NSW:Main stories in ABC's World Today

AAP General News (Australia)
08-03-2011
NSW:Main stories in ABC's World Today

SYDNEY, Aug 3 AAP - Main stories in ABC's World Today:

* Retail sales in Australia have fallen for a second consecutive month, dropping a
tenth of one per cent. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show department stores
were the hardest hit by cautious spending.

* The Australian sharemarket this morning followed the lead of a poor performing US
stockmarket, which fell heavily overnight. The global sell-off was sparked by more disappointing
economic data out of the US despite the debt deal passing through Congress.

* US President Barack Obama today ended months of political debate by signing into
law a deal to raise America's borrowing limit and avoid a debt default. A special committee
will now decide where cuts need to be made to fulfil the deal, although the president
says he will still seek to increase taxes.

AAP ra/wjf

KEYWORD: MONITOR WORLD TODAY

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Sport Shorts.

Provided by 7DAYS.ae

Basketball: The Detroit Piston are into the NBA's Eastern Conference play-off semi-finals for the sixth straight year. But Richard Hamilton, who played a large part in getting them there has warned his team-mates not to get carried away, because the play-offAa semi-finals should the least they expect. Hamilton scored 31 points as the Pistons beat Orlando Magic 91-86 to secure a 4-1 quarter-final series win. They will now play either the Boston Celtics or Cleveland Cavaliers for a berth in next month's NBA Finals. But Hamilton said: "It's an awesome feeling for us to get the opportunity to play in the Eastern Conference finals for six straight years, but it's one of those things that we feel as though we're supposed to."

RACING: Young Pretender and McCartney make their Godolphin and seasonal debuts in the Group Two totesport.com Dante Stakes, the main Derby trial, at York today. Young Pretender finished fifth behind Rio De La Plata when last seen out in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Grand Criterium) over seven furlongs at Longchamp, France on October 7. Saeed bin Suroor has been pleased with the three-year-old's progress and is anticipating a prominent show at York. The Godolphin trainer said: "Young Pretender is in good form and I am happy with him. "It will be a tough race to win but we are looking forward to good performance from him on his first start for us. The ten-furlong trip should be no problem for him."

A[umlaut] 2007 Al Sidra Media LLC

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

QLD:Dionne Lacey wins sentence appeal

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2011
QLD:Dionne Lacey wins sentence appeal

By Lisa Martin

BRISBANE, April 7 AAP - A Gold Coast millionaire's son serving time for manslaughter
will have a year shaved off his 11-year sentence after he won a High Court appeal.

Dionne Lacey, 24, the son of millionaire milkman Ken Lacey, was jailed in May 2009
for 10 years for the fatal shooting of Nerang landscaper Kevin Palmer in 2007.

He was found guilty of Mr Palmer's manslaughter.

His brother, 28-year-old Jade Lacey, also known as wannabe rapper "Lace Italiano",
was jailed for five years for unlawful wounding over shooting Mr Palmer in the leg before
Dionne Lacey fired the fatal bullet.

During sentencing, the crown prosecutor had said an appropriate sentence for Dionne
Lacey would be 13 years before deducting two years for time already served.

Attorney-General Cameron Dick took the matter to the Court of Appeal in Brisbane seeking
an increase in the 10-year sentence.

He argued the offence was the most serious of its kind and asked the court to consider
a range of 13 to 16 years after the deduction.

Queensland Court of Appeal judges decided to increase Lacey's jail time by one year.

But a High Court judgment released on Thursday overturned that decision.

It said the appeal court had increased the sentence without identifying any error by
the sentencing judge.

The judgment said an attorney-general's appeal "should be exercised sparingly ... and
not merely for the purpose of having a "second bite at the cherry".

"The majority stated, in increasing the sentence imposed on the appellant, that they
bore in mind 'the importance of the consideration that appeals ... must not be seen as
a means for the prosecution to change its mind as to the level of sentence it is disposed
to seek'," the High Court judges said.

Dionne Lacey has been identified as a serious violent offender and will have to serve
80 per cent of his prison sentence before being eligible for parole.

The Lacey brothers are also serving six-year sentences for torturing a teenager over
stolen drugs in 2007.

Crown prosecutors presented a further indictment against the duo in the Brisbane Supreme
Court on Thursday for alleged trafficking of ecstasy and cocaine possession in 2006 and
2007.

The brothers' girlfriends, Michelle Luangkhoth and Rebecca Klodinsky, are also facing
charges of drug possession.

The case will return to court for mention on April 29.

AAP lpm/tnf/jl/nb

KEYWORD: LACEY

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Haneef to seek compensation = 7

AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-2010
Haneef to seek compensation = 7

Mr Hodgson said he hoped the Australian Federal Police had learned from the criticisms
of the Clarke inquiry.

The AFP had made a "litany of mistakes" in the matter, but there had since been a change
in its senior management, he said.

"Post every other agency saying there was no basis for any wrongdoing ... the AFP continued,
appallingly, to investigate Dr Haneef and spend something like $8 or $9 million of taxpayers'
money on continuing that investigation," he said.

"We would hope that many lessons have been learned and acted upon."

AAP gd/crh/was

KEYWORD: HANEEF 7 BRISBANE (REOPENS)

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED:Greens to push mining tax

AAP General News (Australia)
08-10-2010
FED:Greens to push mining tax

The Australian Greens plan to use their Senate numbers to insist on taxing the super
profits of mining companies.

The Greens are tipped to hold the balance of power in the Senate from July next year.

They say a super profits tax on mining companies would generate 20 billion dollars
that could be spent on schools .. hospitals .. a universal dental care scheme and high-speed
rail.

Greens Leader BOB BROWN's told ABC radio the party would have a mandate to take on
the government of the day to ensure billions of mining dollars aren't repatriated overseas.

AAP RTV mb/rl/jkl/jmt

KEYWORD: POLL10 GREENS (CANBERRA)

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Warning issued after fifth-near drowning in Vic

AAP General News (Australia)
12-31-2009
Vic: Warning issued after fifth-near drowning in Vic

MELBOURNE, Dec 31 AAP - Victorians are being urged to take care in the water after
five near-drownings in the state within 24 hours.

Two people have died from drowning deaths in the past two days, and on Wednesday alone
there were four near-drownings.

In the latest incident on Thursday, a 65-year-old man was dragged to the shore on Victoria's
Mornington Peninsula and revived by paramedics.

The man was found floating face-down at Frankston beach by a female swimmer about 12.30pm (AEDT).

Bystanders dragged him from the water, blue and unconscious.

Paramedics gave him oxygen and he regained consciousness within minutes.

Treating paramedics praised the swimmers who helped rescue the man, who was taken to
the Frankston Hospital.

A 43-year-old Kew fisherman drowned after a wave swept him off rocks at San Remo near
Phillip Island at about 1.30pm (AEDT) on Wednesday.

The man's body was found five hours later, after an extensive search involving a helicopter,
police and State Emergency Services.

Three men and a boy, aged two, were taken to hospital on Wednesday after they nearly
drowned in separate incidents at Geelong, Anglesea, Safety Beach and Templestowe.

In another incident, a man was rescued from Middle Brighton beach on Wednesday night
with suspected spinal injuries after diving from the pier.

A 15-year-old from Braybrook, in Melbourne's west, drowned at Albert Park beach on Tuesday.

Intensive-care paramedic George Dinas said the past two days showed how dangerous water
could be as people had flocked to beaches and pools for relief from the hot weather.

Mr Dinas urged people to ensure their friends watched out for their safety when swimming.

"If you are at the beach, make sure you swim between the flags, beware of rough and
changing conditions, and don't enter the water out of your depth or swimming competency
level," he said.

"Alcohol and water can also be a deadly mix, and it is vital that people keep a close
eye on children who are anywhere near water."

Water quality could also be a hazard if heavy rain falls on Friday and Saturday around
Port Phillip Bay and surrounding areas, as is predicted.

The Environment Protection Authority advises people to avoid swimming at bay beaches
forecast to have poor water quality this Saturday.

They include beaches at Rye, Dromana, Mt Martha, Mornington, Frankston, Carrum, Aspendale
North, Mordialloc, Mentone, Elwood, St Kilda, Middle Park, Port Melbourne, Altona, St
Helens, Eastern and Queenscliff.

AAP mi/jl/

KEYWORD: DROWN UPDATE

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Man points gun at Sydney bus driver

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2009
NSW: Man points gun at Sydney bus driver

SYDNEY, Aug 19 AAP - Police are renewing their appeal for public help after a man,
accompanied by two children, pointed a gun at a Sydney bus driver.

The bus picked up the man, a male teenager and a young girl on its way to Newtown,
in the city's inner west at about 4.15pm (AEST) on April 16.

As the trio got off the bus on King St, the man stood a short distance from the driver
and allegedly pointed what appeared to be a firearm at him.

The driver drove away and reported the incident at the end of his shift.

The man is described as white/European in appearance, aged in his 20s, solid build
and 183cm tall. He was wearing a blue and white t-shirt.

The teenager is described as aged about 15, solid build, 152cm tall with an olive complexion,
while the young girl is aged about 10.

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

AAP bzs/mmr

KEYWORD: BUS

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

QLD: BrisConnections shareholder urges against wind-up

AAP General News (Australia)
04-08-2009
QLD: BrisConnections shareholder urges against wind-up

BRISBANE, April 8 AAP - A major shareholder in developer BrisConnections has pleaded
with unit holders not to wind up the company.

BrisConnections, the developer of Brisbane's $3.4 billion Airport Link tunnel, was
listed last year as a partially-paid stock, with investors paying an initial $1, with
an additional $2 owed in two future instalments.

The stock subsequently tumbled to less than one cent amid the global credit crunch
as institutions bailed out.

A meeting in Brisbane on April 14 will allow unit holders to vote on a wind-up relieving
them of the two $1-a-unit calls on their investment.

QIC, a major shareholder in the company and one of Australia's largest institutional
fund managers, said in a statement on Wednesday the wind-up proposal should be voted down.

"QIC does not believe that winding up the trusts or the removal of the responsible
entity is in the best interests of its clients," it said.

"According to QIC's analysis these propositions are in fact value-destructive.

"There is value created only if the road gets built, built well, and as quickly as possible."

QIC, formerly known as Queensland Investment Corporation, said it remained confident
"in the long-term success of the investment and its ability to provide our clients with
solid returns".

Meanwhile, BrisConnections co-underwriter Macquarie Group is making a claim in the
Queensland Supreme Court against unnamed parties to ensure they "fulfil their contractual
obligations" to BrisConnections.

The case will continue on Thursday.

Macquarie Group is also in talks with co-underwriter Deutsche Bank on a proposal which
would mean unit holders would not be legally pursued for the $1 instalment due to be paid
on April 29, provided the unit holders voted against the wind-up.

But the proposal has yet to be agreed.

AAP pjo/ss/mn

KEYWORD: BRISCONNECTIONS WRAP

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Bauer to keep second placing in Cup

AAP General News (Australia)
12-04-2008
Fed: Bauer to keep second placing in Cup

MELBOURNE, Dec 4 AAP - Melbourne Cup runner-up Bauer will be allowed to keep his placing
despite receiving shock wave treatment within a week of the race which is against the
Australian rules of racing.

Racing Victoria Limited (RVL) chief steward Terry Bailey said the unique circumstances
of the case meant his panel could not pursue the matter.

The English horse was treated in the Sandown quarantine centre by a veterinary surgeon
appointed by RVL.

Bailey said trainer Luca Cumani was entitled to assume the vet knew the local rules.

Electro shock wave treatment is widely used around the world where it is allowed up
until race eve in most jurisdictions.

Bauer received the physiotherapy on the Thursday before the Melbourne Cup in which
he ran a nose second to Viewed.

AAP cw/gm/mn

KEYWORD: CUP BAUER

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

CA Launches Partner Program for Internet Security

Wireless News
07-21-2008
CA Launches Partner Program for Internet Security

WIRELESS NEWS-July 21, 2008-CA Launches Partner Program for Internet Security (C)2008 10Meters - http://www.10meters.com

CA announced that it has launched a customized channel partner program dedicated to its global Internet Security partners, focusing on the Company's anti-malware product portfolio.
The CA Partner Program for Internet Security will help value- added resellers (VARS), retailers and technology partners to market and sell CA's anti-malware solutions to service small, medium and large organizations, as well as the home and home office market, the company said.

"As a result of listening to our partners across the globe we are now delivering an Internet Security Partner Program that will benefit our Internet Security partners and their customers," said George Kafkarkou, senior vice president and general manager, Internet Security Business Unit, for CA, Inc.

"We have been developing, marketing and supporting endpoint security products for 12 years, and have more than 10,000 partners," Kafkarkou continued. "This is the first time that we have a dedicated organization focused on our partners who offer our Internet security products. We are incredibly excited about and committed to this business and in fostering our existing and future partner relationships."

"This latest enhancement to the CA Partner Program is one more example of the ongoing improvements we are making to our program," said Bill Lipsin, corporate senior vice president of Global Channel Sales, for CA, Inc. "Developed by our fast-growing Internet Security Business Unit, it aligns with CA's global approach of helping to empower partners with the right solutions and programmatic elements to drive success. Our primary goal as a partner-centric company is to provide tools and products to help our partners grow their businesses."

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

((Distributed via M2 Communications Ltd - http://www.m2.com))

(Copyright M2 Communications Ltd. 2008)

NT: Man dies in police custody in Darwin

AAP General News (Australia)
12-29-2007
NT: Man dies in police custody in Darwin

A 57-year-old man has died in police custody after he was arrested for behaving in
a suspicious manner in Darwin six days ago.

The man died yesterday morning .. after he was admitted to intensive care at Royal
Darwin Hospital on December 22.

Police say officers had been called to the Cavenagh Hotel in Darwin CBD that night
.. after the man was noticed acting in a strange way.

He was apprehended to undergo a mental health assessment.

Police say they were forced to restrain the man at the hospital .. and he collapsed
during the struggle.

They say he never regained consciousness.





The man's death is being treated as a death in custody and a report will be submitted
to the coroner.

AAP RTV tr/wz/jec/

KEYWORD: HOSPITAL (DARWIN)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Coalition's economic credentials dented

AAP General News (Australia)
08-21-2007
Fed: Coalition's economic credentials dented

SYDNEY, Aug 21 AAP - The Coalition's economic credentials have been dented by the latest
interest rate rise, with a majority of voters expecting Labor to win the next election,
a Newspoll reveals.

The survey was conducted between Friday and Sunday, the day in which Mr Rudd's 2003
drunken night in a New York strip club was revealed.

Confidence in the coalition's economic management fell and the government appeared
to be at its lowest credibility level after the fifth interest rate rise since the 2004
election, News Limited reports.

Newspoll shows Mr Rudd's rating as preferred prime minister at 46 per cent, up one
percentage point on a fortnight ago.

The ALP retains a commanding lead on a two-party preferred basis, at 55 per cent, down
one point, to the coalition's 45 per cent, up one percentage point.

The coalition's primary vote was unchanged on 39 per cent and Labor's was down two
percentage points to 46 per cent, the latest survey says.

About 57 per cent of voters expect Labor to win, the poll reveals.

AAP krc/jnb

KEYWORD: NEWSPOLL LEAD

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Guns stolen in suburban Melbourne break-in

AAP General News (Australia)
04-05-2007
Vic: Guns stolen in suburban Melbourne break-in

Victoria Police are hunting burglars who've stolen a haul of guns from a house in Melbourne's
eastern suburbs.

The thieves are believed to have stolen the guns - including a .375 rifle, .22 Magnum
rifle and a Beretta single barrel shotgun - from a house in Ashburton .. sometime between
January and April this year.

Senior Constable JULIE-ANN NEWMAN says the owner .. who's a sports shooter .. has only
recently noticed the missing guns because he's not gone hunting for sometime.

AAP RTV sjm/af

KEYWORD: GUNS (MELBOURNE)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Alpine fires could burn for months: Premier

AAP General News (Australia)
12-04-2006
Vic: Alpine fires could burn for months: Premier

MELBOURNE, Dec 4 AAP - The bushfire danger in Victoria is probably more serious than
in the summer of 2002-03, Premier Steve Bracks has warned.

Mr Bracks said today fires raging across a large area of Victoria's north-east are
expected to burn for weeks, even months, unless they are doused by unexpected rain.

Additional firefighters and equipment are being sent to the state's north-east as
more than 50 fires continue to burn through rugged terrain in the Alpine National Park.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) said the fires were burning
in a 150 kilometre arc from Gippsland in the south-east to Mansfield in the north-east.

"We do have a very serious situation, probably more serious than the fires which occurred
in 2002-2003," Mr Bracks told reporters in Melbourne.

"Clearly we have more resources than ever before to fight these fires but we are fighting
them at the start of December, not at the end of January ... that is the difference.

"We don't expect these fires to go out. The only way they could go out is with a very
large downpour of rain and that is not expected on the long-term weather forecast or even
for this week.

"So we expect these fires to go for some time, for weeks, if not months."

A DSE spokesman said that unlike the fires of 2002-03, these were not started as a
result of the authority's summer burn-off program.

"All the fires were from lightning strikes (last week)," the spokesman said. "All within
a 12- to 18-hour period."

A large blaze at Mt Terrible, five kilometres south-east of Kevington, had destroyed
700 hectares of state forest, while a fire at Mt Cynthia had burnt out 650 hectares. Another
600 hectares of scrub was burnt at the Black Range.

There were also fires burning at Jamieson, Woods Point and Mt Buller, at Mt Despair
and Mt Buggery, and in forests in the King Valley-Whitfield area.

DSE and Country Fire Authority (CFA) crews have begun an extensive back-burning program
in the area in preparation for a northerly change with higher temperatures and expected
strong winds tomorrow.

Mr Bracks said a second Erickson sky crane water bomber named Malcolm would be in place
along with Elvis by the end of the week.

"There is also a facility for a jointly owned aircrane which Canberra operates, which
we will access if required," Mr Bracks said.

DSE said while no private property had been lost, residents in the Black Range and
Chestnut area near Whitfield, had been told to activate their emergency fire plans.

A community relief centre had also been set up at Moyhu Memorial Hall.

Community information meetings were being held tonight at Licola, Dargo, Briagolong
and Glenmaggie to update residents on the latest fire situation.

AAP sam/jt/nf

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES VIC NIGHTLEAD

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Mother thanks doctors for saving her baby's life

AAP General News (Australia)
04-28-2006
NSW: Mother thanks doctors for saving her baby's life

By Drew Cratchley

SYDNEY, April 28 AAP - The child is not out of the woods yet but the mother of an East
Timorese baby born with a hole in her heart has tearfully thanked Australian doctors for
saving her daughter's life.

Two-month-old Maria Soares is recovering in the intensive care unit of the Sydney Children's
Hospital at Randwick after a successful five-hour operation yesterday to repair a ventricular
septal defect, or hole in the heart.

Her mother, Lorencia Soares, today issued an emotional thank you to the doctors, nurses
and charity groups that supported her family on their trip to Sydney.

"I would like to thank you for giving my baby, Dulce Maria, the chance for life," she
told reporters in her native language of Tetum.

"The life giving operation of corrective surgery for a hole in her tiny heart would
not be possible in Timor Leste, my country, which is still recovering from years of war,"

she said.

The tiny girl, who weighs just two kilograms, is still heavily sedated and will remain
on life support for several days, doctors say.

"It's fair to say that she is not out of the woods yet," Dr Andrew Numa, the Sydney
Children's Hospital intensivist, told reporters.

"But we would anticipate and look forward to her slowly improving over the next 48 to 72 hours."

Maria will have minor surgery in a few days' time to close her chest cavity, which
remains open to reduce the stress on her heart, before being discharged from intensive
care early next week.

Doctors hope Maria will soon return to breastfeeding and other normal behaviour, but
it will be close to a month before she is healthy enough to return to East Timor with
her family.

Abel Guterres, East Timor's consul-general to Sydney, has expressed his gratitude to
Australia for assisting Maria Soares, who would have died if she remained in her home
country.

"This is a show of friendship between the two ... countries which goes a long way back,"

Mr Guterres told reporters.

"We hope that this friendship and cooperation will continue.

"We hope that in 15 to 20 years Timor Leste can have a hospital like this to take care
of children."

AAP dmc/hn/rj/bwl

KEYWORD: SOARES

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Chemicals, gun seized in raid

AAP General News (Australia)
12-30-2005
NSW: Chemicals, gun seized in raid

Police say they've seized a quantity of chemicals and a handgun in a raid on a house
in western Sydney.

Officers raided the home at Doyle Place in Baulkham Hills .. about 5.30 pm (AEDT) ..

allegedly uncovering a stash of chemicals and a handgun.

Police say they're continuing to search the premises .. while a 32-year-old man they've
arrested is assisting them with their inquiries.

AAP RTV ajc/tm

KEYWORD: RAID (SYDNEY)

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Brogden refuses to rule out by-election deal with Greens

AAP General News (Australia)
08-03-2005
NSW: Brogden refuses to rule out by-election deal with Greens

The New South Wales Liberals have refused to rule out backing a Greens candidate in
the by-election for the state Labor seat of Marrickville.

The Sydney-based seat is being vacated by Deputy Premier ANDREW REFSHAUGE, who has
announced his resignation from parliament.

And Opposition Leader JOHN BROGDEN also says he's not yet sure if the Liberals will
stand candidates in the Sydney seats of Maroubra or Macquarie Fields.

They are also up for grabs after the resignations of premier BOB CARR and planning
minister CRAIG KNOWLES.

Mr BROGDEN says the Greens have a chance of achieving a by-election upset victory following
recent strong election showings in inner Sydney.

AAP RTV pj/nf/sco/rt

KEYWORD: BYELECTIONS NSW (SYDNEY)

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Mallah gets 2.5 years for threatening to kill ASIO office=3

AAP General News (Australia)
04-21-2005
NSW: Mallah gets 2.5 years for threatening to kill ASIO office=3

Justice Wood said threatening commonwealth public servants wasn't to be written off
lightly as a "prank".

"Mallah's behaviour on this occasion suggests that he could well reoffend, unless he
abandons his unorthodox or unacceptable views, and accepts proper guidance and mentoring."

AAP ka/ka/smb/lma/bwl

KEYWORD: MALLAH 3 SYDNEY (REOPENS)

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Two dead in freeway rollover

AAP General News (Australia)
12-23-2004
Vic: Two dead in freeway rollover

Two women are dead and a man is critically injured after a single vehicle accident
in Victoria's west.

They were killed when the car in which they were travelling rolled on the Western Freeway
north of Ballarat, about 120 kilometres west of Melbourne, shortly before 6pm (AEDT).

The injured man was airlifted to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital, while an eight-year-old
passenger was taken to the Ballarat Base Hospital suffering minor injuries.

The circumstances of the crash are unclear.

Police from the major collision investigation unit are on their way to the scene.

Police say Melbourne-bound traffic was diverted across the nearby Ballarat-Maryborough
Road overpass and through Ballarat.





The fatalities take Victoria's road toll to 335, 24 more than at the same time last year.

AAP RTV jrd/wz

KEYWORD: TOLL VIC (MELBOURNE)

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

BABY'S NAPPY in moonlight

BABY'S NAPPY in moonlight
1952 Health visitor [Alton, Hants.] One of my mothers refused to hang her baby's nappies out in the moonlight for fear of bad luck. Cf. MOONLIGHT, charm against; MOONLIGHT, sleeping in.

At-home class program extended to elementaries

At-home class program extended to elementaries

By James D. Wolf Jr.

Post-Tribune correspondent

Porter Township School Corp.'s unique days of at-home classes will extend to the elementary levels this coming semester.

On the third Wednesday of February, March, April and May, the students at Porter Lakes and Boone Grove elementary schools will work from home via computers. The program began last spring with Boone Grove High School students working on assignments by computers and encompassed Boone Grove Middle School this fall, both with the state's blessing.

"We are the only district they've approved to do this," Superintendent Nick Brown said Thursday after the School Board meeting. However, they will evaluate the program at the elementary level after the first two times, to make sure it is working.

"That is really the big experiment -- are we meeting the needs of the students," Brown said.

The district developed this program because students will need to know how to use computers from home, often to do work or even for some college classes. The program has the teachers creating assignments and a few teachers overseeing things in case of any problems.

So far, it's worked for older students. To prepare for the new stage, the district met with elementary school parents Tuesday and Wednesday to show them how the students would log in and to give sample assignments.

Besides teaching students skills, the days off benefit the school because of the loss of parent-teacher conference days and staff development days. The students can learn from home, while their teacher are learning or meeting with parents. The district won't have to pay for substitute teachers, and because the program uses existing technology, there's no money spent there, either.

Students without Internet

access can come to the computer lab with parent supervision, but school surveys show that 92 percent to 95 percent of households have Internet access, Brown said. The district plans to have eight at-home work days next year, but two will be "floaters" so teachers can take advantage of learning opportunities at other times.

Friday

Qualitative Marketing Software -QMSoft- and Smarter Software Sponsor Joint Desktop Mailing Promotion.

CLEARWATER, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 29, 1999--

Small Business Community Can Now Use QMSoft's Centrus(TM) Online Site and Receive Smarter Software's Address PRO(TM) 3.0 Software Free (for

up to a Year) to Reduce Direct Mail Costs

Qualitative Marketing Software Inc. (www.qmsoft.com), a recognized leader in on-demand data enhancement and data quality technology for enterprise solutions, and Smarter Software (www.smartersoft.com) today announced a new joint marketing program that allows both new and existing small-business customers of QMSoft's Centrus Online Web site to receive Smarter Software's Address PRO 3.0 software free for up to a year.

Centrus Online (www.centrusonline.com) is an innovative and secure, Internet-based resource for real-time high precision data quality, enhancement and spatial analysis processing services on the desktop, while Address PRO 3.0 is acknowledged as the ultimate CASS/PAVE Desktop Mail System for Windows 95/NT.

"Through this first-time promotion, the small-business community will now have all the tools necessary to fully complete an advertising and direct mail campaign," said Paul Wray, president and co-founder of QMSoft. "Our Centrus Online site allows marketers of a variety of small businesses to reach targeted prospects in geographic relationships to the products or services they provide. The speed, accuracy, flexibility and ease-of-use of Centrus Online combined with one of the premier Windows-based desktop mailing systems in Smarter's software, delivers to the small-business marketer a comprehensive tools package needed to reach the most qualified prospects at the lowest cost."

Under the exact terms of this new promotion, customers that purchase $500 worth of prospect names from Centrus Online will qualify to receive Address PRO 3.0 for free for a 60-day period, and those that buy an additional $500 worth of names will receive a 60-day extension. Moreover, customers that opt to purchase $2,000 worth of names up front qualify to receive the Address PRO 3.0 software free for a one-year period. Once the free usage timeframes expire, customers will have the option to buy the software at standard rates, or return it. All sales of Address PRO 3.0 will be fulfilled by Smarter Software, and the names to be acquired from Centrus Online must be paid for (credit cards are accepted over a secure line) before the software can be shipped.

The promotion--ideal for retailers, contractors, real estate agents, doctors, dentists, professionals, home service companies and SOHO businesses--is being offered for an unlimited period of time.

Affordable, stringently secure and easy-to-use, QMSoft's Centrus Online provides both large and small organizations with access to comprehensive data quality, enhancement and spatial analysis technology on a real-time basis via the Internet. It effectively serves as a gateway to a broad selection of QMSoft's critically acclaimed data enhancement and data quality technology. It uniquely provides marketers with entry to National Household databases in the hundreds of thousands of records or less range, with access to the same data stores traditionally reserved for much larger files. With Centrus Online, users can clean, acquire and append customer and prospect data quickly and accurately.

Featuring lightning-fast performance and easy operation, Smarter Software's versatile Address PRO system effectively does it all--parses each record, fixes poorly formatted or misspelled address elements, corrects ZIP codes and adds ZIP+4. In addition, it can assign Carrier Route, Delivery Point Bar Codes (DPBC), Line of Travel (LOT) codes and check digits, as well as create and print Postal Form 3553. The Address PRO system also supports Bulk Mail Center (BMC) and Sectional Center Facility (SCF) entry point destination discounts, making it possible for users to enjoy additional reductions in postage costs.

Address PRO 3.0 fully supports many popular databases, including Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets, dBase, FoxPro, Clipper, Paradox and ASCII. Other noteworthy features include advanced label output and export capabilities, database viewing and editing capabilities, global field replacing, multi-line address support, an optional ZIP+4 geocoding module, and much more.

For more information about this new joint marketing promotion, contact QMSoft by phone at 800.782.7988, visit www.qmsoft.com on the World Wide Web, or contact Smarter Software by phone at 888.545.3433 or visit the Smarter Software Web site at www.smartersoft.com.

About Qualitative Marketing Software

Qualitative Marketing Software Inc. (www.qmsoft.com) is a leading provider of geocoding, spatial analysis, data quality and data enhancement marketing software for building enterprise customer relationship management systems. QMSoft offers its software and services directly to Fortune 2000 companies in targeted industries such as property & casualty insurance, retail, telecommunications, utilities and e-commerce, as well as through business alliances with Oracle, Claritas, SAS Institute, ESRI, NDS, Object/FX, Rubric Software and Experian, among others. QMSoft supports a wide variety of integration levels for local, client/server and Internet applications built with C, C++, Java, Visual Basic, Delphi and PowerBuilder, and a full spectrum of computing platforms, including Windows 95/98/NT, Unix and OS/390 (formerly MVS). Founded in 1992, QMSoft is a privately held company headquartered in Clearwater, Fla., with regional offices in New York, Chicago, La Crosse, Wis., Atlanta, Dallas, San Diego and Los Angeles, as well as its product development center in Boulder, Colo.

About Smarter Software Inc.

Smarter Software Inc., a recognized leader nationwide in direct and database marketing, provides economical desktop solutions for smaller enterprises. Smarter offers the fastest and most accurate mail system in the industry, unleashing the ability to presort and geocode, as well as providing CASS-certified address correction and coding. It combines advanced features and functionality with remarkable ease of use for markets such as hospitals, non-profit organizations and direct marketing firms. Smarter supports a wide variety of integration levels and platforms, including Windows 95/NT workstation, as well as local area networks. Contact managers such as ACT!, GoldMine and TeleMagic, among others, are compatible with Smarter solutions. The software sits seamlessly on top of databases, such as Microsoft Access, dBase, FoxPro, Paradox and ASCII. Smarter Software is a privately held company based in Tampa Bay, Fla.

Tram will be ride on time.

Provided by 7DAYS.ae

With the launch of the Dubai Metro now imminent, members of the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) are surely looking forward to a well-earned break. However, far from resting on their laurels, RTA planners have been busy designing yet another congestion-busting transport system - this time in the form of a tram.

At a whopping dhs4 billion, the Al Safooh Tram project will be the first of its kind in the Middle East and is expected to be completed by April 2011. The network, originally mooted in 2006, is in direct response to increasing traffic congestion seen in the burgeoning waterfront area of the emirate, known as New Dubai.

It will stretch for 14km along Al Safooh Road, linking Madinat Jumeirah and Mall of the Emirates with Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence. Ticket prices for the tram will cost the same as Metro fares, which the RTA will be announcing in six weeks' time. They will be available to buy with a Smart card, which it is believed will also be able to be used on the Metro and other forms of public transport.

The tram path stretches parallel with the Red Line of Dubai Metro along certain parts of Sheikh Zayed Road near the Marina, where tram-metro links will also be established. It will also interlink with the monorail ofA The Palm Jumeirah at the entry point of The Palm at Al Safooh Road. Officials said at a press conference yesterday that there would be scope to extend its route.

"The project is set to serve residential and commercial areas," said Mattar Al Tayer, the chairman of the board and executive director of the RTA who unveiled the plan. "The network also covers areas such as Knowledge Village, Dubai Media City, and Dubai Internet City as well as other projects under construction in Dubai Marina, and projects in the planning phase such as Jumeirah Hills.

Unlike conventional trams, such as those seen in parts of Europe, the Al Safooh Tram will run on underground - as opposed to overhead - cables. Each tram will carry 300 passengers and will measure 44 metres in length. More than 200,000 people are expected to use the service each day. The tram will depart at less than ten-minute intervals for 20 hours each day - including late at night, with journeys between stations lasting around four to six minutes.

End-to-end, from Jumeirah Beach Residence to Jumeirah Beach Hotel, the journey will last less than 30 minutes and the trams will travel at 25kph.

Construction work is due to start sometime next month.

[c] 2007 Al Sidra Media LLC

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company