January 20, 2015 - USL PRO (USL PRO) Arizona United SC SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Tuesday, January 20, 2015) - Looking to build upon the foundation from last year's inaugural season, Arizona United Soccer Club announces the re-signing of key defenders London Woodberry and Tyler Ruthven.

The additions of Woodberry and Ruthven increases Arizona United SC's roster size to eight players under contract for the 2015 season.

"London had a very successful year for us in 2014," said Arizona United SC Head Coach Michael Dellorusso. "He is beginning to come into his own at the professional level. He is a valuable player for our club and will play a big part in our success this season."

Entering his third professional season, Woodberry re-joins Arizona United SC after scoring three goals in 26 appearances in all competitions in 2014. Woodberry notched his first professional goal in Arizona United SC's thrilling 3-2 win over the Portland Timbers U-23s in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup.

"I'm very pleased to be coming back for my second season with Arizona United," London Woodberry added. "I'm looking forward to having a great season with a lot of success."

Woodberry recorded his first USL PRO goal against the Sacramento Republic FC, and closed out his scoring account with a late-season goal against the Seattle Sounders Reserves. Woodberry appeared in all three of Arizona United SC's U.S. Open Cup matches, going the distance against the OKC Energy FC in the third round and Major League Soccer's LA Galaxy in the fourth.

The former Homegrown player signee played in FC Dallas' United States Soccer Development Academy before joining the University of Maryland Terrapins in 2009. At Maryland, Woodberry appeared in 77 matches, scored four goals, and notched four assists.

Woodberry's relationship with Dellorusso extends to his collegiate days at the University of Maryland. From 2010-12, Woodberry was coached by Dellorusso, who served as the top assistant for the Terrapins.

Featuring at center back and right back, Ruthven amassed over 1,500 minutes in 21 league appearances in his first year at Arizona United SC. Ruthven appeared in three of Arizona United SC's U.S. Open Cup matches, and was named to the starting lineup against the Timbers U-23s and LA Galaxy.

"We are very happy to have Tyler return to the club for a second year," Dellorusso said. "He is an integral member of our team on and off the field. We will look for him to grow upon year one and he will be a major leader for our club moving forward."

Continued here:
Arizona United Soccer Club Re-Signs Tyler Ruthven and London Woodberry

Twins closer Glen Perkins talks about hunting, fishing and pitching in the All-Star Game during the Twins Caravan stop in Northfield, Minn.

The Winter Caravan features visits to schools, hospitals and local businesses, while also featuring a nightly Hot Stove program where fans can interact and ask questions in a larger setting. The message this year has been one of hope, as the Twins are trying to bounce back from four straight seasons of at least 92 losses, but coming off an offseason that included the additions of Torii Hunter and Ervin Santana.

The first route that began Monday features left-hander Brian Duensing, second baseman Brian Dozier and broadcasters Jack Morris and Dick Bremer. It opened with stops in Minnesota in Montevideo and Marshall before heading to South Dakota for their night program at Augustana College.

Duensing and Dozier have become well-acquainted with the Caravan, as Duensing has been on it five times and Dozier has gone four times. Their route mostly stays in Minnesota, and is set to feature stops in cities such as Mankato and Rochester, while right-hander Phil Hughes is slated to join them for their three stops in Owatonna, Chatfield and Rochester on Wednesday.

"It really amazes how much fan support we get," Dozier said. "We get so much support in all the towns we go. There's always a great turnout. And we get to interact with fans in ways we often don't get to during the season."

The second route of Week Two is set to include outfielder Jordan Schafer, third baseman Trevor Plouffe, broadcaster Cory Provus and Twins legends Bert Blyleven and Tony Oliva.

Twins first baseman and St. Paul native Joe Mauer is also scheduled to join the night program in St. Cloud, Minn., on Jan. 20. The second route ends Thursday with stops in Minnesota in Ortonville, Benson and Willmar, while the first route ends earlier on Thursday to allow Dozier and Duensing to make it to the Diamond Awards that night. Dozier is the winner of the Jim Kaat Award for Twins Defensive Player of the Year, while Duensing is the winner of the Carl R. Pohlad Community Service Award.

"I like that we get to meet a lot of fans who don't make it out to Target Field," Duensing said. "To able to do this for four days and then go Target Field for TwinsFest, it's fun. It's hard not to get fired up for the season with all the fans we get to see this week."

Rhett Bollinger is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, bollinger Beat, and follow him on Twitter @RhettBollinger. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Twins' Caravan continues, leading up to Diamond Awards

Offensively, Cleveland needs Jason Kipnis, Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn to avoid more injury woes and return to a level more representative of their respective career norms. The Indians also need Brandon Moss to show -- through strong production post-sugery -- that his second-half tailspin last year was indeed merely a result of his hip issues.

On the defensive front, the Indians need shortstop Jose Ramirez to continue to be the stellar fielder he was for the club in the second half of 2014. Cleveland needs improvement from both third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall and second baseman Jason Kipnis, too. Even a marginal gain in defensive production maybe would help close the gap that existed in the American League Wild Card standings last season.

Maybe this all sounds like a lot to ask. What I see is a team that -- despite second-half offensive issues and subpar defense (most prominently in the first half) -- remained in contention until the final weekend of the season. So, yes, I'm optimistic about the Tribe's ability to be a legitimate Wild Card contender again in '15. With health, the Indians could even compete for the AL Central title.

So, is now a good time to point out that Corey Kluber will be (at best) the fourth-highest paid Indians starting pitcher in 2015? -- Matt B., Greenville, S.C.

Talk about getting extremely great value from a starting rotation. You're right, Matt. Even with that AL Cy Young Award in his trophy case now, Kluber will head into Spring Training ranked fifth in the rotation in terms of salary for 2015. Here is a look at the Tribe's top four starters in terms of salary:

1. Gavin Floyd: $4 million (plus $6 million possible through incentives) 2. Carlos Carrasco: $2,337,500 (avoided arbitration) 3. Trevor Bauer: $1.94 million (coming off multiyear MLB deal) 4. Josh Tomlin: $1.5 million (avoided arbitration)

Kluber, Danny Salazar, T.J. House and Zach McAllister each project to earn a salary within range of the league's minimum requirement for the upcoming season. The Cy Young winner will not be eligible for salary arbitration until next offseason, but it's possible that the Indians will explore signing the right-hander to a multiyear extension prior to Opening Day.

Would the Indians actually try to sign free agent James Shields? -- Zach M., Niles, Ohio

I know there was an Internet rumor floating around that Cleveland had interest, but I have not heard anything along those lines. The Indians currently project to have a payroll around $83-84 million, which is right around the level at which the team operated last season. If Floyd were to hit all his incentives, the payroll could jump to around $90 million. Would Shields look nice in the rotation's second slot? Definitely. Right now, though, I don't think Cleveland will make that kind of monetary splash.

Is it true the Indians are looking for a back-end reliever, possibly a closer? -- Graydon F., Akron, Ohio

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Inbox: How will Indians fare with current roster?

ST. LOUIS -- Though fan voting won't commence until next month, the Cards used Saturday's Winter Warm-Up platform to announce the eight modern-era candidates eligible for induction into the Cardinals Hall of Fame this summer.

Six of those candidates -- Ted Simmons, Bob Forsch, Mark McGwire, Joe Torre, Matt Morris and Keith Hernandez -- return to the ballot for a second year. The two new additions are Steve Carlton and Edgar Renteria, eligible for the first time now that he has been retired from baseball for at least three years. The other criteria for inclusion on this ballot was spending at least three seasons in a Cardinals uniform.

The ballot was assembled by a Red Ribbon Committee made up of media members and Hall of Fame managers Tony La Russa, Whitey Herzog and Red Schoendienst. The committee also debated the credentials of several worthy veteran candidates -- defined as players who have been retired at least 40 years and who played at least three seasons with the organization -- and through a secret balloting process selected one veteran player to be included in that 2015 induction class.

The winner of that vote, as well as the top two votegetters on the modern-era ballot, will be announced in late April. At that time, the Cardinals will also reveal the pick for a fourth non-player inductee, which can be anyone who made longstanding contributions to the organization.

The voting period for the modern ballot will open in late February, with the ballot to be hosted on MLB.com. Fans will be permitted to vote up to 25 times during the weeks-long voting window. The induction ceremony will take place on Aug. 15, at which time four new plaques will be added to the 26 already displayed in the Cardinals Hall of Fame wing inside Ballpark Village.

Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, By Gosh, It's Langosch, and follow her on Twitter @LangoschMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Candidates for Cardinals Hall of Fame unveiled at Winter Warm-Up

Altoona (WQOW) - We may now know why an Altoona house went up in flames last night and continued burning for more than 12 hours.

Crews were first called a three story home on Garfield Avenue last night around 9 p.m. When crews arrived part of the second floor had collapsed making fighting it and investigating difficult.

"From the way the burn patterns are, we've eliminated a lot of things, said Lt. Dave Daken with the Altoona Fire Department. The area we're looking at is where the collapse is and it's pointing toward an electrical fire."

No foul play is suspected and fire investigators believe faulty wiring is to blame. Fire fighters say the layout and construction of the house made the fire difficult to contain.

The house has been vacant for two months and was in the process of being sold.

The family says most of the valuable possessions had been removed but that there were still some mementos left inside along with plenty of memories.

"It's just over whelming at the moment, said Chris Rodriguez who grew up in the home. Seeing the house you grew up in going up in flames it's pretty hard. On the same note I'm just glad no one was injured and everyone was out."

There were witnesses that reported hearing pops. Fire fighters believe they were paint cans exploding. The home is considered a total loss.

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Altoona (WQOW) - Flames lit up the sky in an Altoona neighborhood into the early morning.

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NEW INFORMATION: Firefighters suspect old wiring in Altoona house fire

January 16, 2015 - 19:04 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Brazilian production Sangue azul (Blue Blood), directed by Lirio Ferreira, will open the main program of the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival on Feb. 5, Variety reports.

The film, which won top prize at the Rio de Janeiro Film Festival, is the story of a circus performers attempted reconciliation with his familys past.

Panorama Special will open on February 6 with two films. First up is Mexican filmmaker Gabriel Ripsteins directorial debut, 600 Millas (600 Miles), in which a young gunrunner, en route from Texas to Mexico, finds himself stuck with a U.S. military veteran, played by Tim Roth.

The other film is German director Rosa von Praunheims latest work, Hrte (Tough Love), which tells the story of karate world champion Andreas Andy Marquardt, who also appears in the pic, and accompanies the audience on his journey from a childhood of abuse to an adulthood of violence. Ultimately he evolves into a man who cares (albeit rather gruffly) about others. The film introduces the thematic focus of abuse that runs through all three Panorama series.

Latin America makes a strong showing: Chilean director Sebastian Silva presents his film Nasty Baby, which is set in Brooklyn, and Chico Teixeira and Anna Muylaert, both from Brazil, contribute Ausencia (Absence) and Que horas ela volta? (The Second Mother) respectively. Argentina is repped by Marco Bergers Mariposa (Butterfly), and Juan Schnitmans El incendio (The Fire).

Among the U.S. additions to the lineup is Mitchell Lichtensteins Angelica, which is part wicked and whimsical sociological study, part psychodrama and part horror story. Also from the U.S. is Takeshi Fukunagas directorial debut, Out of My Hand, about a worker on a Liberian rubber plantation who wants to get away from a life overshadowed by civil war and so moves to New York.

Two European-U.S. co-productions portray the emotional worlds of young people in the U.S. In Bizarre, French director Etienne Faure places teenage Maurice in a tender and playful environment, a commune of sorts, in Brooklyn. While DFFB graduate Micah Magees debut film, Petting Zoo, sets its protagonist in Texas, where she tries to maintain her autonomy despite daily adversities.

Panorama has now completed its selection of fiction films, with 34 features from 29 countries.

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Blue Blood Rio de Janeiro winner to open Berlinales Panorama section

January 15, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Soo Greyhounds SAULT STE. MARIE, ON- The Soo Greyhounds, and in particular two of their newest additions, flexed their offensive muscle on Wednesday Night in front of a near sell-out and boisterous Essar Centre crowd.

The locals built up a 5-1 lead through the opening twenty minutes before routing the visiting Saginaw Spirit 12 to 5.

A dominant first period saw the Hounds open a 2-0 lead in the opening six and a half minutes.

SERGEY TOLCHINSKY (4:40) swung from outside the zone to the right wing before his shot eluded starting net minder Evan Cormier for the first goal of the game.

JUSTIN BAILEY then notched his 3rd goal as a Greyhound (6:30) firing home a shot from the slot to increase the lead.

The first two goals came on the Hounds first five shots of the game while they limited Saginaw to a single shot through the opening 11:20 of the period.

NICK RITCHIE scored his first and second goals as a Hound off a rebound, and redirection from in front, while JARED MCCANN and MICHAEL BUNTING rounded out the period's scoring with the four goal (5-1) cushion.

Connor Brown had the lone Saginaw goal while the Hounds effectively killed off a Saginaw 5-on-3 that lasted 1:52 in the first.

David Ovsjannikov would replace starting Spirit net minder Evan Cormier to start the second period, after allowing five goals on twelve shots.

The Hounds increased their lead before the second period was ten minutes old when NICK RITCHIE scored his third of the night after a Hounds man advantage (2:50) and then JUSTIN BAILEY marked his second of the evening from Ovsjannikov's right to make it a 7-1 game.

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Ritchie Leads Hounds Offensive Muscles against Saginaw

The weather outside is frightful, but local stages are heating up for the second halves of their season.

Everyone from legendary acts like Natalie Cole to up-and-comers like comedian Mike Birbiglia will be in the area this winter and spring, and youll want to clear your date book now.

You will definitely want to check out your favorite venue many have added to their lineups.

Elgin Arts Center

We have added a number of shows to our season, said Susanne Kepley, manager of marketing and patron services at Elgin Community College. That includes the returning favorite Under the Streetlamp on Mothers Day weekend, which features former cast members of Jersey Boys, she said.

Thats a show were so happy to have return to the Arts Center, she said. When they were starting out, we were one of the first venues to book the show and its really exciting to have the guys coming back. It feels like theyre coming home.

Theyre so talented and its been great to see the success of that show. They do a mix of doo-wop, Motown and rock n roll. Its a really fun night and one of the most excited audiences Ive seen are definitely the audiences coming out of Under the Streetlamp.

Another show thats been added is The Band tribute group The Weight on March 13, featuring members of The Band, The Levon Helm Band and friends.

The month kicks off with American Grands XX, a piano event that originated in the Fox Valley and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Its just so thrilling to see the joy people find in that event and its growing popularity, she said.

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Guide: West Suburban 2015 major venue preview

Samuel Fuller would go on to a career as the uncompromising director of such films as "Shock Corridor," "The Naked Kiss," "Pickup on South Street" and "The Big Red One" (inspired by his Army days in World War II).

But on May 9, 1945, Fuller was serving in the 1st U.S. Infantry Division when, armed with a 16mm Bell & Howell camera, he documented the aftermath of the liberation of a Nazi concentration camp in Falkenau, Czechoslovakia.

According to Fuller, he was asked to record the gruesome spectacle of the emaciated bodies of the near-dead, as well as burial preparations of the victims, by his battalion commander, Captain Kimble R. Richmond. The death-camp survivors, Fuller wrote, "raised their bald heads and looked at us, eyes sunken in anguish, their mouths agape, a hand here and there reaching out, grasping for anything, begging us for assistance in helpless silence."

In addition, the townspeople of Falkenau - who professed ignorance of the camp's true nature - were compelled by Richmond to witness the proceedings or face execution. They, like the viewers of Fuller's footage, could not turn away.

Credit: Directed by Samuel Fuller. Courtesy of Christa and Samantha Fuller, Chrisam Films, Inc. and the Academy Film Archive

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2014 additions to National Film Registry - CBS News ...

Avon Products Inc. (AVP) boosted sales in Russia, increasing its ranks by tens of thousands in the second half of last year as the plunging ruble prompted more people to seek additional income selling goods door-to-door.

Our sales have been growing both in volume and value, Avon country chief Elena Starkova said in an interview in Moscow. December was magnificent, exceeding our forecasts.

The additions swelled New York-based Avons labor pool in Russia by more than 10 percent, Starkova said, declining to give the exact number. Smaller competitors Oriflame Cosmetics SA (ORI) and Herbalife Ltd. (HLF) said they also added representatives in the country in 2014, without being specific.

The ruble weakened 43 percent against the U.S. dollar last year as falling prices for oil, Russias biggest export, compounded the effects of U.S. and European sanctions over President Vladimir Putins incursion into Ukraine. The economy contracted for the first time in five years in November, heralding a recession, while real incomes dropped 4.7 percent, according to the latest government data.

We are being joined by all the categories of people seeking additional income -- state employees whose living conditions have soured, students, pensioners, Starkova said. It was similar during the 1998 and 2009 economic crises.

About 4.3 million Russians are now involved in direct sales, a number that will keep growing as long as the economy and ruble remain weak, according to Tamara Shokareva, who heads an industry lobby group.

During economic crises, more people usually get involved in direct sales to earn additional money or buy consumer goods at lower prices, Shokareva said.

Direct-sales companies, which avoid the costs of running retail stores, generated the equivalent of about $4.4 billion in sales in Russia in 2013, led by Avon and Amway Corp., according to Shokarevas group.

Starkova said Avon started noticing problems in the economy in the first half of 2014 and reacted with an anti-crisis consumer basket. The product includes items women cant do without at the cheapest possible price, such as shampoo for 59 rubles (89 cents) and skin cream for 79 rubles, she said.

Avon produces about half of the cosmetics it sells in Russia at a factory near Moscow, which helps keep prices low even after the rubles decline, Starkova said. The company limited price increases on imported items to no more than 10 percent last year and may do the same this year, she said. While that doesnt cover the ruble depreciation in full, it helps the company maintain market share, she said.

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Avon Says Russia Magnificent as Ruble Drop Swells Sales Force