Are you a hardcore football fan-atic? If so, this site should be right up your alley. Learn about the NFL football stadiums throughout the county.
This site includes the news headlines, development plans, team relocations and more.
You can compare stadiums by seating capacity, cost, and the date they were built. Don’t forget to check the seating charts if you’re to purchase tickets for a football game.
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Don’t become a statistic. Know how to handle winter weather on the road.
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Police work is stressfull so officers and deputies need to develop hobbies and other diversionary activities. When was the last time you read a good book? Remember the classics that your English teacher tried to get you to read? Well maybe it is time to revisit them. Things can be a lot more fun when you are not “forced” to do them. What’s even better is since you have a computer, you can get many of the books for free.
Just surf on over to Planet PDF. You’ll find a bunch of books that are free to download. There are a wide variety of books to choose from including such great works as Oliver Twist, Around the World in 80 Days, Aesop’s Fables or Alice in Wonderland.
All of the books are all in PDF format, so you’ll need a PDF reader like the free Adobe Reader. Just put the books on your computer or laptop.
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Well, the time has finally arrived to give little Suzy or Johnny their own e-mail address. However, you may not be comfortable giving them a normal e-mail address since you may not want them to view the pornography and other spam the regularly arrive in a normal e-mail account. You may want to consider an e-mail program that has an approved list.
The way an e-mail system with an approved list works is, you and your child enter a list of the addresses from which he or she can accept e-mail. Your newest family geek will have to collect the e-mail addresses of his or her friends. Don’t forget to include the addresses of other family members, teachers and other “approved” adults.
Once you have everything set up, e-mail from anyone who is not on the list will be routed to a junk folder. Just check the junk folder periodically to be sure important e-mails aren’t being mistakenly sent to the junk folder.
You can setup this type of accounts using Hotmail or America Online’s AIM Mail, which are both are free.
If you’re a new iPod owner or simply need a refresher course on how to get the most out of your iPod, check out this site. The iPod 101 site is your guide to everything you can do with your iPod, iPod nano, iPod mini, or iPod shuffle.
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If you want to watch some entertaining video, check out these archived films. There are a wide variety of open source movies and video clips. I typed in the seach term “Drugs” and got to watch the educatonal drug videos from 1951. Did you know that the “Reds” may have introduced drugs into the U.S. to undermine our morale. Being from Pittsburgh, I never did trust though people in Cincinnati.
This will be a fun site to visit during the snowed in winter days.
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Microsoft has templates for Christmas cards that you can download and customize. In addtion to a variety of other templates, they have templates for a family newsletter (I know – I hate those things too).
Holiday Clips, Templates, and How-To Articles
You may want to check out these sites for Christmas card templates:
Most of you know that I spend the better part of my waking hours on or near a computer. I have been a big proponent of on-line commerce for a long time and I love the convenience of shopping from home and having my purchases delivered to me. I don’t mind going to the mall – I just don’t like paying high prices or fighting a bunch of people for a sale.
The other day my son arrived home from college in his 1996 Honda Accord. Somehow, the plastic connectors that hold the left running/turn signal light in place had gotten broken and the light was getting ready to fall out. (I think the inspection station may have actually broken them but who knows.) Since I know that these light housing units can be expensive, I started calling the junk yards to try to get a used one. Of course finding used Honda parts is a tough task since they are built so well that most of them are still on the road. So as you might expect, no one had the part in stock and they required me to prepay ($25) before they would order one. That meant I had to pay for the part plus make two trips to get it.
Suddenly it dawned on me to check the internet. A couple minutes later I had located several on-line used auto parts websites. I found the part, which including shipping to my house, would cost me $17. Six days later the part arrived and it actually looks like it is new, no dirt, grease or scratches. I don’t know why I had never thought of shopping for use parts on the internet before but I will definitely use it in the future. I thought I would mention website that I used in case you want to give it a try the next time you need a used part.
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A lot of the information that is used in media reports come from reports that are generated by think tanks and government agencies.
Trying to find the actual referenced report can be a real challenge though. Just navigating some of the government websites can give you that Indiana Jones feeling.
So why not do what I always try to do…..let someone else do the hard work. Just go to DocuTicker to find information on a wide range of topics that is updated daily by the folks who know what they are doing, librarians.
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Law enforcement officer frequently are the first line to come in contact with citizens in need of fuel assistance. Officers and deputies should be aware that, in response to higher fuel costs, additional assistance will be available this year through a public/private cooperative effort.
Governor Warner today announced three significant actions by the state government and private sector to help low-income Virginians bracing for significant and unexpected increases in winter home energy prices, highlighted by a historic $18 million state supplement to the expected $30 million Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) federal grant that Virginia will receive this fiscal year.
The $17.9 million state supplement announced today, coupled with voluntary efforts approaching $3 million announced by several major Virginia utilities, is the first ever state and private sector supplement to the federal heating assistance program. The aid will boost the winter energy assistance available to Virginians on limited or fixed incomes by 70%, to a combined $51 million. The Governor also ordered new energy conservation measures throughout state government to reduce winter heating costs and save taxpayer dollars.
Low Income Heating Assistance
According to the federal government, natural gas prices will increase by an average of 48 percent this winter; heating oil costs will increase by an average of 32 percent; propane costs will increase by an average of 30 percent.
There are three key programs under the LIHEAP umbrella to assist low-income people with heating costs.
* The fuel program pays a lump sum towards winter heating bills for low-income people starting in December. This is the largest program, and Governor Warner is taking action to provide $13.6 million in state general funds to supplement the $18.9 in anticipated federal funds, for a total funding of $32.5 million.
* The application period has now ended, and applications are still are being processed by local social services officials, but it appears requests for assistance have increased 13% over last year. In fiscal year 2004, 113,000 Virginia households applied for LIHEAP assistance, and about 100,000 met income eligibility requirements, with that assistance averaging about $220 per household. Year-to-date, 125,000 households have applied for LIHEAP assistance, and officials estimate 113,000 ultimately will be approved.
* The crisis program helps deal with emergency situations outside of the normal fuel assistance application cycle, if someone’s furnace malfunctions and needs repair or if someone needs help paying a bill. Governor Warner is adding an additional $1.3 million in state general funds to this program, to supplement the anticipated $5.2 million in federal funds.
* The Governor also announced steps to provide additional assistance to the weatherization program, which helps make the homes of low-income people more energy efficient to help hold down their bills going forward. The Governor will provide about $2.1 million in additional funds to supplement the $10.2 million in federal funds for the Weatherization Program, for a total of $12.3 million. This funding will cover the costs for weatherizing 500 additional homes.
Private Sector Assistance
Overall, the Governor’s funding package for low-income heating assistance is $17.9 million, a historic investment by the state. Since this is not a problem for government alone to solve, Governor Warner reached out to leaders of Virginia’s major utility companies to encourage voluntary efforts to assist low and fixed income Virginians.
* Dominion Resources has committed $1 million companywide to supplement its customer contributions to its Energy Share Program, the majority of which will be distributed in their primary service area in Virginia.
* Virginia’s electric cooperatives have stepped up by doubling their contribution to low income heating assistance from $600,000 to $1.2 million.
* Virginia Natural Gas has increased its typical yearly giving from $70,000 to $300,000. Virginia Natural Gas has also been very innovative in working through the faith-based community, such as its partnership with the Salvation Army, to help get this assistance to the people in its service territory that need it.
* Columbia Gas of Virginia has stepped up with $170,000, $100,000 over four years to the state’s Weatherization Program and $70,000 to assist low income customers, a 40 percent increase.
* Roanoke Gas has doubled its contribution to assist low-income customers to $20,000.
* Appalachian Power will double its contributions to matching customer donations to energy assistance, from $37,500 to $75,000.
* Alleghany Power, working with not-for-profits like the Salvation Army, will more than double its energy assistance from $15,000 to $32,000.
On January 11, 2006, at 11 a.m. ET, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will air the 2-hour videoconference ?Communities Respond to Youth Gangs in America.?
The videoconference program, which may be viewed via satellite downlink or on the Internet, will feature community programs and strategies that effectively address the problem of youth gangs. It will explore strategies to leverage resources, provide examples of partnerships across disciplines, highlight innovative strategies, and share information on faith-based responses and neighborhood efforts.
The broadcast is designed for anyone interested in addressing youth gangs, including school personnel, school resource officers/G.R.E.A.T officers, law enforcement professionals, local Boys & Girls Club staff, youth development professionals, probation and corrections officers, prosecutors and court personnel, researchers, elected officials, and youth leaders.
Resources:
To access further information and register online, visit http://www.trc.eku.edu/jj.
For technical questions about receiving this videoconference, please visit http://www.trc.eku.edu/jj/faq.html. You may also e-mail questions to gangsconference@aol.com.
STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR WARNER
ON THE CLEMENCY PETITION OF ROBIN LOVITT
RICHMOND – Governor Mark R. Warner today issued the following statement regarding the request for clemency in the case of Robin McKennel Lovitt:
“Mr. Lovitt was convicted by a jury in 1999 of robbery and the capital murder of Clayton Dicks. The death sentence imposed on Mr. Lovitt has been reviewed and affirmed by several courts, including the Supreme Court of Virginia, the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. In reviewing this clemency request, I found no fault with the judgment of the jury, or with prosecutors and defense counsel, and I am acutely aware of the tragic loss experienced by the Dicks family.
“I believe clemency should only be exercised in the most extraordinary circumstances. Among these are circumstances in which the normal and honored processes of our judicial system do not provide adequate relief – circumstances that, in fact, require executive intervention to reaffirm public confidence in our justice system.
“The Commonwealth is legally obligated to maintain physical evidence until a defendant has exhausted every legal post-trial remedy in the case. However, evidence in Mr. Lovitt’s trial was destroyed by a court employee before that process could be completed. I believe the courts have correctly ruled that the law requiring the maintenance of such evidence does not provide relief for a defendant in Mr. Lovitt’s circumstances. However, in this case, the actions of an agent of the Commonwealth, in a manner contrary to the express direction of the law, comes at the expense of a defendant facing society’s most severe and final sanction. The Commonwealth must ensure that every time this ultimate sanction is carried out, it is done fairly.
“After a thorough review, it is my decision that Robin Lovitt should spend the rest of his life in prison with no eligibility for parole.”
Victim: Clayton Dicks
Murderer: Robin Lovitt
Date/Location of Murder: November 18, 1998, Arlington County
Aggravating Factor: Robbery
Execution Date: January 7, 2004
Supreme Court of Virginia
Robin McKennel Lovitt vs. Warden, Sussex I State Prison
Record No. 012663
September 12, 2003
http://www.courts.state.va.us/txtops/1012663.txt
(excerpted summary of case facts below)
In the early morning hours of November 18, 1998, Clayton Dicks was stabbed six times in the chest and back while working during the overnight shift at Champion Billiards Hall (the pool hall) in Arlington County.
A few months before the killing, Lovitt worked as a cook at the pool hall on an evening shift that ended when Dicks arrived to begin the overnight shift. Amy Hudon, the manager at the pool hall, testified that about two months before Dicks was killed, she had trouble opening a cash register drawer near a pool table and asked Lovitt to help her open the drawer. Lovitt opened it by “wedging” a pair of scissors into the drawer’s latch. About two months before the killing, Lovitt quit working at the pool hall.
On November 18, 1998,] Dicks arrived at the pool hall between 1:30 and 2:00 a.m. The other employees present when Dicks arrived had left the pool hall by 3:00 a.m., leaving Dicks as the sole employee on the premises. . . .
About 3:25 a.m., Jos? N. Alvarado and Carlos Clavell entered the pool hall and saw two men arguing behind the bar. Alvarado testified that one man was shorter than the other, and that the shorter man repeatedly shoved the taller man, who was wearing an apron. Alvarado stated that he and Clavell watched as the shorter man stabbed the taller man six or seven times with a silver-colored weapon.
Alvarado saw blood on the taller man’s apron and watched as the taller man fell to the floor behind the bar. Clavell testified that he heard the taller man begging the shorter man to stop attacking him. Both Alvarado and Clavell saw the assailant repeatedly kick the man who had fallen to the floor. Alvarado and Clavell immediately ran from the pool hall to a service station, where Alvarado telephoned the “911” emergency response number and reported what they had seen. Although Alvarado could not identify Lovitt as Dicks’s assailant at the preliminary hearing held in this case, Alvarado testified at trial that he was about “80% certain” that Lovitt was the assailant.
When police and emergency medical personnel arrived at the pool hall in response to Alvarado’s telephone call, they found Dicks lying on the floor behind the bar in a pool of blood. Dicks was alive but was unable to speak and was taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital. The multiple stab wounds prevented his heart from functioning, and he died while awaiting surgery.
Dicks had been stabbed six times, five times in the chest and once in the back. Four of these wounds were lethal. Dicks also suffered two areas of internal hemorrhage on both sides of his head, as well as external abrasions on both shoulders and on his left knee missing. A police canine unit found an orange-handled pair of scissors bearing blood lying open in the woods about 15 yards behind the pool hall.
Warren A. Grant, Lovitt’s cousin, testified that Lovitt arrived at Grant’s home in the early morning hours of November 18, 1998. Grant lived about a quarter of a mile from the pool hall in a residential area located on the “other side” of the woods. Grant stated that Lovitt knocked on his door sometime between 1:30 and 3:00 a.m. Lovitt entered the house carrying what looked like a large, square, gray metal box. After Lovitt unsuccessfully tried to open the locked box, Grant eventually opened it by using a screwdriver to “pop” some of the screws securing the box. Lovitt removed money from the opened cash register drawer and divided the cash between himself and Grant. Lovitt left the cash register drawer with Grant and instructed him to “[g]et rid of [it].” A few days later, Grant began cutting the cash drawer into pieces with tin snips and put them in a bag. . . . .
On November 20, 1998, Arlington Detective Noel E. Hanrahan obtained pieces of the cash register drawer from Grant. Four days later, Lovitt was arrested and charged with the present offenses. . . . When Officer Stephen Ferrone collected Lovitt’s clothing at the jail, Ferrone asked a detective whether he needed to seize Lovitt’s jacket. Ferrone testified that, upon hearing this question, Lovitt stated, “I wasn’t wearing it when it happened.”
Julian J. Mason, Jr., a forensic scientist employed by the Virginia Division of Forensic Science, qualified as an expert witness on the subject of tool mark identification. He testified that the cash register drawer Grant surrendered to the police had been removed from the broken cash register found on the floor of the pool hall. Mason also stated that the pry marks on the cash register drawer were made by the scissors that were found in the woods behind the pool hall.
She also extracted blood from three small circular areas on the left front side of Lovitt’s jacket, but the DNA tests were inconclusive and Palmer was unable to determine whether the blood on the jacket was human. . . .
. . . The DNA extracted from the tip of the scissors displayed a DNA profile that matched the DNA profile of Dicks. The profile derived from this sample did not match the DNA profiles of either Lovitt or Grant, thus eliminating both as contributors of this DNA. Palmer stated that the chance of someone other than Dicks contributing the DNA sample on the tip of the scissors was 1 in more than 5.5 billion.
The DNA extracted from the mid-section of the scissors also matched the DNA profile of Dicks. However, Palmer stated that this DNA evidence, unlike the DNA evidence from the tip of the scissors, did not exclude either Lovitt or Grant and, thus, was inconclusive as to them.
After Lovitt’s arrest, he was incarcerated in the Arlington County Jail in the same unit as Casel Lucas. Lovitt and Lucas developed a friendship during the two months that they lived together in this unit. Lovitt first told Lucas that after leaving the bathroom at the pool hall on the night of the murder, Lovitt saw a Hispanic man stabbing Dicks. Lovitt told Lucas that, at that time, Lovitt saw the cash register drawer, grabbed it, and ran from the pool hall. According to Lucas, Lovitt later stated that he knew Dicks and was aware that no one else would be in the pool hall late at night. Lovitt further related that he waited in the bathroom until everyone left the pool hall before coming out of the bathroom to attempt to open the cash register drawer. Dicks confronted Lovitt as he unsuccessfully attempted to open the cash drawer. Lovitt told Lucas that he had to kill Dicks because Dicks had recognized him.
According to Lovitt, Dicks asked him, “[W]hy [are] you doing this?” Lovitt admitted to Lucas that he stabbed Dicks several times and took the cash register drawer to his cousin’s house where he and his cousin split the money before leaving to buy some drugs. Lovitt told Lucas that he discarded the murder weapon while en route to or from Grant’s house, and that he changed his clothes at Grant’s house because he had blood on his shirt and pants. . . . .
During the penalty phase of the trial, the Commonwealth presented evidence of Lovitt’s criminal record. In October 1975, when Lovitt was 11 years old, he was charged with assault and placed in protective supervision. Also as a juvenile, in August 1979, Lovitt was committed to the Beaumont Learning Center of the State Department of Corrections (Beaumont) based on adjudication of charges of breaking and entering and larceny. While at Beaumont, Lovitt was disciplined for fighting, assault, and possessing contraband items. After his release from Beaumont in 1980, Lovitt was convicted of grand larceny in 1981 and was sentenced to 12 months in jail.
Between 1983 and 1985, Lovitt was convicted of petit larceny, grand larceny, breaking and entering, and distribution of marijuana. In 1986, Lovitt was convicted of attempted robbery and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of from one to three years. After being released on parole in August 1987, Lovitt’s parole was revoked in August 1988 based, in part, on additional arrests and his failure to pass certain drug tests. Lovitt later was convicted of statutory burglary and grand larceny. While incarcerated on these convictions and the parole violation, Lovitt was disciplined for damaging property and for fighting.
In September 1990, Lovitt again was released on parole. In early 1991, Lovitt was convicted of possession of cocaine, grand larceny, and burglary. While incarcerated on these charges, Lovitt was the subject of ten disciplinary actions for offenses including possession of contraband, disobeying direct orders, assault, possession of intoxicants, and manufacturing “shank handles.” After being released on parole in October 1996, Lovitt was convicted in 1997 of possession of marijuana, petit larceny, unlawful entry, assault and battery, and destruction of property. Lovitt was on parole at the time of the present offenses.
In October 1998, Arlington County Police Officer Jerome A. Lee detained Lovitt in an apartment parking lot in Arlington. Lovitt had parked his car behind the apartments, appeared to be very nervous, and consented to a search of his vehicle. Lee found a long kitchen knife on the floor of the passenger area and a soda can used to smoke crack cocaine in the rear loor area of the vehicle.
Lovitt presented testimony from his sister, [Lamanda] Jones, who testified that Lovitt was the oldest of 12 children and that he helped take care of his younger siblings, although not “gladly.” Lovitt also presented testimony from four deputies employed by the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office, who stated that Lovitt had not presented any disciplinary problems while being held in jail on the present charges.
Summary provided by Virginians United Against Crime, http://www.vuac.org.
Global cybercrime generated a higher turnover than drug trafficking in 2004 and is set to grow even further with the wider use of technology in developing countries, a top expert said on Monday.
No country is immune from cybercrime, which includes corporate espionage, child pornography, stock manipulation, extortion and piracy, said Valerie McNiven, who advises the U.S. Treasury on cybercrime.
“Last year was the first year that proceeds from cybercrime were greater than proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs, and that was, I believe, over $105 billion,” McNiven told Reuters.
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