16-year-old charged with security officer murder www.privateofficer.com

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TAMPA, Florida Nov 30 2012- Tampa policehave arrested the person they said shot and killed a CIS security officer on ThanksgivingEve.
Police have 16-year-old Larry Donell Brown in custody. He ischarged with First Degree Murder in the death of Michael Valentin.
Police said Brown is also linked to two ATM robberies thathappened this month off Fowler. He is being charged with Attempted ArmedRobbery, Armed Robbery (2 counts), Grand Theft of a Firearm, and Felon inPossession of a Firearm.
Brown was the person seen on a bike in surveillance videothat Tampa Police released last week. He was considered a person who police wantedto talk to.
Police said they zoned in on Brown 48 hours ago because ofan open stolen gun case. He was arrested Tuesday night in that case.Authorities believe attempted robbery was the motive behind Valentin's death.They added the security officer was shot once in the upper body. It happened atthe Grande Oaks Apartments off East Hanna Avenue one week ago.
According to authorities, Brown has a "veryactive" criminal record, which includes 12 felony convictions.
The arrest comes just hours after Valentin's employer,Critical Intervention Services, held a community event at Grande Oaks. They hadfood and games for the residents there. Officials said the goal was to helpgenerate tips and to let residents know that they are safe.
Residents and officers also joined in a moment of silence tohonor Valentin and built a small memorial for him.
His funeral is set for Friday morning in New Tampa.
source-wtsp.com

Miami security guard killed after raised gun at police www.privateofficer.com

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Miami Fla Nov 30 2012 The family of a security guard shot and killed in aconfrontation with two veteran detectives outside his West Miami-Dade apartmenthave hired an attorney, claiming the Tuesday shooting was unjustified.
And Wednesday night, Miami-Dade police released more detailsabout why police came to question Alexis Suarez, 47, and what led to the fatalshooting as his wife and stepdaughter stood nearby.
According to the new details, the roots of the incidentbegan long before the shooting. Police say Suarez, who worked as an unarmedsecurity guard for a private firm at Miami International Airport,had been involved in a violent altercation at work.
“Detectives had probable cause to arrest him in connectionwith an aggravated battery investigation where the victim was transported to alocal hospital due to the injuries he sustained,” Miami-Dade police spokesmanDetective Roy Rutland said in a statement.
When police came to question Suarez at his family’seighth-floor unit at 1907 SW 107th Ave., they talked to him in the parking lot andfound he was armed.
“During the confrontation at Suarez’s residence, he was inpossession of a Smith & Wesson semi-automatic firearm which he raised atdetectives, forcing them to fire,” Rutlandsaid.
A fatally wounded Suarez was rushed to TraumaCenter at Kendall Regional Medical Center,where he died. Witnesses said he was shot multiple times.
Police said he possessed a concealed weapon permit. It’sunclear if Suarez fired any shots at the detectives.
The detectives involved in the shooting each have more than23 years of service with the departmentRutland said. Their names have not beenreleased.
Police said they found a ballistics vest in Reyes’possession, though it is unclear if he was wearing it.
John Rivera, president of the Miami-Dade chapter of thePolice Benevolent Association, confirmed that the two detectives fired.
Rivera said he spoke with the two officers after theshooting. Though he declined to give details, Rivera said that he believes “theevidence” will prove their actions were justified.
But Suarez’s wife and stepdaughter say police did not needto shoot Suarez, who was still inside his car when they confronted him.
“This is the biggest crime that I’ve ever seen,” adistraught Marisel Dieguez told Miami Herald news partner CBS4.
Suarez’s stepdaughter, Lilliana Marti, said officersoverreacted. “He didn’t even get the chance to do anything or get out of hiscar,” she said.
She said she filmed the shooting but said police confiscatedher cellphone.
The incident was the second police-involved shooting thisweek. On Sunday, one man was killed and a second hurt at Flea Market USA, 3015 NW 79th St.
Miami-Dade police believed the men may have been connectedto a home invasion robbery When officers approached their van, police said thedriver hit the gas and rammed a police vehicle and officers fired.
source-www.miamiherald.com

Police charge Virginia man with abduction at Fashion Square mall www.privateofficer.com

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Albemarle County VANov 30 2012 Police have arrested a Palmyraman in the thwarted child abduction last weekend at Fashion Square mall.Authorities charged James Kevin Key, 46, on Thursday withone count of abduction, a felony offense, said Carter Johnson, policespokeswoman.Police earlier this week distributed surveillance photos ofan unidentified man they said scooped up a 2-year-old girl Nov. 24, walked awaywith her and then released her when her father intervened, police said.Mall security escorted the man off the property but did notnotify police, authorities said. The parents called police several hours later.Key is a housekeeping supervisor at the University of Virginia,where he has worked since 1986, said McGregor McCance, university spokesman.The university currently conducts criminal background checkson all prospective hires, including those already employed by the universitywho apply for a different job.Searches of court records in Albemarle, Fluvanna and Louisacounties and the city of Charlottesville show Key’s only prior offense was animproper lane change in Albemarle in 2007. He paid an $86 fine.The photos released by police led investigators to questionKey, Johnson said.“We were able to show a picture from surveillance video andasked for the community’s help in identifying the suspect,” Johnson said. “Inthis case, that information led us to Key and ultimately, to his arrest.”Abduction is generally a class 5 felony in Virginia, punishable by up to 10 years inprison and a $2,500 fine.Key is being held at the Albemarle-Charlottesville RegionalJail.
source-dailyprogress.com

120' Glulam Poles

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Last week, we blogged about preparing to glue 120' utility poles. Here are some more photos showing our team gluing and finishing those poles.

To the left is a dramatic photo showing the boards set-up on carts behind our glue spreader, waiting for glue.
To the right is a photo of a pole in our finishing department. The finishing team cut the pole to a taper using a band saw and also drilled through it.

The photo below shows the view from the bottom of the pole down its length.

Making Glulam Out of Recycled Wood

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It's always cool to try something new. On a recent project we glued recycled ipê wood into beams for an outdoor trellis. Ipê is a tropical wood species often used outdoors because it is naturally insect resistant (making further treatment unnecessary.) The wood we received from our customer came from an old boardwalk that was replaced in the New York city area. If the stories we heard are true, this ipê had been installed in the 1930s! The wood was in such good shape, that it's really hard to believe it is so old.
Ipê is much harder than the southern yellow pine and Douglas fir that we typically glue, so it was a challenge to glue and then make finish cuts on these beams.

Our team has expertise in working on projects like this, and we're always up for a challenge. 

What kind of challenge do you have for us?

Madonna/Lourdes Collection At Macy's Expands

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by David Lipke
From WWD Issue 07/18/2011

Macy's shoppers will be living in a bigger Material Girl world come fall.

Madonna, Iconix Brand Group Inc. and Macy’s, all partners in the juniors brand, are launching a range of new product categories, including beauty, intimates and sleepwear, and expanded programs in denim, outerwear and social dresses.

The first beauty offerings, which include nail polish, lip gloss, body sprays and lotions will be in Macy’s stores Aug. 15, with eye palettes arriving on Sept. 15. The intimates and sleepwear are hitting stores this week, the denim will be available on Aug. 15, social dresses Sept. 15 and outerwear on Oct. 15.

“It was so much fun getting to pick all of my favorite scents for the Material Girl body products and lip glosses,” said Lourdes “Lola” Leon, Madonna’s 14-year-old daughter who serves as a public face of the brand and helps oversee creative direction and design. “The body products have fun names like Wicked Watermelon, Flirty Fruit, Midnight Magnolia and Sinful Sugar. I chose scents that I loved.”

The move into new categories for Material Girl comes as Macy’s expands the brand’s footprint. Material Girl will be in 300 Macy’s doors this fall, up from 200 at its initial launch last August and 250 this past spring. As of July 2, there were 805 Macy’s stores in the U.S.

Macy’s declined to provide total sales figures for Material Girl, but Martine Reardon, executive vice-president of marketing and advertising, said the line was performing well. “If you walk onto the sales floor, you’ll see how prominent a positioning it has on our juniors floor. It is one of our top-five brands in juniors,” she noted. “We are focusing on this youth consumer with fast-fashion that is trend-right and extremely affordable.”

The Material Girl beauty products will retail from $7 to $12. Body washes, body lotions and body mists will come in six scents, the nail polish in 10 colors, and the lip gloss in 12 variations. Eye palettes will come in two variations, including “Soft & Pretty” and “Smoky and Sexy,” and include four eye shadows, a pencil, a dual-end applicator and mirror.

Some beauty items will also be placed near registers to encourage impulse buys. “We have brand-new fixtures to highlight the beauty products, as well as new accessories, within the Material Girl world,” said Reardon.

Intimates retail for $5 to $29 and include solid and polka dot pushup bras, bustiers, boyfriend briefs, rose-print lace panties and cupped cami bras. Sleepwear retails for $14 to $22 and includes tanks, tunics, sweatshirts, boxers and lounge pants.

“The woven waistbands on the underwear have the Material Girl logo on them, so there’s a status feel to them. Girls want to wear this brand and show it off now,” said Lanie List, chief merchandising officer at Iconix Brand Group. Taking a page from Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” and “Express Yourself” days, List expects Material Girl customers to wear some of the innerwear as fashion pieces.

While the brand sits on the juniors floor and has a soon-to-be high school sophomore at its creative helm, the core customer is 18 to 25 years old.

“Lola is 14 but she lives in New York City and has a very famous mom, so she has a very sophisticated eye,” explained List. “Lola is here once a month and sometimes more. She brings stuff from her own closet for inspiration. For the bath and body products she probably had 100 scents in front of her. She has a very mature approach to product development.”

Madonna is a less frequent visitor to Iconix headquarters in New York than her daughter, but she wields final say in much of the product, said List. “Madonna definitely has creative input also. It’s a collaboration between the two. If Lola goes to a place with an idea that Madonna doesn’t think is appropriate for the brand, she’ll veto it. She’s a branding expert,” said List.

While Material Girl already has some denim, outerwear and party dresses in its current merchandise assortments, for fall the brand will blow out those categories with full product assortments, as they have been key sales drivers in the collections. Outerwear will retail for $59.50 to $89.50 and includes cape coats and bomber jackets. Party dresses adorned with sequins, feathers, lace and beading will retail for $59 to $79. Denim, which will encompass 20 trend-driven styles, including faded flares, studded jeans, overdyed styles in vivid colors, acid-wash skinny jeans and suspender styles, will retail from $29.50 to $32.50.

Macy’s and Iconix are supporting the expansion of Material Girl this fall with an advertising campaign that features Kelly Osbourne for the second consecutive season. The fall media buy includes People StyleWatch, Nylon, Seventeen, Teen Vogue and Cosmopolitan, in addition to outdoor — including a Times Square billboard and the Macy’s Jumbotron in Herald Square — and online celebrity and fashion blogs.

Mike Boylson Leaves Penney's

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by David Moin
From WWD Issue 07/18/2011

J.C. Penney Co. Inc.’s marketing team has experienced a string of departures, among them its top official, Mike Boylson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

Boylson’s exit has raised speculation that incoming chief executive officer Ron Johnson has already begun cleaning house at Penney’s. Johnson is expected to bring a lot of change to the business, just as he did at Apple, where as senior vice president of retail he orchestrated the brand’s fast-paced, innovative and highly productive retail strategy from its inception in 2001 to more than 300 stores currently in the U.S. and abroad.

Boylson left Penney’s at the beginning of July, though Penney’s did not announce his departure despite his stature and long history there. Boylson joined the retailer as a management trainee in 1978, rose up the ranks to store manager, district manager, vice president and director of marketing planning and promotions, and finally executive vice president in April 2003. He oversaw a huge, high-profile marketing program with an annual advertising budget estimated at around $1 billion.

Two other marketing executive also recently left Penney’s: Nick Bomersbach, vice president of marketing for jcpenney.com and a 10-year veteran of Penney’s, and Christine Laczai, director of digital marketing who has been with Penney’s for two years and previously worked with VF Corp.

In confirming Boylson’s departure Friday, Penney’s said it has begun a search for Boylson’s successor. “Mike Boylson informed J.C. Penney in early June of his intention to retire on July 1,” a Penney’s spokeswoman said. It’s expected that Penney’s will hold off on filling the other vacancies until a new executive vice president of marketing is determined. Bill Gentner, Penney’s senior vice president of marketing planning and promotions, is acting as interim chief marketing officer.

Johnson joins Penney’s board on Aug. 1. and becomes ceo in November but has already been getting his feet wet. He accompanied Penney’s current ceo and chairman, Myron E. “Mike” Ullman 3rd, to Hong Kong for the chain’s annual supplier summit, where key suppliers learn about the state of Penney’s business and long-range plans.

In addition to making organizational changes, Johnson is expected to drive Penney’s Web presence, introduce new products and get the Penney’s team to think differently. Penney’s close to $18 billion in sales last year is still under prerecession volumes, but the company has the potential for growth and for elevating its image to attract younger customers. Johnson was lured to Penney’s by the prospect of reinventing another slice of retail, just as he did with the technology sector, and by the opportunity to be the top gun at a multi-billion dollar corporation.

Brooklyn Lease Negotiations Continue For Walmart, Penney's

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Wall Street Journal
By Eliot Brown and Joseph De Avila

The Related Cos. is in advanced lease negotiations with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and J.C. Penney Co. about anchoring a mall in southeast Brooklyn, according to people familiar with the matter.

Wal-Mart has long been considering the site overlooking the Belt Parkway just west of Howard Beach. But talks have intensified in recent months as the company has expanded a publicity campaign and taken steps to mollify potential critics, the people said.

The outlook for the 630,000-square-foot development—which would accomplish Wal-Mart's longtime goal of opening a location in the city—was boosted by J.C. Penney's strong interest. The combination of the two large stores would likely give the project sufficient financial viability to move forward despite the uncertainties that continue to cloud the slowly recovering economy.

J.C. Penney, which was based in Manhattan for about seven decades before moving to Texas, already has stores in all four other boroughs. But Wal-Mart doesn't, and its possible entry into the city has sparked strong opposition from labor unions, community groups and some elected officials.

Hurdles to Wal-Mart's beachhead remain. For starters, Related has yet to finalize a purchase of a portion of the site from the state, the price for which has come under criticism from Wal-Mart opponents.

But the project doesn't require further approval by the City Council, typically a major obstacle for developers. Given a 2009 rezoning, Related is free to build any big-box store on the site once it takes control.

Representatives for Wal-Mart, J.C. Penney and Related declined to comment on lease negotiations. "We still have not signed any leases anywhere in the city," Steven Restivo, a spokesman for Wal-Mart, said last week. "We continue to evaluate opportunities across the five boroughs."

Wal-Mart and J.C. Penney would take around 150,000 square feet each in the planned Gateway Center II mall, according a person familiar with discussions. The project would sit just north of Related's Gateway Center mall, which was completed in 2002 and houses a Target and a Best Buy.

Wal-Mart, which has unsuccessfully sought to break into the New York market in the past, has been investing considerable resources in an attempt to pave the way for an entrance over the objections of a powerful set of unions and elected officials.

Two labor groups, the United Food and Commercial Workers and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, have been particularly aggressive in combating Wal-Mart, which has long been opposed to a unionized work force. They are joined by elected officials including Council Speaker Christine Quinn and community groups worried about the giant discounter's impact on local merchants.

To counter the critics, Wal-Mart has launched a public-relations campaign to tout the retailer's virtues through fliers and newspaper and radio ads.

In the first four months of the year alone, Wal-Mart spent more than $1.7 million on consultants, most of which was directed at firms that do advertising and polling, according to lobbying records.

Earlier this month, the company announced a $4 million donation to a New York City job program at a news conference with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Wal-Mart also recently signed up as a $150,000 sponsor for a summer concert series hosted by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz that includes performances by such artists as Queen Latifah.

The sponsorship drew praise from Mr. Markowitz, who has been critical of Wal-Mart in the past. In a statement on Sunday, he said he isn't "philosophically" opposed to Wal-Mart, but declined to comment on Related's plans. He said he believes the retailer should pay "a fair wage" and allow workers to unionize.

The push seems to have created a sense of inevitability among many elected officials, particularly given that the company has said it only intends to take space in stores where City Council approval isn't necessary, making it difficult to block. Earlier this year, Wal-Mart also won some labor support by signing a five-year contract with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York that guarantees that any of the company's store construction would be done with union labor.

Even Ms. Quinn, a vocal Wal-Mart critic, earlier this year offered to broker a deal between the company and the Hunts Point Terminal produce market. Under the deal, Wal-Mart would have committed to buying at least 5% of its produce from the market, although talks fizzled.

Aides to Ms. Quinn last week downplayed the potential deal and said Ms. Quinn hasn't changed her position on Wal-Mart and that she continues to oppose the company coming to New York.

Critics of the possible Wal-Mart Brooklyn development have recently stepped up efforts to block Related's purchase from the state of a 21-acre piece of the mall site. Related already controls the rest.

Last week, critics released a state memorandum from the Office of General Services that detailed how Related had renegotiated the purchase price for the state-owned land. The price was reduced in 2010 to $14.5 million from the $32.5 million it agreed to pay in 2009.

According to the memo, the price was changed partly because of an appraisal that showed a lower value for the site. Also, Related had been counting on at least $7.5 million in expected government incentives that proved unavailable. The mall is part of a larger 227-acre development that includes low-income housing, retail and parkland.

"The Gateway 2 development will expand on the enormously successful project that has already brought great economic benefits to this area," creating thousands of jobs, said Joanna Rose, a spokeswoman for Related, last week.

The land sale must be approved by state agencies and the state comptroller. A spokesman for the comptroller's office said last week that it hadn't yet received the proposal.

JLo, Anthony Lines Will Continue At Kohl's

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Wall Street Journal
By Karen Talley

Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez remains committed to launching a clothing line at Kohl's Corp. with husband Marc Anthony despite recently announced plans to divorce.

Mark Young, Ms. Lopez's publicist, said the Kohl's launch in September "will proceed as planned." Mr. Young called Ms. Lopez's line "distinctive" and said it represents style in an accessible way.

The star couple announced over the weekend plans to split after seven years of marriage, and retail-industry watchers said it is bad timing for the planned apparel rollout. Over the weekend, after the couple's announcement, Kohl's also said the launch would continue and that the lines can stand by themselves.

"The Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony brands have always been positioned as two separate, distinctive collections," a spokeswoman for Kohl's said.

The retailer calls the lines the largest launch of exclusive merchandise in the company's 49-year history. Kohl's has been talking up the lines and planning a big publicity push as the retailer looks for the brands to boost sales.

The lines will encompass virtually every merchandise category that Kohl's carries. The brands will be a move by the department-store chain to step up its so-called aspirational, or higher-quality, offerings.

The products, with Ms. Lopez taking a big hand in the women's offerings and Mr. Anthony involved in the men's, were expected to be promoted around their lifestyles and publicized together.

"These kinds of situations create consumer disappointment and disengagement with the celebrity," said Robert Passikoff, founder of Brands Keys, a brand-consulting firm. "Right now, Kohl's has to go through with it. They have made an investment in the merchandise and the licensing fees."

In good news for Kohl's in terms of the couple shooting for an amicable divorce, they have said they will go through with their Latin talent-search show. "The best thing [Kohl's] can do is sit very quietly and hope there is no more bad news about Marc or Jennifer," Mr. Passikoff said.

New Chairman To Head Zara's Parent Company

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by Barbara Barker
From WWD Issue 07/19/2011

Inditex will today enter a new era.

The parent company of Zara, Europe’s largest apparel retailer, will today see a change in management when chairman and founder Amancio Ortega, dubbed “the inventor of the Zaravolution,” steps down and hands the reins to Pablo Isla, who had been the group’s chief executive officer and deputy chairman since 2005.

But while the 75-year-old immensely secretive and low-key Ortega may be stepping down, he is hardly out — especially since he still controls the majority of the company’s shares. “Nothing has changed. He still controls the company and he still has a lot to say — and nobody doubts that he will say it,” said Sofía Vázquez, a reporter for La Voz de Galicia, a regional newspaper in the north of Spain, which is the company’s home base.

“Amancio is making another smart move, preparing for the future with similar logic and the same intelligence he has always used to run the company, but I think he’ll remain very close by,” added Linda Heras, international development director of Roberto Verino, a high-end apparel label and geographical neighbor.

Inditex operates 5,154 stores in 78 countries, with net profits of 1.73 billion euros, or $2.29 billion at average exchange, for the 2010 fiscal year on sales of 12.5 billion euros, or $16.5 billion. With eight chains led by Zara, Ortega’s empire has a workforce of roughly 100,000.

Under Isla’s watch, Inditex rolled out more than 2,800 stores with the top priorities being expansion in Asia and Eastern Europe, as well as growing e-commerce.

Pending shareholder approval, Isla will receive a hefty block of shares, worth 13.7 million euros, or $19.6 million at current exchange, as “a welcome gift” from Ortega, a company source confirmed.

About his succession, Isla said, “It is not a drastic move and there won’t be any major changes. I feel enormous responsibility and motivation to strengthen Inditex, and it’s the right moment. The transition will be smooth and very natural.”

Outside Inditex’s corporate inner sanctum, little is known about Ortega except that he’s the richest man in Spain — and the seventh richest (up two notches over last year) in the world, with a net worth of $31 billion, Forbes reported in March. His fortune includes Inditex stock — he has maintained a 59.3 percent stake in the company since it went public in 2001 — and luxury real estate projects in the U.S., Florida in particular, and in such major European cities as London, Paris, Lisbon, Berlin, Madrid and Barcelona. He has additional investments in banks, gas and tourism and owns a horse-jumping circuit and a soccer league.

Ortega is not much for fanfare and personal public relations is not in his DNA. He’s been quoted as saying, “Talk about my company, but not about me,” and he rarely appears in public.

One of the few to penetrate company walls is avant-garde Spanish artist Alicia Framis, whose filmed performance “Secret Strike — Inditex” (2006) chronicled a day in the life of Zara. “Inditex employees were very involved in the film,” Framis said. “Everybody wanted to be a part of it — except Amancio Ortega.”

Ortega’s is a rags-to-riches story. In the early Sixties, he came up with the idea of making basic garments like housecoats and underwear cheaper than anyone else. Production took place on his kitchen table, and the first item cut from cardboard patterns was a quilted pink robe with blue piping. In 1975, he opened his first store here, selling bathrobes for about 50 cents each.

Working from the age of 13 in local men’s wear shops, he had little formal education. “I couldn’t work and study at the same time; it’s that simple. My university was my profession. I wanted to be a different kind of impresario, one with a social conscience,” he told Covadonga O’Shea, onetime director of Spain’s prestigious fashion magazine Telva, in an authorized biography published in 2008.

“His success has not changed him,” O’Shea said. “His values are the same; he’s humble, affectionate, generous, and he loves the people he works with.”

Ortega lives with his second wife, Flora Pérez Marcote, in an apartment in La Coruña, an unpretentious seaside town about six miles from Inditex’s headquarters in the industrial zone of Arteixo. He doesn’t speak English and, according to an employee, “he’s approachable and into everything. He lives the product,” she said.

It remains to be seen how involved Ortega will be in the company he founded, now that Isla is taking over. But the next generation of the Ortega family already is involved: The founder’s youngest daughter, Marta Ortega, was last fall brought into company headquarters, and although she has no concrete job, department or title, she’s in on all major decision making. An Inditex spokesman said her arrival and the pending management succession are unrelated, however. “She will continue her training program, a mix of creative and commercial activities, within the group and, logically [as Ortega’s daughter], she’ll have a role but so far she isn’t officially involved in the company. We don’t know anything about her future.”

Prior to Isla’s promotion, Marta Ortega was considered the heir apparent, and she’s been well groomed for it. With a degree in business administration from London’s European Business School, she speaks four languages — including English, French and Italian — and to date has interned for company stores in London and Paris, with office stints in Asia and Barcelona.

In private, she is an accomplished equestrian, taking part in international competitions with rider-boyfriend Sergio Alvarez Moya — and as socially shy as her father.

Men and women locate parked cars differently, says study www.privateofficer.com

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Atlanta GA Nov 282012 A study out of the Netherlandssays men and women have different strategies to remember where they parked.
Researchers tested more than 100 shoppers and found most womenuse landmarks to describe where they parked.
Guys were more precise and able to estimate the distance totheir parked car.
Although men fared slightly better in the study, both menand women also used some of the same strategies, like parking close to the mallentrance or parking in a favorite spot.
The study appears in the journal Applied CognitivePsychology.

Manatee County man arrested for punching security officer in the face www.privateofficer.com

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LAKEWOODRANCH Fla Nov 28 2012 -- A 32-year-old Lakewood Ranch man has been arrested and charged withbattery on a person age 65 or older.
Manatee County Sheriff's Officedeputies say Charles Berton Vanalstine of the 6500 block of Meandering Way struck a Lakewoood Ranch Main Streetsecurity guard who was trying to persuade him not to drive home intoxicated.
When Vanalstine left McAllister's Restaurant on Main Street shortlyafter 11 p.m. Friday restaurant staffers were concerned that he was in nocondition to drive, the arrest report states.
The restaurant contacted the security officer, who followedVanalstine as he tried to find where he had parked his vehicle, the reportstates.
Shortly after the security guard called 911 for help,Vanalstine "took a posture as if to reach for a gun" and threatenedto shoot the guard if he did not stop following him, according to the report.
After searching for his car in a nearby parking lot,Vanalstine walked up and struck the 65-year-old guard in the face with hisfist, causing a slight bruise to the victim and breaking the victim's glasses,the report states.
The victim at no time touched Vanalstine, the report adds.
Vanalstine was in the Manatee Countyjail Monday in lieu of a $5,000 bond.
source-www.bradenton.com

Baylor University-Baylor Health Care System settle Medicare charges for $907,355 www.privateofficer.com

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WASHINGTON DC Nov 28 2012—Baylor University Medical Center, Baylor Health Care System, and HealthTexas Provider Network (collectively, Baylor) have agreed to pay the United States $907,355 to settle allegations that Baylor submitted false claims to Medicare, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (TRICARE), and the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHBP) for various radiation oncology services, including intensity modulated radiation therapy, the Justice Department announced today. Intensity modulated radiation therapy is a sophisticated radiation treatment indicated for specific types of cancer where extreme precision is required to spare patients’ surrounding organs or healthy tissue.
The government alleges that Baylor University submitted improper claims to Medicare from 2006 through May 2010 in which Baylor double billed Medicare for several procedures affiliated with radiation treatment plans; billed for certain high reimbursement radiation oncology services when a different, less expensive service should have been billed; billed for procedures without supporting documentation in the medical record; and improperly billed for radiation treatment delivery without corroboration of physician supervision.
“Physicians who participate in Medicare must bill for their services accurately and honestly,” said Stuart F. Delery, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that federal health care funds are spent appropriately.”
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Delery also noted that the settlement with Baylor was the result of a coordinated effort among the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, FBI, and Defense Criminal Investigative Services.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Sarah R. Saldaña praised these investigative efforts and said, “This civil recovery is a testament to the efforts of the Department of Justice to hold all parties, regardless of position, accountable for the submission of improper claims to federal health care programs.”
This resolution is part of the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and another step for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced by Attorney General Eric Holder and Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in May 2009. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in that effort is the False Claims Act, which the Justice Department has used to recover $10.1 billion since January 2009 in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs. The Justice Department’s total recoveries in False Claims Act cases since January 2009 are over $13.8 billion.
The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

4 arrested as security guard battered in Wisconsin www.privateofficer.com

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Madison WI Nov 28 2012

A security guard was battered in a shoplifting case in which a baby in a stroller was used as a cover for stolen merchandise on Black Friday at an East Towne Mall store, Madisonpolice reported.
The incident took place in front of a large crowd of shoppers at about 8 p.m. Friday at J.C. Penney, police said in a news release.
Lesley Williams, 22, of Sun Prairie, was tentatively charged with battery and retail theft. Ashley Williams, 24, of Reedsburg, was tentatively charged with disorderly conduct and bail jumping. A 14-year-old Madison female was tentatively charged with battery and released to a family member. And Alicia Lembeke, 23, of Sun Prairie, was cited and released for retail theft.
Police said those four were stopped by a security guard as they tried to leave J.C. Penney and re-enter the mall.
"The thieves had been placing stolen items in a stroller, beneath a baby," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain in the release.
When the guard asked the women to stop, Lesley Williams and the 14-year-old allegedly punched and kicked him, while Ashley Williams allegedly yelled that she was going to kill him.
"The youngest suspect later admitted to an officer that she had anger problems," DeSpain said.
Stolen clothes and other items taken from J.C. Penney were found beneath the infant in the stroller. The baby was not injured.
"The guard wasn't seriously hurt but he was bleeding from a cut near his ear," DeSpain said.

source-host.madison.com

Questions linger after thwarted abduction at Fashion Square www.privateofficer.com

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Albemarle County VA Nov 28 2012 Private security did its job over the weekend in escorting aman off Fashion Squaremall property where he grabbed a 2-year-old girl before her father wrestled heraway, legal experts and industry analysts said Monday.But that doesn’t explain why authorities weren’t notifieduntil more than five hours later, when the girl’s parents called police. Bythen, the man was long gone.Now, authorities are urging parents to be on heightenedalert as investigators seek clues with little to go on but a vague descriptionof a light-skinned black man standing 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing 220 to235 pounds. He wore glasses and a gray hooded sweatshirt."We want everyone to be a little more aware and alittle more cautious and vigilant over their children," said Albemarle County police spokeswoman CarterJohnson.Security officers responded to the parents' cries between 2and 2:30 p.m. Saturday near Kay Jewelers, where the man seized the child as shewalked slightly behind her parents. The girl’s father pulled her from thestranger’s grasp. Security officers gained control of the man, then releasedhim, police said.
Authorities learned of the incident when the parents calledat 8 p.m., police said. Neither the private firm tasked with providing securityat the mall nor the mall's management company, Simon Property Group, notifiedpolice, Johnson said."Obviously, we would have liked to be contactedimmediately," Johnson said.Angry customers took to Fashion Square's Facebook page to protesta two-line release issued Monday by Indiana-based Simon, which bills itself as the largest real estatecompany in the world."This incident is now a police matter and, of course,we are fully cooperating with their investigation," said Simon spokesmanLes Morris. "Every piece of information that we have in our possession aswell as witness reports have been turned over to the police for theirfollow-up."The company did not elaborate.Security guards observed Sunday at the mall wore uniformsbearing the logo of AlliedBarton Security Services, a Pittsburgh-area privatesecurity giant that employs more than 55,000 people nationwide, according toits website."We are currently cooperating with the police duringthe investigation and have no further comment," said AlliedBarton VicePresident Alan Stein.The primary duty of private security officers responding inan incident like Saturday's is to safeguard the people involved, then toprotect their clients' interests, analysts and legal experts said."We have to kind of break out the part we're upsetfrom, that they let the guy go, from the thing that would have actually causedharm to the child, the guy that they removed from the situation," saidCharlottesville-Albemarle Bar Association President J. Lloyd Snook III."It's a question of moral responsibility versus legal liability."As unarmed officers, the guards at Fashion Square lack thelimited powers of arrest that armed security officers possess, said NeadieMoore, licensing manager at the Department of Criminal Justice Services, thestate agency charged with regulating private sector security workers,State code requires unarmed guards to complete 18 hours oftraining and undergo a criminal background check before they are certified.Armed guards undergo 40 to 42 hours of training.Shoppers should have a reasonable expectation of safetywhile they are on mall property — that is why the guards are there, Snook said.But conflict between company and client policies can beburdensome to contracted security officers facing snap decisions, said RickMcCann, a 38-year law enforcement veteran and founder of Private OfficerInternational, an industry association."The directions [officers] get can be conflicting, andthat's why it’s so important for the security company and the other company tobe prudent in their requirements of the officer," McCann said.An untrained or undertrained guard could be cowed by thevery real danger and responsibilities they face, he said. Many guards also fearliability, he added. For instance, could they be sued if they acted to restrainsomeone without the powers and authority accorded to an armed guard?"As a guard, you hear a lot about these [lawsuits] andthe word gets around," McCann said. "Still, I am a little bit shockedto hear that [the security officers] let the person go."The characteristics of the incident — occurring in themiddle of the day in a public place during one of the busiest shopping days ofthe year — suggest the man might have done something like this before and mighttry again, said Dr. Jeffrey Fracher, a forensic psychologist practicing in Albemarle."The fact that they were thwarted means they are goingto be unsatisfied,” Fracher said. “These are the situations that keep me up atnight."No security cameras captured footage of the incident,Johnson said. Detectives are combing through in-store surveillance footage tosee whether the man had been following the family.So far, Johnson said, police have no leads.
Source:dailyprogress.com

Fashion Square Mall security releases kidnapping suspect without calling police www.privateofficer.com

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ALBEMARLE, Va. Nov 27 2012 – Albemarle CountyPolice are looking for a suspect in connection to an attempted abduction at TheFashion Square Mall.The incident happened around 2 p.m. Saturday, while aCharlottesville-area family was shopping with their two-year-old daughter.Police said a male suspect allegedly grabbed the little girlnear the mall’s food court and started running. Investigators say the father was able to chase the suspect down and gethis daughter back. Mall security was summoned, but Albemarle police said mall security escortedthe man off of the property, instead of contacting police.Albemarle County Police spokesperson Carter Johnson saidinvestigators began looking into the case after they were contacted by thevictim’s family around 8 o’clock Saturday evening. “Anytime someone puts their hands on another person’s child,picks that child up and starts to walk away, that’s attempted abduction,”Johnson says.  “It’s a felony offense andit’s something we take very seriously.”Fashion Square is operated by Simon Malls.  A spokesperson for Fashion Square did not return phone callsto CBS 6 by airtime on Monday.Police describe the suspect as a light-skinned black man,about 6 feet, 3 inches tall; weighing 220 to 235 pounds.Anyone with information on the crime is asked to contactCrimestoppers at (434)977-4000.Source:WTVR

Girl shot to death on private school bus laid to rest www.privateofficer.com

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Miami Fla Nov 27 2012 Family and friends gathered Monday afternoon for the funeralof a 13-year-old girl fatally shot on a private school bus in Homestead last week.
The funeral for Lourdes Guzman-DeJesus will be held atCaballero Rivero Woodlawn at 11655 SW 117th Avenue in Miami.
A 15-year-old boy has been arrested and was being held atMiami-Dade's juvenile assessment center on charges of manslaughter and carryinga concealed firearm in Guzman-DeJesus' death, authorities said.
"It was one of those things you can't even put intowords. It's immense. I can't even describe the pain that one feels," saidrelative Waldermar Arent.
According to an arrest form, the children were on their wayto school when the boy took the firearm out of his backpack and displayed it.The gun went off, hitting Guzman-DeJesus.
Based on the findings so far, "it appears to have beenan accident," Miami-Dade Police spokeswoman Aida Fina-Milan said.
Guzman-DeJesus was taken to Miami Children's Hospital, whereshe later died, police said. No one else was injured, and the boy was takeninto custody, officials said.
Guzman, known as Jina to her family and friends, was shotwhile riding a private school bus about 6:45 a.m. Tuesday in the area of Southwest 296th Streetand Southwest 137th Avenuein Homestead,police said. Eight other children, including Guzman-DeJesus' 7-year-old sister,were on the bus at the time of the shooting.
The girl's mother, Ady DeJesus, has described her daughteras the “most wonderful girl in the whole wide world.” She said her daughter, astudent at Palm Glades Preparatory Academy, was very smart,nice and happy.
According to Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts spokeswoman EuniceSigler, the state plans to prosecute the boy as an adult.
Source:NBC6

BB&T loan officer pleads guilty to fraud scheme www.privateofficer.com

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Sarasota Fla Nov 27 2012 Scott J. Schuhriemen, a BB&T loan officer indicted forbank fraud earlier this month, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring toproduce statements with erroneous information to a federally insured lender.Schuhriemen was the 20th person to be indicted and will facefines, which could reach as high as $250,000, and up to five years in prison,the Sarasota Herald-Tribune said. He was involved in a ring of home flippersled by former Sarasotareal estate agents R. Craig Adams and Rich Bobka, the Herald-Tribune said.Schuhriemen made 19 home equity loans to other members ofthe conspiracy in 2006 and 2007, but only two of those loans are described inthe plea agreement.Additional indictments in the case are expected, theHerald-Tribune said. Schuhriemen is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 4 toenter a formal plea before U.S. Magistrate Thomas B. McCoun III.

Man killed at DeKalb County Walmart was serial shoplifter www.privateofficer.com

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LITHONIA, GA Nov 27 2012DeKalb County police said a manwho was allegedly shoplifting and then killed by a security guard hired byWalmart has a record.
Vidal Cornelius Calloway had been arrested in DeKalb Countymultiple times for crimes ranging from shoplifting to drug charges.
Records show Calloway was in and out of jail at least 16times since 1996.
Following Calloway's death on Sunday, authorities in DeKalb Countyare still trying to decide whether to criminally charge the security guardinvolved in the fight.
According to authorities, Calloway was caught shopliftingtwo DVD players at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday at the store on Fairington Road in Lithonia.
As Calloway left, the police report said manager MichaelBurton chased him out. Burton,employee Phille Roberts and a third-party security guard, Jaiviere Pruitt,reportedly scuffled with the suspect.
The police report said Burton"grabbed him by the hoodie and slammed him down to the ground."
After that, Burtontold police Calloway "punched him on the left side of the face, neck, andchest area."
The incident report goes on to say that Calloway was thenknocked to the ground by Burtonand Pruitt, but continued fighting.
It went on to say that Pruitt "placed the suspect in achoke hold and told the suspect to tap when he can't breathe."
By the time DeKalb County police got to thescene, Calloway was bleeding from his nose and wasn't breathing.
He was later pronounced dead at DeKalb Medical-Hillandale Hospital.
As of late Monday, the DeKalb Countymedical examiner had not released the cause of death.
Walmart spokeswoman, Dianna Gee said, "This is truly asad situation. We're in the process of working with law enforcement todetermine all of the facts and cooperating and providing any information wehave to assist in the investigation. Our associates are trained that the safetyof our customers and our associates is our first priority. No amount ofmerchandise is worth someone's life."
People who shop at the store and live nearby are trying tofigure out how a shoplifting case could end so tragically.
"Senseless death, but those are the chances you takewhen you do wrong. You never know what's going to happen. And they were doingtheir job," said shopper Verlene Swader.
Gee said the employees involved in the incident aresuspended with pay during the investigation. The company also has cut ties withPruitt.
Source:CBS Atlanta

South Carolina newsman, son killed in house fire www.privateofficer.com

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DARLINGTON, SC Nov27 2012- Authorities say two Darlingtonmen have died after a large home was destroyed by fire.
According to reports, 67-year-old veteran journalist DwightDana was killed in the Sunday morning fire. Also killed was his son, Radisson,who lived in a house behind the main house.
Firefighters recovered one body near the front of the houseand a second body toward the back of the house.  
Paula Dana, Dwight Dana's ex-wife, said Radisson made theinitial 911 call and told communications officers he was going into the mainhome in search of his father. Paula Dana confirmed both men were found dead.
The Darlington Fire Department spent more than two hoursbattling flames of the 110-year-old, two-story home, and remained on the sceneto find the origin.
According to his Facebook page, Dana had been with theFlorence Morning News for almost 10 years. Before that he had worked for theDarlington News and Press, The State, Coker College,and The Hartsville Messenger.
Dana graduated from the University of South Carolina.
Source: AP/WIS

Fired security guard kills replacement www.privateofficer.com

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Houston TX Nov 26 2012 A fired security guard allegedly hunted down and killed hisreplacement at a northwest Houstonmeat market Saturday, according to witnesses and the Harris County Sheriff'sOffice.
Gregory Griffin, 56, is charged with murder in the shootingdeath of a security guard at the La Veracruzana Carniceria and Taqueria at 1210 West Road, thesheriff's office said.
The owner of the meat market, who declined to give his name,said in a telephone interview that Griffinarrived at the meat market a few minutes after 2 p.m. and shot his replacementthree times in the head.
Deputies withheld name of the victim pending notification ofnext of kin.
"I'm feeling bad. This is not good for my store,"the owner said. "I'm feeling very bad for the (victim). (The victim) was avery nice person, friendly, he had family. He was a pretty nice guy."
The sheriff's office said Griffin was employed by Texas Pioneer ControlOfficers as a security guard but was fired three weeks ago. Griffin continued to show up for work at themeat market after being fired, the sheriff's office said.
The victim also worked for Texas Pioneer Control Officers,the sheriff's office said. Griffin confrontedthe victim when he arrived to take Griffin'splace. The meat market owner said the confrontation took place in view of theowner, several customers and employees.
"He said 'What are you doing here?'" the ownerrecalled. He cursed the new security guard then allegedly shot him point blankin the head three times, the owner said.
The shooter stood with the gun in his hand waited for policeto arrive, the owner said. The owner and other witnesses immediately dialed911, but the owner believes that the shooter phoned police as well because hecould see him talking on a cell phone.
The owner locked his door, but could see patrons of nearbybusinesses coming out to see what happened. He believes that there were atleast a dozen witnesses.
Sheriff's deputies arrived within minutes and spent at leastfour hours at the scene with the suspect, he said.
The owner said he knew the victim well because he had workedsecurity for him about six months ago.
He said the victim was divorced with two children.
The owner described the suspect as seldom speaking withanyone and living alone.
Four hours after the shooting, two men poured bleach andsprayed the parking lot with a hose near the sidewalk of the La VeracruzanaCarniceria and Taqueria. Most of the police officers had already left. One Harris Countysheriff's investigator remained inside, but declined to comment.
Those inside exited the store briefly, placed two memorialcandles on the corner where the bleach had just been poured and returned inside.

Port of Portland security officers reach agreement in labor dispute www.privateofficer.com

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PORTLAND, Ore. Nov 26 2012 (AP) — The Port of Portlandand union leaders who represent its marine terminal security guards reached atentative agreement in labor negotiations Saturday, averting a strike thatcould have effectively shut down three terminals.The last-ditch talks led to a resolution by evening afterassurances from the Port of Portland that thesecurity guards would continue in their current duties. Both sides had agreedon most aspects of a contract, but workers wanted an assurance their jobswouldn't disappear if terminal operators or carriers wanted to hire their own,lower-cost security personnel."This agreement protects good-paying, blue-collar jobsthat Portlandworking families need so badly," Jerry Hardman, ILWU Local 28 president,said in a statement issued by the union.Port officials had said companies would be more likely to dobusiness in Portlandif they were not handcuffed to job guarantees. Portland's Terminal 6 is by far the smallestof the West Coast's six container-shipping ports, and it's already at adisadvantage with other Pacific ports because it's about 100 miles from theocean.The tentative agreement must go before the union for a voteand the Port Commission for formal review and approval of the contract.The negotiation came 12 hours before a planned 6 a.m. strikeSunday that could have effectively shut down three terminals, the union said.It was assumed the longshoremen who load and unload ships would have refused tocross the picket lines."We are very pleased that an agreement wasreached," Port Executive Director Bill Wyatt said in a statement."The Port feels its contract proposal was not only fair butgenerous."A day before the agreement, Gov. John Kitzhaber tried tohead off a walkout by the guards, telling both sides that he expected a dealSaturday, The Oregonian reported. Contract talks began in June 2011.The looming strike had led some businesses to use ports on Puget Sound, and shipping lines were evaluating whetherto bypass the city. When ships are diverted and cargo rerouted, that addscosts, and potentially harmful delays for imports or exports of perishable orseasonal items.The drawn-out negotiation over security guard contracts wasjust one of three separate labor conflicts at the Port of Portland.The first began this summer when the ILWU and theInternational Brotherhood of Electrical Workers clashed over which union shouldhave the job of plugging in and unplugging refrigerated shipping containers.The National Labor Relations Board and a federal judge concluded thatlongshoremen engaged in slowdown tactics during the dispute, causing truck trafficto be backed up for more than a mile.Though the NLRB eventually concluded the work belongs to theelectrical workers, the longshore union continues to fight for the jobs.Separately, in a standoff that involves several ports, theunion contract between longshoremen and companies that operate grain terminalson the Columbia River and Puget Sound expiredSept. 30. The companies have made what they say is their last offer, and areawaiting a response.A strike or lockout would disrupt trans-Pacific grain shipments,affecting U.S. farmersexporting wheat, corn and soybeans to Asia.

NYPD officer arrested in shoplifting incident www.privateofficer.com

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NEW YORK NY Nov 262012 — A New York City police officer was arrested on shoplifting chargeson Black Friday.
Officer Jenny Mendez, 28, was arrested in the Midtown SouthPrecinct Friday and charged with petit larceny and criminal possession ofstolen property, police said.
Mendez, of the Midtown North Precinct, allegedly stoleclothes from a Midtown Manhattan store, according to the New York Post. Furtherdetails were not released.
Mendez has been suspended without pay, the Post reported.
Source: CBS NY

Houston police officer charged with aggravated assaults www.privateofficer.com

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HOUSTON TX Nov 26 2012-- A HoustonPolice Department officer was arrested early Saturday after allegedlythreatening to kill his estranged wife and her boyfriend.According to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable'sOffice, Cedric Douglas Lincoln was off duty went to his former home in the19000 block of Pueblo Run in Cypressaround 2:30am. Officials said Lincolnno longer lived there, and he and his wife are separated.
Lincolnreportedly got into the garage and saw the pickup of his wife's boyfriendparked inside.
Deputies said Lincolnwent to the bedroom and allegedly held a gun to the boyfriend's head,threatening to kill him and telling him to get out of the house. He then turnedthe gun on his wife, threatening to kill her, officials said.
The boyfriend called 911 and told deputies that the suspectwas a police officer with a gun. When authorities arrived, they arrested Lincoln without incident.
The Lincolns'two children -- both under five years of age -- were in the house at the time,officials said. They were unharmed.
According to investigators, Lincoln had been drinking. He was in civilianclothes and was driving his own vehicle. It's unclear whether he used his dutyweapon in the alleged assault.
Lincoln,33, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravatedassault on a family member. He remained in jail Saturday night.
Source: KTRK

Homeland Security Has Spent $430 Million on Radios Its Employees Don’t Know How to Use www.privateofficer.com

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Washington DC Nov 26 2012 
Getting the agencies responsible for national security tocommunicate better was one of the main reasons the Department of HomelandSecurity was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
But according to a recent report from the department’sinspector general, one aspect of this mission remains far from accomplished.
DHS has spent $430 million over the past nine years toprovide radios tuned to a common, secure channel to 123,000 employees acrossthe country. Problem is, no one seems to know how to use them.
Only one of 479 DHS employees surveyed by the inspectorgeneral’s office was actually able to use the common channel, according to thereport. Most of those surveyed — 72 percent — didn’t even know the commonchannel existed. Another 25 percent knew the channel existed but weren’t ableto find it; 3 percent were able to find an older common channel, but not thecurrent one.
The investigators also found that more than half of theradios did not have the settings for the common channel programmed into them.Only 20 percent of radios tested had all the correct settings.
The radios are supposed to help employees of Customs andBorder Patrol, the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard,Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Emergency Management Agency,the Secret Service, and other agencies with DHS communicate during crises, aswell as normal operations.
DHS officials did not immediately respond to questions fromProPublica about what effect the radio problems could have on how the agencyhandles an emergency.
The $430 million paid for radio infrastructure andmaintenance as well as the actual radios.
In a response letter to the report, Jim H. Crumpacker, theDepartment of Homeland Security’s liaison between the Government AccountabilityOffice and the inspector general, wrote that DHS had made “significant strides”in improving emergency communications since 2003. But he acknowledged that DHS“has had some challenges in achieving Department-wide interoperablecommunications goals.”
The recent inspector general’s report is the latest in astring of critical assessments DHS has received on its efforts to improvecommunication between federal, state and local agencies. The GovernmentAccountability Office reported in 2007 that the Department of Homeland Securityhad “generally not achieved” this  goal.
DHS has assigned a blizzard of offices and committees tooversee its radio effort since 2003, which the inspector general’s reportclaimed had “hindered DHS’ ability to provide effective oversight.”
Also, none of the entities “had the authority to implementand enforce their recommendations,” the report concluded. Tanya Callender, aspokeswoman for the inspector general, said the current office overseeing theeffort hadn’t been given the authority to force agencies to use the commonchannel or even to provide instructions for programming the radios.
The inspector general recommended DHS standardize itspolicies regarding radios, which DHS agreed to do. But it rejected a secondrecommendation that it overhaul the office overseeing the radios to give itmore authority.
“DHS believes that it has already established a structurewith the necessary authority to ensure” that its various agencies cancommunicate, Crumpacker wrote in his response letter.
Source:BeaumontObserver.net

Madonna/Lourdes Collection At Macy's Expands

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by David Lipke
From WWD Issue 07/18/2011

Macy's shoppers will be living in a bigger Material Girl world come fall.

Madonna, Iconix Brand Group Inc. and Macy’s, all partners in the juniors brand, are launching a range of new product categories, including beauty, intimates and sleepwear, and expanded programs in denim, outerwear and social dresses.

The first beauty offerings, which include nail polish, lip gloss, body sprays and lotions will be in Macy’s stores Aug. 15, with eye palettes arriving on Sept. 15. The intimates and sleepwear are hitting stores this week, the denim will be available on Aug. 15, social dresses Sept. 15 and outerwear on Oct. 15.

“It was so much fun getting to pick all of my favorite scents for the Material Girl body products and lip glosses,” said Lourdes “Lola” Leon, Madonna’s 14-year-old daughter who serves as a public face of the brand and helps oversee creative direction and design. “The body products have fun names like Wicked Watermelon, Flirty Fruit, Midnight Magnolia and Sinful Sugar. I chose scents that I loved.”

The move into new categories for Material Girl comes as Macy’s expands the brand’s footprint. Material Girl will be in 300 Macy’s doors this fall, up from 200 at its initial launch last August and 250 this past spring. As of July 2, there were 805 Macy’s stores in the U.S.

Macy’s declined to provide total sales figures for Material Girl, but Martine Reardon, executive vice-president of marketing and advertising, said the line was performing well. “If you walk onto the sales floor, you’ll see how prominent a positioning it has on our juniors floor. It is one of our top-five brands in juniors,” she noted. “We are focusing on this youth consumer with fast-fashion that is trend-right and extremely affordable.”

The Material Girl beauty products will retail from $7 to $12. Body washes, body lotions and body mists will come in six scents, the nail polish in 10 colors, and the lip gloss in 12 variations. Eye palettes will come in two variations, including “Soft & Pretty” and “Smoky and Sexy,” and include four eye shadows, a pencil, a dual-end applicator and mirror.

Some beauty items will also be placed near registers to encourage impulse buys. “We have brand-new fixtures to highlight the beauty products, as well as new accessories, within the Material Girl world,” said Reardon.

Intimates retail for $5 to $29 and include solid and polka dot pushup bras, bustiers, boyfriend briefs, rose-print lace panties and cupped cami bras. Sleepwear retails for $14 to $22 and includes tanks, tunics, sweatshirts, boxers and lounge pants.

“The woven waistbands on the underwear have the Material Girl logo on them, so there’s a status feel to them. Girls want to wear this brand and show it off now,” said Lanie List, chief merchandising officer at Iconix Brand Group. Taking a page from Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” and “Express Yourself” days, List expects Material Girl customers to wear some of the innerwear as fashion pieces.

While the brand sits on the juniors floor and has a soon-to-be high school sophomore at its creative helm, the core customer is 18 to 25 years old.

“Lola is 14 but she lives in New York City and has a very famous mom, so she has a very sophisticated eye,” explained List. “Lola is here once a month and sometimes more. She brings stuff from her own closet for inspiration. For the bath and body products she probably had 100 scents in front of her. She has a very mature approach to product development.”

Madonna is a less frequent visitor to Iconix headquarters in New York than her daughter, but she wields final say in much of the product, said List. “Madonna definitely has creative input also. It’s a collaboration between the two. If Lola goes to a place with an idea that Madonna doesn’t think is appropriate for the brand, she’ll veto it. She’s a branding expert,” said List.

While Material Girl already has some denim, outerwear and party dresses in its current merchandise assortments, for fall the brand will blow out those categories with full product assortments, as they have been key sales drivers in the collections. Outerwear will retail for $59.50 to $89.50 and includes cape coats and bomber jackets. Party dresses adorned with sequins, feathers, lace and beading will retail for $59 to $79. Denim, which will encompass 20 trend-driven styles, including faded flares, studded jeans, overdyed styles in vivid colors, acid-wash skinny jeans and suspender styles, will retail from $29.50 to $32.50.

Macy’s and Iconix are supporting the expansion of Material Girl this fall with an advertising campaign that features Kelly Osbourne for the second consecutive season. The fall media buy includes People StyleWatch, Nylon, Seventeen, Teen Vogue and Cosmopolitan, in addition to outdoor — including a Times Square billboard and the Macy’s Jumbotron in Herald Square — and online celebrity and fashion blogs.

Mike Boylson Leaves Penney's

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by David Moin
From WWD Issue 07/18/2011

J.C. Penney Co. Inc.’s marketing team has experienced a string of departures, among them its top official, Mike Boylson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

Boylson’s exit has raised speculation that incoming chief executive officer Ron Johnson has already begun cleaning house at Penney’s. Johnson is expected to bring a lot of change to the business, just as he did at Apple, where as senior vice president of retail he orchestrated the brand’s fast-paced, innovative and highly productive retail strategy from its inception in 2001 to more than 300 stores currently in the U.S. and abroad.

Boylson left Penney’s at the beginning of July, though Penney’s did not announce his departure despite his stature and long history there. Boylson joined the retailer as a management trainee in 1978, rose up the ranks to store manager, district manager, vice president and director of marketing planning and promotions, and finally executive vice president in April 2003. He oversaw a huge, high-profile marketing program with an annual advertising budget estimated at around $1 billion.

Two other marketing executive also recently left Penney’s: Nick Bomersbach, vice president of marketing for jcpenney.com and a 10-year veteran of Penney’s, and Christine Laczai, director of digital marketing who has been with Penney’s for two years and previously worked with VF Corp.

In confirming Boylson’s departure Friday, Penney’s said it has begun a search for Boylson’s successor. “Mike Boylson informed J.C. Penney in early June of his intention to retire on July 1,” a Penney’s spokeswoman said. It’s expected that Penney’s will hold off on filling the other vacancies until a new executive vice president of marketing is determined. Bill Gentner, Penney’s senior vice president of marketing planning and promotions, is acting as interim chief marketing officer.

Johnson joins Penney’s board on Aug. 1. and becomes ceo in November but has already been getting his feet wet. He accompanied Penney’s current ceo and chairman, Myron E. “Mike” Ullman 3rd, to Hong Kong for the chain’s annual supplier summit, where key suppliers learn about the state of Penney’s business and long-range plans.

In addition to making organizational changes, Johnson is expected to drive Penney’s Web presence, introduce new products and get the Penney’s team to think differently. Penney’s close to $18 billion in sales last year is still under prerecession volumes, but the company has the potential for growth and for elevating its image to attract younger customers. Johnson was lured to Penney’s by the prospect of reinventing another slice of retail, just as he did with the technology sector, and by the opportunity to be the top gun at a multi-billion dollar corporation.