NACOGDOCHES, TX (KTRE) -

Incumbent Charles Thomson, an electrician-business owner known as, 'Kilowatt', says he's learned a lot during the past four years about county government.

"I've learned some pretty hard lessons.it's always hear both sides of the sides of the story. Don't jump to any conclusions. That's one of the main ones," shared Thomson. "I learned exactly how things work and you think you may know, but you really don't until you're sitting in that chair."

Thomson says much of being a county commissioner is not in court or in an office. Today he's checking in on the county's on going tree removal program. His pet project is the development of the Nacogdoches technical training center.

"A plant manager here in Nacogdoches said, 'I would hire 50 more people right now and put on another shift, but they can't find skilled labor.' We need the school to keep our children here in the area," said Thomson.

And what does Thomson believe separates him from the other candidate? "Commitment and experience."

That's something Jerry Stone says he's shown throughout his 40 years in public service, primarily in police work.

"I've worked just about everything you can work in law enforcement. And I've always had a desire to run for public office because I love serving people. And I wanted to continue doing that but I don't really want to carry a gun anymore," said Stone.

Based on Stone's background, the hospital security officer is a strong advocate for law enforcement. Yet, another issue has caught his attention.

"I feel like that the civic center and the expo center is not being used to its fullest potential. I get concerned about the commissioners running the expo and the civic center when they have a person out there very capable of doing so," said Stone.

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Two run as Republicans for Nacogdoches Co. Commissioner, Pct. 2

PATERSON - As the trial of Northvale Mayor Paul Bazela and Anthony Ardis enters its second week in state Superior Court, attorneys for Bazela and his co-defendant found themselves dueling with one another as much as the prosecution.

VIOREL FLORESCU/THE RECORD

Northvale Mayor Paul Bazela at state Superior Court in Paterson on Feb. 19. The mayor is charged with official misconduct for allegedly using company workers and resources to perform odd jobs for Anthony Ardis's family and friends.

VIOREL FLORESCU/THE RECORD

Paterson resident Anthony Ardis, a former supervisor with the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, in state Superior Court on Feb. 19.

The two allegedly used carpenters and electricians of the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission for personal projects at Ardis' mother's and girlfriend's homes while both were employed by the commission between January 2007 and December 2009. At the time, Bazela served as foreman of the carpentry shop, while Ardis was second in command of the agency as well as its ethics violations officer.

Bazela faces two counts each of second-degree conspiracy, second-degree official misconduct, second-degree pattern of official misconduct, and third-degree theft by unlawful taking or disposition. If convicted, he will have to resign as mayor of Northvale.

Bazela's defense strategy focused on establishing him as following Ardis' orders.

In his opening statement, Bazela's attorney, Peter Willis, alleged that Ardis "ordered, told, commanded" Bazela to perform the work because he was "too cheap."

Gregory Aprile, representing Ardis, has meanwhile focused his defense strategy on two fronts: alleging that Bazela, not Ardis, was the direct individual who gave the orders to the carpenters and electrician who allegedly did the work; and undermining the credibility of the witnesses by pointing out vagueness or contradictions in their previous testimony to the attorney general, the Grand Jury, and in interviews with Wayne Forest, executive director of the sewerage commission.

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Northvale mayor on trial for official misconduct, other charges

Andreiy and his comrades keep watch for buses packed with "tituskhi" - the young criminals hired by the old regime to harass protesters. "If we see a suspicious vehicle, we take the registration number and contact the revolutionaries in the centre of Kiev and ask them to stop it. If they call us and tell us to stop a car, then we do," he said.

Andreiy also enforces good behaviour at a nearby junction, although elsewhere in Kiev a few traffic police have reappeared. "If somebody crosses a red light, we say 'please don't do that'. We can't make them pay anything, but we just warn them," he said.

Whether all the revolutionaries are so restrained is open to question. But Ukraine's police were so notorious for taking bribes that few miss their absence.

The revolutionaries, meanwhile, have shown their ability to enforce order.

The area of central Kiev which they have controlled for months is packed with expensive shops, including branches of Gucci and Louis Vuitton. These businesses have closed their doors, but their windows are unbroken and there is no visible sign of looting.

Anna Grygorenko, who serves at a jewellery counter in Komod shopping centre, had no qualms about placing a glittering array of earrings and necklaces on display. "We had the revolution because there was no law and people wanted to control the police. There was no trust in the police - people were afraid of them," she said.

"So it's the opposite: if we don't have police and people try to control things themselves, it makes me feel safer."

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Ukraine: revolutionaries take the place of police on Kiev's streets

A 22-year-old man and his associate were caught by police on Monday for their alleged involvement in house burglaries.

Mir Khazam Ali Khan alias Kaju of Shaikpet would pose as an electrician and target locked houses. He would mention incorrect personal details in the register maintained by apartment security guards while doing so. He was involved in 14 burglaries that took place in Marredpally, Tukaramgate, Nallakunta, Amberpet, S.R. Nagar, Begumpet, Ramgopalpet, Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills and Humayun Nagar police station limits.

As he was a known offender, police found his fingerprints at two houses in Begumpet and Humayun Nagar. Khans family members threatened to file petitions in the High Court when a police team went to his house to nab him. They had also installed surveillance cameras to keep a tab on the police's entry to their house, DCP (North) R. Jaya Lakshmi said.

She said a systematic information system enabled the police to nab him. Khans associate Mohammed Rawoof (44) alias Hafeez from Attapur was held for receiving the stolen property. Over 1.25 kg of gold jewellery and a bike were recovered from the accused.

Van rams motorcycle, kills rider

B. Suresh (45), a resident of Rajanna Bowli, died after a van hit his motorcycle at Rakshapuram on Sunday. He was shifted to a private hospital for treatment where he died while undergoing treatment. Santoshnagar police have registered a case and detained the Eicher van that hit him.

Woman succumbs to burns

A 27-year-old housewife from Laxmiguda who suffered burns at her house five days ago, died on Sunday night, police said. The victim, Sunita Rathod, and her mother-in-law, Bharathi (45), suffered burns when their house caught fire due to LPG leakage. They were shifted to Osmania General Hospital for treatment where Bharathi died two days ago, while Sunita died on Sunday.

Commits suicide

A 45-year-old cashier at a petrol pump, M. Satyanarayana Reddy, hanged himself to death at his house on Sunday, police said. The family members of the L.B. Nagar resident told police that he was depressed over his failing health and might have ended his life over it.

Originally posted here:
22-year-old serial burglar, accomplice held

Raises, overtime and bonuses including a brand-new incentive compensation program padded the salaries of Massachusetts Convention Center Authority staffers last year by hundreds of thousands of dollars in all, with Executive Director James Rooney taking home the biggest bonus, despite recent multimillion-dollar losses.

Rooney, topping the payroll at $283,277, was awarded his largest contractually allowable incentive-based bonus 10 percent of his base salary, or $25,752. His total earnings are up $8,117 over last year.

Overall, the MCCA handed out $232,252 in incentive-based bonuses to non-union workers as much as 5 percent of most employees salaries, on top of a 1.5 percent across-the-board raise.

Its the first year the MCCA rolled out incentive compensation, which paid out bonuses as high as $3,500 for achieving certain goals, such as exceeding sales targets, surpassing event booking goals and implementing projects on time and under budget, according to spokesman Mac Daniel.

The incentive program allows us to award and retain those employees that do extraordinary work, Daniel said. These were onetime bonuses, not salary increases, and it complies with the general framework used by the state. A smart, performance-based program like this helps reward and retain our most important asset our employees.

Some 134 staffers on the MCCA payroll received the bonuses.

But David Tuerck of the Beacon Hill Institute, citing a $71 million operating loss in fiscal 2013, said, Im not sure why anyones being rewarded in light of that kind of performance. For an entity thats running at substantial losses ... its inappropriate to be paying management such hefty salaries.

Daniel disputed the $71 million figure, saying after depreciation and other factors are backed out, $20 million is a more accurate loss figure. He argued the MCCA delivers an economic impact of $600 million to $700 million a year.

Staffers earnings were also boosted by huge overtime payments. Topping the OT list was electrician John P. Carroll, with $38,152 on top of his $71,293 wages, while workers got more than $20,000 in overtime each, mostly electricians, plumbers and public safety officers. Other top MCCA earners include: Chief Strategy Officer Johanna M. Storella, at $183,802; Chief Information Officer Steven G. Snyder, $166,499; general counsel William J. Smith, $159,892; general manager Maureen L. Baker, $159,392; Chief Facilities Officer John T. Haley Jr., $159,142; and deputy director Kenneth A. Sinkiewicz, $159,142.

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Big bucks for MCCA staff

The head of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority took home more than $25,000 in incentive compensation, according to a Herald review of the agencys payroll records.

Executive Director James E. Rooney grossed $283,277 last year up more than $8,000 from the year before. Rooney collected a $257,525 salary, plus some $25,752 in incentive compensation. Other top earners in the MCCA last year include: Chief Strategy Officer Johanna M. Storella ($183,802), Chief Information Officer Steven G. Snyder ($166,499), General Counsel William J. Smith ($159,892), General Manager Maureen L. Baker ($159,392), Chief Facilities Officer John T. Haley, Jr. ($159,142) and Deputy Director Kenneth A. Sinkiewicz ($159,142).

"Jims contract incentive is based on performance on a wide variety of annual goals related to financial management, sales and event booking, customer service, event and service operations, technology goals, facility maintenance and enhancements, recruitment and diversity," said MCCA spokesman Mac Daniel.

All totaled, some 34 employees at the MCCA took home six-figure pay.

Staffers earnings were also boosted by huge overtime payments.

Overall, 118 workers bagged more than $5,000 in overtime last year.

At the top: electrician John P. Carroll who collected $38,152 in OT on top of his $71,293 salary earnings.

Some 21 workers took home more than $20,000 in overtime, mostly electricians, HVAC mechanics, plumbers, public safety officers and telephone technicians.

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Convention Center boss gets $25G bonus

Colorado Rockies manager Walt Weiss listens as umpire Chris Guccione explain his call on a play at third base during a game last season. (Associated Press file)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Baseball could no longer resist progress. It made no sense to avoid instant replay when the technology was available to get disputed calls right.

Passing the legislation in January wasn't the only hard part. Implementing it will present many challenges based on conversations with multiple front-office executives and managers this past week.

Big-league stadiums have not yet been wired to provide the same camera views for both teams. It would create a bad look for baseball if an electrician is getting a work order signed at home plate before the season's ceremonial first pitch.

The simple mechanics of the challenge also are creating questions. MLB officials will hold multiple workshops this spring to help soothe concerns and explain the process. Teams are facing a pair of salient issues: the time allotted for confirmation from a club employee and which employee will fill that role.

"I hear that we will have enough time, but we don't know," said Oakland manager Bob Melvin, whose team lost a game in Cleveland last season when the umpiring crew incorrectly viewed a replay on a potential home run. "Hopefully that's the case, so we aren't blowing challenges."

Several teams say they will use their video coordinators to challenge. Others suggested that they will hire someone specifically for the job.

"We will use somebody in-house. And what I do know is that it won't be the same person for all 162 games," Rockies assistant general manager Bill Geivett said.

That person will be planted for those three-plus hours. Rockies manager Walt Weiss joked "that person will have to wear diapers because they won't have time to go the bathroom." It creates a scenario where a person unknown to 99 percent of the fans could decide a game's outcome.

"The way I look at it is, it is never going to be that guy's fault. Ultimately, I am the one that (challenges). It's on me, not on you," Weiss said. "With anything new on this scale, I am approaching it knowing there are going to be issues early on."

Original post:
Renck: Baseball's instant replay has issues to fix before it's ready

A second Fremont City Council race will find its way to the May 13 primary election.

Only two candidates from each ward will advance to the Nov. 4 general election, but a third candidate emerged in Ward 2 on Thursday when Steven H. Landholm of 118 E. 17th St. filed at the Dodge County Clerks office.

Ward 2 is basically northwest Fremont. Non-incumbents have until March 3 to file.

The Ward 1 race to replace Steve Navarrette, who is not seeking re-election, already was destined for the primaries with Gregory Smith, Michael Wilson and Ashley T. Grohs running.

Landholm joins incumbent Mark Stange and challenger Vern Kucera on the Ward 2 ticket.

Todd Hoppe, as of Friday, was running unopposed for re-election in Ward 3, and the Ward 4 race included incumbent John Anderson and challenger Richard R. Oliva.

Landholm, 61, has never before run for public office, but said he now wants to serve the community where hes lived since 1974.

I was kind of wanting to get into politics to begin with, he said, and I just decided that nows that time to do it. Im going to basically retire by the end of the year, and I feel that I can put my full emphasis into being a councilman.

Ive always been watching the politics and what goes on, and concerned with what things actually happen, and get sometimes irritated with things, he said. And I said, 'Well, if youre going to change something, maybe youre the guy to do it then.' Thats the way I look at it. Everybody has a different opinion on things, and everybodys little input kind of helps.

Its just kind of a little bit of this and a little bit of that thats been going on in the community, and Id like to make sure that things just keep going along, Landholm said. Weve got some tax issues in the community that concern me as far as whats been going on here, plus how weve allocated monies.

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Landholm's entry forces primary for Ward 2

February 22, 2014 Updated Feb 22, 2014 at 4:52 PM CST

PEKIN, Ill. -- More than a hundred West Central Building Trades members gathered outside Pekin's Kroger on broadway in protest.

Union members are unsatisfied with Kroger's decision to hire an out-of-town general contractor to remodel the store. Kroger chose M & J General Contractors--an Elgin based company--to take on this $5 million project.

"We shop in this store. Our prescription drugs are at this store, and the people who they've hired take their dollars out of town," said Pekin electrician Paul Flynn.

"For every $7 made within our community, $6 stays here in our community and $1 leaves. If you have an out of town contractor like M& J it's a reverse cycle. Only $1 stays in this community and the other $6 is leaving," said Pekin carpenter Gene Sanders.

Kroger representatives say they decide on who to hire based on quality, availability and price. Representatives say more than half of the subcontractors they have hired are local.

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Local workers protest at Pekin Kroger

Thursday, Feb. 20 Turns out Lansing Board of Water and Lights general manager, J. Peter Lark, does have emails from the December power outage.

Documents delivered to City Pulse from the BWL this morning show a series of emails between Lark and BWL managers and commissioners, among others.

City Pulse requested the documents in a Freedom of Information Act request dated Jan. 3. The BWL denied that request.

Upon consideration of a (FOIA) appeal from another media outlet, records that were responsive to your FOIA request were discovered, a letter says from Brandie Ekren, the BWLs assistant FOIA coordinator.

The emails largely show BWL managers informing Lark of outage areas and requests for service.

The documents do not show any email correspondence between Lark and Mayor Virg Bernero. Additionally, the documents include a couple of emails between Lark and City Councilwoman Carol Wood between Dec. 23 and 26, though Wood has given City Pulse over 200 pages of emails between her and Lark and BWL spokesman Steve Serkaian over the period of the outage.

None of Larks emails indicate that he was in New York over Christmas visiting family.

One email from Serkaian on Dec. 26 explains how he wants to set up a media opportunity at a home without power.

Folks: I want my story tomorrow to be at a home that has its power line down, but also has a downed mast. Perhaps we could find an electrician that is repairing a mast. As you can see by the latest press release, we have to prepare our remaining customers on what to do to help us restore their power. And the media will help us do it.

Lark responded to Serkaian nearly two hours later: Good work. Thank you.

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Breaking: Larks emails discovered