Thursday, October 1, 2009

“Read Comments(34) - Alexandria Daily Town Talk” plus 4 more

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“Read Comments(34) - Alexandria Daily Town Talk” plus 4 more

Read Comments(34) - Alexandria Daily Town Talk

Posted: 01 Oct 2009 10:09 AM PDT

PINEVILLE -- A fatal wreck Wednesday afternoon on the Cottingham Expressway in Pineville was described by some police officers as among the worst ever seen. The two-vehicle collision split a car in two, killing a man and a woman. Traffic was tied up for hours.

A few hours after the 1:45 p.m. crash, traffic remained backed up for miles as vehicles were diverted from the scene. Even after the expressway was re-opened, traffic crawled over Alexandria-Pineville bridges crossing the Red River.

Witnesses described the crash scene as "chaotic" and "horrifying." The driver and passenger in a Honda car were killed when they were hit head-on by a pickup truck that crossed over the expressway's median, authorities said.

The passenger in the Honda was ejected as the vehicle was split in two from the front to the back upon impact.

Killed in the crash were Barbara Fry, 60, of Pollock, and Louis Tyner, 64, of Pollock. The driver of the truck that hit the car splitting it in two was Jeffery Deville, 48, of Deville. Gregory Reeves, 49, of Deville, was a passenger in the truck.

Pineville Police Lt. Darrell Basco said the truck was traveling south on the Cottingham Expressway (U.S. Highway 167), that is commonly referred to as the Pineville Expressway, and hit the guardrail on the Wadley Street overpass. It was unclear late Wednesday afternoon what happened to cause the Ford F-350 dualie to hit the guardrail.

After the truck passed the end of the guardrail, it crossed over the median and into the northbound lane, hitting the car head-on, police said. Wreckage from the crash was strewn over a wide area.

Both the driver and the passenger of the car were pronounced dead at the scene. At one point, a large tarp was placed over the wreckage of the vehicle.

The truck's driver suffered minor injuries, police said.

Meanwhile, traffic backed up as motorists tried to find routes around the accident. Some reports nearly three hours after the wreck had traffic backed up to the Alexandria International Airport exit on Interstate 49.

Traffic also was at a standstill as vehicles were diverted to the Gillis Long and O.K. Allen bridges. By 3:40 p.m., all roads and bridges were reopened except for the expressway service road, which remained closed until about 6 p.m.

Basco said officers would work into the evening to reconstruct the wreck. Standard drug and alcohol screenings were pending, and no citations had been issued as of Wednesday afternoon.

Alexandria Police said traffic backups caused several minor wrecks in the city, including one involving a motorcyclist run over around 3:45 p.m. on the Enterprise Road overpass. The man suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to an area hospital by ambulance.

Just before 5 p.m. rush hour traffic, Alexandria officers were directing traffic away from the Purple Heart Memorial Bridge that leads to the expressway to help alleviate the huge backup of traffic, even though the bridge was open.



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Wak wants wins – and to see more of the kids - Tacoma News Tribune

Posted: 01 Oct 2009 09:48 AM PDT

SEATTLE With five games left at the time he was asked, what did Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu hope to accomplish this week?

The obvious, of course win as many games as possible.

But Wakamatsu also wanted to see a group of the organizations young players at least one more time:

Id still like to get (catcher) Adam Moore playing, get Matt Tuiasosopo another game, he said. Michael Saunders is playing in left field (Wednesday) and Id like to get him one more before this years out.

There are also players Wakamatsu doesnt need to see again. Like pitcher Carlos Silva.

If the game dictates it, well give him another inning or so. He has committed to play winter ball, Wakamatsu said.

And will utilityman Bill Hall batting .211 with 45 strikeouts in 114 at-bats be seen at third base or shortstop again this season? Probably not.

Theres several things we can do, whether its shortstop or third base, but looking into next year weve got plenty of time to transition into that if need be, Wakamatsu said.

Now that hes seen most of the minor league talent in the system, whats Wakamatsus take on 2010?

I think youre seeing most of what we have at the upper levels here now. We have a lot of talent at the A-ball level, he said. Were looking at going into next year, depending on what Jack Zduriencik does, with a lot of younger players with experience in some big games. Adam Moore has caught some extra-inning games already, Tuiasosopo has gotten an opportunity to play against some good competition, and Saunders has over 100 at-bats up here.

You look at (Doug) Fister and (Ian) Snell, just the fact that a we have a much better idea of what we have from down below is critical.

Felix feathers his cap

Felix Hernandez will make his 34th start of the season Sunday, looking for his 19th win.

He has already matched Erik Hansons all-time franchise single-season strikeout mark among right-handed pitchers (211). Ahead of them are nine seasons of more strikeouts by lefties Randy Johnson and Mark Langston.

When Hernandez starts Sunday, hell be watched carefully for signs of fatigue after his 120-pitch outing Tuesday but wont begin the day on a pitch count.

Short hops

Shortstop Jack Wilson is officially done for the season, which is hardly a surprise. Hes missed the last 10 games with a bone bruise on his right heel, and not even frequent physical therapy last week when he didnt travel with the team has helped much. Wilson is still limping in the clubhouse. ... When Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 17th home run Tuesday, it was just his second hit in his last 17 at-bats. With eight walks in his last 10 games, however, Junior leads the club with 61 walks this season. ... Since 1995, the Mariners winning percentage in their final home stand of the season a total of 90 games is .622.

On tap

Seattle concludes its series with Oakland with a 7:10 p.m. game today that will be televised on FSN. Probable starting pitchers: Brett Anderson (11-10, 4.12 ERA) vs. Doug Fister (2-4, 4.50).

larry.larue@thenewstribune.com

blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners



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DOT awards area highway contracts - Asheville Citizen-Times

Posted: 01 Oct 2009 10:31 AM PDT

ASHEVILLE — Workers will repair the travel surfaces of 20 highway bridges in Buncombe and Madison counties under a $3.8 million contract that is one of four highway contracts the state Department of Transportation announced today.

The bridges are on U.S. 19-23-70, Interstate 40, Interstate 240, Meadowtown Road and Island Road. Lanford Brothers Co. of Roanoke, Va., will do the work starting as soon as Oct. 26 and finishing by Aug. 15 of next year.

The contract will be funded by federal stimulus money. Other contracts announced, and paid for by regular highway funds, are for:

Widening, repaving and installing guardrails along half a mile of N.C. 226 in northern McDowell County, starting approximately 2.3 miles north of the N.C. 226/N.C. 226-A intersection. The contract with Hunter Construction Group of Mooresville is for $1.7 million and the completion deadline is Nov. 15, 2010.

Replacement of the bridge on N.C. 226 over Jacktown Creek on Marions southeast side. The contract with Clark Ledbetter Grading & Hauling of Shelby is for $928,532 and the completion deadline is Dec. 31, 2010.

Replacement of the bridge over Mud Creek and repaving approaches on Crail Farm Road/Middletown Road just south of Hendersonville. The contract with Tennoca Construction Co. of Candler calls for work to begin as early as next March and be completed by July 15.



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Bumpy season for Sounders' Evans since Gold Cup - Tacoma News Tribune

Posted: 01 Oct 2009 09:48 AM PDT

June 25 seemed to be a breakthrough day in Brad Evans soccer career.

That was when the Sounders FC midfielder was called for the first time to the U.S. mens national team, in advance of its July 4 CONCACAF Gold Cup game at Qwest Field. But in retrospect, it hasnt been the kind of turning point he might have expected.

Evans saw limited playing time with the national team: appearing in three of six Gold Cup games for a total of 118 minutes, with all but one of those minutes coming in the first three games.

Later, when he returned to Sounders FC, he found his role had been reduced there, too.

Before leaving for national team duty, Evans ranked second on the club in minutes played. Since returning, he has dropped to fourth, changed positions, then changed back, and has been in and out of the starting lineup.

Up until that point that I left, it was a good routine and my body felt comfortable, Evans said. And then I kind of got off that routine, I think; and I think thats why. Maybe playing out of position was a little bit suspect. I think most importantly it was just getting out of that routine. With the national team it was tough because we were traveling so much, and I wasnt really playing with them. So it was more the practices that I experienced: two days before a game, the day before a game. (Those) arent really intense practices, whereas its got to be intense for me. If that was the case, then that was the case ... but I feel good now.

Before leaving for the national team, Evans had started at midfield in every Sounders game for which he was healthy. But when he joined the national team, he was switched mostly to defense.

When he returned to Seattle, he started one game at midfield, then one on defense, then went back to midfield where he sometimes found himself on the bench behind veteran Peter Vagenas.

Vagenas in midfield is a very good organizer, so sometimes you need players on the field who make the players next to them better, coach Sigi Schmid said last week. (Evans and I) have talked. Hes a very important player to our team. ... Hes always someone that we consider for (the starting lineup).

Evans was a midfield starter Saturday, when the Sounders fell at New England, 2-1.

I feel happy about my performance the last couple of weeks, he said Tuesday. I feel better in practice, and Im getting good feedback.

Evans hopes to be back on the pitch Saturday when the Sounders visit the league-leading Columbus Crew Evans team in his previous two seasons.

In his first season at Columbus, the Crew missed the playoffs. In his second, the Crew won the MLS Cup.

Evans played a key role in that championship run. Four of his six goals last season were game-winners, including one in the playoffs. And he started all four playoff games, including the final.

Now, he says this game is important to him, because hes gotten a taste of trophies and he wants to experience it in Seattle.

Its just a really important game for us, Evans said. I dont remember the playoff race being tight the past two years that Ive been involved. So, weve got to take advantage and get as many points as we can.

Don Ruiz, 253-597-8808

don.ruiz@thenewstribune.com

blog.thenewstribune.com/soccer



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A status report on Michigan's next state budget - Battle Creek Enquirer

Posted: 01 Oct 2009 09:41 AM PDT

Michigan lawmakers missed a midnight Wednesday deadline to balance the states budget by eliminating a projected $2.8 billion deficit, opting instead for an interim one-month budget. The Legislature had been moving toward that goal without tax increases, opting instead for cuts and the use of federal stimulus money. But a full-year plan was out of reach after a standstill on the most contentious cuts.

A status report:

INTERIM BUDGET: Gov. Jennifer Granholm has signed an interim budget after it was passed by both the Democratic-led House and Republican-led Senate, ending a partial state government shutdown of about two hours.

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS: The Legislature has voted to eliminate funding for the Michigan Promise scholarship. About 96,000 college students expected to get $1,000 this academic year under the program that gives them up to $4,000 for college. The House passed a separate bill to restore the program with $120 million, but it identifies no funding source making it unlikely to pass the Senate.

K-12 SCHOOLS: Schools would lose the equivalent of $218 per student under a proposal that had not passed either chamber. Some lawmakers want to lessen that cut by spending some stimulus money that is supposed to be saved for the 2011 fiscal year.

POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES: Tax revenue-sharing payments that help local governments pay for public safety and other programs would be cut by 11 percent under a bill passed by the Senate and House. A separate measure passed by the House would provide nearly $74 million to restore most of the cut, but also identified no funding source.

HEALTH CARE: The Department of Community Health budget approved by the House and Senate would cut Medicaid reimbursement rates to doctors and other providers by 8 percent. The House passed a separate bill that would provide nearly $32 million to lessen the cuts, but no funding source was specified.

LIBRARIES: Both the House and Senate voted to cut aid to local libraries by $4 million, or 40 percent. A House bill would restore the money but no revenue source was identified.

PRISONS: Both chambers approved a plan that would carry out previously announced prison and camp closings. Some food services could be contracted out to private bidders. Parole funding would be increased because more prisoners are being released after completing their minimum sentences.

STATE POLICE: A budget that would provide some funding for the Michigan State Police to move into a new Lansing headquarters was approved by the Senate and House.

CONSERVATION: The states wetland protections program would stay intact under a bill that has passed both chambers. Granholm had recommended transferring the program to the federal government to save about $2 million annually.

WELFARE/HUMAN SERVICES: The Legislature used one-time federal money which may not be available in the future to avoid proposed cuts to Michigans funding for welfare recipients.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES: A bill sparing community colleges from big cuts passed both chambers. Lawmakers did not have much flexibility because of rules associated with receiving federal stimulus money.

TRANSPORTATION: The Legislature passed a bill cutting about $10 million to public transportation including Amtrak. It limits the amount set aside for the Detroit River International Crossing to $2.5 million and bans any activities committing the state to building a new public Canada-U.S. bridge in addition to the private one already there.

AGRICULTURE: Both chambers passed a bill trimming 14 percent from a program that donates fruits and vegetables to the hungry. Horse racing programs would get 19 percent less funding.

COURTS: The Legislature has approved a budget that cuts funding for mental health court pilot programs and restricts out-of-state travel for judicial branch employees.

LABOR: The Legislature has passed a bill that cuts the states Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth by about 20 percent. Much of that likely will be replaced by federal stimulus cash, including money for the states No Worker Left Behind job retraining program.

MILITARY/VETERANS AFFAIRS: Both chambers voted to cut $1 million, or 25 percent, of funding for the American Legion and other veterans service organizations that help them file claims for pension and disability benefits.



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