Slim pickings after busy start to NHL free agency

FILE - In this May 7, 2013, file photo, Ottawa Senators' Daniel Alfredsson celebrates the Senators' 3-2 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Ottawa, Ontario. Alfredsson is joining the Detroit Red Wings to make a one-year run at the Stanley Cup, and Stephen Weiss is in it for the long haul in the Motor City. Detroit got a deal done mere minutes after NHL teams could sign free agents on Friday afternoon, July 5, 2013, with Alfredsson, and agreed to terms with Weiss a couple hours later. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Fred Chartrand, File)

FILE - In this May 7, 2013, file photo, Ottawa Senators' Daniel Alfredsson celebrates the Senators' 3-2 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Ottawa, Ontario. Alfredsson is joining the Detroit Red Wings to make a one-year run at the Stanley Cup, and Stephen Weiss is in it for the long haul in the Motor City. Detroit got a deal done mere minutes after NHL teams could sign free agents on Friday afternoon, July 5, 2013, with Alfredsson, and agreed to terms with Weiss a couple hours later. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Fred Chartrand, File)

FILE - In this April 5, 2013, file photo, Anaheim Ducks' Bobby Ryan looks on during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars in Anaheim, Calif. The Ottawa Senators have acquired Ryan in a trade with the Ducks. In acquiring the four-time 30-goal scorer, the Senators dealt forwards Jakob Silfverberg, Stefan Noesen and their first-round pick in next year's draft to Anaheim in the deal announced on Friday, July 5, 2013. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

In this Jan. 21, 2013, file photo, Boston Bruins' Nathan Horton (18) shoots as Winnipeg Jets' Mark Stuart defends during an NHL hockey game in Boston. Horton, a 28-year-old, playoff-hardened free-agent right wing, signed a seven-year deal on Friday, July 5, 2013, worth $37.1 million with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He left the Bruins, with which he won the 2011 Stanley Cup and went to the finals this year. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

File-In this Dec. 9, 2010 file photo shows San Jose Sharks' Ryane Clowe against Buffalo Sabres during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y. The New Jersey Devils are investing a lot of money in a banged-up player, hoping he's healthy enough to provide a good return when he makes a move over the river. Clowe and the Devils have agreed to a $24.25 million, five-year contract, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke Friday July 5, 2013, to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the agreement had not yet been announced. (AP Photo/David Duprey, File)

Jaromir Jagr is still available. So is goalie Tim Thomas, who continues exploring whether to make a comeback after taking a season off.

Mikhail Grabovski, anyone?

Otherwise, many of the available impact players were swept up in the first few hours after the NHL's free-agency opened Friday.

A total of 60 players were signed in deals involving 26 of the league's 30 teams, according to a list posted on NHL.com. They included Columbus landing Nathan Horton to a $37.1 million, seven-year contract and Daniel Alfredsson leaving Ottawa for a one-year deal in Detroit. Toronto signed David Clarkson to a $36.75 million, seven-year deal, while Jarome Iginla signed a one-year deal with Boston, the team he jilted for Pittsburgh earlier this season.

And then another nine were traded, with the biggest move involving the Senators filling the void Alfredsson left by acquiring Anaheim forward Bobby Ryan in exchange for two forwards and a first-round draft pick.

At the rate players were being signed and swapped, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren was relieved to have addressed most of his team's needs before the market officially opened.

"I didn't think the defense market was as strong as centers. The better ones went right away," Holmgren said, while formally announcing the team had signed captain Claude Giroux to an eight-year extension worth over $64 million. "I think we were fortunate to jump in on Mark when we did."

Holmgren was referring to defenseman Mark Streit, who was acquired in a trade with the New York Islanders before Philadelphia locked him up to a four-year, $21 million contract last week. Holmgren also could have mentioned Philadelphia getting Vincent Lecavalier ? this summer's most prized free agent ? to agree to a five-year deal on Tuesday.

That didn't stop Holmgren from signing goalies Ray Emery and Yann Danis on Friday to shore up what remains an unsettled position.

Beyond that, it's a wonder anyone's still available.

Former Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov's still on the market. So are two ex-Detroit teammates, Damien Brunner and Daniel Cleary. As for defense, there's Toni Lydman.

And then there's Teemu Selanne, who usually takes his time in free agency. Ducks general manager Bob Murray is scheduled to contact Selanne next week to see whether the Finn is close to making a decision on returning for one more year.

Many players came to much quicker decisions.

Alfredsson was driven to the Motor City by the opportunity to win a championship, and was joined, soon after, by center Stephen Weiss, who agreed to a five-year, $24.5 million contract.

"It's all about trying to get the Stanley Cup," Alfredsson said.

For others, it was the lure of finding the right fit.

Horton was willing to give up big-city living in Boston, for the chance to raise his family in a more collegiate environment such as Columbus.

"It's a great opportunity for me and my family to be in a house and for it to be a little more quiet," Horton said, while noting he is also eager to help transform the Blue Jackets into contenders. "I want to be in the playoffs and everybody else does (here), and we've got the team to do it. That's why I'm so excited."

The Toronto Maple Leafs, coming off their first postseason appearance since 2004, also made a statement by signing Clarkson and keeping first-line center Tyler Bozak with a $21 million, five-year deal.

Tampa Bay reached a $25 million, five-year deal with 29-year-old center Valtteri Filppula to essentially replace Lecavalier.

Ottawa wasn't expecting Alfredsson to bolt.

"It was a devastating conversation, a disappointing one, hard to swallow," Senators general manager Bryan Murray acknowledged. "But I understand a veteran player that hasn't won and wants to win and sees a better opportunity."

The Senators, though, got younger and perhaps better up front by acquiring Ryan. Ottawa sent forwards Jakob Silfverbeg, Stefan Noesen and its first-round pick in next year's draft to the Ducks for the four-time 30-goal scorer.

A lot of other teams also made moves to jockey for position in the parity-filled league:

?The Phoenix Coyotes, with a new owner, signed forward Mike Ribeiro to a four-year, $22 million contract.

?The New Jersey Devils signed forward Ryane Clowe to a five-year, $24.25 million contract, and forward Michael Ryder to a two-year, $7 million deal.

?The Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks re-signed defenseman Michal Rozsival, forward Michal Handzus and gave 40-year goalie Nikolai Khabibulin a one-year deal to replace Emery.

?The Pittsburgh Penguins reunited with defenseman Rob Scuderi by giving him a four-year $13.5 million deal.

?The New York Islanders re-signed goalie Evgeni Nabokov to a one-year, $3.25 million deal and defenseman Travis Hamonic to a seven-year, $27 million contract, and signed free-agent forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard to a one-year, $2 million contract.

___

AP Sports Writers Larry Lage in Detroit, Dan Gelston in Philadelphia and Rusty Miller in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-07-06-HKN-NHL-Free-Agency/id-e7ad4b6504b84036b6801a2e1ad87ba7

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Basingstoke medics saddle up for cancer centre

Basingstoke medics saddle up for cancer centre

8:54am Friday 5th July 2013 in Local By Chris Gregory

A TEAM of medics will be piling on the pedal power as they take on one of the toughest cycling challenges in the world to raise money for the new Ark Cancer Centre.

Hampshire hospitals orthopaedic surgeons Kevin Conn, Jonathan Hobby, and Toby Briant-Evans and colleagues anaesthetist Chris Seifert and cardiologist Jason Glover will take on the amateur race stage of the Tour de France on Sunday.

Kevin said: ?We just want to raise as much money as we can. Hopefully, all the hospital staff will really get behind us ? it?s all for a really good cause.?

The consultants will be joined by cycling friends and colleagues, and will be racing as the Ark Cyclists.

They have been training hard for the gruelling 128km ride across France, during which they will have to take on 3,000 metres of climbing over six categorised climbs.

Kevin added: ?What?s great about it is that we will be doing exactly the same route as the professionals will a couple of weeks later.

?It?s like a football fan getting to play at Wembley, or a rugby fan getting the chance to play at Twickenham.

?We are all at very different levels ? some of us have only been cycling for a year or so, so it will be tough.?

Toby Briant-Evans said: ?We are all excited about getting going. I?m sure it will be very different from our experiences in training ? one of the climbs lasts for an hour-and-a-half but we are excited about the challenge.?

The Ark Cancer Charity is raising ?5million through fund-raising which will go towards the creation of a ?13.5million cancer centre at a site to be identified near Basingstoke.

Merv Rees, a driving force behind the ambitious scheme, said he was thrilled the cyclists had agreed to take on the challenge. He added: ?They are doing something really quite special. I am enormously grateful to them.?

To sponsor the Ark Cyclists visit arkcyclists.co.uk.

Source: http://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/local/10529013.Basingstoke_medics_saddle_up_for_cancer_centre/?ref=rss

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Source: http://www.sofortkredite-24.eu/2013/07/05/how-uncomplicated-it-is-actually-to-start-out-web-home-based-business-opportunity/

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South American leaders demand apology in plane row

COCHABAMBA, Bolivia (AP) ? South America's leftist leaders rallied to support Bolivian President Evo Morales after his plane was rerouted amid suspicions that NSA leaker Edward Snowden was on board and demanded an apology from France, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

The presidents of Argentina, Ecuador, Suriname, Venezuela and Uruguay joined Morales in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba late Thursday to address the diplomatic row. Morales used the gathering to warn that he would close the U.S. Embassy in Bolivia if necessary.

Morales again blamed Washington for pressuring European countries to refuse to allow his plane to fly through their airspace on Tuesday, forcing it to land in Vienna, Austria, in what he called a violation of international law. He had been returning from a summit in Russia during which he had suggested he would be willing to consider a request from Snowden for asylum.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said Friday that his nation and other European countries were told Snowden was aboard the Bolivian presidential plane.

The minister did not say who supplied the information and declined to say whether he had been in contact with the United States. But he said European countries' reactions were based on this information. Garcia-Margallo insisted earlier that Spain did not prevent Morales' plane from landing in its territory.

Latin American leaders were outraged by the incident, calling it a violation of national sovereignty and a slap in the face for a region that has suffered through humiliations by Europe and several U.S.-backed military coups.

"United we will defeat American imperialism. We met with the leaders of my party and they asked us for several measures and if necessary, we will close the embassy of the United States," Morales said in the city where he started his political career as a leader of coca leaf farmers. "We do not need the embassy of the United States."

Morales' government has had a conflictive relationship with Washington.

It expelled the U.S. ambassador and agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in 2008 for allegedly inciting the opposition. The Andean nation restored full diplomatic ties with the U.S. in 2011. But relations soured again amid mutual distrust on drug war politics and hit an especially low point after Secretary of State John Kerry referred to the Western Hemisphere as Washington's "backyard" in April 2013.

Morales expelled the U.S. Agency for International Development in May for allegedly seeking to undermine his government.

In a joint statement read after the summit, the presidents also said they would back Bolivia's official complaint with the U.N. Human Rights Commission

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said that he and other leaders were offering full support to Morales following the rerouting of the plane, calling it an aggression against the Americas.

"We're not going to accept that in the 21st century there's first, second and third rate countries," Correa said.

"The leaders and authorities in Europe have to take a lesson in history and understand that we're not 500 years behind. This Latin America of the 21st century is independent, dignified and sovereign."

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro protested alleged attempts by Spanish officials to search the Bolivian presidential plane and accused the CIA of encouraging several European countries to deny the presidential plane their airspace.

"A minster of one of those European governments told me personally that it was the CIA who gave the order to the aeronautical authorities, the one who gave the alert that Snowden was on the plane," he said at a rally at a sports arena ahead of the summit. "The CIA is more powerful that governments."

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez said Latin Americans treasured freedom after fighting for their independence from Europe in the 19th century and then surviving Washington's 20th-century history of backing repressive regimes in the Americas.

She then demanded an apology for the plane ordeal.

"I'm asking those who violated the law in calm but serious manner, to take responsibility for the errors made, it's the least they can do," Fernandez said. "To apologize for once in their life, to say they're sorry for what they've done."

Morales has said that while the plane was parked in Vienna, the Spanish ambassador to Austria arrived with two embassy personnel and they asked to search the plane. He said he denied them permission.

Morales received a hero's welcome in an airport in the Bolivian capital of La Paz late Wednesday night. His return followed the dramatic, unplanned 14-hour layover in Vienna.

Ahead of the meeting, Morales said that his ordeal was part of a plot by the U.S. to intimidate him and other Latin American leaders and urged European nations to "free themselves" from the U.S.

France sent an apology to the Bolivian government. But Morales said "apologies are not enough because the stance is that international treaties must be respected."

Amid the tensions, the U.S. embassy in La Paz cancelled Independence Day celebrations scheduled for Thursday. In the eastern city of Santa Cruz, Bolivian government sympathizers painted protest slogans on the doors of the American consulate.

Morales said he never saw Snowden when he was in Russia, and that Bolivia had not received a formal request for asylum for him.

Bolivia has said that it will summon the French and Italian ambassadors and the Portuguese consul to demand explanations.

Despite the complaints, there were no signs that Latin America leaders were moving to bring Snowden to the region that had been seen as the most likely to grant him asylum.

Although Latin American presidents sympathized with Morales and condemned his ordeal, several key regional leaders missed the summit.

Brazil was represented at the meeting by President Dilma Rousseff's top international adviser but Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota missed the summit because he is attending meetings in Europe.

The presidents of Colombia, Chile and Peru, who have strong ties to the U.S., did not attend.

It's still unclear whether European countries did block the plane and, if so, why. French, Spanish and Portuguese officials have all said the plane was allowed to cross their territory.

The emergency stop in Austria may have been caused by a row over where the plane could refuel and whether European authorities could inspect it for signs of Snowden.

The U.S. has declined to comment on whether it was involved in any decision to close European airspace, saying only that "US officials have been in touch with a broad range of countries over the course of the last 10 days," about the Snowden case.

"The message has been communicated both publicly and privately," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday. "He should be returned to the United States."

Snowden remains out of public view, believed to be stuck in a Moscow airport transit area, seeking asylum from one of more than a dozen countries.

__

Associated Press writers Carlos Valdez and Paola Flores in La Paz, Bolivia, Vivian Sequera in Bogota, Colombia, Marco Sibaja in Brasilia, Brazil, Bradley Brooks in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Luis Andres Henao in Santiago, Chile contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-american-leaders-demand-apology-plane-row-055723020.html

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Lopez sings in human-rights-violating Turkmenistan

In a March 23, 2013, file photo Jennifer Lopez performs at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix. Jennifer Lopez sang ?Happy Birthday? to the leader of Turkmenistan during a performance DSaturday June 29, 2013, but her representative says had she known there were human rights issues in the country, she wouldn't have performed there at all.(Photo by Rick Scuteri/Invision/AP, file)

In a March 23, 2013, file photo Jennifer Lopez performs at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix. Jennifer Lopez sang ?Happy Birthday? to the leader of Turkmenistan during a performance DSaturday June 29, 2013, but her representative says had she known there were human rights issues in the country, she wouldn't have performed there at all.(Photo by Rick Scuteri/Invision/AP, file)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Jennifer Lopez sang "Happy Birthday" to the leader of Turkmenistan during a show, but her representative said she wouldn't have performed there at all if she had known there were human rights issues in the country.

The singer and actress performed in the former Soviet bloc country on Saturday night. A statement released Sunday by her publicist to The Associated Press said the event was hosted by the China National Petroleum Corp. and wasn't a political event.

However, the country's leader, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, did attend. Berdimuhamedow has been criticized for oppressive rule by human rights organizations. Human Rights Watch describes Turkmenistan as "among the most repressive in the world."

After a United Nations visit last month, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic said the country had made progress in the area of human rights, but "a lot more work is needed to complete this process and to ensure practice is in line with international standards."

Lopez's publicist says the event was vetted by Lopez's staff: "Had there been knowledge of human rights issues any kind, Jennifer would not have attended."

The birthday serenade was a last-minute request made by the corporation to Lopez before she took the stage, and she "graciously obliged," the statement said.

Lopez is the latest celebrity to face scrutiny for performing in countries or for leaders with human rights violations.

In 2011, Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank profusely apologized after attending a birthday party for Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who had been accused of torture and killings; she said she didn't have a full understanding of the event.

Beyonce, Nelly Furtado, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey and Usher were paid handsomely to perform at parties linked to the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. All later announced plans to donate their performance fees to charity and said they hadn't known the leader was connected to terrorism.

Lopez has no other performances scheduled in the country, her publicist said. Her performance fee wasn't disclosed.

___

Follow Nekesa Mumbi Moody at http://www.twitter.com/nekesamumbi

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-06-30-People-Jennifer%20Lopez/id-b9e4676ed69c4ae9a6bf7aab5646d898

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Jarrett, Braxton among 2014 NEA Jazz Masters

NEW YORK (AP) ? Pianist Keith Jarrett says "only music excites me, and awards and ceremonies do not." But the pianist says he feels honored to receive the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award, joining many past recipients who've influenced him.

The NEA announced Thursday that its 2014 Jazz Masters ? the nation's highest jazz honor ? also include avant-garde saxophonist-composer Anthony Braxton, bassist-educator Richard Davis, and educator Jamey Aebersold.

Jarrett was cited by the NEA for his work in both the jazz and classical fields. His latest release, "Somewhere," marks the 30th anniversary of his trio with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette. His recording of J.S. Bach's "Six Sonatas for Violin and Keyboard" with violinist Michelle Makarski is due out in September.

___

Online:

www.arts.gov/honors/jazz

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jarrett-braxton-among-2014-nea-jazz-masters-184947735.html

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Cruz gets big hit again, Rangers beat Cardinals

ST. LOUIS (AP) ? After rookie Martin Perez silenced the St. Louis Cardinals, his manager was non-stop with praise.

"I've always seen the stuff, but tonight was the first time I think he showed he's a big-league pitcher," Ron Washington said after the Texas Rangers' 4-2 victory Saturday night. "It can be a huge step, he just beat a pretty good team.

"He should be proud. I know we are."

Nelson Cruz got the decisive hit for the second straight game with a two-run homer in the third inning for the Rangers, who have won four of five after losing six in a row.

Fellow rookie Shelby Miller (8-5) allowed two homers for the second time in three starts and didn't make it out of the sixth against the team the Cardinals beat in the 2011 World Series, Texas was making its first regular-season visit to Busch Stadium.

"I'm not saying that if I make a better pitch I get them out, but both pitches were right down the middle, perfect pitches to hit," Miller said. "The first one was supposed to be in and the other one was supposed to be away, and both kind of ended up right down the middle of the plate."

A.J. Pierzynski also hit a two-run homer for Texas, which goes for a three-game sweep on Sunday night with Nick Tepesch (3-6, 4.84) facing Adam Wainwright (10-4, 2.37). The first two games have been sellouts and the finale was supposed to be a matchup of aces, but the Rangers are saving Yu Darvish for the Yankees Tuesday in New York.

They didn't want Perez to come up in New York, either.

Perez (1-1) was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock where he was 5-1 with a 1.75 ERA. The lefty allowed a run in each of the first two innings but gave up just two hits the next five innings and retired the last 10.

Though perhaps the Rangers' top prospect, Perez entered 1-5 with a 5.40 ERA with seven starts.

"I just had to do the same job I'm doing at Triple-A," Perez said. "The first two innings I missed a couple pitches but after that I just said 'OK, this is my game.'"

Joe Nathan wrapped up a game that had all of the scoring in the first three innings with a perfect ninth for his 24th save in 25 chances. The start of the game was delayed by rain 66 minutes. It was the second such delay this week.

Earlier Saturday, Washington said he felt good about Cruz's tiebreaking two-run single in the ninth on Friday because the Rangers need wins, and not because Cruz needed redemption. The Rangers were an out away from taking the '11 Series when Cruz misplayed David Freese's game-tying triple in Game 6.

Cruz snapped a 2-2 third-inning tie with a two-run homer, his 19th of the season to the opposite field in right. He also singled and has four hits and five RBIs the first two games of the series.

Miller departed after bouncing a throw to first on a sacrifice bunt by Perez that loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth. Fellow rookie Seth Maness got Ian Kinsler on a groundout to end the sixth.

Miller is 3-2 this month, the other loss coming when he gave up two homers and four runs on the road against the Mets. Manager Mike Matheny couldn't find fault with pitches that the right-hander left up.

"He lives there, that's where his success is, so that's one of those two-edged swords," Matheny said. "Most of the guys in the league have a tough time catching up to him. You don't see many guys that see him the first time able to square balls up the first pitch they see on the top of the zone."

The Cardinals have opened the scoring both games and took the lead on Allen Craig's RBI single in the first with Carlos Beltran just beating the relay to the plate from center fielder Leonys Martin.

The Rangers answered when Adrian Beltre doubled to open the second and Pierzynski lined the next pitch into the right field seats for his seventh homer. The Cardinals tied it in the bottom half when Freese tripled off the top of the wall in right-center and scored on Shane Robinson's sacrifice fly.

NOTES: St. Louis Rams general manager Les Snead threw the ceremonial first pitch. ... Tepesch is 0-2 with a 9.77 ERA in his last three starts, and Washington said he needs to develop trust in all of his pitches. ... Wainwright has worked at least seven innings six straight starts, going 5-1. ... Cardinals RHP Michael Blazek made his major league debut and struck out two in a perfect ninth. ... Yadier Molina was 0 for 4 to end a seven-game hitting streak, dropping his league-leading average to .366. He batted .423 (11 for 26) during the streak. ... Craig has 21 RBIs this month, his best month ever. ... Cruz has 11 RBIs the last six games with a .400 average (10 for 25).

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cruz-gets-big-hit-again-rangers-beat-cardinals-040419308.html

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Kenny Rogers to join Country Music Hall of Fame

By Vernell Hackett

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Veteran singers and songwriters Kenny Rogers, Bobby Bare and "Cowboy" Jack Clement will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, organizers said on Wednesday, achieving one of the highest honors in the music industry.

Rogers, 74, the husky-voiced three-time Grammy winner best known for songs like The Gambler" and "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town," will be inducted in the "Modern Era" category, the Country Music Association announced.

"Everything pales in comparison to this," Rogers said, tearing up because the honor came in his lifetime.

"My older sons thought I was already in here. Maybe now I can really impress them," he told Reuters, referring to his 8-year-old twin sons from his fifth marriage.

Rogers, a country-pop crossover artist who scored a big hit with the 1983 duet "Islands in the Stream" with Dolly Parton, has charted hit singles in each of the past six decades, and is due to play at the Glastonbury pop music festival in England in June.

Wednesday's three new inductees will bring membership of the Country Music Hall of Fame to 121 since its creation in 1961, including the likes of Parton, Elvis Presley, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Glen Campbell and Willie Nelson.

Bare, 78, was born in Ohio and moved to California, where he had a hit with "The All American Boy" in the pop field in 1959. He later moved to Nashville, was signed to a record deal by guitar player Chet Atkins, and went on to have hits with "Detroit City," and "500 Miles Away From Home."

"This is real huge," Bare said on Wednesday. "This is the culmination of a 19-year-old boy's dream who left Ohio to be a singer."

Clements, 82, is a producer and songwriter from Texas who moved to Memphis just as Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis, whom he discovered, were breaking into the music scene in the mid-1950s.

He persuaded George Jones to record one of his early hits, "She Thinks I Still Care," and also persuaded a record label to sign Charley Pride, one of the few African-American singers to make it big in the country music scene.

Clement, who also produced tracks in Memphis for U2's "Rattle and Hum" album, will be inducted as a non-performer in the ceremony to be held later this year at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant and Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kenny-rogers-join-country-music-hall-fame-185012854.html

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Sudan's army says kills 15 rebels, retakes part of South Darfur

CAIRO (Reuters) - Sudanese forces retook a southern part of the country's Darfur region after clashing with insurgents, killing 15, a military spokesman said on Tuesday, while rebels claimed victory in fighting in northern Darfur.

Spokesman Al-Sawarmi Khalid Saad said the army had repulsed an attack by rebels loyal to veteran fighter Minni Minawi on the Dubu area in South Darfur state, and the state news agency SUNA said government forces had reasserted control over the area.

Separately, a spokesman for the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction led by Abdel Wahed Mohamed al-Nur told Reuters that rebels had stormed and seized three military camps in North Darfur state, killing 64 soldiers.

Events in Darfur are hard to independently verify because of restrictions on media access to the region.

Conflict has torn Darfur since 2003 when mainly non-Arab rebels took up arms against the Arab-led government, accusing it of politically and economically marginalizing the region.

Violence has subsided from its peak in 2003 and 2004, but a surge has forced more than 130,000 people to flee their homes since the start of this year, according to the United Nations.

In 2008, the United Nations said about 300,000 people may have died in Darfur's war, a figure some activists said was too low. The Khartoum government has put the death toll at about 10,000.

(Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sudans-army-says-kills-15-rebels-retakes-part-185031921.html

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Xiaomi Phone 2S and 2A announced with MIUI v5, the former entering Hong Kong and Taiwan

After selling 7.19 million phones in China last year, Xiaomi is now one step closer to world domination with a new device that'll take it to new territories: the Xiaomi Phone 2S (or MI-2S). As the name and look (pictured left) suggest, this is pretty much the same device as the 4.3-inch Xiaomi Phone 2, except it comes with Qualcomm's newer Snapdragon 600 quad-core chip clocked at 1.7GHz, plus a beefed up camera of 13-megapixel resolution (with F2.2 aperture) on the 32GB model. The 16GB 2S, on the other hand, gets the same old 8-megapixel F2.0 imager. The rest of the hardware is the same old: 2GB RAM, 2,000mAH removable battery, 720p IPS display, dual-mic noise cancellation, 2-megapixel front-facing camera and WCDMA 850/1900/2100MHz radio (there's also a CDMA version for China Telecom).

Unlike the previous launch, the 16GB flavor of this phone is already in stock on the day of announcement and is ready for purchase in China today for ¥1,999 or about $320 unsubsidized. Actually, strike that -- apparently the first lot of 200,000 units promptly sold out (likely thanks to scalpers). Luckily, Xiaomi is finally tapping into the Hong Kong market via its xiaomi.hk website starting April 23rd, so chances are genuine buyers in Hong Kong won't have to compete against the machines from mainland China; and Taiwan customers will also be able to buy a 2S from either local carrier Far Eastone towards the end of this month, or from xiaomi.tw starting next month. No word on the availability of the 32GB model just yet, but it's already priced at ¥2,299 or about $370 unsubsidized.

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Armenian opposition cries foul as president is re-installed

By Hasmik Mkrtchyan

YEREVAN (Reuters) - Thousands of Armenians protested in Yerevan on Tuesday against the inauguration of President Serzh Sarksyan for a second term, saying that his re-election had been fixed.

Across town, Sarksyan said in his inauguration speech that developing the economy, ensuring the rule of law and deepening democracy were his top priorities, along with the peaceful resolution of a long-standing territorial dispute with Azerbaijan.

European monitors had said the February 18 election was generally well conducted, but bemoaned a lack of competition after leading opposition candidates pulled out fearing the outcome would be rigged. Sarksyan's tally of 58.6 percent was in line with opinion polls.

Tuesday's peaceful crowd of some 12,000 was the biggest of the intermittent protests since the election.

Demonstrators led by Raffi Hovannisian rallied in Yerevan's central Freedom Square as the inauguration was held a few kilometers (miles) away. Hovannisian came second to Sarksyan according to the official count, but insists he won the vote.

"We say 'No' to false oaths, 'no' to false presidents," Hovannisian, a U.S.-born former foreign minister, told supporters.

With security tight, demonstrators marched through the city after the rally but were stopped by police when they tried to approach the presidential administration building and turned back toward Freedom Square.

Late in the evening, Hovannisian and some 100 supporters were allowed to march towards Sarksyan's administration complex, but promised police not to spend long there. He said he would hold another protest on Friday.

Several protesters were briefly detained but there has been no repeat of the violence that erupted after round-the-clock protests following Sarksyan's first election in 2008. Eight activists and two police were killed in those demonstrations.

Foreign governments are watching for signs of instability in mostly Christian Armenia, a nation of 3.2 million that hosts a Russian military base and is at odds with its oil-rich, mainly Muslim neighbor Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The mountain territory is in Azerbaijan but has been controlled by ethnic Armenians since a war that ended in 1994 with a shaky truce.

There is still sporadic shooting and Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that an Azeri officer had been shot dead on Monday evening by a sniper near the "line of contact".

A military spokesman in the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh government called the Azeri statement "disinformation" and denied violating the truce.

Sarksyan said a peaceful settlement of the issue "will remain our priority for as long as necessary to arrive at a final solution", while also promising to "enhance the level of our security".

Years of mediation led by France, Russia and the United States have failed to resolve the dispute, and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev has not ruled out eventually resorting to force.

(Writing by Margarita Antidze; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/armenian-opposition-cries-foul-president-installed-193135784.html

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Syrian official: Car bomb in Damascus kills 15

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) ? A car bomb rocked a busy residential and commercial district in central Damascus on Monday, killing at least 15 people and sending a huge cloud of black smoke billowing over the capital's skyline, Syrian state-run media said.

The explosion came as U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said inspectors were ready to deploy within 24 hours to Syria to investigate reports of chemical weapon attacks but have not yet received permission from President Bashar Assad's government.

Monday's blast, described by state-run Syrian TV as a terrorist suicide bombing, went off near the Sabaa Bahrat Square, one of the capital's biggest roundabouts. The Syrian central bank, the state-run investment agency, a mosque and a school are located nearby.

The explosion also wounded at least 53 people, according to Syrian state TV.

It was the latest in a series of car bombs and suicide bombings to hit the Syrian capital in recent months as the two-year civil war becomes increasingly chaotic. The U.N. says the conflict has killed more than 70,000 people.

TV images showed thick black smoke billowing in a wide street with several cars on fire. At least six bodies were seen lying in the pavement. Paramedics carried a young woman lying on a stretcher, her face bloodied, into an ambulance.

Shaken teenage students holding their backpacks were seen walking away. The TV said the blast occurred near the Bukhari School.

According to the footage, the dead included a young man whose face was blown off by the force of the blast. Shortly after, another man is seen covering the victim's head with his T-shirt.

Nearby, several men are seen twisting the wreckage of a car, trying to rescue a man who appears motionless in the back seat of a car.

Fire fighters struggled to extinguish flames that engulfed the two buildings near the site of the explosion as well as a row of cars near the roundabout.

The last large explosion in central Damascus was on Feb. 22, when a suicide car bombing near the ruling Baath Party headquarters killed 53 people and wounded more than 200, according to state media.

Anti-regime activists at the time put the death toll at 61, which would make it the deadliest bombing in the capital in the two-year Syrian civil war.

Last month, a suicide bomb ripped through a mosque in the heart of the capital, killing a top Sunni Muslim preacher and outspoken supporter of Assad and 41 others in one of the most stunning assassinations of the war.

The violence has shattered the sense of normalcy that the Syrian regime has desperately tried to maintain in Damascus, a city that was until recently mostly insulated from the bloodshed and destruction that has left other urban centers in ruins.

The anti-Assad rebels launched an offensive on Damascus in July after a stunning bombing on a high-level government crisis meeting that killed four top regime officials, including Assad's brother-in-law and the defense minister. Following that attack, rebel groups that had established footholds in the suburbs pushed in, battling government forces for more than a week before being routed and swept out.

Since then, government warplanes have pounded opposition strongholds on the outskirts, and rebels have managed only small incursions on the city's southern and eastern sides.

Assad's government has asked the U.N. chief to investigate an alleged chemical weapons attack by rebels on March 19 on a village in northern Syria. Both the rebels and the regime traded blame for the alleged attack, which has not been confirmed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-official-car-bomb-damascus-kills-15-124221599.html

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NTSB: Pilot's texting contributed to copter crash

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Texting by the pilot of a medical helicopter contributed to a crash that killed four people, federal accident investigators declared Tuesday, and they approved a safety alert cautioning all pilots against using cellphones or other distracting devices during critical operations.

It was the first fatal commercial aircraft accident investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board in which texting has been implicated. And it underscored the board's worries that distractions from electronic devices are a growing factor in incidents across all modes of transportation ? planes, trains, cars, trucks and even ships.

While no U.S. airline crashes have been tied to electronic device use, the Federal Aviation Administration in January proposed regulations prohibiting airline flight crews from using cellphones and other wireless devices while a plane is in operation. The regulations are required under a law passed last year by Congress in response to an October 2010 incident in which two Northwest Airlines pilots overflew their destination of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport by 100 miles while they were engrossed in working on their laptops.

Regulations already in place prohibit airline pilots from engaging in potentially distracting activities during critical phases of flight such as takeoffs, landings and taxiing. In some cases, however, pilots are allowed to use tablet computers containing safety and navigation procedures known as "electronic flight bags," replacing paper documents.

The five-member board unanimously agreed that the helicopter crash was caused by a distracted and tired pilot who skipped preflight safety checks, which would have revealed his helicopter was low on fuel, and then, after he discovered his situation, decided to proceed with the fatal last leg of the flight.

The case "juxtaposes old issues of pilot decision making with a 21st century twist: distractions from portable electronic devices," said board Chairman Deborah Hersman.

The helicopter ran out of fuel, crashing into a farm field in clear weather early on the evening of Aug. 26, 2011, near Mosby, Mo., a little over a mile short of an airport. The pilot was killed, along with a patient being taken from one hospital to another, a flight nurse and a flight paramedic.

One board member, Earl Weener, dissented on the safety alert decision, saying the cases cited as the basis for it ? including the medical helicopter accident ? were the result of bad decisions by pilots without a direct connection to the use of distracting devices.

Other board members disagreed. "We see this as a problem that is emerging, and on that basis, let's try to get ahead of it," said board member Chris Hart.

The pilot, James Freudenberg, 34, of Rapid City, S.D., sent 25 text messages and received 60 more during the course of his 12-hour shift, including 20 messages exchanged during the hour and 41 minutes before the crash, according to investigators and a timeline prepared for the board.

Most of the messaging was with an off-duty female co-worker with whom Freudenberg had a long history of "frequent, intensive communications," and with whom he was planning to have dinner that night, said Bill Bramble, an NTSB expert on pilot psychology.

Three of the messages were sent, and five were received while the helicopter was in flight, although none in the final 11 minutes before it crashed, according to the NTSB timeline.

The helicopter was operated by a subsidiary of Air Methods Corp. of Englewood, Colo., the largest provider of air medical emergency transport services in the U.S. The company's policies prohibit the use of electronic devices by pilots during flight. Most airlines and other commercial aircraft operators have similar policies.

The board concluded Freudenberg was fatigued as well as distracted. He had slept only five hours the night before, and the accident occurred at the end of his 12-hour shift.

He was told when he came on duty that the helicopter was low on fuel. But later in the day he missed several opportunities to correct the fuel situation before he took off for a hospital in Bethany, Mo., the first leg of the trip. Among those missed opportunities were failing to conduct a pre-flight check and to look at the craft's fuel gauge. Shortly after takeoff, he radioed that he had two hours of fuel. He apparently realized his mistake later during the flight.

While waiting on the ground in Bethany for the patient and the medical crew, Freudenberg exchanged text messages as he was reporting by radio to a company communications center that the helicopter was lower on fuel than he had originally thought. He told the communications center he had about 45 minutes worth of fuel, which investigators said they believe was a lie intended to cover up his earlier omissions and that he was in jeopardy of violating federal safety regulations.

In fact, the helicopter had 30 minutes of fuel left, investigators said. Federal Aviation Administration regulations require 20 minutes of reserve fuel at all times.

With no other place nearby to refuel, Freudenberg opted to continue the patient transfer to a hospital in Liberty, Mo., changing his flight plan enough for a stop at an airfield 32 minutes away for fuel. The helicopter stalled and crashed 30 minutes later.

A low fuel warning light might have alerted him to his true situation, but the light was set on "dim" for nighttime use and may not have been visible. A pre-flight check by the pilot, if it had been conducted, should have revealed the light was set in the wrong position, investigators said.

The board also said Freudenberg failed after losing engine power to set the helicopter up for a maneuver called autorotation, which employs updrafts to keep the rotor turning and permit the craft to glide to the ground. However, investigators said the pilot had only 2 seconds to complete three steps necessary for autorotation.

Although the Freudenberg wasn't texting at the time of the crash, it's possible the messaging took his mind off his duties and caused him to skip safety steps he might have otherwise performed, said experts on human performance and cognitive distraction. People can't concentrate on two things at once; they can only shift their attention rapidly back and forth, the experts said. But as they do that, the sharpness of their focus begins to erode.

"People just have a limited ability to pay attention," said David Strayer, a professor of cognitive and neural science at the University of Utah. "It's one of the characteristics of how we are wired."

"If we have two things demanding attention, one will take attention away from other," he said. "If it happens while sitting behind a desk, it's not that big of a problem. But if you are sitting behind the wheel of a car or in the cockpit of an airplane, you start to get serious compromises in safety."

A text message ? especially one accompanied by an audible alert like a buzz or bell ? interrupts a person's thoughts and can be hard to ignore, said Christopher Wickens, a University of Illinois professor emeritus of engineering and aviation psychology. If the subject of the email is especially engaging, or especially emotional, that also makes it hard to ignore, he said.

The helicopter pilot didn't have a history of safety problems and was regarded as a good, safe pilot by his co-workers. He was a former Army pilot, and NTSB investigators said his actions on the day of the accident were apparently "out of character."

___

Follow Joan Lowy on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-04-09-Distracted%20Flying/id-2d0f4b41e861421297634ebadc6b01f7

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Red meat boosts gut bugs that raise heart disease risk

Red meat gives a boost to gut bugs that are bad news for your arteries. The discovery may explain why eating lots of meat increases the risk of heart disease.

Stanley Hazen at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute in Ohio and colleagues fed mice a diet high in carnitine, a nutrient found in large amounts in red meat and also added to energy drinks. The team found that this increased the incidence of atherosclerosis, a thickening of the artery walls.

However, when the researchers fed the same diet to mice with suppressed gut flora, they saw no increase in atherosclerosis.

A similar effect appears to exist in humans. The team studied a group of people undergoing cardiac evaluation, and found that those who had higher levels of carnitine in their blood also had a higher incidence of previous cardiac problems.

Bacteria boost

Some bacteria in the intestine use carnitine as an energy source, breaking it down and producing a waste product called trimethylamine (TMA). The liver converts this into another substance, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), which is excreted in urine.

In mice, high levels of dietary carnitine shifted the types of bacteria present in the gut and increased the volume of TMAO produced tenfold. "Imagine a Petri dish full of bacteria," says Hazen. "If you start feeding them carnitine, the ones that like carnitine more will reproduce and those that don't will decrease."

TMAO levels matter because the substance increases the uptake of "bad" cholesterol and prevents its destruction by macrophages ? white blood cells ? in artery walls. This causes a build-up of plaque that can lead to atherosclerosis.

In further tests, Hazen's team found that meat-eaters produced higher levels of TMAO than vegans or vegetarians after they were fed carnitine, suggesting that they had more TMA-producing bacteria in their gut. "I'm not telling people to cut out red meat," Hazens says. "But cut down the frequency and portion sizes."

Too much of a good thing

Carnitine has its good side: it transports fuel into mitochondria, a cell's powerhouses. "A bit like stoking a fire, carnitine shovels fatty acid into the mitochondrial furnace," says Hazen.

As our body makes all of the carnitine it needs, any additional intake ? for example, in energy drinks or commercially available carnitine supplements ? has no significant benefit. Evidence that increasing carnitine intake gives you more energy is weak, Hazen says. He adds that the new work suggests that taking carnitine supplements could in fact alter your metabolism to increase risk of cardiovascular disease.

"This is impressive work that may help to explain the association seen in epidemiological studies between red meat consumption and coronary heart disease," says David Leake at the University of Reading, UK, who studies atherosclerosis. "However it will require a lot more work to prove how important the role of TMAO is in cardiovascular disease in humans."

Hazen hopes to have a diagnostic test for TMAO ready by the end of the year so that doctors could monitor TMAO just like keeping tabs on high cholesterol. This will be useful if TMAO levels in the blood are indeed a precursor for the onset of atherosclerosis.

Journal reference: Nature Medicine, DOI: 10.1038/nm.3145

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JA Resorts and Hotels launches new offer for GCC travel agents | JA ...

The incentive provides GCC travel agents with the convenience of making bookings through their channel of choice with the incentive booking code and simply sending the details to a dedicated e-mail address. Bookings can be made on any meal plan and from 100 room nights, agents start receiving prizes.

The company will continue to promote this six-month incentive in April during a road show to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It will be the first regional road show the company heads under its new brand JA Resorts & Hotels, which it launched late last year.

"Our GCC business continues to grow and we believe this incentive will go some distance to thank our loyal agents and inspire new agents to book JA Resorts & Hotels properties," said Anabela Radosevic, Director of Sales & Marketing for the company. "We see GCC guests staying for longer periods than in the past, which is a positive indication of how they enjoy the properties and Dubai as a destination."

At the family beach resort JA Palm Tree Court, 100 nights get agents an iPad or 150 nights to receive gold. Situated within the award-winning Jebel Ali Golf Resort, the five-star beach hotel features 15 outlets and three children's clubs, along with several sports and leisure options such as deep-sea fishing, spa, horse riding, golf and clay shooting.

The Residence at JA Palm Tree Court is the resort's luxury villa, featuring a limited collection of one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites on the beachfront between lush, tropical gardens. Several special benefits are afforded to guests, including butler service, Signature Lounge and saltwater pool access, complimentary babysitting and kids' amenities. Agents get an iPad when booking 100 room nights in this exclusive luxury accommodation, or a diamond for 150 nights.

JA Oasis Beach Tower is already a firm favourite in the GCC and its two, three and four-bedroom deluxe apartments are ideal for large families. Bookings totalling 250 room nights during the applicable travel dates will win an agent an iPad, or gold for 300 room nights.

The travel and booking period for the incentive is from this month until August or September depending on the property. For more details and conditions, GCC travel agents can contact website. Agents can register at discover-ja.com for the company's e-learning programme.

Source: http://www.ameinfo.com/ja-resorts-hotels-launches-offer-gcc-336807

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Roger Ebert's funeral draws fans and the famous

By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, TODAY

Famous names, including Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois governor Pat Quinn were among those who eulogized film critic Roger Ebert at his funeral Monday at Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral. The Pulitzer Prize-winning movie critic died Thursday at age 70 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

John Gress / Reuters

Chaz Ebert watches as her husband Roger Ebert's casket is carried in to his funeral in Chicago.

Emanuel called Ebert, "the most American of American critics in the most American of cities." Emanuel said he always had two questions about any movie he wanted to see, "what time does it start and what did Roger think about it."

"The final reel of Roger's life may have run to the end, but his memory will never fade," said Emanuel.

Quinn recalled meeting the critic at his film festival, Ebertfest, and recalled how he always stood for social justice.

"We love you, Roger," Quinn said. "We always will. Thumbs up!"

Jonathan Jackson, son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, delivered thoughts from his father and also relayed comments from filmmaker Spike Lee. Jackson and Lee both praised Ebert for his attention to African-American film.?

Former Sun-Times publisher John Barron recalled Ebert's devotion to the newspaper industry, saying that being his boss was "the easiest job I ever had." Barron noted that "we at the Sun-Times were always proud to say we worked where Roger Ebert worked."

Ebert's stepdaughter Sonia recalled his love for her family, especially her children, saying "he embraced all of us as his own." Ebert married her mother, Chaz Hammelsmith, in 1992 at age 50. "Roger, I want to thank you for nothing more than being you and loving us," she said.

Ebert's widow also spoke, though she said that when she woke up she wasn't sure she'd be able to do so. "This morning I didn't want to get out of bed," she said. "And then it felt like he was there with me." Indicating her elaborate black veiled hat, she said "he loves this hat, that's why I wore it today."

John Gress / Reuters

Roger Ebert's widow, Chaz, spoke briefly at his funeral service and noted that the black veiled hat she wore was a favorite of her husband's.

Ebert's granddaughter, Raven Evans, read from the Book of Isaiah, and filmmaker Gregory Nava delivered the petitions. "A heart as great as Roger's can never die," Nava said.

The funeral homily made mention of Ebert's recent blog post, "How I Am A Roman Catholic," written as Pope Benedict gave way to Pope Francis. Movies "Vanilla Sky" and "The Hours" were also mentioned, as was "Silence," Shusaku Endo's 1966 novel about a Jesuit missionary in 17th century Japan.

"We believe for (Ebert) life has changed, not ended," said Rev. John Costello.

The public was welcome at the service, and the Sun-Times reported that young film critic Matt Fagerholm, who writes for HollywoodChicago.com, was first in line.

Fagerholm was a college student when he met Ebert. "Just being able to have him as a colleague and a friendly acquaintance was a huge honor," he told the newspaper.

Former CBS anchor Bill Kurtis and "Hoop Dreams" director Steve James, who is making a documentary on Ebert?s life, also attended, according to the Sun-Times. Columnist Richard Roeper, who co-hosted "At the Movies with Roger Ebert" after Gene Siskel's death, was among the pallbearers.

Ebert's website requested donations to the Ebert Foundation, a non-profit that supports arts and education programs, in lieu of flowers.?

Another memorial to Ebert will be held Thursday night at the Chicago Theatre, where the critic often attended movie screenings and where a sidewalk star honors him. That event will include clips from Ebert's television show and musical performances.

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?

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/04/08/17655384-at-roger-eberts-funeral-fans-and-the-famous-mingle?lite

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Six Americans Killed in Afghanistan Attacks (ABC News)

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Gang member arrested in corrections killing probe

DENVER (AP) ? A white supremacist prison gang member was arrested and another was still being sought for questioning Friday in the death of Colorado's prisons chief as authorities investigated whether the gang had any ties to the killing.

James Lohr, who has the words "Hard" and "Luck" tattooed where his eyebrows would be, was taken into custody early Friday in Colorado Springs. He was wanted for questioning in the slaying of Department of Corrections Director Tom Clements.

Authorities believe Lohr was in contact with gang associate Evan Ebel days before the killings of Clements and pizza delivery man Nate Leon. Police said they believe Ebel killed Leon and Clements less than a week before he died in a Texas shootout, but the motive is unclear.

Clements was shot to death March 19 in Monument, just north of Colorado Springs. Leon was killed two days earlier. His body was found in the Denver suburb of Golden.

Colorado Springs police arrested Lohr after a short foot chase that started when officers tried to stop the car he was driving, according to a statement. Lohr was booked on felony evading charges and also was held on three outstanding arrest warrants unrelated to the Clements case. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday.

Investigators said surveillance video from a business showed a firearm being thrown from Lohr's vehicle before his arrest. Two men are then shown spotting the gun and later returning to take it. Investigators said the men aren't in trouble, but investigators want to find them so the gun can be taken into evidence.

Authorities issued an alert Wednesday asking other law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for Lohr and Thomas Guolee, both of Colorado Springs, who were identified as 211 Crew members. Ebel was a member of the same gang.

Lohr, 47, and Guolee, 31, are not being called suspects in Clements' death, but their names surfaced during the investigation, El Paso County sheriff's spokesman Jeff Kramer said. Both were wanted on warrants unrelated to the Clements investigation.

Kramer has said it was possible that one or both of the men were headed to Nevada or Texas.

Guolee's mother, Deborah Eck, told The Denver Post that Guolee called her husband a week and a half ago to ask for a ride to the police station so he could turn himself in for what she believed was a parole violation. But she said they never heard back from him.

Police came to her house Wednesday looking for Guolee.

"One cop said if he would have turned himself in for violation of probation, he probably wouldn't be in the situation he was now," Eck told the newspaper.

Lohr has been wanted in Las Animas County in southeastern Colorado. He was arrested for violating a protection order in Trinidad on Dec. 1, 2012, after police found that he'd been drinking with friends at a tattoo shop. According to court documents, drinking was a violation of a protective order against him, and he was arrested. Lohr then failed to appear in court in that case Feb. 20, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Lohr has a shaved head in his booking photo. In addition to the words on his eyebrows, he has a shamrock ? a tattoo favored by some 211 Crew members ? near his right eye.

Lohr has a criminal record going back to 1992. In 1996, after he pleaded guilty to burglarizing a home, court records show he was ordered to have no contact with his estranged wife after she told police he repeatedly broke into her home and stole items to pawn.

In 2006, Lohr was charged with burglary with a weapon and assault causing serious bodily injury. Court records show those charged were dismissed because of a lack of evidence.

Court records show Guolee was arrested in 2001 after a member of the Crips gang told Colorado Springs police he was jumped by Guolee and another gang member because they believed he was a member of a rival gang. The witness told police Guolee and the other gang member punched and kicked him in the face and left him bleeding.

In 2007, Guolee was charged with assault and intimidating a witness while in the El Paso County jail after an inmate said he was assaulted by three men, including Guolee, because they thought he was going to testify against a suspect in another case. Authorities said the man was beaten so badly he could have been permanently disfigured.

The complete court records were not immediately available, so the outcome of some of those cases was unclear. Authorities also have not released the subject of Guolee's warrant.

On Thursday, Gov. John Hickenlooper announced a sweeping review of Colorado's prison and parole operations, as more evidence piled up showing how Ebel slipped through the cracks in the criminal justice system to become a suspect in Clements' death.

Ebel was released from prison four years early due to a clerical error and violated his parole terms five days before the prisons chief was killed.

Officials said the state will audit inmates' legal cases to ensure they are serving the correct amount of time. They'll ask the National Institute of Corrections to review the state's parole system, which is struggling under large caseloads.

Colorado lawmakers also are considering spending nearly $500,000 to hire more parole officers because of what happened with Ebel.

Ebel was killed in a shootout with Texas authorities March 21. Investigators have said the gun he used in the shootout also was used to kill Clements when the prisons chief answered the front door of his home.

Ebel has been the only suspect named in Clements' death. Investigators have said they're looking into the gang he joined in prison and whether it was connected to the attack, among other possible motives.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gang-member-arrested-corrections-killing-probe-022239478.html

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