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“學大教育”的課程不便宜，mini storage家長提供的一份協議顯示，小學六年級的補習費就要3.5萬元。新快報記者 畢志毅/攝　　新快報連續報道“學大教育”亂象，家長十分關注，不斷向本報投訴。　　家長陳女士稱，其兒子在“學大教育”補習半年，但效果甚微。今年小升初的兒子因是體育特長生，沒有參加升學考試就被一家重點初中錄取。然而，“學大教育”竟將孩子的姓名和錄取學校等信息，貼在“成績榜”上當廣告，以此來吸引其他家長。陳女士表示，“學大教育”並未徵得其同意，屬於虛假宣傳，“這樣的行為已對孩子的心理造成不良影響”。家長們要求“學大教育”公開道歉。　　記者將上述家長的要求轉達給“學大教育”，其廣州總部的相關負責人表示，該公司希望能直接和家長溝通，拒絕了公開道歉的要求。該負責人還堅稱，公佈學生成績榜是激勵學生的“內部行為”，如果學生家長需要投訴，可以到公司解決。　　■新快報記者 張若然 王呂斌 陳海生 實習生 朱冠權　　當街張榜是“內部展出”？　　在前期採訪中，新快報記者發現多家“學大教育”學習中心，將學生個人姓名、錄取學校等隱私信息，張榜于當街的玻璃櫥窗，任何人都可以隨意查看。而當有路人駐足查看時，“學大教育”工作人員則主動上前介紹，並指著榜單宣稱其師資力量雄厚。　　前日下午，記者來到“學大教育”廣州總部採訪，其天河學習中心總監詹先生辯稱，“學大教育”自己印製傳發的宣傳單、在報紙和網站上做的宣傳才是“廣告”。他表示，張貼在校區內部的成績榜，主要是起鼓勵和表揚學生、表彰老師的作用，並不是對外宣傳的手段。　　當記者指出，當街公開展示成績榜，是否也是一種廣告宣傳手段時，詹先生稱，成績榜都是張貼在各學習中心內部，不屬於對外宣傳所用的廣告。“如果（成績榜）是廣告的話，一定要通過有關部門審核，所以我們也認為不是廣告。”　　而對於記者提出是否會向學員公開道歉時，詹先生打斷問話說：“如果有什麼問題，家長可以向‘學大’投訴，有意見的家長可以來學校，我們會表示歉意。”　　道歉反而要家長上門？　　隨後，記者聯繫了多位被“公佈”成績的學生家長，多人表示“學大教育”這種說法完全不負責任，是在對自己的違規廣告行為做狡辯。　　“他們公佈我家孩子成績前，沒有跟我說，現在居然還要我上門，他們才會道歉，self storage直就是強盜邏輯。”家長張先生說，受限于平時工作忙的關係，不可能專門抽時間去接受道歉。而家長李先生則表示，“學大教育”竟要求家長上門才道歉，明顯缺乏誠意，“那些不知道情況的家長就不用向他們道歉了？‘學大’應該公開道歉以示誠意”。　　至於“學大教育”在公佈學生成績時，出現的一些失實情況，上述負責人詹先生表示，小升初考試比較特別，可能某一個孩子考上了多所學校，需要到9月1日才能最終落實，所以有時會在成績榜的刊登上出現問題。　　“我們的學生肯定是考上了學校，我們才會公佈。”詹先生說，“學大教育”主要是在考試結束後，通過電話、短信等形式，直接向學生家長詢問其報考的學校，整個過程中並不需要與家長簽署協議。　　被申請退款老師減績效　　對於有家長反映“退費難”等問題，詹先生表示，按照“學大教育”與學員簽署的合同，接到家長退款申請後，“學大教育”必須在7至40天內退費，不可能存在工作人員卡住學生家長不退的情況。　　詹先生解釋，“學大教育”的教務系統和財務系統是分開管理的，退款由班主任進行操作，先由家長提交書面申請並辦理手續，班主任將申請遞交給財務部門再進行執行，最後通過銀行卡劃賬退還。“申請的日期是不能更改的，所以不存在班主任不讓退款的情況。”　　“如果是因為老師問題而退款的，老師的績效會受到一定影響。”詹先生承認，在退款問題上，教師有可能會造成部分經濟損失。但其始終表示，“學大教育”的師資都是正規的，從事教學的都有教師資格證，教師也是公開招聘的，畢業班的教師還需有一定教學經驗，只有助教崗位才會讓應屆畢業生參與。　　同時，詹先生強調，“學大教育”與家長簽有合同，並有客戶投訴渠道，家長如有投訴問題，可直接與總部聯繫。　　對此，記者轉達了�多家長要求“學大教育”公開道歉的要求，詹先生明確表示希望直接和家長溝通，拒絕公開道歉。　　家長說　　“他們公佈我家孩子成績前，沒有跟我說，現在居然還要我上門，他們才會道歉，簡直就是強盜邏輯。”　　　　　　“那些不知道情況的家長就不用向他們道歉了？‘學大’應該公開道歉以示誠意。”　　　　　　“兒子在‘學大’補習過確實沒錯，但他是按照體育特長生特招進中學的，‘學大’卻把這個算成他們的功勞。”　　　　張若然、王呂斌、 陳海生、朱冠權迷你倉

Source: Tulsa World, Okla.mini storageSept. 06--A Tulsa Public Schools bus driver is under police investigation after a Thursday afternoon dispute with the principal at Key Elementary School.Witnesses told police that the bus driver, whose name was not released because he was not arrested, pushed Key Principal Doug Howard down the steps of a school bus about 3 p.m."The principal was concerned that the behavior of the bus driver did not seem to be appropriate," said Tulsa Public Schools Campus Police Chief Gary Rudick. "He felt like the bus driver was not performing his duties properly, so he felt it was necessary to evacuate the bus."The bus driver took exception to that and wanted to call his supervisor first, and theself storageprincipal was pushed back out that door," he said.Rudick said students on board the bus used the emergency exit door on the back of the bus to evacuate, and teachers outside helped them. Another Tulsa Public Schools bus was dispatched to transport those children home.School officials will send a letter about the incident to parents Friday, and police will forward their reports for review by the Tulsa County District Attorney's Office, Rudick said.He added that an ambulance was called, but the principal opted to be checked out instead at a nonemergency clinic.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) Visit Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) at .tulsaworld.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉

　　【本報訊】 9月6日，儲存倉“山海相約 攜手黔行”大型主題採訪活動啟動儀式在貴州省貴陽市舉行，活動目標是承前啟後，繼往開來前瞻泛珠的未來合作。　　活動邀請泛珠九省區期刊及香港、澳門主流媒體參加，包括廣東《南方》雜誌、廣西《當代廣西》雜誌、福建《海峽通訊》雜誌、湖南《新湘評論》雜誌、海南《今日海南》雜誌、貴州《當代貴州》雜誌、雲南《黨的生活》雜誌、四川《黨的建設》雜誌、香港《經濟導報》雜誌、澳門《新華澳報》等。　　貴州省委常委，省委宣傳部部長喻紅秋出席啟動迷你倉價錢式並講話。喻紅秋代表貴州省委、省政府向參加此次活動的媒體表示熱烈歡迎，感謝大家長期以來對貴州的關注、關心和支持，並簡要介紹了泛珠三角區域合作與發展論壇暨經貿洽談會、中國（貴州）國際酒類博覽會在貴陽召開的重要意義。希望大家在採訪調研中，多感受貴州的風土人情，多關注貴州秀美的自然風光，多體驗多姿多彩的原生態文化。啟動儀式後，採訪團分別赴遵義市、黔東南州進行採訪調研。　　隨後，相關媒體還將參加在貴州省貴陽市舉行的第九屆泛珠大會和第三屆中國（貴州）國際酒類博覽會。迷你倉

- THE GOLDBERGS airs Tuesdays at 9 p.迷你倉出租m. ET/PT beginning Sept. 24 on CTV -To Tweet This Release: bit.ly/17do2uK"The family-friendly single-camera comedy has been generating great buzz...." - The Hollywood Reporter"I love THE GOLDBERGS! This super '80s-tastic sitcom did what most this season couldn't: It actually made me laugh." - The Huffington PostTORONTO, Sept. 6, 2013 /CNW/ - CTV welcomes a new family to the neighbourhood, THE GOLDBERGS, beginning today on CTV.ca. CTV announced today that the highly anticipated new comedy is now receiving an exclusive advance digital preview of the series premiere, before it joins CTV's incredible new Tuesday night lineup later this month. A loving but somewhat outlandish family, The Goldbergs are direct from the '80s - a time before parenting blogs, trophies for showing up, and peanut allergies."The digital preview is a great way to generate even more buzz for one of the most talked-about new comedies this fall," said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks. "THE GOLDBERGS is a hilarious addition to CTV's new blockbuster Tuesday night lineup."?? THE GOLDBERGS airs regularly on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, immediately following this year's most-anticipated new series, MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Both series are part of CTV's blockbuster Tuesday night lineup, also featuring family comedy TROPHY WIFE at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT and PERSON OF INTEREST at 10 p.m. ET/PT, all beginning Tuesday, Sept. 24 on CTV.**Media Note** Photography for THE GOLDBERGS is available online at BellMediaPR.ca. Watch the exclusive advance digital screening HERE.For geeky 11-year old Adam Goldberg (Sean Giambrone), the '80s were his wonder years - and he faced them armed with a video camera to capture all the crazy his family had to offer. Mom Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) is a classic "smother" - an overbearing, overprotective matriarch who rules this brood with 100% authority and zero sense of boundaries. Dad Murray (Jeff Garlin) is a gruff, hot-temp迷你倉red father who is learning how to parent without screaming after a recent health scare... and having little luck. Sister Erica (Hayley Orrantia) is 17, hot, terrifying, and not one to mess with. Barry (Troy Gentile) is 16, a grade-A spaz with a classic middle child syndrome. Adam is the youngest, a camera-wielding future director who's crushing on an older woman, 15-year-old Zoe. Rounding out the family is beloved grandfather Al "Pops" Solomon (George Segal), the wild man of the clan and a shameless Don Juan who's schooling Adam in the ways of love.New episodes of THE GOLDBERGS will also be available the day following its television broadcast across CTV's digital platforms, including CTV.ca, the CTV App, the CTV Mobile channel on Bell Mobile TV, and through video on demand partners such as Bell Fibe TV.THE GOLDBERGS was written and executive-produced by Adam F. Goldberg (Breaking In, Fanboys) and also executive-produced by Doug Robinson and Seth Gordon. The pilot was directed by Seth Gordon (Identity Thief, Horrible Bosses). THE GOLDBERGS is from Adam Sandler's production company, Happy Madison, and is produced by Sony Pictures Television.About CTV CTV is Canada's #1 private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV has been Canada's most-watched television network for the past 12 years in a row. CTV is a division of Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio and digital. Bell Media is owned by BCE Inc. , Canada's largest communications company. More information about CTV can be found on the network's website at ctv.ca.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Twitter:? @CTV_Television Wendi McLendon-Covey - @wendimclendonco Hayley Orrantia - @hayleyorrantia Jeff Garlin - @jeffgarlin Troy Gentile - @RealTroyGentileFacebook: https://.facebook.com/ctvCTVCONTACT: Jacqui VanSickle, Bell Media, 416.384.5091or jacqueline.vansickle@bellmedia.caJim Quan, Bell Media, 416.384.5311 or jim.quan@bellmedia.ca儲存倉

Source: Tulsa World, Okla.迷你倉Sept. 06--Crying is normal for babies, and they should never be shaken, no matter how frustrated a person gets.Oklahoma State Department of Health officials hope people will remember that when they see a purple cap on a baby.The Health Department is looking for volunteers to knit or crochet the purple caps, which will be distributed to newborns at 34 hospitals in November and December as part of the CLICK for Babies project.Ann Benson, administrative program manager for child and adolescent health at the state Health Department, said babies can cry for hours, and that that is normal."It doesn't always mean something is wrong," she said.The cap distribution campaign is part of a program called the Period of PURPLE Crying, with each letter in purple standing for a word or phrase."P" is for peak of crying, which usually occurs at about two months."U" is for unexpected, as crying can come and go, and parents may not know why."R" is for resists soothing, a reminder that babies can keep crying no matter what you do.The second "P" is for painlike face. Babies might look like they are in pain when they are not."L" is for long-lasting, because crying can last for five or more hours a day."E" is for evening, when babies are most likely to cry.If the baby has fever or is showing other symptoms of illness, the crying can indicate a problem that needs to be addressed.Benson said volunteers can choose any pattern and any shade of purple for the caps, as long as they use baby-soft yarn.Anything attached to the cap should be secured tightly so it doesn't become a choking hazard, she said.Shaking a baby can文件倉cause bleeding that can create pressure and cut off oxygen to the brain. Shaking is particularly dangerous for babies because their brains are smaller and have more room to move around in their skulls and, because their brain matter is softer, can break apart easily.Also, their neck muscles are less developed, said Keri Lyons, director of the Never Shake a Baby program at the Parent Child Center of Tulsa, which is helping with the cap distribution."They're just more susceptible to injury because of the way their anatomy is," she said, adding that shaking a baby for two to three seconds can cause severe injury.The Parent Child Center goes to five participating Tulsa hospitals year-round to educate parents about babies' crying habits and pass out a DVD that can be shared with other caregivers, Lyons said."It's basically to help them understand what's going on and deal with it," she said.Last year, the center's employees visited with 13,000 people and during November and December distributed about 1,200 purple caps, she said.Their goal is to collect at least 1,500 caps this year, Lyons said.Between 2001 and 2010 in Oklahoma, 93 babies -- including 11 in Tulsa -- died from shaking. They ranged in age from 1 month to 3 years.How you can helpMail purple caps for babies to:Parent Child Center of Tulsa1421 S. Boston Ave.Tulsa, OK 74119Oklahoma Child Death Review Board111 N. Lee Ave., Suite 500Oklahoma City, OK 73103Shannon Muchmore 918-581-8378shannon.muchmore@tulsaworld.comCopyright: ___ (c)2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) Visit Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) at .tulsaworld.com Distributed by MCT Information Services存倉

BT Weekend susses out three new shops selling bread and pastry that will surely raise the bar for all existing bakeries hereLive by bread aloneArtisan Boulangerie Compagnie118 Killiney Road #01-01Tel: 6444 8130Hours: 8am-10pm dailyIF Eran Mayer had his way, Singaporeans would visit their neighbourhood bakeries three times a day, just to pick up fresh loaves of bread and pastries for breakfast, lunch or dinner.迷你倉Acknowledging that it may take a few months or maybe a few years, "it is my aim to see each household in Singapore with a loaf of fresh, preservative-free bread in the middle of their table all the time," says the 41-year-old, adding cheekily: "We're going to throw the rice cooker out."Mr Mayer is the head baker at week-old Artisan Boulangerie Compagnie (ABC), a smartly done up French bakery along Killiney Road owned by The Zest Group, an F&B company that also invests in brands such as Twelve Cupcakes here.But Mr Mayer isn't just pushing for the brazen consumption of carbohydrates, rather, a finer appreciation of the craftsmanship that goes into bread making.Which is why at ABC, a long chef's table of sorts is the first thing you see when you step into the 1,800 sq ft dine-in space. It is possibly the best seat in the house - as from there you can take in unhindered views of the sprawling 2,500 sq ft kitchen that cost them $700,000 to fit out, and Mr Mayer within it, sniffing at baguettes coming fresh out of the oven or waxing lyrical about letting the breads sing their song (his poetic way of referring to the subtle cracking sounds made by the baguette crust as it cools)."Bakers usually do their work at night, so that when people come into the bakery in the morning, all they see is a wall of beautiful pastry," he says. "Our idea is to expose the magic, to let people see the ovens, the handwork, and the creative process that goes into our breads."And Mr Mayer is a bread and butter geek if we ever met one: he eagerly launches into a discussion on the finers points of butter from Normandy versus butter from Charentes-Poitou (the former is where the butter he currently uses is from; the latter, where he would like to import his favourite butter from); and only flour imported from Minoterie Viron, a small family-run flour mill in Chartres, west of Paris, is used in the kitchens of ABC. Everything is mixed in-house, pre-mixes are strictly forbidden.So ABC's baguettes may not all turn out uniformly shaped, but that's the whole point. From the uneven folds in each flaky layer of his rich, buttery croissants, to the scarification atop each baguette - or what Mr Mayer calls the "baker's signature" - he says: "I like when you see the hand of the artisan in our breads, it reminds you that it is made by a human, not a machine."It's no mean feat, considering that Mr Mayer's kitchen team of 18 has to churn out more than 50 different items (including more than 15 types of breads) that are sold at the 75-seater each day - but that's the only way Mr Mayer knows how to do it.Born to a German family in Israel, Mr Mayer spent most of his 20-year baking career working in artisan bakeries across France, and has even taken home top honours in annual baguette competitions in the country.Unlike other bakery chains that bank on flying in consulting French chefs to perform quality checks only from time to time, Mr Mayer is here to stay, and so is the bakery's consistency, he says. He uprooted his homemaker wife and two daughters, aged three and nine, to Singapore in June, and now lives just a few paces from the bakery.In homage to his new neighbourhood - chosen largely for its promixity to residents, whom he hopes to convert to regulars - he christened his signature bake the Killiney loaf ($18 for a 1kg loaf, also available in 500g). Made from on a personal recipe he's been perfecting for the last 25 years, the loaf is a hefty, rustic chunk that resembles a leg of parma ham, but slices open to reveal a bouyant and slightly moist centre.Other creations from the expansive range include pastries such as zesty orange brioches and lemon tarts to start your mornings with, to hearty rye grain and cereal-studded dark bread, and raisin-filled muesli loaves. Prices generally range from $2 to $10.Savoury food items such as salads, toasted sandwiches, quiches and pies, and cheese and charcuterie platters showcasing the home-made breads are available for lunch too, while a weekend brunch menu will be rolled out in a fortnight. Plans for a second outlet in Great World City by year-end are also underway."The whole idea is to create a happy place, where our bakery becomes an extension of people's homes," adds Mr Mayer.By Debbie Yongdebyong@sph.com.sgIn full bloomAnthesis86 Robertson Quay #01-01Tel: 6737 9873Hours: 8.30am-5.30pm dailyAFTER two attempts at holding down what her father deemed "a proper job" in the banking industry, Melanie Ng, 29, found herself trading it all in again to return to her first love - food.The latest project for the former Goldman Sachs banker: Anthesis, a month-old 1,7000 sq ft cafe tucked within a gorgeously restored warehouse along Robertson Quay.There is a sense of deja vu for Ms Ng, who similarly gave up a banking role in Morgan Stanley in 2009 to co-found dessert chain 1-Caramel in Handy Road with the One Rochester Group (she has since sold her shares back to the group)."I thought it'd be easier the second time, but it isn't," laughs Ms Ng, whose older sister Severine, 36, is also a business partner.Instead of just focusing on pastries (the lemon tart儲存is a must) and desserts, Anthesis - which refers to the period when a flower is in full bloom - offers freshly baked breads, hot food and a range of gourmet teas, coffee and craft beers.Though Ms Ng herself has been a hobbyist baker since her undergraduate days in Sydney, she roped in veteran baker Gan Eng Ling, 50, to run things on a more commercial scale. He churns out innovative creations such as oatmeal carrot loaves and spinach and parmesan brioches, on top of usual bakes such as mini baguettes and walnut breads, on a daily basis. Pastry prices start from $2.50 for a macaron, while breads cost upwards of $2.80 for a short baguette.The food menu is designed to showcase the cafe's homemade breads, so you get bread platters, eggs on toast, soups and salads and brunch staples such as eggs benedict, pancakes, and a banana split French toast stack ($16) made with slices of brioche and drizzled with maple syrup, caramelised banana and fresh strawberry slices. For something a little more unconventional, go for the tuna tataki sandwich ($18), lightly seared pepper-crusted slabs of tuna perched on a sourdough toast and coiffed with alfalfa sprouts and avocado. All the sandwiches on offer can be made from your choice of bread ranging from wholemeal, sourdough, ciabatta, baguette or a more premium selection of multigrain, olive focaccia, herb, dark rye, pumpkin seed or walnut bread.The house coffee, meanwhile, is a blend of Brazilian, Sumatran and Guatemalan beans specially customised by a local coffee roaster, while teas are from American organic tea specialist, The Art of Tea.Ms Ng and her team are currently working on a dinner menu to be launched early next month to cater to the area's laidback and largely residential evening crowd."We chose this spot in Robertson Quay because it's very relaxed, you don't feel like you're in Singapore - even though you're right in the heart of the city," says Ms Ng, of the 70-seater loft-like space, with 25 alfresco seats by the edge of the Singapore River.When operations stabilise, Ms Ng also plans to wholesale her breads to other independent cafes."People are more health conscious these days, and the best way to ensure your breads are organic and preservative-free is to do it yourself," explains Ms Ng.By Debbie YongA first for Lady MLady M ConfectionsMarina Square Shopping Mall,6 Raffles Boulevard, #02-103Opens Sep 8Hours: 10am - 10pm daily. Last orders at 9.30pmTHEY say that sometimes it's not what you know but who you know. That was, indeed, how ViJay Pillai came to open acclaimed New York cake brand, Lady M's first offshore outpost in Singapore.Scheduled to open to the public tomorrow, the 56-seater Lady M Singapore is only the chain's fifth store; it has three other outlets in New York, and one in Los Angeles. The brand originated in New York's Upper East Side in 2001, and quickly grew to become a cult hit in Manhattan with long queues for its signature layered crepe cakes.Lady M was founded by Kumi Romaniszyn and her son Ken - both family friends of Mr Pillai, 27, who will serve as their Singapore director. He also runs Caerus Holdings, an F&B group that manages restaurants in Malaysia and Singapore and a wine distribution business in India and the Maldives.According to Mr Pillai, the two parties only decided to embark on this joint-venture together some time last year, even though Lady M Confections has been around for over a decade. One reason he took his time was that he wanted to be able to maintain the quality of the brand, which depends a lot on getting the right ingredients. "Getting the cream and the flour was the hardest part. Making the cakes is purely about ingredients and technique," he states.Their signature mille crepe cakes, for instance, are made up of 20 layers of thin crepes, with a cream filling between each layer. Each cake has to be handmade over a period of 10 hours, from the time the batter is mixed to the time it is placed on a cake stand. Since it is such a long process, their team of six bakers in the central kitchen can only make about 30 cakes a day, and a total of about 200 cakes if you include other flavours and pastries, says Mr Pillai. "Our biggest worry now is to be able to meet the demand," he adds.The upside of the joint venture, however, is that he has some help from the New York branch. One of Lady M's founding chefs is relocating to Singapore, and will stay on to develop new flavours incorporating local accents.Meanwhile, customers can expect an initial selection of eight of the brand's core cakes, such as the signature mille crepe, the green tea mille, strawberry shortcake and berry tart, along with individual pastries such as the Mont Blanc and chocolate eclairs. More items will be gradually added to match the full selection currently available in the US. Tarts will average $9 per slice, while the signaure mille crepe cakes will go for $7 per slice and $40 to $65 for 6-inch and 9-inch cakes respectively.A second, more intimate 900 sq ft outlet in One Fullerton will open in October, and will be positioned as a slightly more intimate, late-night dessert bar.Despite the Marina Square Singapore flagship being twice the size of Lady M's original New York outlet at 2,000 sq ft, Pillai says he hopes to adhere to the same concept of keeping the focus on the cakes.As such, the decor of the Singapore store will be kept to barren white walls on purpose. "The idea is to let the cakes stand out the most, and become the focus of the whole store," he says.By Rachel Loirachloi@sph.com.sg新蒲崗迷你倉

Source: Dayton Daily News, OhioSept.迷你倉 06--While crime trends are mixed this year in the area's largest suburbs, crime rates in the city of Dayton have declined in seven of the eight major categories compared to last year.Through the first eight months of 2013, violent crime in Dayton -- homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault -- is down 7 percent from last year, according to police statistics. Property crime -- residential burglary, arson and two types of theft -- is down 12 percent.Dayton's three largest suburbs -- Kettering, Beavercreek and Huber Heights -- have much lower overall rates of crime than Dayton. Kettering's violent crime rate is up slightly this year, to 29 incidents through July, but that is dwarfed by Dayton's 821 incidents through August.Property crime trends are up this year in Kettering and Beavercreek, with burglary, larceny and car theft numbers up according to police in both cities. Huber Heights' comparatively low homicide and rape numbers numbers also have risen this year.An apples-to-apples comparison of crime statistics between cities is difficult, because of different incident reporting systems and ways the cities categorize crimes.Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl said his city's success in lowering crime rates is not limited to this year. Tracking a three-year trend, Dayton's 821 violent crimes through August this year marks a 20 percent decline from the 1,026 that happened in the first eight months of 2010. Property crime is down 15.5 percent in that span.The Dayton trend follows national statistics reported. Violent crime fell for the fifth year in a row, dropping 4.5 percent (for every 100,000 people), according to FBI's statistics released for 2011, the most recent available. Property crime fell for the ninth year in a row by 1.3 percent, according to the FBI.If you ask Biehl, Dayton Mayor Gary Leitzell, community leaders and Dayton's police union, you'll get a variety of reasons for the drop in crime here."The biggest change for us ... was the restructuring we went through early in 2011," Biehl said, referring to a move to decentralize property crime detectives. "It created a true synergy between patrol officers who are out in the community 24/7, the detectives who have to do follow-up investigation on unsolved crimes, and crime prevention officers who respond to emerging crime patterns and implement prevention strategies. It got them all talking and working together."Dayton Fraternal Order of Police President Mike Galbraith disagreed on the value of the restructuring, but he raised two other issues that echoed Biehl's reasoning.The first was Dayton's ability to hire police officers again after a multi-year, lawsuit-induced hiring freeze. Dayton's first two classes totaling 43 new officers have hit the streets -- one last year and one this year -- and a third class is in the police academy. Galbraith's other idea dealt with collaboration with other agencies."I think a lot of it has to do with local agencies teaming up with federal agencies, and working together and taking major criminals in Dayton off the street," Galbraith said. "We've removed several individuals who were responsible for homicides and drug trafficking儲存倉 and a lot of them are doing federal prison time."Property crime is the biggest concern in Kettering, and Police Chief James O'Dell said the city's numbers rose this year due in part to the work of some"career criminals" who have since been arrested. O'Dell said Kettering's arrest numbers are also up this year, and case clearance rates are well above national averages."The best measure is our residents' perception of safety," O'Dell said. "Our 2012 Citizen Satisfaction Survey tells us that people feel safe in their neighborhoods."Kevin Jones, president of the Fair River Oaks Priority Board, said the declining crime numbers in Dayton sound fairly accurate based on what he's seen in northwest Dayton, but he wonders how much crime isn't reported at all, as people worry about their own safety and choose not to get involved.That worry dovetails with one of Biehl's main concerns."To this day, despite improvements in technology, interviewing techniques and forensics, the most important factor in whether police solve a crime or not is whether citizens will tell them who did it," he said. "And that's all based on relationships. How do they feel about the police officers that serve in their community? Do they know them? Do they like them? Do they trust them?"Jones said that's a mixed bag citywide, but is a success in the Phoenix Project area near Good Samaritan hospital, where hospital funding helps pay for focused policing by Dayton officers."They have assigned officers, and their whole responsibility is this community," Jones said. "They take ownership. It's not their job that they go to everyday, it's their neighborhood. They sound like the gang players, because they become territorial. And I see that starting to improve in some other neighborhoods, too, as officers take ownership."Leitzell said Dayton still has an unfair perception problem, arguing that law-abiding citizens are very unlikely to become crime victims in the city."When you're city-specific (about crime), people are afraid to come to all of Dayton," Leitzell said. "If you're neighborhood-specific ... what that does for the citizens, is they can identify that certain neighborhoods need help."Leitzell also focused on the need for a better relationship between police and city residents."I think we're getting there," Leitzell said. "There's still a big divide, which is why we have the community-police relations group that Commissioner Williams put together. That was long overdue, and they're realizing there's a dialogue that has to be held. Certain cultures don't trust the police, and they may be justified in doing so, so it's up to our police department to reach out and be willing to help solve some of the problems."Biehl said those who point to a population decline as the reason for Dayton's crime decline have their numbers wrong. Dayton's violent crime rate has dropped 20 percent in three years, while Dayton's population declined less than 15 percent all of last decade, and actually increased in 2011 according to Census estimates.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) Visit the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) at .daytondailynews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉價錢

Source: The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash.迷你倉Sept. 06--The apparently random East Minnehaha home invasion that led to the death of an inebriated intruder last summer was "the strangest case I've ever worked," said Clark County Sheriff's Office Detective Lindsay Schultz.The makers of "Panic 911" found it strange, too. Last month, a crew from the A&E Network thriller show, which analyzes and dramatizes actual 911 calls, turned a sheriff's office conference room into a television studio while interviewing Schultz and K-9 deputy Brian Ellithorpe about the case."It was a unique experience. I'm not used to doing stuff like this," said Schultz, who worked as a patrol officer for five years before moving up to detective with the Major Crimes Unit. Her own crime investigation interviews have been known to grow "long and stressful and tiresome," she said -- but nothing like her own interrogation by a TV crew. That lasted for four long hours and was minutely detailed, she said. "It was a little bit fun and incredibly stressful," she said.It was also quarterbacked from afar. The interviewer who sat opposite Schultz was in constant electronic contact with a producer back at the home studio; that producer monitored the interview and prompted the interviewer, in real time, about what details to pursue."They really knew the case. I was impressed with their accuracy and research. They were very, very well prepared," Schultz said. Also, she added, the A&E crew was "very sensitive to the family."That family, Robert and Janice Blakemore, decided not to participate, and a different name is being substituted for theirs in the show. But儲存the couple didn't have a problem with the sheriff's office participating, Schultz said.What happened, according to news reports and Schultz's recollection, was this: Early on the morning of Aug. 25, 2012, a 42-year-old man named Chris Billings, of Kansas City, Mo., was visiting Vancouver friends. The friends found Billings to be "out of control," Schultz said, and sent him packing in the direction of a state trooper they noticed making a traffic stop. The trooper was busy and called for backup, but in the meantime, Billings stumbled farther down the street, smashed through a fence and let himself in the open back door of the Blakemore home on Northeast 54th Avenue.When Billings broke through their locked bedroom door, Robert Blakemore shot and killed him. Police showed up moments later. Blakemore was not charged with a crime."They are some of the nicest people I have ever met. This thing was so random," said Schultz.Schultz said she was not a fan of "Panic 911." "I never even heard of it. But I watched an episode the other day. It's not a bad show," she said."It was interesting. I think they are looking to show how situations begin" -- and the sketchy nature of the information that dispatchers and police must go on, she said. "I guess I'm used to that stuff."The episode of "Panic 911" is scheduled to air at 10 p.m. Thursday on A&E.------Bits 'n' Pieces appears Fridays and Saturdays. If you have a story you'd like to share, email bits@columbian.com.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.) Visit The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.) at .columbian.com Distributed by MCT Information Services新蒲崗迷你倉

Source: Detroit Free PressSept.存倉 06--By now, you've long known that Ariel Castro, the monster from Cleveland who held three young women captive for the better part of 10 years, committed suicide in an Ohio jail cell.Castro used the bedsheets in his prison cell to hang himself just one month into his life-plus-1,000-years' sentence, ending his own suffering.The news has been tugging at me for days -- the same way the initial stories about Castro's house of horrors did back in May.My mind keeps going back to a picture of Amanda Berry, who managed to escape from her prison through sheer determination, screaming through the door for help for herself, the two other women he held captive, and for the little girl she bore to Castro in that awful house on Seymour Street.I keep thinking about that 6-year-old child, and what Berry must be telling her now about her father, now that he's dead, now that he took the easy way out.What does that little girl remember of Castro, and how will the narrative play out for her as she grows up? This little girl shared a room with her mom with a Pocahontas poster on the wall, and knew only of life in a place where there were boards over the windows, chains, and locks on every door. Will Berry tell her that her father was a beast of a man with no compassion?Footage of an FBI interview with Castro in the hours after his arrest emerged this morning. In it, Castro speaks about how he used Berry's cell phone in 2003 to call her mother and tell her she was still alive."I think I said something, that I have her daughter, and that she's OK and that she's my wife now -- something like that, probably not the exact words," he says on the video. He 迷你倉old investigators he hung up before Berry's mother, Louwana Miller, could engage him in conversation.Miller never stopped looking for her daughter, who was taken on the eve of her 17th birthday while walking home from her job at Burger King. Miller died in 2006, still heartbroken. Perhaps she kept on looking and never gave up hope because of that single phone call. We'll never know.Castro also told investigators in the video footage that it was the little girl he had with Berry who persuaded him to leave a bedroom door unlocked that day in May when Berry was able to get to the front of the house; it was just enough to have her cries heard for the first time in a decade.Courage is all I can think about. In the face of a violent man who tortured and beat her mother, this little girl talked Castro into making what would become his biggest mistake.Yet in the end, cowardice is all that Castro had in him.-- Related story: Cleveland kidnapping victim Michelle Knight: 'I spent 11 years in hell'Though he stole years of their lives, none of the women he tortured advocated that Castro should be put to death. No, that would be too kind for a man who starved them, who beat them, who raped them. After all he did to them, Castro could manage only 30 days in prison, life in far better conditions than he offered them.Now that he's gone, we can only pray that his daughter draws from the incredible legacy of strength and love of her mother and late grandmother, and that she won't remember the cruelty or the cowardice of the man who fathered her.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Detroit Free Press Visit the Detroit Free Press at .freep.com Distributed by MCT Information Services自存倉

Source: Tulsa World, Okla.迷你倉Sept. 06--Federal officials have given Oklahoma a one-year extension of the popular Insure Oklahoma program, extending coverage to a group of the poorest residents in jeopardy of losing health care on Dec. 31.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has approved a one-year extension of Insure Oklahoma, officials told the Tulsa World on Friday.Gov. Mary Fallin discussed the extension during a 10:30 a.m. press conference, saying the agreement "is a big win for Oklahoma and the tens of thousands of adults and children who currently buy health insurance through Insure Oklahoma.""These Oklahomans and their families can now rest easy knowing that they won't lose their insurance on Jan. 1," she said.Insure Oklahoma subsidizes private health insurance for nearly 30,000 low-income workers. It was created in 2005 after state voters approved an increase in tobacco taxes to fund health-care improvements.The program uses $50 million a year in state tobacco tax revenue, federal Medicaid money and employer contributions to subsidize private health insurance. It covers low-income individuals and employees whose employers take part in the program.The Obama administration told Oklahoma this spring it would not renew the Medicaid waiver authorizing federal funds in the program because Insure Oklahoma did not meet requirements of the Affordable Care Act.The Department of Health and Human Services objected to the cap on the number of Insure Oklahoma participants. Without a waiver extension, Insure Oklahoma was to expire at the end of the year.Because Fallin rejected an expansion of Medicaid that accompanied the Affordable Care Act, thousands of the poorest Oklahomans -- those making about $12,000 a year or less -- would have been ineligible for subsidies to purchase insurance under the new law.Insure Oklahoma currently covers individuals and employees at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, just under $24,000 per year. Income requirements for those covered by Insure Oklahoma through their employers will not change under the extended program.The extension allows people with incomes between 100 and 200 percent of the poverty level to be covered through the Affordable Care Act. The law allows individuals to shop for coverage through insurance "exchanges," websites where consumers can compare costs and details of vari儲存倉us plans.Under this agreement, however, the state will not be able to recoup as much money in federal reimbursement as states that accepted the Medicaid expansion. A Supreme Court decision that upheld the Affordable Care Act made acceptance of the Medicaid expansion voluntary.A report by the nonprofit Urban Institute found in the 25 states that rejected the Medicaid expansion, nearly 7 million adults under age 65 will be ineligible for coverage.Medicaid is a program in which states and the federal government provide health care for children, people with disabilities and pregnant women. Most adults who do not fall into those categories do not qualify for the program and the expansion was intended to cover them in all 50 states.Federal officials are not giving up hope that Fallin will change her mind and accept the expanded Medicaid funds.Emma Sandoe, a spokeswoman for Health and Human Services, said in an email to the Tulsa World: "We look forward to working with Oklahoma and all other states in bringing a flexible, state-based approach to Medicaid coverage expansion and encourage the state to explore these options."We encourage all states to adopt the Medicaid funding made possible by the Affordable Care Act, which provides 100 percent federal funding for three years and never falls below 90 percent federal funding for people newly eligible for Medicaid," Sandoe said.Fallin has said accepting the expansion would cost the state too much and that federal officials could change terms of the expansion in the future.Democratic lawmakers had urged Fallin to consider legislation dealing with Insure Oklahoma during a special session that began this week. Fallin said she would not expand the session to deal with subjects other than tort reform.Oklahoma has nearly 700,000 uninsured residents, ranking behind only four other states in number of uninsured. Enrollment under the Affordable Care Act is scheduled to begin Oct. 1 and continue for six months. Coverage is to start Jan. 1.Under the law's "individual mandate," Americans are required to have insurance or pay a fine, unless they fall into several narrow exempt categories. The fine for individuals is $95 the first year and escalates to $695 in 2016.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) Visit Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) at .tulsaworld.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉價錢