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Hazel Sarah Musfelt Hazel Sarah (Perreten) Musfelt, 96, formerly of Rushville, passed away March 29, 2012 at the heritage Nursing Home in Bridgeport. She was a resident of Sheridan County most of her life and also resided in Cherry County for twenty years. The eldest of eight children, Hazel was born December 30, 1915 to the parents of William and Lulu Perreten at the home of her grandmother Sarah Spittler in Hay Springs. She was baptized February 14, 1927 at Clinton with the Rev A.E. Richardson. While at home, Hazel worked in the fields alongside her father and spoke very admirably of him. Growing up she rode her horse four miles to District 14 School and also back and forth to town to take music lessons from Mrs. Roland Fairhead, tying her horse to the hitching post, east of where the bank offices used to be, now the Chamberlain Garage. Later she drove the horse and buggy to pick up the neighbor children and the teacher. In high school her father got her a Model T Ford to go to school during the winter months and recalls she would have to drain the radiator so it wouldn't freeze then got into the boiler room in the school to heat up water before heading back home. After graduating from Rushville High School in 1935, Hazel cooked for the Sandoz Ranches. She married Edward Musfelt, a ranch hand from the Sand Hills. Their union was blessed with one child, daughter Bonnie Mae. They worked at different ranches before Edward went to work at the Dept of Defense at Sidney, Harvard, Alliance and Crawford. They leased the Hanchett Ranch for 16 years in Cherry County on share basis (half calf crop.) She worked side by side with her husband putting up hay; mowing, sweeping, raking and also fixing fences. She also raised 500 chickens, and her cellar was full of canned meat, vegetables, fruits, jellies and she made her own soap. They then ranched south of Eli for 9 years for Stan and Ada Mae Boltz. In 1965, Hazel and Edward purchased and operated the Hills Motel in Gordon for

The Bozeman Police Department reports for Sunday included the following: People were fighting in front of an East Main Street bar. Most fled when police arrived around 1:40 a.m. The man who was assaulted did not want to press charges. Police found "a man by himself drinking a beer and playing loud video games at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday morning" on Ida Avenue after a neighbor complained about the noise. A 21-year-old Belgrade man was cited for stealing two DVDs from a Catron Street store around 1:45 p.m. A caller reported what appeared to be consensual "sexual behavior" in a vehicle behind a movie theater at the mall around 4:30 p.m. The caller was "concerned about indecent exposure and activity near families." A man was told he could not return to a fast food restaurant after harassing and threatening other customers there around 11:45 p.m. The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office reports for Sunday included the following: A deputy separated a group of people, sending them off with a warning after some sort of drunken scuffle in an icy parking lot in Big Sky around 1:45 a.m. An intoxicated woman involved in the incident told a deputy she had been thrown to the ground and called about an hour later to report "what she had already reported" again. A dispatcher heard what sounded like someone skiing during a 911 call around 6 p.m. Upon calling the number back a woman said the phone was in her pocket and there was no emergency. A mistakenly closed flue caused a home to fill up with smoke when a resident started a fire in the fireplace around 6:30 p.m. Suspicious people taking photos in a neighborhood near Macgregor Road around 9:30 p.m. turned out to be photography students shooting night photos. Several homeowners along Springhill Road complained about trucks loudly power braking and spinning out on the road around 11:30 p.m. A deputy stopped one suspect and warned him for an equipment violation. Meanwhile, another driver was cited for being a

The Bozeman Police Department reports for Sunday included the following: People were fighting in front of an East Main Street bar. Most fled when police arrived around 1:40 a.m. The man who was assaulted did not want to press charges. Police found "a man by himself drinking a beer and playing loud video games at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday morning" on Ida Avenue after a neighbor complained about the noise. A 21-year-old Belgrade man was cited for stealing two DVDs from a Catron Street store around 1:45 p.m. A caller reported what appeared to be consensual "sexual behavior" in a vehicle behind a movie theater at the mall around 4:30 p.m. The caller was "concerned about indecent exposure and activity near families." A man was told he could not return to a fast food restaurant after harassing and threatening other customers there around 11:45 p.m. The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office reports for Sunday included the following: A deputy separated a group of people, sending them off with a warning after some sort of drunken scuffle in an icy parking lot in Big Sky around 1:45 a.m. An intoxicated woman involved in the incident told a deputy she had been thrown to the ground and called about an hour later to report "what she had already reported" again. A dispatcher heard what sounded like someone skiing during a 911 call around 6 p.m. Upon calling the number back a woman said the phone was in her pocket and there was no emergency. A mistakenly closed flue caused a home to fill up with smoke when a resident started a fire in the fireplace around 6:30 p.m. Suspicious people taking photos in a neighborhood near Macgregor Road around 9:30 p.m. turned out to be photography students shooting night photos. Several homeowners along Springhill Road complained about trucks loudly power braking and spinning out on the road around 11:30 p.m. A deputy stopped one suspect and warned him for an equipment violation. Meanwhile, another driver was cited for being a mino

""Springhill Group Seoul Korea" - SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korean fishing boats crossed the Koreas' tense western sea boundary and retreated soon after being warned Wednesday in the second such violation this year, South Korea said. No fighting erupted though the border is one the North has long refused to recognize. A North Korean government boat briefly crossed the boundary while trying to guide the seven fishing boats back to North Korean-controlled waters, a South Korean Defense Ministry official said on condition of anonymity, citing office rules. Later Wednesday, seven North Korean boats again violated the boundary, but they all sailed back after a warning was broadcast, the official said. It wasn't clear whether they were the same seven boats that earlier crossed. Seoul says North Korean fishing boats last crossed in April. The disputed sea boundary is not clearly marked, and incursions by North Korean military and fishing boats are not unusual. Violence often erupts in the seafood-rich waters, and three naval clashes since 1999 have taken a few dozen lives. After the Korean War ended nearly 60 years ago with a truce, not with a peace treaty, the U.S.-led U.N. Command divided the Yellow Sea without Pyongyang's consent. The boundary cut North Korea off from rich fishing waters, and Pyongyang has contested the line ever since. North Korea shelled a front-line South Korean island near the boundary in November 2010, killing four people. Earlier in 2010, an explosion ripped apart a South Korean warship in the area, killing 46 sailors. Seoul said Pyongyang torpedoed the vessel. North Korea denies responsibility."

India's Competition Commission confirmed that Google is undergoing an antitrust investigation after a match-making website filed a complaint against its "alleged discriminatory practices" in AdWords. An Indian dating website has filed the complaint against the search engine giant, alleging that it has breached the country's antitrust laws for its advertising unit, AdWords. The complaint accused Google of luring 2 Indian dating sites into a bidding war over its ad keywords in online search. Consim Info, the company operating BharatMatrimony.com has filed the antitrust suit with the Competition Commission of India in February against Google, which, according to CCI, could last from 2-12 months. The probe aims appears to be aimed at determining if there is any merit on the complaint filed against Google after the discovery of "prima facie evidence" showing how it had allegedly abused its market position by selling adwords to the complainant's rival. "We have asked the Director General (Investigations) to complete the probe and give a report on it within 60 days. Prima facie, we found evidence that suggests that Google did abuse its dominant market position," said a senior official of CCI. Like what had happened in other markets, Google has become a target by competitors who wish to crack its prominent ranking. On the other hand, Google defended itself by saying that it has always cooperated with investigators. It has given a statement to Springhill Group Counselling: "Though competition is always a click away, we understand that with success comes scrutiny. We have not received any communication from the CCI, but we're always happy to answer questions about our business, and we're confident that our products are compliant with competition law in India." Google seems to be getting used in being the subject of regulatory scrutiny worldwide as more companies become irked by its business in online advertisement. In February, a separate inv

India's Competition Commission confirmed that Google is undergoing an antitrust investigation after a match-making website filed a complaint against its "alleged discriminatory practices" in AdWords. An Indian dating website has filed the complaint against the search engine giant, alleging that it has breached the country's antitrust laws for its advertising unit, AdWords. The complaint accused Google of luring 2 Indian dating sites into a bidding war over its ad keywords in online search. Consim Info, the company operating BharatMatrimony.com has filed the antitrust suit with the Competition Commission of India in February against Google, which, according to CCI, could last from 2-12 months. The probe aims appears to be aimed at determining if there is any merit on the complaint filed against Google after the discovery of "prima facie evidence" showing how it had allegedly abused its market position by selling adwords to the complainant's rival. "We have asked the Director General (Investigations) to complete the probe and give a report on it within 60 days. Prima facie, we found evidence that suggests that Google did abuse its dominant market position," said a senior official of CCI. Like what had happened in other markets, Google has become a target by competitors who wish to crack its prominent ranking. On the other hand, Google defended itself by saying that it has always cooperated with investigators. It has given a statement to Springhill Group Counselling: "Though competition is always a click away, we understand that with success comes scrutiny. We have not received any communication from the CCI, but we're always happy to answer questions about our business, and we're confident that our products are compliant with competition law in India." Google seems to be getting used in being the subject of regulatory scrutiny worldwide as more companies become irked by its business in online advertisement. In February, a separate inv

India's Competition Commission confirmed that Google is undergoing an antitrust investigation after a match-making website filed a complaint against its "alleged discriminatory practices" in AdWords. An Indian dating website has filed the complaint against the search engine giant, alleging that it has breached the country's antitrust laws for its advertising unit, AdWords. The complaint accused Google of luring 2 Indian dating sites into a bidding war over its ad keywords in online search. Consim Info, the company operating BharatMatrimony.com has filed the antitrust suit with the Competition Commission of India in February against Google, which, according to CCI, could last from 2-12 months. The probe aims appears to be aimed at determining if there is any merit on the complaint filed against Google after the discovery of "prima facie evidence" showing how it had allegedly abused its market position by selling adwords to the complainant's rival. "We have asked the Director General (Investigations) to complete the probe and give a report on it within 60 days. Prima facie, we found evidence that suggests that Google did abuse its dominant market position," said a senior official of CCI. Like what had happened in other markets, Google has become a target by competitors who wish to crack its prominent ranking. On the other hand, Google defended itself by saying that it has always cooperated with investigators. It has given a statement to Springhill Group Counselling: "Though competition is always a click away, we understand that with success comes scrutiny. We have not received any communication from the CCI, but we're always happy to answer questions about our business, and we're confident that our products are compliant with competition law in India." Google seems to be getting used in being the subject of regulatory scrutiny worldwide as more companies become irked by its business in online advertisement. In February, a separate inv

Guns don't kill people; people kill people; and people with guns kill even more people. They also save more people who would otherwise be at the mercy of the criminals. SPRINGHILL TOWNSHIP, Pa. - An 85-year-old great-grandmother in Fayette County busted a would-be burglar by pulling a gun, then forcing him to call for help while she kept him in her sights. http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/17232825/detail.htm… Venus Ramey, 82, confronted a man on her farm in south-central Kentucky last week after she saw her dog run into a storage building where thieves had previously made off with old farm equipment. Ramey said the man told her he would leave. "I said, 'Oh, no you won't,' and I shot their tires so they couldn't leave," Ramey said. She had to balance on her walker as she pulled out a snub-nosed .38-caliber handgun. "I didn't even think twice. I just went and did it," she said. "If they'd even dared come close to me, they'd be 6 feet under by now." http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,267540,00.html Hancock County Sheriff's Investigator Andre Fizer said about an 84-year-old man's decision to shoot through a house door at another man who was trying to barge into the house: "You could tell he was devastated. You could tell he was scared." And rightfully so. Twenty-year-old Wade Ledesma made repeated attempts to break in to the house at about 5 a.m. on July 27, threatening to kill him throughout. Ledesma "tried to break through the front door and also tried to enter through a back door and a rear window of the residence. The resident called 911 and reported that the intruder was trying to force his way into the home…. [The elderly man] held himself against the door to keep [Ledesma] from entering," reported the Sun Herald. The resident became tired from holding the door and, worded about his and his wife's safety, asked his wife to get his pistol. He fired a shot through the door, meant to merely be a warn

Guns don't kill people; people kill people; and people with guns kill even more people. They also save more people who would otherwise be at the mercy of the criminals. SPRINGHILL TOWNSHIP, Pa. - An 85-year-old great-grandmother in Fayette County busted a would-be burglar by pulling a gun, then forcing him to call for help while she kept him in her sights. http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/17232825/detail.htm… Venus Ramey, 82, confronted a man on her farm in south-central Kentucky last week after she saw her dog run into a storage building where thieves had previously made off with old farm equipment. Ramey said the man told her he would leave. "I said, 'Oh, no you won't,' and I shot their tires so they couldn't leave," Ramey said. She had to balance on her walker as she pulled out a snub-nosed .38-caliber handgun. "I didn't even think twice. I just went and did it," she said. "If they'd even dared come close to me, they'd be 6 feet under by now." http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,267540,00.html Hancock County Sheriff's Investigator Andre Fizer said about an 84-year-old man's decision to shoot through a house door at another man who was trying to barge into the house: "You could tell he was devastated. You could tell he was scared." And rightfully so. Twenty-year-old Wade Ledesma made repeated attempts to break in to the house at about 5 a.m. on July 27, threatening to kill him throughout. Ledesma "tried to break through the front door and also tried to enter through a back door and a rear window of the residence. The resident called 911 and reported that the intruder was trying to force his way into the home…. [The elderly man] held himself against the door to keep [Ledesma] from entering," reported the Sun Herald. The resident became tired from holding the door and, worded about his and his wife's safety, asked his wife to get his pistol. He fired a shot through the door, mea

sophiamostel: Springhill Care Group : 2012 U.S. Healthcare: UCR or '$99,750 Ear Wax Fraud'? Aetna Wants Court to Stop Hospital's UCR Billing On Dec 7, 2011, Aetna filed a lawsuit against two PPO surgeons and one out-of-network (OON) hospital, in the District Court, Harris County, Texas. Aetna lawsuit seeks to recover damages and attorneys' fees and for court temporary injunction to stop the OON hospital's UCR billing and PPO surgeon's referrals, alleging breach of contract, conspiracy to overcharge, tortious interference, and common law fraud, including "a bill for $99,750 for the removal of ear wax". A new 2012 "UCR war" already unfolds in the court. ERISAclaim.com offers private Webinars to examine this court case, its profound impacts on all OON providers, and explore compliant solutions and protections under ERISA and PPACA as well as OIG Guidance. Aetna OON UCR Case info: AETNA HEALTH INC vs. SOFOLA, IFEOLUMIPO O (MD) (Case #: 2011-73949 / Court 152) In 2012, most out-of-network (OON) doctors, surgical centers and hospitals will "make it or break it", depending upon the outcome of this new Aetna lawsuit, as an emerging trend in managed litigations. "While the alleged $99,750 ear wax UCR fee may or may not be an isolated inadvertent error, the payor's new lawsuit to outlaw all OON UCR billing as fraud certainly represents a new 2012 trend and detrimental blow to all OON providers and 77% of insured Americans in private industry," says Dr. Jin Zhou, president of ERISAclaim.com, a national expert on PPACA and ERISA appeals and compliance. "Failure to recognize the impact of the payor UCR legal actions under $99,750 ear wax anti-fraud strategies and to quickly act with compliant solutions, the OON market will most likely fail by the end of 2012," warned Dr. Zhou. According to the court documents, "Plaintiffs Aetna Health Inc. and Aetna Life Insurance Company (collectively, "Aetna") bring this action under the laws of thi

billiepalance: Springhill Group Florida:: Living and Care Options Springhill Group living and care options are available depending on what the residents need and prefer. Independent Living The independent accommodations are occupied for those who wish to maintain a significant standard of flexibility, but also value the friendly relationship, the security, recreational facilities, and care that is provided by to them. The homes are designed to allow residents simple and easy household management encircled by warm and friendly neighbours Assisted Living Assisted Living is desirable to people who need a little extra care with their everyday living. You will also find here theflexibility and security of owning your personal space, to have your valuable possessions and things around you. Resthome Level Care Resthome level care in a Ryman Village, offers residents the very best in clinical care, while receiving the benefits of living in our warm and welcoming community. sophiamostel: Springhill Care Group : 2012 U.S. Healthcare: UCR or '$99,750 Ear Wax Fraud'? Aetna Wants Court to Stop Hospital's UCR Billing On Dec 7, 2011, Aetna filed a lawsuit against two PPO surgeons and one out-of-network (OON) hospital, in the District Court, Harris County, Texas. Aetna lawsuit seeks to recover damages and attorneys' fees and for court temporary injunction to stop the OON hospital's UCR billing and PPO surgeon's referrals, alleging breach of contract, conspiracy to overcharge, tortious interference, and common law fraud, including "a bill for $99,750 for the removal of ear wax". A new 2012 "UCR war" already unfolds in the court. ERISAclaim.com offers private Webinars to examine this court case, its profound impacts on all OON providers, and explore compliant solutions and protections under ERISA and PPACA as well as OIG Guidance. Aetna OON UCR Case info: AETNA HEALTH INC vs. SOFOLA, IFEOLUMIPO O (MD) (Case #: 2011-73949 / Court 152) In 2012, most out-of

The decision of US to let the blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng return into China's fold following his escape from authorities is straining ties between the two countries as diplomatic dialogues opened in Beijing. The 40-year old Chen who is now considered a dissident became an international human rights inspiration to many Chinese after earning the ire of the local government for exposing forced abortions in line with the country's one-child policy. The self-taught lawyer took to the US embassy after his escape, apparently to ask for help but was eventually ushered into the Beijing Hospital. According to a senior official's statement to Springhill Care Group, Chen has indeed went into the embassy that day and has requested for medical treatment for his injured foot. American medical personnel have then conducted medical tests and made appropriate treatment during the time he was there. Immediately after the incident, the Chinese government has expressed its disapproval about the entire affair, demanding an apology from the US for taking Chen in. "What the U.S. side should do now is neither to continue misleading the public and making every excuse to shift responsibility and conceal its wrongdoing, nor to interfere in the domestic affairs of China," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin. This incident came just when the US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is visiting Beijing in a meeting with Chinese officials on security and trade talks. And although no one mentioned Chen's name, it is evident in their statements that the incident is on the spotlight as the 2 nations struggle to maintain common ground. Clinton said in her opening statement, "The United States believes that no state can legitimately deny the universal rights that belong to every human being - or punish those who exercise them. A China that protects the rights of all its citizens will be a stronger, more prosperous partner for the United State

The decision of US to let the blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng return into China's fold following his escape from authorities is straining ties between the two countries as diplomatic dialogues opened in Beijing. The 40-year old Chen who is now considered a dissident became an international human rights inspiration to many Chinese after earning the ire of the local government for exposing forced abortions in line with the country's one-child policy. The self-taught lawyer took to the US embassy after his escape, apparently to ask for help but was eventually ushered into the Beijing Hospital. According to a senior official's statement to Springhill Care Group, Chen has indeed went into the embassy that day and has requested for medical treatment for his injured foot. American medical personnel have then conducted medical tests and made appropriate treatment during the time he was there. Immediately after the incident, the Chinese government has expressed its disapproval about the entire affair, demanding an apology from the US for taking Chen in. "What the U.S. side should do now is neither to continue misleading the public and making every excuse to shift responsibility and conceal its wrongdoing, nor to interfere in the domestic affairs of China," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin. This incident came just when the US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is visiting Beijing in a meeting with Chinese officials on security and trade talks. And although no one mentioned Chen's name, it is evident in their statements that the incident is on the spotlight as the 2 nations struggle to maintain common ground. Clinton said in her opening statement, "The United States believes that no state can legitimately deny the universal rights that belong to every human being - or punish those who exercise them. A China that protects the rights of all its citizens will be a stronger, more prosperous partner for the United State

The decision of US to let the blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng return into China's fold following his escape from authorities is straining ties between the two countries as diplomatic dialogues opened in Beijing. The 40-year old Chen who is now considered a dissident became an international human rights inspiration to many Chinese after earning the ire of the local government for exposing forced abortions in line with the country's one-child policy. The self-taught lawyer took to the US embassy after his escape, apparently to ask for help but was eventually ushered into the Beijing Hospital. According to a senior official's statement to Springhill Care Group, Chen has indeed went into the embassy that day and has requested for medical treatment for his injured foot. American medical personnel have then conducted medical tests and made appropriate treatment during the time he was there. Immediately after the incident, the Chinese government has expressed its disapproval about the entire affair, demanding an apology from the US for taking Chen in. "What the U.S. side should do now is neither to continue misleading the public and making every excuse to shift responsibility and conceal its wrongdoing, nor to interfere in the domestic affairs of China," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin. This incident came just when the US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is visiting Beijing in a meeting with Chinese officials on security and trade talks. And although no one mentioned Chen's name, it is evident in their statements that the incident is on the spotlight as the 2 nations struggle to maintain common ground. Clinton said in her opening statement, "The United States believes that no state can legitimately deny the universal rights that belong to every human being - or punish those who exercise them. A China that protects the rights of all its citizens will be a stronger, more prosperous partner for the United State

"Springhill Care Group - Spain's borrowing costs on its 10-year government bonds fell to the lowest level since January on Thursday. At its latest debt auction raised 4.8 billion euros and saw strong demand from investors for the bonds maturing in three and 10 years' time. Madrid has been able to more easily sell its bonds at lower rates of interest since the European Central Bank announced its bond-buying plan. Trader Ignacio Blanco with Bankinter said: "Over the last month and a half bond interest rates are down more than two percent, since Draghi spoke at the end of July. There was strong demand in the days before the auction and today too. They were buying bonds before, they continued to buy today, and the initial operations after the auction were good." Many analysts have warned Spain's borrowing costs could skyrocket to unsustainable levels unless Rajoy asks for an international bailout, at which point the ECB would start buying Spanish bonds. The country's economic crisis is exposing deep fault lines with the wealthy, but heavily indebted, region of Catalonia calling for tax breaks. Catalonia, which is in northeastern Spain, generates one fifth of the country's economic output and is home to 16 percent of Spaniards. More than half of Catalans say they want a separate state, and hundreds of thousands marched in Barcelona last week - the biggest such show of separatist fervor. The upsurge in Catalan separatism is founded on a conviction that Madrid is draining the region financially. The central government collects most taxation payments then redistributes them to Spain's 17 self-governing regions, which run their own schools and hospitals. Each year Catalans say they pay 16 billion euros more in taxes than the regional government spends. The region's debts have made the Madrid government's task of balancing the budget more difficult. Rajoy has threatened to intervene in regions that cannot control their budgets. Catalonia is li

LOS ANGELES, Iowa - The fearsome guns of the USS Iowa protected FDR from torpedo attacks and helped destroy the Japanese military in World War II. They shelled North Korea in the 1950s and patrolled the Central American coast during the Cold War. On Saturday, with the grand opening of the country's newest battleship museum in the Los Angeles community of San Pedro, the artillery that struck so much fear in America's enemies got a new role: photo op. More than 3,000 people walked up the Iowa's gangplank on its inaugural day and nearly every one seemed to want a photo with its 16-inch guns. "I want them to be part of history," said retired Marine Brian Tisdale of his two children, whom he captured posing at the gun barrels. Whether a snapshot on the Iowa deck will become as mandatory to a southern California vacation as a picture in front of the Hollywood sign remains to be seen. Officials said they were pleased with the museum's first day, especially given the breakneck pace of the project. The opening came just a month after the Iowa, one of the largest battleships ever, arrived in Los Angeles' harbor and just 10 months after the Navy selected San Pedro as the site of the museum. "It's unheard of. It usually takes about three years," said battleship enthusiast Robert Kent, who led the campaign to bring the Iowa to L.A. and now serves as director of the non-profit that runs the museum, Pacific Battleship Center. Built in 1940, the Iowa was an important part of the Navy fleet for five decades. It ferried President Franklin Roosevelt to Casablanca during World War II and later fought in the Pacific, sailing victoriously into Tokyo Harbor. The Iowa served in the Korean conflict and plied the Persian Gulf in the 1980s. Only about 15 percent of the ship is open to the public so far. Visitors are funneled down a single route that passes through a wardroom where officers ate and relaxed, around the vessel's upper decks and thr

LOS ANGELES, Iowa - The fearsome guns of the USS Iowa protected FDR from torpedo attacks and helped destroy the Japanese military in World War II. They shelled North Korea in the 1950s and patrolled the Central American coast during the Cold War. On Saturday, with the grand opening of the country's newest battleship museum in the Los Angeles community of San Pedro, the artillery that struck so much fear in America's enemies got a new role: photo op. More than 3,000 people walked up the Iowa's gangplank on its inaugural day and nearly every one seemed to want a photo with its 16-inch guns. "I want them to be part of history," said retired Marine Brian Tisdale of his two children, whom he captured posing at the gun barrels. Whether a snapshot on the Iowa deck will become as mandatory to a southern California vacation as a picture in front of the Hollywood sign remains to be seen. Officials said they were pleased with the museum's first day, especially given the breakneck pace of the project. The opening came just a month after the Iowa, one of the largest battleships ever, arrived in Los Angeles' harbor and just 10 months after the Navy selected San Pedro as the site of the museum. "It's unheard of. It usually takes about three years," said battleship enthusiast Robert Kent, who led the campaign to bring the Iowa to L.A. and now serves as director of the non-profit that runs the museum, Pacific Battleship Center. Built in 1940, the Iowa was an important part of the Navy fleet for five decades. It ferried President Franklin Roosevelt to Casablanca during World War II and later fought in the Pacific, sailing victoriously into Tokyo Harbor. The Iowa served in the Korean conflict and plied the Persian Gulf in the 1980s. Only about 15 percent of the ship is open to the public so far. Visitors are funneled down a single route that passes through a wardroom where officers ate and relaxed, around the vessel's upper decks and thr

LOS ANGELES, Iowa - The fearsome guns of the USS Iowa protected FDR from torpedo attacks and helped destroy the Japanese military in World War II. They shelled North Korea in the 1950s and patrolled the Central American coast during the Cold War. On Saturday, with the grand opening of the country's newest battleship museum in the Los Angeles community of San Pedro, the artillery that struck so much fear in America's enemies got a new role: photo op. More than 3,000 people walked up the Iowa's gangplank on its inaugural day and nearly every one seemed to want a photo with its 16-inch guns. "I want them to be part of history," said retired Marine Brian Tisdale of his two children, whom he captured posing at the gun barrels. Whether a snapshot on the Iowa deck will become as mandatory to a southern California vacation as a picture in front of the Hollywood sign remains to be seen. Officials said they were pleased with the museum's first day, especially given the breakneck pace of the project. The opening came just a month after the Iowa, one of the largest battleships ever, arrived in Los Angeles' harbor and just 10 months after the Navy selected San Pedro as the site of the museum. "It's unheard of. It usually takes about three years," said battleship enthusiast Robert Kent, who led the campaign to bring the Iowa to L.A. and now serves as director of the non-profit that runs the museum, Pacific Battleship Center. Built in 1940, the Iowa was an important part of the Navy fleet for five decades. It ferried President Franklin Roosevelt to Casablanca during World War II and later fought in the Pacific, sailing victoriously into Tokyo Harbor. The Iowa served in the Korean conflict and plied the Persian Gulf in the 1980s. Only about 15 percent of the ship is open to the public so far. Visitors are funneled down a single route that passes through a wardroom where officers ate and relaxed, around the vessel's upper decks and thr

LOS ANGELES, Iowa - The fearsome guns of the USS Iowa protected FDR from torpedo attacks and helped destroy the Japanese military in World War II. They shelled North Korea in the 1950s and patrolled the Central American coast during the Cold War. On Saturday, with the grand opening of the country's newest battleship museum in the Los Angeles community of San Pedro, the artillery that struck so much fear in America's enemies got a new role: photo op. More than 3,000 people walked up the Iowa's gangplank on its inaugural day and nearly every one seemed to want a photo with its 16-inch guns. "I want them to be part of history," said retired Marine Brian Tisdale of his two children, whom he captured posing at the gun barrels. Whether a snapshot on the Iowa deck will become as mandatory to a southern California vacation as a picture in front of the Hollywood sign remains to be seen. Officials said they were pleased with the museum's first day, especially given the breakneck pace of the project. The opening came just a month after the Iowa, one of the largest battleships ever, arrived in Los Angeles' harbor and just 10 months after the Navy selected San Pedro as the site of the museum. "It's unheard of. It usually takes about three years," said battleship enthusiast Robert Kent, who led the campaign to bring the Iowa to L.A. and now serves as director of the non-profit that runs the museum, Pacific Battleship Center. Built in 1940, the Iowa was an important part of the Navy fleet for five decades. It ferried President Franklin Roosevelt to Casablanca during World War II and later fought in the Pacific, sailing victoriously into Tokyo Harbor. The Iowa served in the Korean conflict and plied the Persian Gulf in the 1980s. Only about 15 percent of the ship is open to the public so far. Visitors are funneled down a single route that passes through a wardroom where officers ate and relaxed, around the vessel's upper decks and thr

LOS ANGELES, Iowa - The fearsome guns of the USS Iowa protected FDR from torpedo attacks and helped destroy the Japanese military in World War II. They shelled North Korea in the 1950s and patrolled the Central American coast during the Cold War. On Saturday, with the grand opening of the country's newest battleship museum in the Los Angeles community of San Pedro, the artillery that struck so much fear in America's enemies got a new role: photo op. More than 3,000 people walked up the Iowa's gangplank on its inaugural day and nearly every one seemed to want a photo with its 16-inch guns. "I want them to be part of history," said retired Marine Brian Tisdale of his two children, whom he captured posing at the gun barrels. Whether a snapshot on the Iowa deck will become as mandatory to a southern California vacation as a picture in front of the Hollywood sign remains to be seen. Officials said they were pleased with the museum's first day, especially given the breakneck pace of the project. The opening came just a month after the Iowa, one of the largest battleships ever, arrived in Los Angeles' harbor and just 10 months after the Navy selected San Pedro as the site of the museum. "It's unheard of. It usually takes about three years," said battleship enthusiast Robert Kent, who led the campaign to bring the Iowa to L.A. and now serves as director of the non-profit that runs the museum, Pacific Battleship Center. Built in 1940, the Iowa was an important part of the Navy fleet for five decades. It ferried President Franklin Roosevelt to Casablanca during World War II and later fought in the Pacific, sailing victoriously into Tokyo Harbor. The Iowa served in the Korean conflict and plied the Persian Gulf in the 1980s. Only about 15 percent of the ship is open to the public so far. Visitors are funneled down a single route that passes through a wardroom where officers ate and relaxed, around the vessel's upper decks and thr

MOBILE, Alabama - Drury Lane in Country Club Estates has the look and feel of a country lane: secluded, narrow - less than two lanes wide - and heavily-wooded, with well-kept homes appearing as if by magic among the trees. Yet some of its 17 homes, including corner lots at Wimbledon Drive to the south and Hillwood Road to the north, are within a short iron shot of the Country Club of Mobile north nine golf course and about two blocks from the main club buildings themselves. Residents of Drury Lane, from near and far, had high praise for the Spring Hill area and their neighbors. "We love it here. Absolutely love it. Drury Lane is a wonderful street. The best street in Mobile, I believe," said resident Lee Robinson, a Mobile native, who grew up 300 yards away on Wimbledon Drive, where his parents, Lee and Helen Robinson, still live. The Robinsons' home is one of the through lots on the street, with a front entrance on Hillwood Road and a back entrance on Drury Lane. The family prefers the backyard for activities and neighboring, said Robinson. "The neighbors have been fabulous and a huge blessing," said his wife, Aimee, also a Mobile native. "The minute you have a storm, everyone here comes together." The Robinsons and their three daughters had just moved in shortly before Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, but were invited to stay the night with neighbors, who had 14 people in their home, to share their generator power, she said. Robinson discovered both Mobile and family tradition in the vintage 1937 home on the lane when he thoroughly renovated it in 2007-08. The home had original hardwood floors, a double coincidence, because Robinson is president of Overseas Hardwoods Co., and his grandfather was in the hardwood flooring business with the family-owned Mobile River Sawmill in Mount Vernon, Robinson said. Mobile River Sawmill first made hardwood flooring in the early 1930s - the mill was so

The decision of US to let the blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng return into China's fold following his escape from authorities is straining ties between the two countries as diplomatic dialogues opened in Beijing. The 40-year old Chen who is now considered a dissident became an international human rights inspiration to many Chinese after earning the ire of the local government for exposing forced abortions in line with the country's one-child policy. The self-taught lawyer took to the US embassy after his escape, apparently to ask for help but was eventually ushered into the Beijing Hospital. According to a senior official's statement to Springhill Care Group, Chen has indeed went into the embassy that day and has requested for medical treatment for his injured foot. American medical personnel have then conducted medical tests and made appropriate treatment during the time he was there.

The decision of US to let the blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng return into China's fold following his escape from authorities is straining ties between the two countries as diplomatic dialogues opened in Beijing. The 40-year old Chen who is now considered a dissident became an international human rights inspiration to many Chinese after earning the ire of the local government for exposing forced abortions in line with the country's one-child policy. The self-taught lawyer took to the US embassy after his escape, apparently to ask for help but was eventually ushered into the Beijing Hospital.

The decision of US to let the blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng return into China's fold following his escape from authorities is straining ties between the two countries as diplomatic dialogues opened in Beijing. The 40-year old Chen who is now considered a dissident became an international human rights inspiration to many Chinese after earning the ire of the local government for exposing forced abortions in line with the country's one-child policy. The self-taught lawyer took to the US embassy after his escape, apparently to ask for help but was eventually ushered into the Beijing Hospital.