Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Civic Centre.

A COUNCIL'S constitution is set to be changed to include the role of deputy leader.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council's constitution currently defines the roles of leader and cabinet, but does not specifically mention the deputy leader.

The full council will be asked to approve an amendment which will formally establish the role.

Under the proposed amendment, if the council leader ceases to hold office, the deputy leader would take over the role until the appointment of a permanent replacement.

The council's current deputy leader is Gwen Hassall, who is also the cabinet member for social care.

Her predecessor was Paul Shotton, who stepped down after it was revealed he had sent texts to a radio programme under a series of aliases.

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PhilCorrigan published City council constitution change to define deputy leader role

Drivers in Durham will be hit by delays during a 1m bridge refit.

Milburngate Bridge, in Durham City, is 48 years old and in urgent need of repairs which will take place this summer.

Councillors are set to debate three options - one of which would see the route on the A690 through the city closed to traffic and pedestrians alike for six weeks.

The recommended proposal involves keeping the bridge open in both directions with work taking place one carriageway in each direction.

The project would get under way on July 12, following the Miners Gala,

But an alternative option, of keeping just one lane open, has also been touted.

Councillor Brian Stephens, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships, said: These works are absolutely vital for the long-term future of this key route through the city and if we dont act now then more extensive and prolonged repairs could be required.

This will also help ensure future developments and improvements in and around the city go ahead.

We will be doing all we can to keep disruption to a minimum by working from 7am to 10pm, seven days a week with occasional night-time working, but unfortunately significant delays and congestion will be inevitable.

We plan to keep everybody up to date as the scheme progresses, including using a live webcam stream so people can monitor its progress.

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Durham drivers warned of road misery as Milburngate Bridge set for 1m revamp

'Instead of competence, instead of the kinds of consideration based on really rational discussion, loyalty is what counts,' says resigned Akbayan Representative Walden Bello

RESIGNED. Akbayan Representative Walden Bello resigns from Congress but will stay with the party. Rappler photo

MANILA, Philippines Loyalty instead of competence.

This was how resigned Akbayan Representative Walden Bello described President Benigno Aquino IIIs style of governance, adding that his Cabinet was being run like a fraternity where loyalties, rather than competence was prime.

Hes a very stubborn president, and I think this is one of his flaws. Another flaw is that he very loyal to his subordinates who are either very corrupt or incompetent. And parang fraternity ang takbo ng Cabinet (The Cabinet is being run like a fraternity), Bello told reporters on Wednesday, March 11.

The Presidents loyalty to his friends in government is one of the many things that have haunted him more than a month after Oplan Exodus, a January 25 police operation that saw at least 65 people, including 44 elite cops, dead.

The Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP SAF) operation, which aimed to neutralize two terrorists, was kept a secret from military and police officials.

In contrast, Aquinos close friend, Police Director General Alan Purisima, was a key person in the operation despite his being preventively suspended over graft charges at the time.

Instead of competence, instead of the kinds of consideration based on really rational discussion, loyalty is what counts. Unfortunately, a Cabinet is not a fraternity. If you run a country with a fraternity, youre not going to get anywhere, Bello said.

Purisima eventually resigned as PNP chief after the Mamasapano incident.

Continue reading here:
Aquino Cabinet like a fraternity

Campaigners have told of their disappointment after proposals to demolish a seaside promenade were included in a coastal regeneration plan.

North Tyneside Councils Cabinet has approved the 36m Whitley Bay Seafront Master Plan, which will act as a blueprint for the coasts transformation from the southern lower promenade to St Marys Lighthouse.

It has proposals for a 1m visitor centre at St Marys Headland, improvements to Watts Slope, refurbishments at the Spanish City Dome, landscaping and extra lighting.

It also includes the demolition of the Central Lower Promenade, which is to be replaced with a grassed bank and new sea wall.

This has prompted objections from residents who feel the site should be retained and its units refurbished. People also feel they were not properly consulted on the issue and many have taken to Facebook and the councils planning website to voice their opinions.

Last week the Boardwalk cafe was bulldozed despite a campaign to save it.

Tanya Card, 42, said: I have lived in Whitley Bay for 11 years and in that time I have seen nothing but decline, demolition and things closing down.

I believe that if the proposed demolition of the nearly 100-year-old Lower Central Promenade, making it into a grass embankment, goes ahead, it will be disastrous for Whitley Bay - adding to the slow death of a once vibrant town.

That North Tyneside Council cannot see the potential of these units as shops, cafes, art studios etc is shortsighted. They are just looking at short-term savings as opposed to the impact this could have on our town.

Resident Jane McIndewar added: As a Rockcliffe resident I would love to see all the units refurbished with cafes, restaurants, shops and some decent accessible public toilets.

Original post:
Whitley Bay promenade demolition plans cause anger among campaigners

Senator Joe Ludwig will retire in 2017.

Former Queensland Labor state secretary Anthony Chisholm is poised to replace Joe Ludwig in the Senate after the former cabinet minister announced he intends to retire from politics at the next election.

Senator Ludwig, the son of prominent union leader Bill Ludwig, will step down after 17 years in Parliament when his Senate term expires in 2017, citing the need for renewal within the party's federal parliamentary ranks.

"It wasn't his finest hour as agriculture minister, it started badly, faded away a little in the middle and the less said about the end the better

He said foreshadowing his retirement plans would leave the party with "ample time" to hold a full preselection ballot and hoped it would lead to greater branch involvement.

Senator Ludwig said in a statement that he leaves "with no regrets" and included "tackling the challenge of a long-term future for Australian farming, fisheries and forestry" among his achievements as agriculture minister between 2010 and mid-2013.

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He also served as human services minister and special minister for state.

His statement did not mention one of his biggest policy decisions: shuttingdown the live cattle trade to Indonesiain 2011after animal abuse was exposed in Indonesian abattoirs.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said that decision would be Senator Ludwig's sole policy legacy.

Read more here:
Anthony Chisholm the frontrunner to replace retiring Labor senator Joe Ludwig

Published February 27, 2015

FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2014 file photo, Mexico's Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam gives a news conference in Mexico City. Mexicos embattled attorney general is leaving his post to take a new cabinet-level job as head of urban and rural development, announced on Friday, Feb. 27, 2015 by President Enrique Pena Nietos office. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)(The Associated Press)

MEXICO CITY Mexico's embattled attorney general is leaving the post to take a new cabinet-level job as head of urban and rural development.

Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam had weathered scathing criticism over his handling of the Sept. 26 disappearance of 43 students in southern Guerrero state.

Murillo Karam had also been criticized for being slow to investigate evidence that soldiers killed between 12 and 15 criminal suspects after they surrendered in June.

President Enrique Pena Nieto's office announced Friday that Murrillo Karam will be sworn in later today as head of the Department of Rural and Urban Development.

An official who was not authorized to be quoted by name said his replacement as attorney general will be a former senator and electoral-law prosecutor, Arely Gomez.

Read the original here:
Mexico replaces embattled attorney general, takes cabinet-level job for development

Patna/New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS): Aiming to put pressure on Bihar Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi for inviting him to form the next government in the state, former chief minister Nitish Kumar reached New Delhi Tuesday to parade the legislators supporting him at Rashtrapati Bhavan Wednesday.

Embattled Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi Tuesday sought to play the "reservation card" as his cabinet approved reservation for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes in all government contracts of road construction up to Rs.50 lakh and reservation for poor upper castes in government jobs.

Earlier, Nitish Kumar and 130 legislators supporting him left for New Delhi in two batches, Janata Dal-United chief whip Shrawan Kumar said.

"In the first batch, 60 legislators, and in second batch, 70 legislators along with Nitish Kumar left for Delhi," he said in Patna.

Party MP K.C. Tyagi told IANS that Nitish Kumar had reached the national capital, and was likely to meet President Pranab Mukherjee Wednesday.

He said the party would urge the president to ask the governor to invite Nitish Kumar to form the government as he has the majority.

"Since we have not heard a decision from the governor, we have come to the president," Tyagi told IANS.

Meanwhile, Manjhi, who insisted that he remained chief minister till he fails to prove his majority in the state assembly, had called a cabinet meeting Tuesday where it was speculated that he may recommend dissolution of the state assembly. It was in the meeting that the decision on the quotas was taken.

A JD-U leader close to Manjhi, however, said he "may or may not recommend dissolution of the state assembly, but by holding a cabinet meeting, he wanted to send a strong message that he is still the chief minister".

Principal Secretary in the Cabinet Coordination Department B. Pradhan said the cabinet meeting approved reservation for SC/STs in all government contracts of Rs.50 lakh, as well as the proposal for reservation of poorest of the poor upper castes in government jobs.

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Nitish, legislators reach Delhi; Manjhi announces quotas

We have recommended Cabinet Discounters to several friends

We have worked with Teresa Carney and Cabinet Discounters [in Columbia] on several projects in our home, including designing a custom cabinet, new counter-tops and re-doing our master bathroom. We love all the improvements and Teresa was extremely polite, professional and always ready to assist us and answer our numerous questions. We have recommended Cabinet Discounters to several friends and they have also been very pleased with the company. We are planning a guest bathroom 'make-over' and Teresa will be the first person we call!

Our experience with CD in Annapolis was superior. The sales consultant was highly attentive to our wishes and contributed some great design ideas. There was no resistance to working with other suppliers for materials, fixtures, or electrical devices. We were impressed with the accuracy of the measurements for the many appliances and the willingness to make adaptations from standard practices. The cabinets and counters were installed on the projected dates by friendly and very helpful installers. Follow on service was excellent. Within a couple of weeks, on two occasions, a manufacturer's minor fault in construction was repaired and replaced at no cost and with perfect satisfaction. Overall, we were very happy with the finished product and would recommend the Annapolis office and staff to anyone contemplating a major renovation such as ours.

Just a short note to tell you how pleased we are with the marvelous job Pam Lyons and her team did with our complete kitchen makeover! Jeff and I spent over a year and went through many design firms before selecting cabinet discounters and we must say, it was the best decision ever! Our kitchen was completely gutted - we did an complete makeover to include wall removal, new applicances, countertops, floor, lighting, plumbing, and of course, cabinets! Pam designed a wonderful layout, helped us select our finishes, and the carpentry team of Loren and his son, the electricians, the countertop folks, the plumbers, and the outstanding tileman transformed our kitchen into our most favorite room in the house! I wish I could remember all their names, but let me tell you, each member of the team ran with their portion of the job and it was truly seamless! Every schedule went like clockwork - the materials were delivered, installed, and you can tell by the finished product the dedication and engagement of the whole team! They went over and above the call of duty to really make the whole experience magical! We love Cabinet Discounters and you can count on us for repeat business and word of mouth advertising!

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We thank you and your associates for a project accomplished in a timely and highly professional manner.

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When we first started shopping around for a new kitchen, we evaluated four stores. Price was a major consideration, but salesperson expertise and knowledge was most important. Based on price, all four stores were within a few hundred dollars, so salesman expertise became the deciding factor. Your salesman was the most knowledgeable in kitchen remodeling and design. Thank you for an excellent job well done and we highly recommend you to our friends.

I especially want to thank you for all your help. You had great insight and ideas for design and colors. You also had the patience of a saint during all my decision making. You spent a lot of time on our project and kept us posted on every detail. You were an absolute delight to work with. I would recommend Cabinet Discounters to anyone.

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Cabinet Discounters - Kitchen Cabinets Annapolis ...

HENDERSON CO., KY (WFIE) -

A months-long shut down of a busy Henderson County road is about to get underway.

A contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to start an extended closure of KY 351/Zion Road at the 5 mile marker on Monday, March 2.

Officials say replacement of the curves between mile point 4.7 and mile point 5.3 has been planned since 2009. The curves had a high crash rate going back to 1993.

The KYTC says traffic engineers requested a safety project for the area as early as 2002. At that time additional signage was added to alert motorists to the curves with a reduced advisory speed.

Following three crashes that included one fatality in August 2009, county officials requested a highway safety audit of the area.

The detailed safety review prompted traffic engineers to make a number of specific recommendations, including addition of signage with flashing LED light enhancement, pavement edge lines, extending a 45 mph speed limit through Graham Hill, and cutting several trees to improve sight-distance for drivers.

While those changes lowered the crash rate on the curves, engineers continued efforts to gain funding to allow an extensive realignment of the roadway.

Once the road closes, it is expected to remain closed until sometime in July.

KYTC engineers provided early notice of the project to allow emergency agencies and Henderson County Schools to plan for the closure. School officials have made arrangements to temporarily change bus travel routes.

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Months-long shut down of Henderson Co. highway set to begin March 2

Patna/ New Delhi: Aiming to put pressure on Bihar Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi for inviting him to form the next government in the state, former chief minister Nitish Kumar reached New Delhi Tuesday to parade the legislators supporting him at Rashtrapati Bhavan Wednesday.

Embattled Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi Tuesday sought to play the "reservation card" as his cabinet approved reservation for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes in all government contracts of road construction up to Rs.50 lakh and reservation for poor upper castes in government jobs.

Earlier, Nitish Kumar and 130 legislators supporting him left for New Delhi in two batches, Janata Dal-United chief whip Shrawan Kumar said. "In the first batch, 60 legislators, and in second batch, 70 legislators along with Nitish Kumar left for Delhi," he said in Patna.

Party MP K.C. Tyagi said that Nitish Kumar had reached the national capital, and was likely to meet President Pranab Mukherjee Wednesday.

He said the party would urge the president to ask the governor to invite Nitish Kumar to form the government as he has the majority. "Since we have not heard a decision from the governor, we have come to the president," Tyagi said.

Meanwhile, Manjhi, who insisted that he remained chief minister till he fails to prove his majority in the state assembly, had called a cabinet meeting Tuesday where it was speculated that he may recommend dissolution of the state assembly. It was in the meeting that the decision on the quotas was taken.

A JD-U leader close to Manjhi, however, said he "may or may not recommend dissolution of the state assembly, but by holding a cabinet meeting, he wanted to send a strong message that he is still the chief minister".

Principal Secretary in the Cabinet Coordination Department B. Pradhan said the cabinet meeting approved reservation for SC/STs in all government contracts of Rs.50 lakh, as well as the proposal for reservation of poorest of the poor upper castes in government jobs.

Nitish Kumar earlier Tuesday said he and the legislators would go to Delhi to meet the president as they did not receive any invitation from the governor a day after staking claim to form the next government.

He, along with 130 legislators of his JD-U, the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD), the Congress and the Communist Party of India (CPI) Monday went to Raj Bhavan in Patna to show his strength.

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Nitish, legislators leave for New Delhi