elements that may have happened,” Adkins says. “But player interviews, coach interviews, those types of things start to trickle in after the game and they’re not immediately available. So we see a spike in web traffic, obviously, after the game, but we also see it on Monday when a lot of the coverage starts to come in.”The Chronicle did consider making the app an in-game companion that could complement the fan experience in real-time, but Adkins says the undertaking would have called for additional resources in a time frame that just didn’t fit. It—along with expansion into other Bay Area sports, topics and events—remains on their “radar screen” for future development however.At $9.99, the price works out to about 30 cents per issue for the full 16-game regular season. Issues will continue though, should the 49ers make the playoffs.As a new product in a new market, Adkins admits his team is not entirely sure of the price elasticity yet, but emphasized that the project’s purpose at this stage is to build volume.“If you have no brand identity, the best thing to do would be to create what we thought [would be] a low enough price point that would drive a significant level of subscribers,” says Adkins, who also notes that they’ve sold out ad space on the app. “We decided that we wanted to try to build volume off of it.”For now, the app is only available on the iPad, but other platforms—for a bigger audience—may be supported by the end of the season.To stay updated on the latest FOLIO: news, become a Facebook fan and follow us on Twitter! The San Francisco Chronicle launched its 49ers Insider digital magazine last week in advance of the team’s season-opener against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.The iPad-exclusive app will be published twice each week with a pregame edition released on Fridays and a postgame version coming the day after that week’s game. Content includes exclusive multimedia features, articles from the Chronicle’s sports section, player profiles, opponent scouting reports, fantasy football and betting advice, as well as social media integration.“When you research an audience of highly engaged sports enthusiasts, or highly engaged people who watch any particular NFL team like the 49ers, often the feedback that you get is ‘I want more information than I’m currently getting and I’m willing to pay for it,’” says Mark Adkins, president of the Chronicle. “The audience says they can’t get enough.”
WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington Apple is asking weekly questions to the seven candidates running in contested primaries for the Wilmington/Tewksbury State Representative seat (19th Middlesex).Below, in her own words, are the responses to this week’s questions from candidate Pina Prinzivalli (R-Tewksbury).#3) What is your interpretation of the 2nd Amendment? When, if ever, should a citizen’s 2nd Amendment rights be curtailed? Do you consider yourself a pro 2ndAmendment candidate? (submitted by Rob Fasulo of Wilmington) On May 24, 2018, I pledged that when I elected, I will continue to file Representative James Miceli’s “An Act Relative to Constitutional Rights” bill (https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/H1296). This pledge came less than 24 hours after the latest effort by the Massachusetts legislature to further erode our constitutional rights.It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or a Republican or an independent, rights are rights and they’re to be protected by those who take the oath of office to defend the Constitution. And that includes the 2nd Amendment. Mr. Miceli prided himself on standing up for the rights of law abiding gun owners. I am committed to making sure that pride does not end with his passing. I’m pledging to continue filing his bill to make sure our rights are being protected.“An Act Relative to Constitutional Rights” states:No county, municipality, township or other community entity within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts may enact, pass or enforce any law, ordinance or regulation concerning the lawful ownership, use, possession, transfer, purchase, receipt or transportation of weapons, antique weapons, ammunition or ammunition components.The right to keep and bear arms is an individual civil right and shall be presumed to exist in all matters regarding the ownership, use, possession, transfer, purchase, receipt or transportation of weapons, antique weapons, ammunition or ammunition components unless expressly prohibited by the general laws of this Commonwealth.As it stands right now, a town could try and ban gun ownership. What this legislation would do is prohibit local ordinances or laws regulating firearms and weapons. The bill hasn’t made it out of committee in either session it was filed but I will work to make sure the voices of law abiding gun owners are heard and that our rights are protected.#4) Do you support capital punishment? When, if ever, should a person convicted of a crime be put to death by its government? Would you support reinstating the death penalty in Massachusetts? (submitted by George Ferdinand of Tewksbury) During this current house session, Representative Miceli filed a bill (https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/H906/BillHistory) to reinstitute the death penalty in Massachusetts. The bill was co-sponsored by Representative Shaunna O’Connell (R-Taunton) who has endorsed my candidacy here in the 19th Middlesex District. If Representative O’Connell continues to file this bill or any other legislator in the future, as it is currently written, I will sign on as a co-sponsor and will vote in favor of. Recently there has been a call to bring back the death penalty for “cop killers.” While I support that as an option at trial, I don’t think it should be limited to just those who have murdered our men and women in uniform. Doing so would create a separate class.Bonus “Fun” Question: Which town has the best breakfast spots? TEWKSBURY with Donna’s Donuts, Vic’s Waffle House, Perfecto’s, Bradford Lantern, Deli King, Route 38 Café, IHOP, & Cracker Barrel or WILMINGTON with As Good As It Gets, Country Chef, Sunny Side Café, Modash Café, Heav’nly Donuts, Starbucks & Panera Bread? For the record, each town has 8 Dunkin Donuts. (NOTE: Do you have a question for the candidates? Email wilmingtonapple@gmail.com and it may be asked in a future Q&A or in a debate.)Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip? Email wilmingtonapple@gmail.com.Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading… RelatedSTATE REP RACE: Republican Pina Prinzivalli Pledges To File Rep. Miceli’s Constitutional Rights BillIn “Government”STATE REP RACE: Voting Records Show Prinzivalli Voted Only Once Before Launching Candidacy; Campaign DisputesIn “Government”STATE REP RACE: Prinzivalli Pledges To Opt Out Of Pension SystemIn “Government”
Map of DhakaA total of nine people, including four Nigerians, were detained in connection with alleged human trafficking and frauds on Wednesday night.The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said this by an SMS sent to media houses on Thursday morning.The details of the raid will unveiled at a press briefing at the DMP’s media centre at 11:00am today, the test message added.
Highlighting tonight’s finals was Nicolas Albiero, who finished fourth overall in the 200 fly in a school record time of 1:40.08. Albiero’s fourth place showing marks the Cards’ best finish in program history in the event and was the top finish for Louisville on the weekend. Story Links AUSTIN, Texas – History was made on the final night of the NCAA Championships as the University of Louisville men’s swimming and diving team capped off a highly successful week with a program-record fifth place finish on Saturday evening at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center. The Cardinals’ 212 points were also the most scored by a Louisville team at an NCAA Championships. Prior to this year’s NCAA Championships, the Louisville men’s top finish occurred in both 2018 and 2012 when the Cardinals placed ninth overall.”I’m somewhat speechless, which is not normal for me,” said UofL head coach Arthur Albiero. “What we’ve been able to achieve over the last two weeks is nothing short of remarkable. We’ve come so far as a program, men and women, to have the women be fourth and the men battle to be fifth is a great honor. I’m so grateful to all the people who have come before us, all the athletes that put a lot of work into this, and the support of the administration. A lot of people put a lot of work into helping us get here, and I’m so grateful to be a part of this organization.” Marcelo Acosta (1650 free) Albiero (100 back, 200 fly, HM 100 fly) Barna (HM 50 free) Harting (200 free) Somov (100 breast, HM 200 breast) Sos (HM 400 IM) Whyte (HM 200 back) Seven Cardinals earned individual All-American honors in a combined 10 events. The Cardinals had four individuals compete in an A final, which ties the most A final swims in school history (2012, 2016). Louisville qualified four relays to the A final for the first time in program history. Albiero recorded the Cards’ top finish of the meet with a fourth place showing in the 200 fly. The sophomore’s finish was also the highest for the Cards in the event in program history. Albiero also came from behind on the final 25 yards to win the 100 fly B final in a school record time of 45.14. The sophomore’s ninth place finish was the best in the event in program history. Somov broke the oldest record in the books in the 100 breast (51.77), surpassing Carlos Almeida’s mark (51.78) from the 2012 NCAA Championships by just .01. The 200 medley relay team of Whyte, Somov, Harting and Barna placed fifth overall, marking the fifth straight year the Cards have earned All-American honors in the event.Print Friendly Version Sophomore Evgenii Somov finished 14th in the 200 breast with a time of 1:53.59, earning Honorable Mention All-American honors in the event for the first time in his career. The previous top finish was ninth, which occurred in both 2018 and 2012. The highest tally of points scored was in 2016 when the Cards finished 11th with 164.5 points. The Cards’ record fifth place finish comes just one week after the Louisville women made history with a fourth place finish, earning the program’s first-ever team trophy. Senior Marcelo Acosta closed out his collegiate career with a sixth place finish in the 1650 free in a time of 14:38.92, marking the second consecutive year he has earned All-American honors in the event. Albiero (42.89), Andrej Barna (42.27), Colton Paulson (43.25) and Zach Harting (41.80) wrapped up the final event of the NCAA Championships with a sixth place finish in the 400 free relay, stopping the clock in a time of 2:50.21. NCAA Championships Notables Freshman Mitchell Whyte picked up the first Honorable Mention All-American honors of his career, finishing third in his heat and 11th overall in the 200 back. His time of 1:40.28 was a personal best and ranks second all-time in UofL history. In total, seven Cardinals earned individual All-American honors in a combined 10 events and in all five relays. Louisville also wraps up a historic weekend with seven new program records. Complete Results Following the Louisville women’s fourth place finish at last week’s NCAA Championships, the Cardinals become the first ACC program in history to have both its men’s and women’s teams finish among the top-five in the team standings at NCAAs in the same year. Nicolas Albiero – 100 fly (45.14), 200 fly (1:40.08) Evgenii Somov – 100 breast (51.77) Daniel Sos – 200 IM (1:43.39) Andrej Barna, Mihalis Deliyiannis, Albiero, Tanner Cummings – 200 free relay (1:16.34) Albiero, Zach Harting, Bartosz Piszczorowicz, Colton Paulson – 800 free relay (6:11.36) Albiero, Somov, Harting, Barna – 400 medley relay (3:03.01) Louisville becomes the first ACC program in history to have both its men’s and women’s teams finish in the top five at NCAAs in a single season. The Cardinals join an elite list of programs (Arizona, Auburn, California, Florida, Georgia, Southern California, Stanford and Texas) to have both the men’s and women’s teams finish in the top five in the same year over the past 20 seasons. The Cardinals broke a total of seven records at the NCAA Championships. As a team, the Cardinals recorded their highest finish in program history, placing fifth with 212 points, also the most points scored at an NCAA Championships in UofL history.
Classical musicians and performing arts veterans such as Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shujat Khan, Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Chhannulal Mishra, Aashish Khan, Shubha Mudgal, Vishwamohan Bhatt and Uma Sharma are among participants at a three-day festival that began at Shankar Lal Hall, Modern School, Barakhamba Road, in the Capital on January 9. It will go on till January 11.The Swami Haridas Tansen Sangeet Nritya Mahotsav aims at reviving interest in traditional art forms and to revive its famed position amongst the present younger generation, who are more exposed to western and Indian popular film music, say organisers. The festival, which began in the 1970s in Vrindavan, as a tribute to the bond between saint musician Swami Haridas and his disciple Tansen shifted to Delhi where it had been held for the past 12 years. Also Read – ‘Playing Jojo was emotionally exhausting’The ongoing event, say organisers, will commemorate the classical Mehfil-Andaz style of presenting music prevalent during the Mughal period and exemplified by the poet and saint-musician, Swami Haridas and his illustrious disciple Mian Tansen-Baiju Bawra. The festival commenced with a recital by Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande, a hindustani classical vocalist of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. She has been on concert tours to every continent and frequently performs at prestigious music conferences around the world. She has also written books on her own style of dancing which comprises Bandishes. Also Read – Leslie doing new comedy special with NetflixClassical singer Pandit Chhannulal Mishra singer, a noted exponent from the Kirana Gharana especially khayal and Thumri was also lined up for the first day. Grammy Award nominated Sitar player Shujaat Hussain Khan, son of Ustad Vilayat Khan and who belongs to the Imdadkhan Gharana also performed on Day one.On January 10 the lineup includes vocalist Charya Pandit Gokulotsavji Mahararaj, a noted Hindustani classical musician, from Indore. Under the pen name of Madhur Piya, he has published some 5,000 compositions in Khyal Dhrupad and other allied genres, in Sanskrit, Persian, Urdu and Braj Bhasha. He has also created several Ragas. Hariprasad Chaurasia known for his smooth rendition of the flute in the North Indian tradition and Aashish Khan Debsharma, known for his virtuosity on the Sarod would perform on the same day.The last day of the festival is set to witness performances by kathak dancer Uma Sharma, Vishwa mohan Bhatt and vocalist Shubha Mudgal. Sharma’s forte lies in translating poems by evergreen poets such as Kalidas, Ghalib, Tagore, Iqbal, Faiz among others. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, is a Grammy winning instrumentalist who plays the Mohan Veena. He is also known for fusion and pan-cultural collaborations with Western artists such as Taj Mahal, Bela Fleck and Jerry Douglas. Mudgal is a well known singer of Hindustani classical music, khayal, thumri, dadra and popular Indian pop music.The festival is a free entry and is organised by the Bharatiya Sangeet Sadan along with the Sri Ram Centre for Performing Arts with assistance by HCL, SRF Ltd and Art Karat.
Clay Lane in Moston – there are a number of road closures in force across Cheshire East due to flooding (Image: Cheshire East Council) A number of roads are still closed due to flooding in the Cheshire East area. As of 6am Inrix, the traffic data company, lists the following closures: Gresty Lane in Shavington between Rope Lane and Gresty Green Road Maw Green Road in Winterley Wrinehill Road in Wybunbury between Bridge Street and Cobbs Lane. We will bring you further updates throughout the day and into the weekend. Read MoreTop stories on StokeonTrentLive View gallery Flooding around Stafford – in pictures Punter found hiding in bushes Driver named following fatal collision Dad slams ‘disgusting’ hospital window
Police search for missing woman Get the biggest Daily stories by emailSubscribeSee our privacy noticeThank you for subscribingSee our privacy noticeCould not subscribe, try again laterInvalid EmailMore heavy rain is expected across North Staffordshire and South Cheshire this weekend – according to the latest weather forecasts from the Met Office. Constant downpours throughout the past few days have seen flooding across parts of the region with some areas of Stafford Borough and Cheshire East being the most affected. A number of motorists have had to be rescued from vehicles after becoming stranded in floodwater – with one motorist near Crewe freed from his vehicle after ignoring a ‘road closed sign’ and becoming trapped. The latest Met Office weather forecast for the West Midlands region, which includes Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, states: “Early heavy outbreaks of rain will ease, with some bright or sunny spells developing. However, scattered showers will linger, and they could be often heavy. Read More’They’ve decided I’m not ill enough…’ – DWP refuses to pay PIP benefits to single mum-of-two diagnosed with cervical cancer “Daytime showers will ease and it will be mostly dry this evening. However, cloud will thicken from the west overnight, perhaps with some outbreaks of rain arriving by dawn.” The forecast for Saturday adds: “After a mostly dry start, outbreaks of heavy rain will soon arrive. It will move eastwards, with some sunshine developing by the late afternoon. However, showers will still be possible.” As of 7.30am today, Friday June 14, the following Flood Alerts, which mean flooding is possible, are in force for North/Central Staffordshire and South Cheshire according to the Environment Agency: The Rivers Sow and Penk in Stafford Borough The Trent in the Rugeley area The Weaver throughout South Cheshire including Crewe and Nantwich Read More’He went to get a treat for the dog and collapsed…’ – Grieving family may never know what caused sudden death of ‘fit and healthy’ bet365 employee, 31 There is also a Flood Warning, which mean flooding is expected and are the next level up from Flood Alerts, in force: The River Weaver at Shewbridge Lodge near Nantwich Some earlier flood warnings in South Staffordshire are no longer in force. Dozens of other Flood Alerts and Warnings are in force across England. Heavy rain has also seen a number of events cancelled with both Uttoxeter Racecourse’s Ladies Night, due to be held on Thursday, and Leek’s Party in the Park – which was set to take place this weekend, cancelled. Read MoreIntu voted against plan to save these stores… but they’ll still be open in Hanley Follow StokeonTrentLive Download our app – You can download our free app for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or get the Android version from Google Play. Follow StokeonTrentLive on Facebook – Like our Facebook page to get the latest news in your feed and join in the lively discussions in the comments. Click here to give it a like! Follow us on Twitter – For breaking news and the latest stories, click here to follow SOTLive on Twitter. Follow us on Instagram – Featuring pictures past and present from across Stoke-on-Trent, North Staffordshire & South Cheshire – and if you tag us in your posts, we could repost your picture on our page! We also put the latest news in our Instagram Stories. Click here to follow StokeonTrentLive on Instagram.
New high school in Mesa lets students pick career paths A recent report by the U.N. Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea said the international community is investing big resources to pursue pirates at the bottom of the chain _ such as illiterate youth _ instead of going after piracy’s powerbrokers.(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) Comments Share Top Stories How do cataracts affect your vision? Meghan McCain to release audiobook on conservatism, family Think Tank analyzes the second round of Democratic debates
More Valley freeways to be closed this weekend for improvements NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – Two Somali children traveling the high seas with pirates are being sent back to Somalia.The two pre-teens _ ages 12 and 11 _ were captured in January with 12 other Somalis on suspicion of piracy. The 11-year-old was acquitted because of his age. The 12-year-old was sentenced to a provisional release upon being sent back to Somalia.The Seychelles police said Monday that the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime was helping to fly the two back to northern Somalia to be reunited with their families. Parents, stop beating yourself up How men can have a healthy 2019 Sponsored Stories 
India’s newest airport turns to SITAIndia’s newest airport turns to SITASITA continues to play a vital role in supporting the rapid growth of India’s air transport industry, providing key technology solutions to one of the country’s newest airports. The Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) has turned to SITA to provide passenger processing solutions for check-in and boarding, as well as baggage tracking.Air passenger numbers in India have consistently seen double-digit growth over the past few years, significantly outperforming the global average. The country is on target to become the third-biggest aviation market by 2025. SITA has long supported the industry in India and MIHAN joins a vast footprint of airports and airlines across India using SITA technology.As part of the new agreement, MIHAN is deploying SITA’s common-use technology, enabling airlines and their handling agents to access their IT applications in real-time on shared common-use equipment. SITA’s Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) and Common Use Self Service (CUSS) allows any airline to use any agent desk, gate position or self-service kiosk for passenger check-in and bag drop.The airport will also deploy SITA’s baggage tracking solution. Worldwide, bags get mishandled every day which causes disruption for passengers and costs the industry billions of dollars but by providing real-time information on baggage status, SITA BagManager will allow MIHAN to accurately track passengers’ bags and significantly reduce the likelihood of them being mishandled.V.S Mulekar, Senior Airport Director, MIHAN Airport, said: “MIHAN is the single biggest publicly-funded development project in India. It is essential we have the right technologies in place to make sure the airport’s operations are highly efficient from day one and that they are future-proofed for our growth. SITA’s technology has proven successful in other airports in India and across the world and I have no doubt it will ably support MIHAN’s requirements.”MIHAN is the biggest economic development project currently underway in India. The project aims to exploit the central location of Nagpur and convert the present airport into a major cargo hub with integrated road and rail connectivity. The airport is expected to accommodate up to 14 million passengers once completed in 2035.Maneesh Jaikrishna, SITA Vice President Indian Subcontinent, Eastern & Southern Africa, said: “SITA’s solutions will allow the airport to cater to increasing traffic without having to invest in building additional infrastructure. At the same time, they will be able to provide best-in-class facilities for airlines and passengers alike. This is part of our commitment to making India not only one of the biggest aviation markets, but increasingly more efficient and passenger friendly.”Source = SITA
New York, New York – Reported by Elite Traveler, the private jet lifestyle magazineAt the 4th stop of the America’s Cup World Series, which took place in Naples between the 7th to 15th April, Antonio Calce hosted more than 10 French journalists to share 48 hours of energy and passion in a city for which he has a particular affection.It was in a fraternal environment that the guests had the chance to discover the city of Naples, to enjoy a sailing experience and also to share unique moments with the Corum family.This stage was distinguished also by the sports performance. Once again, Energy Team experienced the podium and is ranked 4th in the current general classification.Antonio Calce: Napoli is a place that is held dearly close to my heart and I am very pleased to have this chance to let my friends from the French press discover this city more intimately. I can state unequivocally, that enthusiasm was at an all time high and that Energy Team offered an intense sailing show that fostered this feeling. Filled with lots of sporting performances and warm memory exchanges, our journalists came back ready to share the CORUM experience with the greatest number of people. »This Sunday was Big Sunday with the most important race in the AC World Series since the start last Wednesday in Naples. A final that was wide open because of the cancellation of Saturday’s two races and the weighting given to the final fleet race today. Energy Team, who finished this race in fourth place, also end up in fourth place in the overall rankings. We look back at this race, which was tricky to say the least, because of some very light and variable winds out on the race course in Italy.Yann Guichard: “The final day was difficult, but rather like the rest of the week, in fact, with variable winds and squalls. This was an event, where we were able to see some great moments. We end up in fourth place in the fleet race and fifth in the match racing, which is not that bad for the final rankings. We saw the Italians achieve a great win here and they have certainly showed their strength. It’s fantastic for them to achieve this success in Italy. The standard is now much higher than last season and the competitors are getting closer together. We have seen that we can do it, in spite of our slight lack of training. We need to keep at it and train harder to be more consistent by the end of the season, so we can be up with the frontrunners and get on the podium in Venice where Loïck will be taking the helm and I’ll be the coach.”Bruno Peyron: “It’s been a week with its ups and downs, some disappointments, as for everyone and a fantastic race win on Friday. Overall, we’re moving in the right direction. It’s perfect for the Italians to have won on their home ground. With this fourth place here in Naples, we have moved up to third in the overall rankings in the Fleet Races since the start of the year. We know that we still have work to do and that there is room for improvement. The team is very united and there’s a good spirit, with everyone remaining calm on board, whatever is happening. We can do better and we won’t be satisfied getting third or fourth place. We still have a little psychological hurdle to clear to show that we can win. That is what we need to show in Venice.”www.corum.ch