Thousands of Twin Cities security guards prepare to strike www.privateofficer.com

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MINNEAPOLIS MN Feb 25 2013 — Thousands of Twin Cities security  guards are preparing for a possible strike Sunday. Talks with the security officer’s SEIU Local 26 and contractors broke down on Friday afternoon.
At 1 p.m. Sunday, members of SEIU local 26 security officers will join forces with other labor unions, community members and church groups. They’ll be making plans to walk off the job as early as Monday if a contract deal isn’t reached by the end of the day.

The sticking points include salary and hours. Union officials aren’t happy with the contract proposals that include lower pay and a shift to more part time work. Union members want wage increases and more hours.

Security officers are employed  by third party contractors for some of the biggest corporations in the Twin Cities, including Target and Best Buy. This union is made up of some 2,000 members. Their contract expired on Dec. 31. Since then, they’ve been working without a contract and hoping for a resolution.
We reached out to the law firm representing the third party contractors and have not heard back.
Yesterday the janitors union came up with a tentative agreement as 4,000 janitors were set to go on strike this week. After 31 hours of negotiations, the deal includes more hours, higher pay and better health care benefits.
If a contract agreement can’t be reached and the security guards go on strike, union leaders say replacement guards could be brought in to fill the vacancies. Five years ago, the security officers went on a one-day strike and companies did rely on replacement workers.
However, that one day strike also led to a contract. They hope the same happens this time around.

Source:WCCO

Inmate dies during struggle at Spokane County jail www.privateofficer.com

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SPOKANE WA Feb 25 2013  -- A man died while being booked into the Spokane County jail early Sunday morning.
Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies said they had an uncooperative man in the booking area of the jail around 5:00 a.m. Deputies used a TASER and “force” to gain control of the inmate.
The inmate was placed in a restraint chair, but shortly after he lost consciousness. Deputies and emergency medical staff gave the inmate medical aid and CPR until ambulance staff arrived.
The inmate did not regain consciousness and was pronounced dead.
The Spokane Investigative Regional Response team is investigating the inmate’s death.
The SIRR Team is comprised of members of the Washington State Patrol, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and the Spokane Police Department.

Source:KREM

False report of gunman at Massachusetts Institute of Technology www.privateofficer.com

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Cambridge MA Feb 25 2013

A report of a gunman on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Saturday was "unfounded" and the public was not in any danger, according to police.

Cambridge police said they received an electronic message at 7:30 a.m. Saturday warning of a man with a gun. They didn't clarify what kind of electronic message it was.At about 10:15 a.m., Cambridge police said the call was "unfounded" and there was "no threat to public safety."

“For certainty we did not have a person in the building with a gun. We have enough witnesses at this point to verify that so the incident that was reported did not take place,” Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert Haas said.Officials are not yet calling it a hoax, only "an incident that didn't take place."It was a report, of a man with a gun seen at 77 Mass Ave., the main building at MIT, went viral in minutes. Police closed Massachusetts Avenue and an alert was issued to students essentially locking down the campus.The man with the gun was not found after a room-to-room search of the building, and police lifted the alert to the relief of some students.“It's really concerning. You have to take these things a little more seriously considering what's been happening over the past few weeks so no one really knew what to expect,” student Christian Reed said.Campus Police Chief John DiFava praised Cambridge for its "outstanding response" to the incident.Apart from identifying the culprit another unanswered question is why it took more than an hour for the campus to issue the alert to students. I have to look into it and find out the reason for the lag,” DiFava said.
DiFava said the right people were notified at MIT as soon as Cambridge police notified them.Haas said they have leads about where the message may have originated, adding something like this can "cause serious consequences."Haas said criminal charges will likely be filed against whoever is responsible. Police said the investigation was ongoing


source-www.wcvb.com

Man arrested with loaded gun at Cleveland airport www.privateofficer.com

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CLEVELAND OH Feb  25 2013 - A 56-year-old Chesterland man faces charges after being caught trying to pass through security at Hopkins airport with a loaded handgun.
Raymond Koren was arrested early Saturday morning.
According to Cleveland Police, Koren was going through checkpoint A when TSA observed a loaded Smith & Wesson handgun in Koren's luggage. Officers were notified and the weapon was removed from Koren's luggage.
Police have not released where Koren was headed.


source-www.newsnet5.com

New Orleans police officer shot during robbery www.privateofficer.com

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New Orleans LA Feb 25 2013 The shooting of NOPD officer John Passaro as he responded to an armed robbery report Saturday reminded the men and women of area law enforcement agencies of the dangers they face every day. Over the past year, at least seven local cops have been shot -- two fatally -- and one was run over by a car.
"It's all of our worst fears," said Capt. George Bonnett, a spokesman for the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office. "The thoughts and prayers of our entire agency go out to officer John Passaro, his family and all the men and women of the New Orleans Police Department."
In just seconds, everything can change for police. Just moments before he was shot Saturday, Passaro sounded "happy-go-lucky, jovial," on the police radio, according to Bryan Lagarde, a former NOPD officer and director of ProjectNOLA, who listened to the radio traffic. "It was a seemingly routine call, but all hell broke loose."
Two NOPD officers were critically wounded when they were shot early March 1, 2012, during a traffic stop near Delgado Community College. Police said Justin Sipp fired 14 times at officers Tony Mayfield and Michael Asevedo; both were struck in the torso. Sipp was killed by return gunfire.
On Aug. 16, 2012, a group of people associated with the "Sovereign Citizens," a group on a federal domestic terrorism watch list, shot four St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office deputies. Deputies Brandon Nielsen and Jeremy Triche were killed; Michael Boyington and Jason Triche were wounded.
In a separate incident, NOPD officer Karla Baker was hospitalized after a suspect ran her over during a traffic stop in eastern New Orleans on Dec. 9, 2012. The incident was the second time Baker had been run over on the job.
In the early hours of Jan. 27, NOPD Sgt. Sidney Jackson was shot in the thigh by a mentally ill suspect while responding to a disturbance at an eastern New Orleans convenience store. Police said 41-year-old Damon Jones managed to grab Jackson's holstered gun even though he was handcuffed at the time.
After incidents such as these, the law enforcement community often rallies around one another, appreciative of the ultimate sacrifice they each could encounter at the next call for service.
On his Facebook page, Passaro wrote many posts showcasing such appreciation.
Following Hurricane Isaac, Passaro, who lives in Slidell, wrote: "I would like to thank the Slidell PD, Slidell fire dept. and EMS, while I was away protecting and serving other peoples families and friends, you were protecting mine ... thanks guys."
On Sept. 11, he posted a photograph of New York firefighters hoisting an American flag at Ground Zero and wrote: "Honor them ... Never forget!!!"
On May 28, Passaro wrote next to a photograph of an Army memorial: "For your service and sacrifice ... I thank you."

Following the St. John shootings, Passaro posted a poem on Aug. 22 that read, in part: "'In the line of duty,' I hear them say/ My family now the price to pay."
"Thank you for your service," Passaro wrote. "Rest in peace, we got it from here."

Source:NOLA

SC Teens caught having sex in school hallway www.privateofficer.com

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ROCK HILL, SC Feb 24 2013  
Police in Rock Hill were called out to a York County school after officers say two teenagers were caught having sex in the school hallway.
According to a Rock Hill police report, officers were called to York Preparatory Academy last Wednesday around 12:30 p.m.
When officers arrived at the school, they spoke to Dr. Carlos Grant, the school's Academic Director. 
Grant told officers that a 15-year-old girl was caught performing oral sex on a 15-year-old boy in the school's hallway before the start of school.  The incident reportedly happened around 8 a.m. Wednesday morning.
School officials say the teen girl was not forced or coerced into performing oral sex by the teen boy. 
Both students were disciplined according to the school's policy, the police report states.
Officers took statements from the teens involved, as well as other students who were in the area at the time.
Source-wbtv

Arrest made in Flint Michigan security officer's murder www.privateofficer.com

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FLINT, MI Feb 24 2013 -- Sandie Mick received a call on Friday she was not expecting.
It was from a Flint police detective telling her that two-and-a-half years after her husband John "Andy" Mick's shooting death, two men were being charged in connection with the crime.
Andy Mick was just getting done with his shift around 4 a.m. Aug. 14, 2010, at Riverview Village apartments where he was a security guard when two men approached him and tried to steal his gun. A struggle ensued and Mick was shot to death, police and prosecutors say.

"It's been a long, hard, winding road," Sandie Mick said. "It took me by surprise. It was quite a blow. It was a good relief knowing something happened in this case."

Floyd Gene Perkins, 19, and Kenya Ali Hyatt, 21, are charged with felony murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery, according to the Genesee County Prosecutor's Office.

The big break in the case came after the two were arrested in connection with another crime in Mt. Morris Township, said Flint police Sgt. David Bigelow. Police were able to obtain information that the two may have been involved the fatal shooting and sought charges, he said.
Sandie Mick, who was married to her husband for 32 years, said the arrests give some closure to her family.
"They took it upon themselves to play God," she said. "It was a senseless, stupid thing that they did."
Mick was retired from General Motors before he became a security guard. Those who worked with him said he was friendly and well-liked.
His wife called him a "people person."
"No matter where he was at, he just enjoyed helping people," she said.
Bigelow said police believe the two intended to rob Mick and the incident "got out of hand."
"It was sad," Bigelow said. "He was a nice guy just doing his job."
Perkins and Hyatt were arraigned on charges on Friday. Their next court date is on Feb. 26.

President of prominent Waco construction company commits suicide www.privateofficer.com

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WACO TX FEB 24 2013 The president of a prominent Waco construction management company who was named Wednesday in a sealed felony theft indictment died Thursday from what authorities say is an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The wife of Michael Wayne Jackson, 67, found her husband’s body lying on a couch in his office at CMCT Ltd., 913 Franklin Ave., about 12:30 p.m., according to Justice of the Peace W.H. “Pete” Peterson.
Peterson sent Jackson’s body to Dallas for autopsy.
The official cause and manner of death is undetermined and under investigation, Peterson said, but he confirmed that Waco police think the head wound was self-inflicted.
Jackson was charged Wednesday in a sealed grand jury indictment with two counts of theft of more than $100,000 and two counts of securing execution of a document by deception more than $200,000, sources said Thursday.
The charges stem from allegations that Jackson, who oversaw a multimillion-dollar construction project at Providence Health Network, illegally skimmed $1.9 million from the hospital by filing fraudulent payment applications, according to court documents and sources.
Jackson’s attorney, Rod Goble, declined comment Thursday about the indictment against Jackson or the circumstances of his death.
After learning of Jackson’s death Thursday, the district attorney’s office filed a motion to dismiss the four-count indictment against him, which was issued under seal because he had not been arrested.
Goble declined to say if he and Jackson had made arrangements for Jackson to surrender to authorities on the first-degree felonies that could have been punishable by up to life in prison.
Texas Rangers conducted searches last month at CMCT offices and at Jackson’s China Spring residence.
Officers seized documents and bank statements related to Jackson’s work on the Providence construction projects, laptop computers, file cabinets, an iPad, a cellphone and other records, according to court documents.
According to an affidavit filed by Texas Ranger Jake Burson to support the searches, Jackson and CMCT were hired to oversee construction projects at Providence from March 2006 to July 2011.
An audit by an FBI forensic specialist revealed “serious discrepancies that Jackson, doing business as CMCT Ltd., submitted to (Providence Health Network) and payment applications that subcontractors submitted to CMCT Ltd. for the same work,” Burson wrote.
The audit identified at least 20 payment applications from CMCT that reportedly had been altered or forged to “show that the various subcontractors were owed more money than its subcontractors had actually requested for work done at Providence,” the affidavit states.
The investigation also determined that bank records show CMCT received payments from Providence for the amounts shown on the altered payment applications and that CMCT paid subcontractors the lesser amount due on the subcontractors’ original payment applications to CMCT, Burson alleged.
Andy McSwain, an attorney for Providence, declined to discuss the criminal investigation or Jackson’s death.
“The Providence family is saddened about the circumstances, and their thoughts and prayers go out to the family,” McSwain said.
According to CMCT’s website, the company has been involved in major projects at the Methodist Children’s Home chapel and administration building, Extraco Bank, Robinson High School, Parkview Baptist Church and the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor.
Jackson had a master’s degree in business administration and business management and had owned several commercial construction companies during the past 30 years, according to the company website.
He was a past president of the Central Texas Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of Texas, a past state director of the Texas Building Branch of the Associated General Contractors and a former member of the city of Waco Board of Adjustments and Appeals.

Source: wacotrib.com

Former Franklin County School District employee sentenced to prison for embezzlement www.privateofficer.com

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MEADVILLE, Miss. Feb 24 2013 (AP) - A 52-year-old Roxie woman has been sentenced to three years in prison for embezzling money while she was employed by the Franklin County School District and the Town of Roxie.
The Natchez Democrat reports (http://bit.ly/UPIpdG) Circuit Court Judge Forrest "Al" Johnson sentenced Ramona Mullins Tuesday to serve nine years, with six years suspended, followed by three years of post-release supervision for two counts of embezzlement by a public employee.
Johnson also ordered Mullins to pay over $77,000 in restitution to the Franklin County School District, near $17,000 to the Town of Roxie and over $16,000 to the Mississippi State Auditor's office.
Mullins entered an open plea of guilty, meaning she refused to accept the recommendation of the state and instead threw herself at the mercy of the court.

Can smugglers cashing in on Michigan refund www.privateofficer.com

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By Alanna Durkin
Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. Feb 24 2013— Michigan lawmakers want to crack down on can and bottle smugglers they say are scamming Michigan for undeserved recycling refunds, corrupting a generous 10-cent per container payback policy once infamously portrayed in a “Seinfeld” episode and which beverage officials now claim costs the state millions of dollars annually.
“Seinfeld” characters Kramer and Newman failed miserably in their comedic attempt to cash in on the refund, when they loaded a mail truck full of cans and bottles in New York and attempted to drive them to Michigan. But lawmakers say it’s a serious problem, especially in border counties, and they want to toughen penalties on people who try to return unmarked, out-of-state cans and bottles for refunds.
“If you are intending to defraud … then you should be held accountable for it,” said Republican Rep. Kenneth Kurtz of Coldwater. He recently introduced legislation aimed at cracking down on scammers who drive car and truck loads of cans from Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio — states that do not offer refunds — to stores across the border in Michigan.
His legislation would make an attempt to return between 100 and 10,000 non-returnable containers punishable by up to 93 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Current law sets penalties only for those who actually return fraudulent containers.
Michigan’s 10 cent-per-container refund — the highest in the country — was enacted more than 30 years ago to encourage recycling. Many say it’s worked. The state’s recycling rate for cans and bottles was nearly 96 percent in 2011. By contrast, New York, one of nine states with nickel deposits on most containers, saw only a 66.8 percent redemption rate in 2007, the most recent figure available.
Despite measures Michigan lawmakers have taken over the years, including tougher penalties for bottle scammers and new machines that kick out fraudulent cans, store owners and distributors along the border say illegal returns persist.
Mike Hautala owns Hautala Distributing, which services Gogebic and Ontonagon counties in the western part of the Upper Peninsula near the Wisconsin border. He said for every case of beer his distributorship delivers to a store along the border, it picks up about seven more cases of empty cans.
The state loses $10 million to $13 million a year to fraudulent redemptions, according to most recent 2007 estimates from the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association. Angela Madden, the association’s director of governmental affairs, said that number has likely gone down slightly because of changes implemented since, but not by much.
Bill Nichols, store director at Harding’s Friendly Market in Niles about three miles from the Indiana border, said the store takes in about $6,000 worth of cans a week. He said every week he kicks out people for trying to return large garbage bags full of cans from Indiana, a state that offers no refund.
“You can go into the parking lot and look at the license plates and see that it says Indiana,” he said.
Distributors pick up the containers people drop off at stores and pay the store a dime for every container. If the distributor picks up more bottles and cans than it left — the likely result of fraudulent redemption — the distributor is left in the hole, Madden said. If the distributor picks up fewer cans than it dropped off, the money that does not go back to the store is sent to the state. Twenty five percent of that money is sent back to retailers and 75 percent is put in a fund that pays for things like environmental cleanup, she said.
Hautala said he lost about $25,000 last year picking up more returned containers than he delivered. He said his company will recover some of that money from distributors who sell more containers than they pick up.
In 2008, Michigan passed laws aimed at cracking down on bottle fraud. One of the primary components required manufacturers to place a special mark on Michigan cans and bottles and said those containers could only be sold in Michigan or other states that have deposit laws.
A report the Department of Treasury delivered to Michigan lawmakers last fall estimated that the technology may have helped reduce redemptions of out-of-state containers by nearly 4 percent. But that reduction could also come from decline in sales, the report said.
As containers were given Michigan-specific marks, vending machines used in stores to count the cans and bottles were formatted with new technology to read the mark and reject cans that come in from across the border.
But Madden told the committee that many retailers have not yet taken advantage of the technology. She said while the state has provided funding for business to pay for the $5,000 machine upgrade, many “just refuse.” If a store has an older model machine, they might have to shell out big bucks for a brand new machine that is compatible with the new technology, she said.
Hautala said only four machines are in the two counties his company serves.
And the machines are not “100 percent fool-proof,” Nichols said. If a person repeatedly puts an out-of-state can into the machine, it will often accept it, he said.
Michigan is not alone in its fight against bottle fraud. Mark Oldfield, spokesman for California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, said the state, which gives a 5-cent refund for most containers and 10 cents for those more than 24 ounces, is losing about $30 million to $50 million a year from redeeming out-of-state cans. The state’s redemption rate for the first six months of 2012 was 87 percent.
Oldfield said a new law in California this year requires people who bring in more than 25 pounds of aluminum or plastic, or more than 100 pounds of glass, to report the source and the destination of the material to the state. Border patrol stations along the major highways near the border also gather license plate numbers and information of vehicles seen bringing in cans and bottles.
Despite their best efforts to clamp down on fraudulent bottles, a federal lawsuit may shake things up even more. In 2012, a federal appeals court in Cincinnati struck down the Michigan law that makes beverage companies put a special mark on cans sold in the state. It said the Michigan law is illegally affecting interstate commerce by dictating where cans can be distributed.
Joy Yearout, spokeswoman for Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, said the office has requested a stay on the ruling and plans to file a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court in April.

Accused former Vt. college president commits suicide www.privateofficer.com

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MONTPELIER, Vt. Feb 2 2013 — The former acting president of a small Vermont liberal arts college killed himself amid an investigation into the embezzlement of $440,000 in school funds, state police said Thursday.
Former acting Southern Vermont College President James Beckwith died Wednesday in his Londonderry home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.
Beckwith was accused of taking the money between October 2012 and January while serving as acting president of the small liberal arts school in Bennington. Authorities said he deposited the money into his personal account, using $260,000 to pay down two mortgages.
The U.S. Attorney's office said earlier Thursday it filed a complaint alleging the home and account are forfeitable as proceeds of mail fraud and as property involved in money laundering.
Prosecutors said Beckwith, 58, had college officials issue three checks to Merrill Lynch, saying they were to settle legal claims arising from a failed dormitory project. But the checks for $100,000, $160,000 and $180,000 were deposited into a personal account Beckwith had with Merrill Lynch, prosecutors said.
A recent audit of the college's finances for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2012, found several suspicious financial transactions involving purported vendor payments by Beckwith, the U.S. attorney's office said.
When questioned about the matter, Beckwith resigned on Feb. 3. The $180,000 from the third check remains in the Merrill Lynch account.
The college sent an email to faculty and students saying it was saddened by Beckwith's unexpected death, said school president Karen Gross.
"This is a difficult and sad time for all of us who knew Jim. His many contributions to our community will be remembered," Gross wrote.
The college met with faculty on Thursday and planned to meet with students Thursday night to discuss the unexpected death and the civil complaint filed by the U.S. government.
Beckwith had been chief financial officer and chief operating officer of the college since 2007. He served as acting president while Gross was on one-year leave.
The college has about 550 students.


source-www.timesunion.com

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police want to increase staff size at airport www.privateofficer.com

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Charlotte NC Feb 23 2013 The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, which took over aviation security in December, wants to boost security staff by nearly one-third to 62 officers – a move the airport director opposes because of the added cost.
Since taking over at the airport, the police department said it is being more aggressive in investigating crime, and the number of reported crimes has doubled. CMPD said it is focusing thefts at Transportation Security Administration Security lines and by airline contract workers who steal items passengers leave on airplanes.
Under the plan, Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s police costs would rise to $5.5 million, which includes equipment and other costs, according to the airport’s budget. That’s up from the $2.6 million spent in fiscal 2012, when the airport had 41 officers.
Aviation director Jerry Orr said he opposes the increases because the added cost is passed on to the airlines. Some Charlotte officials argue that the city decision to switch to CMPD was correct, and that airport security is now more effective.
The tension highlights the ongoing struggle to control Charlotte’s airport. The General Assembly is considering a bill that would transfer control of Charlotte Douglas away from city government to an appointed authority.
The city is trying to show legislators and the community that it has helped the aviation department run Charlotte Douglas, which is now the nation’s sixth-busiest airport based on takeoffs and landings.
Increase in reported crimes
Under the bill filed by state Sen. Bob Rucho, a Matthews Republican, the new authority would be able to hire its own police force, giving it the power to take law enforcement supervision back from the city. Other airport authorities in North Carolina operate their own police forces.
The biggest increase in reported crimes has been in larcenies, according to the police memo. CMPD said the jump is due to the department taking a “proactive enforcement strategy” that’s more likely to catch criminals.
But Orr told the Observer on Friday he doesn’t think the airport needs to hire any more police.
“I don’t support that,” he said. One reason, he said, is that the airlines ultimately pay for the cost of a larger police force through higher user fees, which they ultimately pass on to passengers.
“All of that cost is being reimbursed,” he said. “The more people you have, the higher the cost.”
The decision by former City Manager Curt Walton to put CMPD in charge of airport security in November upset Orr, who alreadywas concerned that Walton was exerting too much influence over the airport. Orr has historically run the airport with little outside control.
Orr has said in past interviews that the airport could benefit from being run by an authority.
Asked Friday whether the police force was doing a good job before it was integrated into CMPD, Orr said: “Of course they were. Absolutely.”
Orr said he doesn’t know why the crime numbers increased.
“I haven’t really looked at it. It could have been any number of things,” he said.
CMPD has been in control at the airport for only two months, which isn’t a large amount of time to analyze long-term trends. It’s possible that the increase in larcenies is the result of more crime, not aggressive policing.
But City Council member David Howard said the city’s decision to switch security to CMPD is an example of why the airport should stay under its control.
“We don’t just want to be the most efficient, lowest-cost airport,” Howard said. “We want to be the safest.”
The officers who work at Charlotte Douglas haven’t changed since the takeover. But instead of reporting to the airport, the officers are now part of CMPD’s chain of command. The officers’ dispatching and communications have been transferred from the airport to CMPD’s communications center.
In the last two months, the airport has had 50 reported incidents of larceny. When Charlotte Douglas was in charge of airport police, there were 18 incidents of larceny reported a year ago and 13 incidents two years ago during the same time period.
Deputy Chief Kerr Putney’s four-page memo – which was partially redacted for security reasons – outlined some of the changes CMPD made since December:
• CMPD has partnered with an airline to reduce thefts once flights arrive at the gate. The report said that contract workers were stealing items left behind on planes.
The airline, whose name was blacked out in the memo, has donated two iPads and one iPhone for crime stings, according to the memo.
US Airways, which operates 90 percent of the flights at Charlotte Douglas, said in a statement that the airline’s security team has worked closely with airport police. That includes coordinating with police to recover items passengers leave behind. “There have been a few instances where an item was stolen, but these occasional occurrences do not constitute a pervasive theft problem,” spokeswoman Michelle Mohr wrote.
• CMPD said it is working to combat thefts since an employee was arrested for theft at a security screening lane.
The police blacked out which agency they are working with. However, a TSA screener was fired after being charged with stealing $36 from a passenger’s suitcase on New Year’s Day.
• The department also hopes to get access to the airport’s camera security systems, run by the airport and different federal agencies. “This video integration could greatly enhance security,” according to the memo.
CMPD declined to comment on the memo or its new strategy at the airport.
An airport employee, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly, told the Observer he had seen more officers patrolling parking lots and the terminal since the switch to CMPD.
Tisdale prompted review
Security became an issue at Charlotte Douglas after the November 2010 death of a North Mecklenburg High student, Delvonte Tisdale. Law enforcement believes Tisdale breached airport security and climbed inside the wheel well of a US Airways jet bound for Boston.
Tisdale’s body was found near Boston Logan airport, in the approach path for planes.
After Tisdale’s death, Walton asked CMPD to investigate airport security. The report said that Charlotte Douglas needed more security and improved perimeter fencing.
Earlier this month, Mayor Anthony Foxx and the Charlotte City Council wrote a letter to Mecklenburg’s legislative delegation, asking them to study the implications of switching Charlotte Douglas to an authority.
In the letter, they said one way the city had effectively managed the airport was improving security. It said a two-year review “revealed deficiencies severe enough to warrant turning over policing at the airport to Chief Monroe and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.”
Raleigh-Durham International Airport, which is run by an authority, has its own police force that reports to airport officials, said airport spokeswoman Mindy Hamlin. Piedmont Triad International Airport, also run by an authority, has its own police force as well.
Bill on fast track
Two Matthews Republicans, Rucho and State Rep. William Brawley, are leading the push to shift control of Charlotte Douglas to an authority.
Rucho’s bill is on a fast track. It passed the Senate Rules Committee this week, and will now go to the Finance Committee, which Rucho chairs. If passed it would then go to the full Senate. If the legislature approves it, the bill does not need Gov. Pat McCrory’s signature to become law.
Rucho has said that the airport should be run by a full-time authority. He said the business community supports the authority and that some are concerned the city is becoming too involved in the airport’s day-to-day operations.  Source-Charlotte Observer
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/02/22/3871705/police-increase-officers-at-charlotte.html#storylink=cpy

Sequester and its Impact on Private Security Contractors www.privateofficer.com

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Washington DC Feb 23 2013 Mercenaries, defense contractors, private security contractors, call them what you like. As unfortunate it may be for some to accept, those who carry guns overseas operating on government contracts are an evil necessity. Not only do private security contractors (PSC's) assist with national security, they help bolster the US economy.
Unless the United States is willing to fundamentally change socially, culturally, and economically, we must learn to accept private security contractors as a legit profession. They are part of one of the largest economic enterprises for America--the military industrial complex. None of us have to like it, but we must learn to accept this unfortunate truth.
Most PCS's finance their own training and purchase their own equipment ranging from high valued clothing, sunglasses, watches, footwear, and high tech components used to assist in times of need.
A lot of this sounds ridiculous but the dollar amounts returned to US manufacturers and other unique organizations reaches, at times, tens of thousands of dollars annually per individual. Name another profession comprising of individuals willing to fork out that much personal dough just to do their job.
Private security contractors make a pretty penny and enjoy spending that penny. It's a multi-billion dollar industry and a lot of that money passes hands and eventually goes into a more traditional market like housing, vehicles, and other commodities.
With sequester possibly kicking in just a few days from now, what impact will it have on such a profession, a profession that historically loves spending their bounty?
The days operating abroad as a private security contractor (PSC) making approximately $1,000 a day are finished. In all fairness, those days have been long gone for some time now. The days of making a $300k annual salary have passed but that doesn't mean jobs aren't out there to be had.
Working as a PSC is unique and dangerous, yet often very gratifying. Those who have been in the business know, you can't make it a career unless you diversify your portfolio. PSC's would make exceptional investment managers due to their abilities to diversify themselves in unique yet highly sought after skill-sets.
For some, sequester can actually be a good thing--at least for private security contractors. As the Defense Department makes cuts and withdrawals out of Afghanistan, opportunities will become readily available from the State Department. Without sequestration, we actually witnessed this fact come to light after US troops withdrew from Iraq.
Contractors remain in Iraq, even today. They perform an array of missions most of which are funded through the US State Department. When troops leave Afghanistan, it is highly likely contractors will remain gainfully employed through similar State Department initiatives performing training, security, and reconstruction operations.
The Defense Department always pays well but the odds of landing a private contracting gig through a DOD solicitation is going to be tough in the near future. Thank God the State Department and other government agencies exist. If you want to continue working as a PSC, its critical to get outside your comfort zone and begin searching for opportunities elsewhere.
Anti-piracy operations have been largely proven successful in part by the incorporation of private security contractors. Between 2009 and 2012, piracy has witnessed a 27% decline in the Horn of Africa. More and more commercial fleets are hiring private armed guards to safeguard their vessels and evidence proves this security operation method effective.
Piracy is a world-wide issue and not just a problem in the Horn of Africa. Success has been identified as have the measures used to achieve such success. PSC's are critical in anti-piracy operations and its apparent more and more opportunities of employment will continue even in the commercial sector.
Global threats are continuing to increase via the spread of radicalization. The world witnessed US Ambassador Chris Stevens along with three other US citizens killed in Libya. An oil field was seized in Algeria. Africa, as a continent, is imploding with crises.
While the Middle East and Central Asia have been hotbeds for private security contractors, it's essential to start looking for work in Africa because there is a lot of work to be done there. Oil field security opportunities are abundant in Africa.
Equally abundant are opportunities working within the US State Department's Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) program. For those wishing to risk greater margins in reward, there are always opportunities working with host nation governments. Unfortunately, this is a huge risk and not suggested for multiple reasons such as US laws and foreign corruption. While not recommended, it's still an option that can be explored.
For those who love the adventure operating in austere environments yet are tired of totting a weapon around, their are always opportunities in performing work with non-government organizations affiliated with US AID. You would still be a contractor, working abroad, and doing just as much good for others in this capacity. Plus, NGO's could always use a good second set of eyes quick to identify any potential threats.
With forecasted Defense budget cuts due to the potential of sequestration, private security contractors will be essential assets needed to ensure national security and prevention of total economic collapse. Opportunities to remain gainfully employed abroad will likely not only continue, they will expand. Its critical to begin searching beyond just the DOD and into other government agencies like the State Department and commercial entities as well.

Source-Huffington Post

Pair arrested after bouncer stabbed www.privateofficer.com

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Calaveras County CA Feb 23 2013   A bouncer at the Murphys Historic Hotel bar suffered stab wounds and a former Angels Camp man was arrested following an encounter last Friday, the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office reported.The Sheriff's Office said that Jeron Daniel Roberts, 34, stabbed the bouncer during a fight outside the bar.Deputies dispatched to the scene about 11:15 p.m. last Friday arrived to find the bouncer and others holding Roberts on the ground.While investigating the incident, deputies also arrested Douglas Koch, 26, of Angels Camp. Roberts and Koch reportedly arrived at the bar together and were already intoxicated, according to the Sheriff's Office report.Roberts was jailed on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Koch was jailed on suspicion of misdemeanor public intoxication. The bouncer received medical treatment at the scene. Investigators said his injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.Investigators said the weapon used was a folding knife with a 4-inch blade. source-recordnet.com

FBI raids Scooter Store www.privateofficer.com

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San Antonio TX Feb 23 2013 In TV ads, the Scooter Store suggests to seniors and others needing motorized scooters and wheelchairs that they can be had for almost no cost because the company will handle all the messy paperwork with insurers, particularly Medicare.

Wednesday and Thursday brought another example that nothing is free. Somebody - often taxpayers - has to pay.
About 150 state and federal law enforcement officers raided the company's headquarters in a San Antonio suburb. The action was another phase in an ongoing health-care fraud investigation of the Scooter Store, which has an outlet in the Philadelphia region.
A spokesman for the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, which administers Medicare and Medicaid, would say only that the agency "executed a search warrant at several locations of the Scooter Store and that we were part of a multiagency task force."
The San Antonio Express-News reported that OIG was joined by the FBI and the Texas Attorney General's Medicaid fraud unit.
The Scooter Store's Philadelphia outlet is in Trainer, Delaware County. The manager declined to give his name and referred a reporter to the national office, which did not respond to phone and e-mail requests for comment.

This raid is a welcome step toward cracking down on waste and fraud in Medicare payments for motorized wheelchairs involving the Scooter Store," Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) said in a statement. "I have urged action to stop abusive overpayments for such devices - costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and preying on seniors with deceptive sales pitches."
The cost of health care is a huge component in local, state, and national debates about how to solve budget challenges. In recent years, the federal government has increased efforts to scrutinize billing practices and thwart fraud, with durable medical devices being one area of particular concern.
Blumenthal is among the congressional leaders who have urged federal authorities to crack down on what they view as deceptive advertising that results in some angry seniors and bills for all taxpayers.
As Blumenthal noted, this is not the first time the Scooter Store has faced allegations of fraud.
In 2007, the company settled a civil suit with the Justice Department by paying $4 million and forgoing $13 million in Medicare claims after the government alleged the company submitted false claims for power wheelchairs that, among other things, beneficiaries did not want, did not need, or could not use.
The company's five-year corporate integrity agreement with the government was due to expire in 2012 but remains open. The company was also supposed to reimburse the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) $19.5 million for overpayments between 2009 and 2011, according to the San Antonio newspaper. However, senators criticized the CMS for not pushing for more reimbursements, based on an outside audit of the company's operations.
The company's website has a specific category of products called "Medicare-Reimbursable Power Chairs," with several listed for $3,699. It posed the question many seniors would ask: Is the power chair or scooter entirely covered by my insurance?
The answer had a few caveats, including the Medicare requirement to meet with a doctor to determine mobility needs. It also said: "If you qualify, Medicare may cover up to 80 percent of the cost of your power chair. Your supplemental insurance may pay the remaining 20 percent. In most cases, our customers pay little to nothing for their power chairs."


source -philly.com

Delaware teacher arrested for sexting www.privateofficer.com

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Georgetown DE Feb 22 2013 A Delaware teacher is under arrest after another school employee caught him sexting a student.Stanley Zakrociemski, 36, works at Sussex Technical High School on County Seat Highway in Georgetown, Delaware.Detectives with the Delaware State Police were contacted yesterday after a school employee found Zakrociemski was allegedly sending texts of a sexual nature to a 17-year-old female student. The messages began as far back as March of 2012 and continued until this week, according to police.Police say the relationship between Zakrociemski and the 17-year-old, who turned 18 in December, never became physical.Zakrociemski, who is from Millsboro, turned himself into detectives Wednesday and was arrested on five counts of sexual solicitation of a child under 18.He is in the Sussex Correctional Institution on 100 thousand dollars bond.

Memphis police officer involved in an on-duty crash that killed two people is fired www.privateofficer.com

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Memphis T Feb 22 2013 A Memphis police officer involved in an on-duty crash that killed two people last year has been fired following a state investigation, police said Tuesday.Alex Beard, 23, was fired Monday following a probe by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which presented its findings to the Shelby County District Attorney's Office. District Attorney spokesman Vince Higgins said his office is still investigating the case, and no decision has been made on whether to file charges against Beard.
Beard underwent an administrative hearing with the Memphis Police Department Monday before his termination. He was charged with failing to adhere to regulations regarding responding to calls, personal conduct and motor-vehicle damage. He has the right to appeal his firing to the Civil Service Commission, a board that has the authority to reinstate him.
The fatal crash happened about 3 p.m. Aug. 26 at Crump and Walnut near Downtown. Beard, heading east on Crump, was responding to a request for help from another officer dealing with what police term a "mental consumer." Police said Beard ran a red light without his lights or sirens on, a violation of department policy.
His car collided with a 1996 Mercury Mystique, which was heading west on Crump and turning south on Walnut. The collision killed Mackala Ross, 13, and Delores Epps, 54. Michael Ross and Ray Beebe, the other two passengers in the Mtstique, were injured, Ross critically. Beard suffered noncritical injuries.
Witnesses said Beard was speeding while traveling without lights or sirens, a clear violation of MPD policy.
The departmental policy on emergency responses says that state law allows officers to speed or ignore red lights "so long as the driver does not endanger life or property. This law applies only when an emergency vehicle is making use of audible (siren) and visual (blue light) signals." Then, in all capital letters, the policy adds that the provisions of the law "neither relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons nor protect the driver from the consequences of his reckless disregard for the safety of others."
When it was revealed that Beard did not have his lights or sirens on, many Memphians reacted angrily in the days after the crash. Numerous people contacted the newspaper or posted online with their own stories of police officers disobeying traffic rules.
Beard, who began working for MPD in October 2010, was assigned to Union Station. Before the August crash, he had no infractions on his personnel record. So far, no lawsuits against the city or Memphis police appear to have been filed in the accident.
Epps and Ross were visiting from Senatobia, Miss., for a relative's 50th birthday.
Beard did not respond to a voicemail or text message sent to his cell phone.

Medic Hospitalized After Fire At Clarksville TN EMS Station www.privateofficer.com

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. Feb 22 2013–  Fire broke out Wednesday morning at a Montgomery County EMS Station, injuring a paramedic.  The fire started just before 10:00 a.m. at station No. 23 along Highway 149 in Clarksville.
Montgomery County Fire Chief Ray Williams said it appeared the fire started in an ambulance.
One of two workers inside was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville because of smoke inhalation.  Jeremy Menear was in critical condition as of Wednesday night.
Fire crews were able to get the blaze under control in about 20 minutes, but the ambulance was destroyed and the garage bay was also damaged.
Officials say it's a blessing no one was killed in this fire. "When the smoke detector went off the bay area was already fully engulfed, so if an employee -- if a firefighter or an EMT is a heavy sleeper --  by the time they were awakened by the smoke detector, by the alarm, it might have been tragically too late," said Ted Denny with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department.
The fire is suspected to have started in the cab of the ambulance, but the full investigation will not uncover that until state investigators are able to remove the ambulance from the garage. That's expected to happen on Thursday.
It could cost as much as $180,000 to replace the ambulance.  Law enforcement will be out at the station throughout Wednesday night to keep the building safe.

Source-newschannel5.com

Former ATF agent gunned down while walking his dog in Virginia www.privateofficer.com

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WOODBRIDGE, Va. Feb 22 2013 –  Police have charged a Woodbridge man with murder, accusing him of fatally shooting a retired federal agent who was out walking his dog.
Prince William County Police charged 25-year-old Aric Alexander Smith with first-degree murder and armed robbery.
Killed in Wednesday night's slaying was 55-year-old Gregory L. Holley Sr., also of Woodbridge. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said Holley was an ATF agent in Chicago, Atlanta and Washington and was the ATF's special agent in charge in Detroit. He concluded his career as a deputy assistant inspector general for the Department of Treasury, from which he retired in 2009.
Police say Smith was arrested fleeing from the scene by an off-duty police officer. They say Smith was found in possession of personal property belonging to Holley.
Police do not believe the two knew each other and say the gun used in the slaying was reported stolen last week.
Holley's family said he was an active volunteer at his church, New Life Anointed Ministries International.
"Greg's life work was about fighting violent crime, and unfortunately it was violent crime that took his life," the family said in a statement.


source:www.foxnews.com

Two dead in helicopter crash, explosion in northwest Oklahoma City www.privateofficer.com

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Oklahoma City OK Feb 22 2013

EagleMed officials confirmed that the victims are pilot Mark Montgomery, flight nurse Chris Denning and paramedic Billy Wynn.
“Our first priority is to tend to the families,” EagleMed spokesman Robbie Copeland said. Company officials were with the families Friday afternoon, he said.
A team of EagleMed officials were at the crash scene Friday afternoon working with investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board, Copeland said.
“We don't know what happened and it may take months to a year before we know what happened,” he said.
12:45 p.m. Pilot Mark Montgomery and flight nurse Chris Denning died in the helicopter crash Friday morning and paramedic Billy Wynn was critically injured, according to email sent to employees from Bruce Lawrence, Integris Health president and CEO.
“We ask for continued prayers for his (Billy Wynn) survival and recovery,” Lawrence wrote. “Our hearts are heavy as Chris is a former Integris employee.”
Denning worked at Baptist Medical Center for nearly 10 years, starting in radiology and then moving to the intensive care unit.
“We mourn his loss as a member of our extended family,” Lawrence wrote. “We also extend our sympathies to the Montgomery family and all those who knew Mark.”
12:35 p.m. The helicopter crashed in the parking lot between Saint Ann Retirement Center and Saint Ann Nursing Home, said Tina Dzurisin, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.
Seven staff members rushed to the crash scene to help. Three helped pull one of the crew members from the wreckage just before a second explosion, Dzurisin said.
One of the staff members received burns to her arm. “Some of them were being check for smoke inhalation, but there were no serious injuries,” she said.
Staff members remained at the nursing home Friday morning waiting to be questioned by authorities, Dzurisin said. Some staff members could get to their vehicles because they were parking in the secure area surrounding the crash site.
Staff members from the Catholic Pastoral Center and the Catholic Charities Saint Joseph Counseling Center have been on-site at the nursing home to assist the staff and the 180 residents.
None of the residents was injured.
“This is a painful tragedy for all affected, and our love and concern immediately go out to the victims of the crash and their families,” Archbishop Paul S. Coakley said in prepared statement. “We pray for peace and comfort for those who grieve the loss of the two crew members who died. We hope and pray, too, that the critically injured crew member makes a full recovery.”
11:30 a.m. The surviving crew member was taken to OU Medical Center. A spokesman said Billy Winn was in critical condition. He could not confirm the spelling of the man's name.
10:50 a.m. An EagleMed Eurocopter AS 350 B2 made a hard landing Feb. 29, 2012, near Hugo during a night vision goggle check flight, according to NTSB records. Two people had minor injuries.
10:05 a.m. “No one was seriously harmed at Saint Ann,” said Tina Dzurisin, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. “We are still trying to access that. They are still operating. Obviously, trying to adjust.”


Source:NewsOK

New Port Richey police officer fired after drug arrest www.privateofficer.com

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NEW PORT RICHEY Fla Feb 21 2013  — John Nohejl, the New Port Richey police officer arrested in Hernando County on Jan. 17 on several felony narcotics charges, was officially fired Feb. 12 at the end of a months-long investigation.
Nohejl, 35, had already been on suspension since April for sleeping on the job and neglecting his duties. In November, the Police Department launched an internal affairs investigation on suspicion that he was using prescription drugs.
The investigation revealed that Nohejl had managed to get his hands on hundreds of pills of oxycodone, OxyContin and diazepam and took them while on duty, the investigation report states.
When asked about the pills, the report states, Nohejl falsely told other officers that he needed the pills after hurting his back in an on-the-job fall. He also passed drug tests using clean urine from other people.
After his arrest in January, Nohejl was charged with drug trafficking, possession of cocaine, tampering with physical evidence, fleeing to elude authorities and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was ultimately fired from the department for failing to report the arrest to his supervisors and for refusing to cooperate during the internal affairs investigation.
Nohejl remained in the Hernando County jail Tuesday night.

Retired NJ police officer-wife found dead in VA. www.privateofficer.com

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Lynchburg VA Feb 21 2013  — Retired borough police Lt. John Philbrook and his wife, Virginia, were murdered at their home in Lynchburg, Va., Campbell County authorities have said.
Police have said the bodies of both Philbrook, 73, and his wife, 71, were found Friday after neighbors had requested a welfare check on the two after newspapers and mail had collected on their property.
Officials from the Campbell County Sheriff’s department said neighbors reported they last saw Philbrook outside his home on Feb. 12.
Once there, police discovered both victims had been shot.
Their grandson, 27-year-old Robert Lee Philbrook, has been charged with second-degree murder and related firearms charges by police. He is being held at the Blue Ridge Regional Jail.
“We’re all shocked. He was one of the great guys,” said Spring Lake Police Chief Edward Kerr.
“The members, present and retired, of the Spring Lake Police Department would like to express our deepest sympathy to the Philbrook family,” Kerr said. “This news has saddened those who used to work with John along with the newer members of the department who know him from the stories passed down through the years.”
Born on July 28, 1939, in Vinalhaven, Maine, Philbrook was hired as a patrolman in Spring Lake in 1967. He received a medal of valor from the borough in 1980 for rescuing two boys who had fallen through the ice in Spring Lake and for disarming a suspect who produced a semi-automatic handgun in police headquarters and aimed it at several officers.
He was promoted to lieutenant in 1987.
Kerr said Philbrook had moved to the Lynchburg, Va., home shorty after retiring from the Spring Lake force in 1991.
Kerr and three members of the borough’s police department will attend the funeral services in Lynchburg on Friday.

Source-APP.com

Five people were killed - two injured in Ga. plane crash www.privateofficer.com

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THOMSON, Ga Feb 21 2013 –  Five people were killed and two injured when a small jet crashed Wednesday night off the end of a runway in eastern Georgia.
Thomson-McDuffie County Sheriff Logan Marshall said the jet crashed after 8 p.m. Wednesday. He said the two survivors were taken to area hospitals but did not have information on their conditions. He said the identities of those killed were being withheld pending notification of family members.
The Hawker Beechcraft 390/Premier I en route from Nashville, Tenn., crashed around 8:30 p.m. at the Thomson-McDuffie County Airport, about 30 miles west of Augusta, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said in an email.
Seven people were aboard, she told The Associated Press in the email. She added that she had no immediate details about a possible cause.
The Augusta Chronicle cited Assistant County Fire Chief Stephen Sewell as saying there were at least two survivors identified as a pilot and a passenger. But he provided no additional information about those aboard in that account.
The newspaper said a brush fire flared near the crash scene, quoting witnesses who reported local power outages that prompted a utility to send workers to the site. A photograph posted on the newspaper's online site showed ambulances with lights flashing.
The plane was on a flight from John Tune Airport in Nashville, Tenn., to the Thomson-McDuffie airport, Bergen said in her email, adding the aircraft is registered to a company based in Wilmington, Del.

source-www.foxnews.com/

Scott Harrison: Why Charity Shouldn't Be About Guilt

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Several years ago, Scott Harrison had the sudden realization that his life up to that point had been a sham.

This is where Harrison began his story, as he took the stage at the Inc. 500|5000 Conference. Both his personal story and the story of what his non-profit organization charity:water does (bring clean water to the developing world) was one of the most moving talks of the conference so far and had many entrepreneurs in the audience tearful.

That feeling he described, he told the room, was the result of spending years working in the New York City club scene as a promoter.

"Budweiser paid me $2,000 a month to drink Bud," he said. "Bacardi, the same. I was paid to drink. I did drugs and gambled. I realized on that beach that I was the most emotionally, spiritually, and morally bankrupt person I knew."

What'd he do about it?

"While I was hungover during the day, I started reading the Bible. That was an interesting push and pull," he said, laughing.

It was through this spiritual awaking that Harrison decided to clean up his act. He signed up to volunteer with doctors going to Africa to provide free surgeries to underprivileged people with deformities . A year into this volunteering journey, he found the one underlying issue for so many of these deformities that he could do something about: dirty water. This was the birth of charity:water.

Harrison's visual presentation showed graphic, moving images of the devastation caused by dirty, disease-filled water. Children drinking muddy water from bottles. Mothers struggling to carry huge jugs of water. And even though the message was serious, Harrison had a knack for lightening his serious message with a joke here and there.

From an entrepreneurial standpoint, he had an early guiding principle.

"I knew from the beginning that this couldn't be about guilt. You can't guilt people to give," he said. "It had to be about opportunity. I had to find a way to get real people, selfish people like me, to invest in this cause."

Harrison revealed to the crowd the three things he set out to do with this charity--all of which, he says, most charities lack.

1. Find a way to give 100 percent of the profits to the actual cause.

2. Proof: Make it completely transparent where the money goes.

3. Build a brand.

Today, having met those three objectives, the organization has funded 4,200 water projects with over $40 million in donations. He's convinced not only everyday people to donate money, but huge brands like Saks Fifth Avenue to help out in some way. For more information about how you can donate (which Harrison encouraged the crowd to do), check out their website.

Source: http://www.inc.com/staff-blog/scott-harrison-why-charity-shouldnt-be-about-guilt-.html

ECLIPSYS EASTMAN KODAK CO EARTHLINK DST SYSTEMS

Starting up Young? Don't Drop Out

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Want to be the next Mark Zuckerberg? Here's one way you shouldn't follow in his footsteps, writes venture capitalist Brad Feld.

College is generally considered a time to expand your horizons, learn to live on your own, have a ton of fun, and even, perhaps, learn a little something. But are your undergraduate years also the best time to getting started on building a business?

The counter-arguments to this idea seem obvious. Students are generally short of money and have no lack of other demands on their time (though, let's be honest, plenty of college kids aren't exactly getting up at the crack of dawn to hit the books or spending every waking hour working). Classes aren't generally directly relevant to entrepreneurship. But at least one expert on starting businesses feels the case for beginning your start-up life in college outweighs the downsides.

Writing on his blog recently, venture capitalist Brad Feld claimed your years getting a degree are the perfect time to start experimenting with starting a business. Why? He quotes a line he heard from a mentor-in-residence at UM Tech Transfer:

"College is like a sandbox if you are an entrepreneur," he writes. "Falling down doesn't hurt much."

This thinking takes the initial objection to college kids starting businesses—that they don’t have many resources—and turns it on its head. Students might not be swimming in cash or connections, but the very fact that they aren’t established yet in full lives with mortgages, kids and car payments is actually a huge advantage, according to Feld, who reflected on the sandbox analogy in his post:

This made me think of a brilliant phrase from Alex White, the CEO of Next Big Sound, in his TechStars Demo Day pitch. I can't remember where in the presentation it was but Jason reminded me that one of Alex's great moments was when he said something like "We don't need to raise much money because we are cheap to keep alive."

Feld also notes that this very sense of not being weighed down with much in the way of responsibilities or expectations is great for creativity and the willingness to fail:

The level of enthusiasm and optimism among the people we met with was phenomenal. Their willingness and interest in learning and trying new stuff was apparent. And their understanding that plenty of things wouldn’t work, but they wouldn’t learn if they didn't try, was front and center.

College for many (although by no means all) of us is a privileged, low-expense time when parents help out with feeding and housing us and our lifestyle expectations are modest. Why not take advantage of the time and freedom that buys you to make some of the initial mistakes and learn some of the valuable lessons entailed in becoming an entrepreneur?

Feld obviously isn't the only member of the start-up community encouraging young people to get their hands dirty early. PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel made a lot of waves earlier this year with his 20 Under 20 program, encouraging students to drop out of school to start businesses with $100,000 he'd invested in their ideas. But Feld is perhaps more unusual in not calling college a waste of time for entrepreneur hopefuls, but essentially a great practice ground for them to hone their skills while they combine study and business.

What do you think, is college a great time to start experimenting with entrepreneurship (check out our Coolest College Start-ups package for inspiration!), or should you just be studying instead?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inc/channel/start-up/~3/eLzfOtwjmC4/dont-drop-out-of-college-a-vc-advises.html

QIMONDA posted business economy

Line of Duty Death Public Safety Officer Keith Lawrence

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Public Safety Officer Keith Lawrence

University of Southern California Department of Public Safety, California

End of Watch: Sunday, February 3, 2013 Bio & Incident Details
Age: 27
Tour: 6 months
Badge # Not available

Cause: Gunfire
Incident Date: 2/3/2013
Weapon: Handgun; 9 mm
Suspect: Committed suicide

     
Public Safety Officer Keith Lawrence was shot and killed along with his fiancee, Monica Quan, by a former police officer who was seeking revenge against law enforcement officers for being fired. The subject ambushed them as they pulled into a parking spot at their apartment complex in Irvine, California. Both were shot multiple times with a 9mm handgun.

The subject had been fired from the Los Angeles Police Department several years earlier and was seeking revenge against members of the Los Angeles Police Department who had been involved with his personnel case. Ms. Quan's father had represented the subject in his personnel review hearings prior to his being fired.

Prior to ambushing Officer Lawrence and Ms. Quan, the subject the researched their backgrounds and was aware of Officer Lawrence's employment as a police officer.

Several days after their murders, the subject engaged in a shootout with members of the LAPD who were protecting an individual believed to be targeted by the man. Immediately following the shootout, the subject ambushed and murdered Police Officer Michael Crain, of the Riverside Police Department. He then fled to San Bernardino County, where he remained at large for several days.

After being located, he engaged officers in a prolonged gun battle in which Detective Jeremiah MacKay, of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office, was shot and killed. The subject committed suicide after the cabin he was barricaded in became engulfed in flames.

Officer Lawrence had served with the University of Southern California Department of Public Safety for six months. He and Ms. Quan had become engaged only days earlier.Please contact the following agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements: Chief John Thomas
University of Southern California Department of Public Safety
3667 McClintock Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90089
Phone: (213) 740-6000

 

Suspects fire shots at security guard after fleeing alleged beer theft www.privateofficer.com

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MILL VALLEY, Calif. Feb 20 2013Shots were fired in Mill Valley early Sunday when two men who had just stolen two cases of beer fired at a security guard pursuing their vehicle, according to the Marin County Sheriff's Office.
The men allegedly took two cases of beer from the Safeway store on Redwood Highway Frontage Road shortly before 3 a.m., according to Lt. Doug Pittman.
When store employees approached them, they fled out the front door and were seen fleeing to a gold-colored minivan waiting behind the store on Reed Boulevard, Pittman said.
A security guard called the sheriff's office to report the incident and followed the vehicle in an attempt to make out the license plate number.
As he approached the van on northbound Redwood Highway Frontage Road toward Tiburon Boulevard, however, he heard 4-5 shots being fired at him from the passenger side, Pittman said.
The security guard backed away but continued to follow as the van ran a red light and fled on to northbound U.S. Highway 101.
The van existed the freeway at Paradise Drive and drove back on southbound U.S. Highway 101 before the guard lost sight of it, Pittman said.
The minivan has a California license plate of 4DWZY. Anyone with information about the theft or the suspects should call the Marin County Sheriff's Office at (415) 473-7265, or the multilingual Bay Area Crime Stoppers hotline at (800) 222-8477.

Source:KTVU

Hand sanitizer and static electricity may have created a fire that burned a girl www.privateofficer.com

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PORTLAND OR Feb 20 2013 -- Hand sanitizer and static electricity may have created a fire that burned a girl earlier this month at Doernbecher Children's Hospital.
Doctors have been treating an 11-year-old girl after she caught fire in her hospital bed on February 2, as first reported in the Oregonian.
Ireland Lane was in the hospital after falling and hitting her head at her Klamath Falls home. She was reportedly making crafts for the nurses when she ran into the hallway engulfed in flames.
"That this would happen anywhere, much less our hospital, was just awful," said Stacy Nicholson, M.D. of Doernbecher Children's Hospital. "Our hearts go out to the child and her family."
Ireland's father Stephen, who was asleep in the room at the time, ran into the hallway and jumped on his daughter to smother the flames.
The state fire marshal has been investigating the incident. The cause is unknown, but one scenario involves the static electricity and flammable hand sanitizer.
Nicholson says what happened was unusual. He said the hospital plans to make changes if investigators determine the hospital was at fault.
In the meantime, Ireland has a long recovery ahead.
She suffered third-degree burns to 18 percent of her body. Doctors at Legacy Emanuel Burn Center were treating her.
Ireland's mom Danielle is confident that she will be okay.
"She has her faith," she said.

Virginia Beach pizza shop owner offering a 15 percent discount for gun owners www.privateofficer.com

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va Feb 20 2013 - A Virginia Beach pizza shop owner is offering a 15 percent discount for gun owners.
All Around Pizza and Deli owner Jay Laze said the discount will be offered to anyone who comes in with a gun or shows a concealed weapon permit.
"I've always been a supporter of the right to carry," Laze said.  "You're either on one side or the other, and it seems like more politicians are against us rather than for us. I want to show them they really aren't representing the people or the constitution they are sworn in under."

Customers like Christopher Cody came in with guns attached to their hips. Cody said he didn't get pizza at Laze's restaurants because of the discount, but because of the message.
"Not everyone who owns a gun is dangerous," said customer Christopher Cody.  "All the laws that are coming out are trying to protect the children. I've been sitting here with a gun for the last 45 minutes and it hasn't caused any kind of problem."
James Lea joked about the clientele.
"Probably not going to get robbed here tonight," Lea said.
Laze said since Friday, 80 percent of his customers have come in carrying guns. He had planned for the discount to run until March, but because of the response, he is considering making it permanent.

Source: WAVY

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.