Report: Tressel alerted QB's mentor

Times wires
Friday, March 25, 2011

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel forwarded e-mails to Terrelle Pryor's mentor that accused the star quarterback of selling memorabilia to a man under federal investigation, the Columbus Dispatch reported Friday.

The newspaper reported that Tressel sent the information to Ted Sarniak, a businessman in Pryor's hometown of Jeannette, Pa. That contradicts the coach's claim that he didn't share the information concerning the players.

Ohio State director of compliance Doug Archie said Sarniak and Pryor are longtime friends and that Sarniak was the player's primary contact during recruiting.

"As the friendship developed, Mr. Sarniak is someone who Terrelle has reached out to for advice and guidance throughout his high-school and collegiate career," Archie said in an e-mail to the newspaper.

Tressel will sit out the first five games this season and was fined $250,000 by the university for failing to notify the school about e-mails he received in April involving two players and questionable activities involving the sale of memorabilia.

During a March 8 news conference about his NCAA violations, Tressel said he was trying to protect his players by not breaking the confidentiality of the federal investigation, not even disclosing the e-mails to the Ohio State staff or the NCAA.

When asked by the paper whether Tressel had passed the information to Sarniak, Ohio State officials said: "We are not discussing any issues relative to the case until it is resolved with the NCAA."

Five Ohio State players, including Pryor, were suspended five games in 2011 for selling jerseys and other memorabilia to the owner of a local tattoo parlor, who was under investigation in a federal drug trafficking case.

More colleges: John Lomax III, 22, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in the fatal stabbing of Connecticut junior cornerback Jasper Howard, 20, during an on-campus fight in 2009. … Penn State receiver Curtis Drake hurt his left leg in a drill and will miss the rest of spring practice.

Source: http://www.tampabay.com/sports/report-tressel-alerted-qbs-mentor/1159789

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Butler Bulldgos beat Florida 74-71 in overtime to spoil Gators' bid for Final Four

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 26, 2011

NEW ORLEANS

When they have been at their best this season, the Florida Gators relied heavily on the sharp outside shooting of their guards, Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton, with help from forward Chandler Parsons.

But Saturday afternoon, on the biggest stage of their season, with a trip to the Final Four on the line, the outside shots wouldn't fall. The Gators mysteriously went away from the inside game that was so effective for 31 minutes. And for only the second time in six tries this season, overtime wasn't in Florida's favor.

The Gators squandered a double-digit lead in regulation, then went 2-of-5 from the field and missed 3 of 8 free throws in overtime in a 74-71 loss to Butler in the NCAA Southeast Region final at the New Orleans Arena.

It was Walker, who had played brilliantly down the stretch last week to get the Gators to the Sweet 16, who missed Florida's final shots — both 3-pointers — at the end of regulation to win it and with 13.9 seconds remaining in overtime to tie it.

Tied at 60 in regulation, Florida took possession with 30.7 seconds remaining after a timeout then held for the final shot. With six seconds on the clock, Walker set up for a 3-point jumper that missed as time expired.

"We just wanted to get the last shot," he said. "We didn't want to give them any opportunity to score and we let the clock run down, and coach called a play and the shot. I got a good look at it, but the shot just didn't go down."

That's how it went for the Gators (29-8). Florida's guards struggled to get open looks: Walker and Boynton combined to go 0-for-6 from 3-point range and 4-of-15 from the field in regulation. Parsons was 2-of-9 from the field and had five points and seven rebounds in the game. The Gators shot 3-of-14 from 3-point range.

What did work for Florida was the inside play of center Vernon Macklin and forward Alex Tyus. Macklin had a career-high 25 points, dominating Butler inside. Tyus added 14 points and 10 rebounds. The two combined to shoot 17-for-26 from the field. The rest of the team? 8-for-31.

The Gators took a 51-40 lead with 9:25 remaining. But with Macklin in foul trouble and the Florida guards struggling, Butler went on a 17-6 run to tie the score at 57 with 3:03 remaining. The Gators went a good portion of the second half without Macklin, who picked up his fourth foul with 9:02 remaining in regulation.

And for Butler (27-9), every loose ball and rebound fell its way down the stretch. Butler outrebounded Florida 41-34 and scored 18 second-chance points, five in overtime.

"We just kind of stayed together, stayed the course, figured it out, and just played resiliently," Bulldogs coach Brad Stevens. "I'm incredibly proud of these guys. They carried their coach in a big way. … Our players did a great job, and (they are) just a special group. We're really lucky that they're Butler Bulldogs."

Shelvin Mack had 27 points for the Bulldogs, who reached the Final Four for the second year in a row, the first team from outside the six power conferences to reach consecutive Final Fours since UNLV in 1990-91.

"This is a huge deal," said Zach Hahn, whose two 3s helped Butler stay close in the first half. "I don't know that any other mid major has ever done this."

Close games had been Florida's strength this season. The Gators entered 9-3 in games decided by six points or fewer and 4-1 in overtime. It was not to be on Saturday as Butler won its first overtime game this season in four tries.

"There was a lot of talk about close games and us winning close games and how many overtime games we've played," coach Billy Donovan said. "But you know what, you also realize when you play in enough of those games, there are some that can go the other way. So maybe we'd like to trade one of those SEC overtime games for a game like today. But we can't do that."

Source: http://www.tampabay.com/sports/basketball/college/butler-bulldgos-beat-florida-74-71-in-overtime-to-spoil-gators-bid-for/1159943

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Arroyo tested for lung infection

Times wires
Friday, March 25, 2011

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Ailing Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo, a Hernando High graduate, has been tested for a fungal infection in his lungs.

The right-hander has been sick for more than 10 days with flulike symptoms. He said Friday that he got blood tests and chest X-rays to see if he has valley fever, a fungal infection found in desert regions of the Southwest. The fungus is released from the soil and inhaled.

The disease is treated with rest and drugs.

"I'll be good to go for the season, whether the tests are positive or negative," Arroyo, 34, said. "If they're positive, I can get the right medication to knock it out."

Arroyo was scratched from a start March 21 because manager Dusty Baker was concerned about his health. Baker also pushed him back from second to third in the rotation for the regular season, giving him a little extra time to recuperate.

Arroyo threw during a minor-league game Thursday and felt better. He's going to push himself as hard as he can in his last spring training start and see what happens.

"My last start here on the 29th will be like the first game of the season," Arroyo said. "I'll go 100 percent."

More Reds: The team's rotation took another hit as right-hander Homer Bailey will open the season on the disabled list because of a shoulder problem. He needs to rest a week and then start a throwing program. If all goes well, he will miss only two starts. Right-hander Sam LeCure will take Bailey's spot in the rotation.

Indians: Right-hander Josh Tomlin beat out left-hander David Huff and right-hander Jeanmar Gomez for a rotation spot. Huff and Gomez were optioned to Triple A along with outfielder Ezequiel Carrera. Manager Manny Acta said outfielders Travis Buck and Shelley Duncan made the team, and that Jack Hannahan will open the season at third base.

Orioles: Right-hander Brad Bergesen was hit on the right forearm by a line drive in the first inning against the Twins and left the game after throwing only four pitches. X-rays were negative and the injury was determined to be a bruise.

Padres: Pitcher Mat Latos has a sore right shoulder and, though he says it has improved, he won't make his scheduled spring start today, which puts a potential opening-day start against St. Louis in jeopardy. He is being treated for an inflamed bursa sac.

Pirates: Left-hander Joe Beimel won't be ready for opening day, leaving the team without its main offseason bullpen acquisition. Beimel, 33, has been hampered by injuries to his forearm and elbow.

Rangers: Right-hander Tommy Hunter, who was supposed to be in the opening-day rotation, will be out at least six weeks with a strained right groin muscle.

Retirements: Mike Sweeney, a five-time All-Star in Kansas City, signed a one-day minor-league deal with the Royals and retired. Sweeney, 37, said he would remain with the team in some capacity to work with minor-leaguers. …Told that he would not make the Cubs' major-league roster, right-hander Braden Looper, 36, ended his comeback bid after missing last season and decided to retire.

Source: http://www.tampabay.com/sports/arroyo-tested-for-lung-infection/1159758

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Hundreds march in support of Saltend workers

Hundreds of workers marched through the streets of Hull today to protest after workers were locked out of a biofuel plant building site.

The rally saw around 500 workers and supporters congregate at Queen Victoria Square to demonstrate after 400 workers at the Vivergo plant at Saltend were told they have no jobs.

The news came after sub-contractor Redhall Engineering Solutions Ltd fell out with Vivergo.

There was a heavy police presence as the protestors were joined by union colleagues from North Lincolnshire refineries Lindsay and ConocoPhillips, Pembroke power station in Wales and Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in Nottinghamshire.

Protest organiser Keith Gibson of the GMB said: "We had a mass meeting this morning at Saltend and marched to the BP site.

"There has been a great turn out and we are here to step up the action and hit management where we can."

After meeting at Queen Victoria Square, the protestors marched to Guildhall along Alfred Gelder Street where union representatives addressed the crowd.

● The rally in Queen Victoria Square, Hull city centre.

Source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/32715/f/503342/s/13afeb05/l/0L0Sthisishullandeastriding0O0Cnews0CMarch0Esupport0ESaltend0Eworkers0Carticle0E3380A180A0Edetail0Carticle0Bhtml/story01.htm

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What to do about CLASS

Buried deep in the Affordable Care Act, the CLASS Act ? short for ?Community Living Assistance Services and Supports? ? is a voluntary disability insurance program. Workers can choose to pay a monthly premium and, if and when they become disabled, the government will provide them with long-term care assistance. More on that here. In part, this is an effort to take some of the burden off of Medicaid, which currently pays these costs, and without much in the way of contributions to cover them.

The problem is that CLASS?s numbers don?t add up. The healthy aren?t likely to buy in, and that means it?ll be too expensive for the unhealthy. Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has admitted this, and promised she?ll use her authority over the program to make the reforms needed for the numbers to work. But as Howard Gleckman says, the most sensible reforms would require congressional approval:

Congress could fix CLASS by following the lead of nearly every other developed country in the world and turning it into universal insurance. A mandated program could make basic long-term care coverage available to all for an average monthly premium of only about $40, according to private consultants Avalere Health. And it could cut Medicaid long-term care costs in half, by about $50 billion. However, in today?s anti-government political environment, such a step is, shall we say, unlikely.

It may also be possible to repair CLASS through a series of technical changes, all designed to reduce premiums and make the product more attractive to healthy buyers. This morning, I participated in a panel at the Urban Institute that addressed those options. A podcast of the event is available here.

As you consider what to do about CLASS, keep the context in mind. Medicaid now pays more than $110 billion annually for the long-term care of both the elderly and disabled. It funds nearly half of all these services, and spends fully one-third of its entire budget on such care. By contrast, private long-term care insurance pays for less than 10 percent. And before they become eligible for Medicaid, millions of Americans go broke paying for these services out of pocket...That brings us back to CLASS. As poorly designed as it is, the program is an insurance-based alternative to means-tested direct spending programs that will be under growing stress in coming years. For those who want to kill CLASS, I have a simple question:If government assistance is not the answer, and CLASS insurance is not the answer, what is?

I?m open to the idea that CLASS isn?t the right way to address the mounting costs of long-term care. But that doesn?t absolve us from figuring out some way to address those costs. Leaving them to Medicaid or, worse, absolving Medicaid and simply abandoning the disabled, are much worse options than CLASS.

Source: http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=1cf355c9a82fa0ee1eb198ef5afe3b20

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Man with 'a long history of violence' given Asbo after drunken attacks on partner

Michael Cox, 38, of west Hull, has been given an anti-social behaviour order for drunken violence.

Source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/32715/f/503342/s/13ac8e37/l/0L0Sthisishullandeastriding0O0Cnews0CMan0Elong0Ehistory0Eviolence0Egiven0EAsbo0Carticle0E33786930Edetail0Carticle0Bhtml/story01.htm

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Homes evacuated after derailment near Port Hope

People are being evacuated from an area located around a derailment of a freight train east of Port Hope.

Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/962450--homes-evacuated-after-derailment-near-port-hope

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