Crime & Punishment of Friday, 14 February 2014

Source: Graphic Online

The Tema Magistrate Court presided over by Isaac Adjie has ordered the police to provide proper care for Abraham Oyoko Kwame Baah, the 25-year-old man arrested over the murder of Rosemond Nyampong, a Stanbic Bank staff at Baatsona along the Spintex Road in Accra, since the accused persons health is deteriorating.

According to the court, the accused persons health is deteriorating and he must live to face prosecution. The accused should live to face prosecution - Police, you should ensure the guy lives to face prosecution.

The presiding judge was quite alarmed that the health of the accused was failing and could die if proper care was not given to him.

Abraham Kwame Baah, a self-styled auto-electrician who is on provisional charge of murder, told the court that he collapsed in prison and was rushed to the Police Hospital in Accra for immediate medical attention.

Inspector Cecilia Mensah, prosecutor in the case, assured the court that the police would ensure that proper healthcare was given to the accused in order to enable him to face the full rigors of the law.

The suspect has been remanded into prison custody again to reappear on March 13, 2014 after a lawyer, Charles Kwasi Acheampong, decided to defend him free of charge.

The Attorney-General is yet to give its advice on the docket sent to her outfit as the court waits to open application on the case.

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Stanbic Bank Staff killer dying

Former Celebrity Big Brother star Dane Bowers will stand trial today accused of assault following an alleged brawl at a Butlins holiday camp.

The former Another Level singer was the headline act at a 1990s night at the resort in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, when the incident occurred on April 20.

The 34-year-old DJ, from Ambercroft Way, Coulsdon, Surrey, who once dated model Katie Price, pleaded not guilty to two charges of assault by beating when he appeared in court on May 15.

His brother, electrician Wade Bowers, 31, of Kingswood Way, South Croydon, also appeared in court and pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of cocaine but not guilty to three counts of assault by beating.

A third man, builder Terry Kean, 35, of Limpsfield Road, South Croydon, also pleaded guilty to cocaine possession but not guilty to using threatening words.

All three defendants were released on unconditional bail until the two-day trial starting today at Chichester Magistrates' Court.

Bowers, a former Brit School student, became famous in the late-1990s as a member of R&B band Another Level and after the group disbanded he sang a duet, Out Of Your Mind, with Victoria Beckham.

He appeared in Celebrity Big Brother in 2010.

Bowers is starring in a reality documentary series, The Big Reunion, on ITV2 where he is part of a band called 5th Story with fellow solo singers Gareth Gates, Kenzie, Kavana and Adam Rickitt.

Hundreds of police staff, including high-ranking officers, have been censured for breaching data protection laws - from snooping on their children and ex-wives, to social media gaffes.

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Bowers on trial for Butlins assault

EMMA BAILEY AND TIM MCSWEENEY

South Canterbury has a high proportion of superannuitants and invalid beneficiaries, but a low number of unemployment beneficiaries, the latest census reveals.

Nearly one in four residents, aged over 15, claim superannuation, putting the region at 24.1 per cent, while the national average is 16.8 per cent.

In the region, 2.33 per cent of people derived income over the previous year from the unemployment benefit, compared to 2.92 per cent of people across the country.

People collecting the invalids benefit dropped from 3.89 per cent at the last census to 3.22 per cent. This still put the region significantly higher than rest of New Zealand, at 2.38 per cent.

The census considered income from all sources, so people could have several income sources.

Aoraki Development Business and Tourism chief executive Wendy Smith said the census statistics matched the statistics around employment she had seen.

"It aligns very well with the other statistics and is not surprising.

"It is representative of the strong job opportunities that are out there and the low unemployment figures."

She said there were a range of different employment opportunities because the region was not just based on one industry.

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Unemployment low, but tradies in short supply

Say goodbye to your old light bulbs. The 2007 Energy Law has mandated that manufacturers must start making incandescent light bulbs at least 27 percent more efficient by 2014. In 2012, manufacturers started phasing out 100-watt incandescent bulbs, followed by 75-watt bulbs in 2013 and 40 and 60-watt bulbs in 2014. In this week's Angie's List report, Nancy Naeve explains what the lighting changes mean to you.

"There are changes on the way for light bulbs. For example, incandescent bulbs are being phased out. If you are not sure what this is going to mean for you, check with your electrician because you might find you have lighting fixtures that will need to be changed,"Angie's List Founder Angie Hicks said. The most common alternatives to incandescent light bulbs are CFL's and LED's. CFL's only need one-fifth to one-third the electricity of incandescent to produce the same amount of light and last about ten times as long.

"They start up initially, but takes them awhile to warm up. So, to reach those optimum light output it's going to take a couple of minutes," Lighting Designer Don Dragoo said.

LED's are up to 85 percent more efficient than incandescent and 10 percent more efficient than CFL's.

"A lot of the LED's require a special type of dimmer. People who are replacing incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs have to be cognizant of the requirements of replacing that dimmer with a specialty dimmer that works in conjunction with the LED's," Dragoo said.

While energy-efficient light bulbs last longer, they do cost more than incandescent.

"When you look at total life of that bulb versus what you paid for that bulb versus what the amount of energy that bulb is using, these are much cheaper. So the tradeoff there is if you want to keep your old incandescent light bulbs you're going to pay more and change them out more. They are going to create more heat in your home as well," GoodCents Managing Director Bob Nuss said.

Lighting is one of the top energy users in the home so when shopping for light bulbs check how much energy the bulb uses because that will have an impact on your electric bill.

"Look at the mission of the light bulb. What are you using it for? If you're just trying to get general light out of it, then I go with the bulb that uses the least amount of energy," Nuss said.

If you're looking to switch over your light bulbs, but can't make them work in existing lamps or fixtures, Angie's List recommends consulting with a licensed electrician or lighting professional.

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Angie's List Report: Light Bulb Changes

Sedona, AZ (PRWEB) January 31, 2014

The Solar Dogs typically find themselves entertaining customers and guests of Ambassador Energy and students of Ambassador Energy College in their sleepy town of Murrieta, CA. This week, however, they enthusiastically joined their parents on a trip to cultivate new solar relationships in Arizona specifically, General Contracting, roofing and electrical firms, who are looking to add solar PV to their portfolios.

We had business to do in Phoenix and Sedona, so we added a little fun to the trip by bringing Lobo and Woofy. They are at the AE office and training center with us every day, so they can help us, because they know solaror at least, thats what we tell people, Steve Fulgham, CEO of Ambassador Energy said with a grin. "Lobo thinks there should be more solar in Arizona."

Lobo became Lobo the Solar Dog several years ago when the Ambassador Energy marketing department used her as their model on their first billboard. They had the sign company construct giant cutouts for her iconic ears on the sign, which welcomed passersby on the historic Route 395 in Southern California.

Lobo and Woofy are a huge part of our company, said Julia Oliver, Director of Operations for Ambassador Energy. If they stopped coming to the office each day, I think many on our staff would quit. Our company culture really benefits from having these precious babies around. Im glad that the Solar Dogs are spreading solar cheer in Arizona. We can spare them this week for that and look forward to helping our Arizona agencies install more solar.

About Ambassador Energy Ambassador Energy [AE] has a three-pronged business model, which includes Ambassador Energy College Solar Training, the Ambassador Energy Agency Program and the installation arms, Ambassador Energy and Ambassador Solar. On staff are NABCEP Certified PV Installers, NABCEP Certified PV Technical Sales professionals [Fulgham/Kelso] and multiple NABCEP EL graduates. AE holds California licenses General Contractor B, C10 Electrician and C46 Renewable Energy. Ambassador Energy is IREC/ISPQ accredited. AE Agencies are nationwide. Ambassador Energy installs residential and commercial PV systems throughout California and the US.

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California Solar Dogs Travel to Arizona to Share the Good News About Solar PV

One thing no one ever plans for is loss. But it is beyond wishing it away, there is need to plan against losses.

This is true about avoiding electric sparks or a fire incident arising from it. Despite not planning for one, records abound on a yearly basis of property and lives lost to fire from electric sparks.

This week, Power Talkback brings you expert recommendations on how to avoid suffering such losses. Please note that the principles apply at homes and offices.

The first point to note is never to ignore a spark, no matter how harmless it appears. This is because every spark could result in a fire.

It is important to take good care of worn out plugs, cables and meters of wires, sockets among others.

Therefore, always look out for warning signs, as there is usually a clue that something could go wrong before a fire starts.

And when you notice the signs, insist that a qualified electrician assesses the situation.

Some warning signs could include:

A spark or smoke around a socket

Smell of melting plastic on cables and casing

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How to avoid electrocution, fire outbreak

President Barack Obama arrives with PG&E apprentice electrician Erick Varela, a U.S. Army combat...

As part of a renewed push to create opportunities for the long-term unemployed, President Obama on Friday touted the success story of a once-homeless Iraq War veteran who turned his life around through an electrician apprenticeship.

When Erick Varela, a heavy-equipment operator who served as a combat infantryman in the 82nd Airborne in Iraq, left the Army in 2008, he returned home to Manteca, Calif., where the housing crisis had hit hard and he was unable to find work. He applied to fast-food restaurants and retail, but had no luck getting hired. At one point, he and his wife, Katey, lived out of their car when they could no longer afford to pay their rent.

Still determined to find work, Varela discovered an apprenticeship opportunity at California utility PG&E's PowerPathway program, and he applied and was accepted. After he attended and graduated from the four-month program, he found work at Tesla's Tracy, Calif., office as an apprentice electrician with PG&E.

I would like to thank PG&E for giving me this opportunity. The work PG&E provided me restored purpose to my life and gave me a sense of direction once again, Varela said before introducing Obama at a White House event.

PG&E is expanding its PowerPathway program and is one of more than 300 companies that has agreed to develop so-called best practices to ensure the long-term unemployed aren't unfairly screened out of potential jobs.

The president spent Friday morning huddling with CEOs from some of the nation's largest companies to move forward on a State of the Union pitch to mitigate discrimination against the long-term unemployed.

Obama said those companies, as well as the federal government, would make changes to their hiring practices to ensure people who have been out of work for long periods aren't skipped over for jobs.

The president also touted a $150 million Labor Department grant competition to develop ways for those out of work more than six months to find jobs and a new effort, led by Vice President Joe Biden, to review and improve existing government job training programs.

At the event, Obama thanked business leaders, philanthropists and members of his administration who had worked to help hardworking Americans like Varela not just get a paycheck but also the dignity and the structure that a job provides people.

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Obama works with CEOs to help long-term unemployed

TERRAS: Frustration as lights go out at Bashley

5:20am Wednesday 29th January 2014 in Club News By Adam Summers

THE Terras were left frustrated last night when a general power cut brought a premature end to their league clash at Bashley.

The lights went out in the 43rd minute after Weymouth had built up a 2-1 lead, courtesy of goals from Scott Walker and George Rigg.

The blackout left referee Mark Russell no other choice but to abandon the fixture, which might have been stopped at half-time anyway, due to surface water gathering on the pitch following a sustained period of heavy rain.

The Terras are beginning to get used to floodlight failures at the Recreation Ground.

They also had a Red Insure Cup tie at Bashley postponed for that very reason back in October.

On that occasion the game was called off just 15 minutes before kick-off.

Weymouth player-boss Jason Matthews, a qualified electrician, told Echosport: Theres nothing anyone could have done.

It was a shame because it was turning into a really good end-to-end game.

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TERRAS: Frustration as lights go out at Bashley

Dick Ahlers first found Manitoulin in 1931 when his parents, from Pittsburgh, holidayed at the cabin-in-the-woods of his fathers law partner in Rockville on Lake Manitou. I have been drawn to the Island ever since; more so as my own family has lived in St. Louis, Pittsburgh again, Detroit, Houston, Cleveland, Detroit again and Cleveland again. It became a home base for our family. We have just sold our Island cottage after 47 years of enjoyment, Dick explains. With our aging, property maintenance had become even harder and more time-consuming. To sell was a hard decision, but we still expect to spend a lot of time on the Island.

Richard W. Ahlers Jr. was born to Richard W. Ahlers Sr. and Margaret (nee Hartley) on January 25, 1927 in Pittsburgh. My mother was a school teacher and she retired after marrying my dad. Maternal grandparents were Beecher Hartley and Lara (Murray). Beecher was in the coal business in Pittsburgh. My maternal grandmother died in 1931 when I was four. My paternal grandfather William Ahlers owned a lumber business in Pittsburgh. He died in 1901. Grandmother Ahlers visited the Island once in 1936.

Richard Ahlers Sr. practiced law at Pittsburgh in partnership with Lee C. Beatty, 20 years his senior. Beattys wife Gertrude Beatty was an English-born Welsh woman who loved Canada. In 1927, the couples annual excursion north brought them to Whitefish Falls, to the Stumpf and Spry Lodge in surroundings they much-admired. Mr. Spry persuaded Lee and Gertrude to visit his cousin Alf Spry at his new resort in Rockville on Green Bay of Lake Manitou, on Manitoulin Island. A year later, Beatty commissioned Alf Spry to build a cottage for him. Their first vacation there was in 1929 and the family returned every year until Lees death in 1943. The Beatty family still visits regularly.

In the bleak year of 1931, and for the next 10 years, the Beattys generously offered late-summer use of their cottage to the Ahlers. That first summer, Dick recalls, we left Owen Sound in the afternoon, sailing on the S.S. Manitoulin. We spent the night at Killarney, which had no road access then. I still remember standing on the top deck of the ship with my dad in a dense morning fog, while my mother dressed. The steam whistle sounded above us, loud enough to lift a small child out of his sandals. The boat proceeded to Manitowaning and on to Little Current where Alf Spry met us in our 1928 Hudson. There were no road signs to Island locations in those days, Dick continues. As my parents unpacked at the Beatty cottage, I wandered away behind the building to an area of escarpment rock and fissures. Much distressed, mother found me placidly ensconced in the plentiful wild strawberries.

The Ahlers enjoyed the Beatty cottage, taking their meals at the Spry resort, half a mile away. In the late 1950s the Spry Resort became Manitou Haven with Jule and Edith Chisholm as proprietors. Jule was the adopted son of Alf and Lily Spry. Lily lived to be 104.

In 1934, Dick was joined by brother Roger and the Beatty youngsters often stayed on the Island with the Ahlers after the Sr. Beattys returned home. On September 3, 1939 I remember being at the Paul Foster cottage next door and listening, with a handful of others, to the Fosters new Oldsmobile car radio as Canada declared war on Germany. Pauls sister May wept. Their brother Ainsworth had been wounded in the Great War, World War One.

Travel from the States to Manitoulin was far more challenging in those years. It was a dirt road after Owen Sound and just a trail from Parry Sound to Pointe au Baril and beyond. The winding dirt road to Goat Island was a beautiful half-day experience. The small eight-car ferry, the Jaqueline, made the final passage to the Island because the bridge served only the train, known as the Blueberry Special. It would stop for blueberry pickers along the way.

One of the two Tobermory ferries was the SS Manitou, an elderly coal-fired boat, carrying 12 to 15 cars. Meals were prepared on the car deck on a coal-fired range and passed up by ladder to be served at six two-person tables in the fore-aft passageway. A one-armed bandit, a five cent slot machine, was chained to a steel pipe supporting the wheelhouse above. One year, with three nickels to invest, I hit the jackpot, Dick allows. The machine spewed a bonanza of three or four dollars of nickels everywhere.

The steel-hulled diesel powered MS Normac had been retired from fire boat service at Detroit. It carried a few more cars than the Manitou and did not pitch and wallow as readily. She ran for several years in the 1960s between Meldrum Bay and Blind River before becoming Captain Johns Seafood Restaurant at the foot of Yonge St. in Toronto. Most recently, the MS Normac served as a floating cocktail lounge and restaurant in Port Dalhousie, but was gutted by fire in 2011.

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Now and Then – Dick Ahlers

Published: Tuesday, January 28, 2014 at 7:37 a.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, January 28, 2014 at 7:37 a.m.

Local utilities are preparing for power outages across south Louisiana that could result from an icy storm expected to hit today through Thursday morning.

The impact of ice storms is very difficult to predict, but forecasts indicate the approaching weather system could be one of the most challenging the region has seen in years," said Dennis Dawsey, vice president of customer service for Entergy's Louisiana utilities, which serve much of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes.

"Power outage restoration may extend into 3 to 5 days for some customers, depending on the severity of the damage," he said. "Ice storms can pose a significant threat to an electric system, and extreme cold weather can present additional challenges and require a different and often slower restoration process."

The utility company is assembling more than 2,100 restoration workers in anticipation of ice-related outages, Dawsey said.

SLECA, a utility that serves about 16,000 in Terrebone, Lafourche and surrounding parishes, has all of its crews on standby, General Manager Joe Ticheli said this morning.

"When you have an ice storm like this, obviously some things you prepare for in advance, you fuel up all of your trucks and make sure your chainsaws are operable," he said. "Well be here all day and night answering telephones in case there are outages."

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for southeastern Louisiana through Wednesday morning. Forecasters said the winter storm could bring up to 3-5 inches of snow accumulation and 1/8 to 3/8 inches of ice or more to areas where a mix of precipitation persists.

"As with any storm, safety is always our first priority, and we want it to be yours too," Dawes said. "We urge customers to monitor the weather and prepare to implement their own winter storm plans.

Customers are encouraged to download Entergy's mobile app to access outage maps and information.

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Winter storm could cut power 3-5 days for some, Entergy says