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Japan formally OKs new nuke safety requirements
by MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press
Jun 19, 2013 | 1 views | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend | print
In this Saturday, July. 23, 2011 file photo, the No. 3 reactor, right, of the Ikata nuclear power plant, operated by Shikoku Electric Power Co., is seen in Ikata, western Japan. Japan's nuclear watchdog has formally approved new safety requirements for atomic plants, paving the way for the reopening of facilities shut down since the Fukushima disaster. The new requirements approved Wednesday, July 19, 2013, by the Nuclear Regulation Authority will take effect on July 8, when operators will be able to apply for inspections. If plants pass inspection, they can reopen. Shikoku Electric Power Co. is expected to apply for the reopening of Ikata's No. 3 reactor. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File)
In this Saturday, July. 23, 2011 file photo, the No. 3 reactor, right, of the Ikata nuclear power plant, operated by Shikoku Electric Power Co., is seen in Ikata, western Japan. Japan's nuclear watchdog has formally approved new safety requirements for atomic plants, paving the way for the reopening of facilities shut down since the Fukushima disaster. The new requirements approved Wednesday, July 19, 2013, by the Nuclear Regulation Authority will take effect on July 8, when operators will be able to apply for inspections. If plants pass inspection, they can reopen. Shikoku Electric Power Co. is expected to apply for the reopening of Ikata's No. 3 reactor. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File)
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TOKYO (AP) — Japan's nuclear watchdog formally approved a set of new safety requirements for atomic power plants Wednesday, paving the way for the reopening of facilities shut down since the Fukushima disaster. The new requirements approved by the Nuclear Regulation Authority will take effect on July 8, when operators will be able to apply for inspections. If plants pass inspection, a process expected to take several months, they can reopen later this year or early next year. All but two of Japan's 50 reactors have been offline since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami triggered multiple meltdowns and massive radiation leaks at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, about 250 kilometers (160 miles) northeast of Tokyo. The plant, which barely runs on a precarious cooling system, has struggled with swelling contaminated water leaking out of broken reactors and other mishaps related to its makeshift operations. Wednesday's decision setting the launch date for the new requirement comes nearly two weeks ahead of the legal deadline, prompting critics to suspect industrial and political pressure so that utilities can start the procedure for restart as soon as possible. Many utilities have complained about soaring fuel costs to run conventional thermal power plants to make up for the shortfalls by idle nuclear plants. The critics also say the new requirements still have loopholes that make things easier for operators, including a five-year grace period on installing some mandated new equipment. However, watchdog officials denied any outside influence. The new requirements for the first time make compulsory that plants take steps to guard against radiation leaks in the case of severe accidents such as a core melt, install emergency command centers and enact anti-terrorist measures. Operators are also required to upgrade their protection against tsunamis and earthquakes. Safety was previously left up to the operators, relying on their self-interest in their own investments to be incentive for implementing adequate measures. Fukushima Dai-ichi operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. came under harsh criticism for underestimating the tsunami risk and building a seawall that was less than half the height of one that hit the plant two years ago. Four utilities are expected to file for safety checks for up to 12 reactors as soon as the new regulatory standard kicks in next month. Makoto Yagi, Kansai Electric Power Co. president and chairman of the powerful Federations of Electric Power Companies of Japan lobby, urged the watchdog to promptly finish the screenings to minimize the wait. "We've been already making necessary preparations and plan to file for screening as soon as we're ready," he said in a statement. "We hope (the watchdog) efficiently makes screenings and a judgment for restart so that applications won't be on hold for a long time." Watchdog chairman Shunichi Tanaka said the endorsement marks a turning point for Japan's nuclear regulation, but it's only a start. "I think we now have a framework that is up to international standards. What's more important is whether we can put the spirit in it during the inspection process," he said. The agency is currently conducting probes at several plants to review their past investigations that might have overlooked signs of potential problems. Tanaka said the requirements need to be revised whenever necessary with the latest expertise from around the world. Japan needs to build a stronger safety culture so that utilities proactively make safety upgrades as a positive business option rather than a burden, he said. "I hope someday operators see safety improvement is for their own interest and helps their business," he said. Operators are also required to follow stricter rules about seismic faults at the plant and make sure faults running directly underneath reactors or other key facilities are not active. Tanaka warned that Japan, one of the world's most earthquake prone country, is not a perfect place to build nuclear plants, and must have much stricter anti-quake and tsunami measures compared to many other countries including those in Europe. The watchdog is currently conducting fault probes at several plants to revisit their past investigations that might have overlooked signs of potential problems.
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Gail Brown
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June 19, 2013
Hey Ya'll!!! Looking Good.
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Syria troops fight rebels near Shiite shrine
by SARAH EL DEEB, Associated Press
Jun 19, 2013 | 65 views | 0 0 comments | 5 5 recommendations | email to a friend | print
This Tuesday, June 18, 2013 citizen journalism image provided by Aleppo Media Center AMC, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian rebel shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great) in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria. A group of U.S. Senators want to see the U.S. do more than provide arms to some of the outgunned rebels in the bloody civil war in Syria. Democratic Sens. Robert Menendez and Carl Levin and Republican John McCain say in a joint letter to Obama that the U.S. should consider targeting regime airfields, runways and aircraft, and help rebels establish safe zones in Syria. (AP Photo/Aleppo Media Center AMC)
This Tuesday, June 18, 2013 citizen journalism image provided by Aleppo Media Center AMC, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian rebel shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great) in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria. A group of U.S. Senators want to see the U.S. do more than provide arms to some of the outgunned rebels in the bloody civil war in Syria. Democratic Sens. Robert Menendez and Carl Levin and Republican John McCain say in a joint letter to Obama that the U.S. should consider targeting regime airfields, runways and aircraft, and help rebels establish safe zones in Syria. (AP Photo/Aleppo Media Center AMC)
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BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian troops backed by Lebanese Hezbollah fighters clashed Wednesday with rebel forces south of a Damascus suburb that is home to a major Shiite Muslim shrine, in an attempt to secure the area surrounding the revered site, activists said. State TV said government forces were able to clear rebels out of one neighborhood, al-Bahdaliya, outside the suburb of Sayida Zeinab, home to the ornate, gold-domed shrine of Sayida Zeinab, the Prophet Muhammad's granddaughter. Meanwhile, rebel forces claimed they took control of a hospital in a village south of the shrine neighborhood, from which they were battling regime forces and allied militias. Opposition fighters control several suburbs of the capital, trying to threaten the heart of the city, seat of President Bashar Assad's power. But the regime has largely been able to keep them at bay. The area surrounding the Sayida Zeinab suburb, about 16 kilometers (10 miles) south of Damascus, has seen fighting before. But the regime forces and Shiite Hezbollah fighters launched an intensified assault there on Monday, according to Rami Abdul-Rahman, the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The assault appears aimed at decisively pushing rebels back and securing the suburb of the shrine, said Abdul-Rahman. The Observatory is a Britain-based group of anti-regime activists that has a network of activists on the ground. Before the war, Shiite pilgrims from outside Syria regularly visited the shrine. Last year, rebels kidnapped Iranian pilgrims visiting the area, accusing them of being spies. Now protection of the shrine has become a rallying cry for Shiite fighters backing Assad. Lebanese guerrillas from Hezbollah as well as Iraqi Shiite militiamen have been reported fighting in the area in the past weeks, though it was not clear if Iraqis were involved in the new assault. The Syrian uprising began more than two years ago with peaceful protests against Assad, but later grew into a civil war that the U.N. says has killed more than 93,000 people. In recent months, the conflict's sectarian overtones have been growing, particularly with the overt participation of Hezbollah on the side of the regime, dominated by Alawites — an offshoot sect of Shiite Islam. The rebels are largely Sunni Muslims, and have also been joined by Sunni fighters from countries in the region. U.S. officials estimate that there are 5,000 Hezbollah militiamen fighting alongside the regime, while thousands of Sunni foreign fighters are also believed to be in Syria — including members of Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaida affiliate that is believed to be among the most effective rebel factions in Syria. Hezbollah fighters were instrumental in a recent victory for regime forces, regaining control of a strategic town in central Homs province after it was in rebel hands for more than a year. Buoyed by that victory, regime forces have been on an offensive to dislodge rebel fighters from areas they hold in Damascus, as well as the country's heartland in Homs province. That would enable Assad's regime to secure a corridor leading to the coastal Alawite enclave that is home to the country's two main seaports, Latakia and Tartus. Also on Wednesday, state TV said an explosion at a military depot outside Syria's coastal city of Latakia left six people lightly injured on Wednesday. State TV said a "technical error" caused the explosion at a base used by the army corps of engineers. The Britain-based Observatory said it did not know the cause of the explosion in what it described as an ammunition warehouse. It said 13 people were injured, including some in critical condition. The difference in the casualty figures could not be immediately reconciled. The Observatory said smoke was rising from the depot, on the southern edge of the city. Latakia activists on Facebook also reported the arrival of ambulances and helicopters after the explosion. Syria's northwestern Latakia province bordering Turkey is , predominantly Alawite and a regime stronghold. Its coastal capital, the city of Latakia, is fully under regime control, but some northern parts of the province are in rebel hands. In villages to the north of the city, government troops on Tuesday destroyed an ammunition dump and several tunnels operated by al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, Syria's state news agency said on Wednesday. It quoted a military source as saying five Libyan fighters were killed in the operation. The United States decided last week to send arms to the rebel forces. But the G-8 summit of world leaders ended Tuesday without mentioning arms in its final statement, reflecting a split on the issue. The group includes Russia, which opposes the idea.
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Peacemakers begin pilgrimage at New Echota
by Abbey Lennon, Calhoun Times
Jun 19, 2013 | 146 views | 0 0 comments | 5 5 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Pastor Samuel Mosteller (left) and Tom Bluewolf (wearing the black hat), both of Native American ancestry, sign a declaration of peace symbolizing reconciliation between both victims and perpetrators of the Trail of Tears, inside the council house at New Echota, Saturday, June 8, 2013.
Pastor Samuel Mosteller (left) and Tom Bluewolf (wearing the black hat), both of Native American ancestry, sign a declaration of peace symbolizing reconciliation between both victims and perpetrators of the Trail of Tears, inside the council house at New Echota, Saturday, June 8, 2013.
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A small band of seven people are on one big mission; “to help bring about national reconciliation with America’s First People.” Traveling from places as far away as Virginia and Albany, N.Y., this small group came together Saturday, May 8 at New Echota, the first capital of the Cherokee people, along with other participants representing many cultures and ethnicities, with a plan to end their pilgrimage of peace in Tahlequah, Okla., the new capitol of the Cherokee Nation, Saturday, June 15. Known as the Peacemakers for Sacred Healing the group began the more than 1,000 mile journey, along one of the infamous Trail of Tears routes, with a ceremony in the council house at the historical site. The group listened to speakers such as Pastor Samuel Mosteller, President of the Georgia Southern Christian Leadership Conference and descendant of both Creek and Cherokee Native Americans; and Tom Bluewolf of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The group delivered the message that in order to keep the atrocities of the past from occurring again, listening to the stories of the Native American’s journey of suffering, passed down from generation to generation, must be retold, and listened to. “This is really about coming together as a family,” said the groups spokesperson Rev. Claire Daugherty. “A big part of healing is listening to someone’s story. Anyone who has suffered trauma needs to talk about it. On this journey we are listening; listening and saying we are so sorry. We want to hear those stories and we want to repent and work together for a brighter future, we cannot undo the past, but the future is a blank slate. We can learn from the past.” Tom Bluewolf performed a “song of honor through the mouth of the Sassafrass Tree,” a flute created by a fellow Native American, from the bark of the Sassafrass Tree, inscribed with ancient Creek symbols of the wind and star clans. The group performed a symbolic “cleansing” ceremony by writing past transgressions on flash paper to be burned, leaving behind no ash, to the quiet notes of Bluewolf’s flute and the soft beat of the drum. The group then collectively signed a declaration of peace which reads: Peacemakers for Sacred Healing Trail of Tears Journey June 7 – 15, 2013: Georgia, Tennesee, Arkansas, Oklahoma We, the undersigned, are the Peacemakers for Sacred Healing between Native Americans and non-Native Americans. We free ourselves from the pain and anguish of our past. Our committed friendship is bound on earth and in heaven in the spirit of our ancestors. We continue to respect our sacred earth, especially our love for America and will together serve the world as one family under God, Great Spirit, Yahweh, Allah, Jehovah, Heavenly Parent, Creator, True Parents. Amen, Aho, Aju! After the ceremony, the group convened for a picnic of a diverse spread of food and toured the rest of the grounds at New Echota before departing to their next location. According to Daugherty many different Native American descendants and tribes along their journey hosted the group allowing them to hear the stories of generations past. Many groups co-sponsored the pilgrimage including the United Native American Council; The American Clergy Leadership Conference; Family Federation for World Peace; Kingmaker Magazine; Women’s Federation for World Peace; and the Sufi Order of Villa Rica. Along their journey, the group prayed and asked for forgiveness for the wrong done to the Cherokee along the trail of tears, however this was not their first journey for peace. Though plans for the pilgrimage along the infamous Trail of Tears route began approximately six years go, according to Daugherty, since 2007, the group has been to Jamestown, Plymouth and others have also traveled overseas to the Middle East on missions of peace. “We are seed droppers and hopefully you will continue this type of reconciliation work. I hope that in your communities you will continue, and that as you are inspired you will do more and that the pains of this nation can be bound up and we really can live in peace,” said Daugherty. “The bible says the sins of the father are vested on the seventh generation. If you think of a generation as 25 years those seven generations have passed. 175 years, seven times 25. To me that is great news, that means now we can be freed from this painful burden. It’s not just the victim, but the perpetrator, the trauma comes back to them as well, so we must heal together.” The group’s journey ended Saturday in Tahlequah with a sacred “Wiping of the Tears” ceremony at the new Cherokee Capital. Daugherty says she hopes this will be an annual event to help continue to tell the story of what happened to the Nation’s First People, so that it will never happen again. Rev. Tom Cutts, National Executive Director American Clergy Leadership Conference, helped bring the group to Gordon County and New Echota to begin their pilgrimage.
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County approves budget brings back 13 more RIF’d employees
by Doug Walker, Associate Editor
Jun 19, 2013 | 868 views | 0 0 comments | 17 17 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Floyd County Board Of Education
Floyd County Board Of Education
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The Floyd County school system has now brought back a total of 21 employees who thought they were losing the jobs due to a Reduction in Force program. Personnel changes approved during a called school board meeting Wednesday morning added 13 employees to the eight who had been brought back by the last board meeting on June 4. The school board approved its FY 2014 budget Wednesday during a special called meeting. Floyd County Schools Superintendent Jeff McDaniel said the final digest was down 0.64 percent as opposed to the 2.25 percent decrease the original budget numbers were based on, which means the revenue side of the budget is up almost $863,000 from the original project. As a result, McDaniel hopes to make a recommendation at the September board meeting to reduce the number of furlough days for school system employees from 10 to 8. The recommendation will await a month’s worth of enrollment figures after school starts. He said it’s important to be able to get accurate Full Time Equivalent numbers that are linked to Quality Basic Education funding formula meet-ing,” McDaniel said. If those two days are added back for the instructional staff, they will be added on non-instructional days in the schedule. “It’s just too late to change the calendar at this point,” McDaniel said.
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Japan formally OKs new nuke safety requirements
by MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press
Jun 19, 2013 | 1 views | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend | print
In this Saturday, July. 23, 2011 file photo, the No. 3 reactor, right, of the Ikata nuclear power plant, operated by Shikoku Electric Power Co., is seen in Ikata, western Japan. Japan's nuclear watchdog has formally approved new safety requirements for atomic plants, paving the way for the reopening of facilities shut down since the Fukushima disaster. The new requirements approved Wednesday, July 19, 2013, by the Nuclear Regulation Authority will take effect on July 8, when operators will be able to apply for inspections. If plants pass inspection, they can reopen. Shikoku Electric Power Co. is expected to apply for the reopening of Ikata's No. 3 reactor. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File)
In this Saturday, July. 23, 2011 file photo, the No. 3 reactor, right, of the Ikata nuclear power plant, operated by Shikoku Electric Power Co., is seen in Ikata, western Japan. Japan's nuclear watchdog has formally approved new safety requirements for atomic plants, paving the way for the reopening of facilities shut down since the Fukushima disaster. The new requirements approved Wednesday, July 19, 2013, by the Nuclear Regulation Authority will take effect on July 8, when operators will be able to apply for inspections. If plants pass inspection, they can reopen. Shikoku Electric Power Co. is expected to apply for the reopening of Ikata's No. 3 reactor. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File)
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TOKYO (AP) — Japan's nuclear watchdog formally approved a set of new safety requirements for atomic power plants Wednesday, paving the way for the reopening of facilities shut down since the Fukushima disaster. The new requirements approved by the Nuclear Regulation Authority will take effect on July 8, when operators will be able to apply for inspections. If plants pass inspection, a process expected to take several months, they can reopen later this year or early next year. All but two of Japan's 50 reactors have been offline since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami triggered multiple meltdowns and massive radiation leaks at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, about 250 kilometers (160 miles) northeast of Tokyo. The plant, which barely runs on a precarious cooling system, has struggled with swelling contaminated water leaking out of broken reactors and other mishaps related to its makeshift operations. Wednesday's decision setting the launch date for the new requirement comes nearly two weeks ahead of the legal deadline, prompting critics to suspect industrial and political pressure so that utilities can start the procedure for restart as soon as possible. Many utilities have complained about soaring fuel costs to run conventional thermal power plants to make up for the shortfalls by idle nuclear plants. The critics also say the new requirements still have loopholes that make things easier for operators, including a five-year grace period on installing some mandated new equipment. However, watchdog officials denied any outside influence. The new requirements for the first time make compulsory that plants take steps to guard against radiation leaks in the case of severe accidents such as a core melt, install emergency command centers and enact anti-terrorist measures. Operators are also required to upgrade their protection against tsunamis and earthquakes. Safety was previously left up to the operators, relying on their self-interest in their own investments to be incentive for implementing adequate measures. Fukushima Dai-ichi operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. came under harsh criticism for underestimating the tsunami risk and building a seawall that was less than half the height of one that hit the plant two years ago. Four utilities are expected to file for safety checks for up to 12 reactors as soon as the new regulatory standard kicks in next month. Makoto Yagi, Kansai Electric Power Co. president and chairman of the powerful Federations of Electric Power Companies of Japan lobby, urged the watchdog to promptly finish the screenings to minimize the wait. "We've been already making necessary preparations and plan to file for screening as soon as we're ready," he said in a statement. "We hope (the watchdog) efficiently makes screenings and a judgment for restart so that applications won't be on hold for a long time." Watchdog chairman Shunichi Tanaka said the endorsement marks a turning point for Japan's nuclear regulation, but it's only a start. "I think we now have a framework that is up to international standards. What's more important is whether we can put the spirit in it during the inspection process," he said. The agency is currently conducting probes at several plants to review their past investigations that might have overlooked signs of potential problems. Tanaka said the requirements need to be revised whenever necessary with the latest expertise from around the world. Japan needs to build a stronger safety culture so that utilities proactively make safety upgrades as a positive business option rather than a burden, he said. "I hope someday operators see safety improvement is for their own interest and helps their business," he said. Operators are also required to follow stricter rules about seismic faults at the plant and make sure faults running directly underneath reactors or other key facilities are not active. Tanaka warned that Japan, one of the world's most earthquake prone country, is not a perfect place to build nuclear plants, and must have much stricter anti-quake and tsunami measures compared to many other countries including those in Europe. The watchdog is currently conducting fault probes at several plants to revisit their past investigations that might have overlooked signs of potential problems.
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Gail Brown
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June 19, 2013
Hey Ya'll!!! Looking Good.
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Syria troops fight rebels near Shiite shrine
by SARAH EL DEEB, Associated Press
Jun 19, 2013 | 65 views | 0 0 comments | 5 5 recommendations | email to a friend | print
This Tuesday, June 18, 2013 citizen journalism image provided by Aleppo Media Center AMC, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian rebel shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great) in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria. A group of U.S. Senators want to see the U.S. do more than provide arms to some of the outgunned rebels in the bloody civil war in Syria. Democratic Sens. Robert Menendez and Carl Levin and Republican John McCain say in a joint letter to Obama that the U.S. should consider targeting regime airfields, runways and aircraft, and help rebels establish safe zones in Syria. (AP Photo/Aleppo Media Center AMC)
This Tuesday, June 18, 2013 citizen journalism image provided by Aleppo Media Center AMC, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian rebel shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great) in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria. A group of U.S. Senators want to see the U.S. do more than provide arms to some of the outgunned rebels in the bloody civil war in Syria. Democratic Sens. Robert Menendez and Carl Levin and Republican John McCain say in a joint letter to Obama that the U.S. should consider targeting regime airfields, runways and aircraft, and help rebels establish safe zones in Syria. (AP Photo/Aleppo Media Center AMC)
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BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian troops backed by Lebanese Hezbollah fighters clashed Wednesday with rebel forces south of a Damascus suburb that is home to a major Shiite Muslim shrine, in an attempt to secure the area surrounding the revered site, activists said. State TV said government forces were able to clear rebels out of one neighborhood, al-Bahdaliya, outside the suburb of Sayida Zeinab, home to the ornate, gold-domed shrine of Sayida Zeinab, the Prophet Muhammad's granddaughter. Meanwhile, rebel forces claimed they took control of a hospital in a village south of the shrine neighborhood, from which they were battling regime forces and allied militias. Opposition fighters control several suburbs of the capital, trying to threaten the heart of the city, seat of President Bashar Assad's power. But the regime has largely been able to keep them at bay. The area surrounding the Sayida Zeinab suburb, about 16 kilometers (10 miles) south of Damascus, has seen fighting before. But the regime forces and Shiite Hezbollah fighters launched an intensified assault there on Monday, according to Rami Abdul-Rahman, the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The assault appears aimed at decisively pushing rebels back and securing the suburb of the shrine, said Abdul-Rahman. The Observatory is a Britain-based group of anti-regime activists that has a network of activists on the ground. Before the war, Shiite pilgrims from outside Syria regularly visited the shrine. Last year, rebels kidnapped Iranian pilgrims visiting the area, accusing them of being spies. Now protection of the shrine has become a rallying cry for Shiite fighters backing Assad. Lebanese guerrillas from Hezbollah as well as Iraqi Shiite militiamen have been reported fighting in the area in the past weeks, though it was not clear if Iraqis were involved in the new assault. The Syrian uprising began more than two years ago with peaceful protests against Assad, but later grew into a civil war that the U.N. says has killed more than 93,000 people. In recent months, the conflict's sectarian overtones have been growing, particularly with the overt participation of Hezbollah on the side of the regime, dominated by Alawites — an offshoot sect of Shiite Islam. The rebels are largely Sunni Muslims, and have also been joined by Sunni fighters from countries in the region. U.S. officials estimate that there are 5,000 Hezbollah militiamen fighting alongside the regime, while thousands of Sunni foreign fighters are also believed to be in Syria — including members of Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaida affiliate that is believed to be among the most effective rebel factions in Syria. Hezbollah fighters were instrumental in a recent victory for regime forces, regaining control of a strategic town in central Homs province after it was in rebel hands for more than a year. Buoyed by that victory, regime forces have been on an offensive to dislodge rebel fighters from areas they hold in Damascus, as well as the country's heartland in Homs province. That would enable Assad's regime to secure a corridor leading to the coastal Alawite enclave that is home to the country's two main seaports, Latakia and Tartus. Also on Wednesday, state TV said an explosion at a military depot outside Syria's coastal city of Latakia left six people lightly injured on Wednesday. State TV said a "technical error" caused the explosion at a base used by the army corps of engineers. The Britain-based Observatory said it did not know the cause of the explosion in what it described as an ammunition warehouse. It said 13 people were injured, including some in critical condition. The difference in the casualty figures could not be immediately reconciled. The Observatory said smoke was rising from the depot, on the southern edge of the city. Latakia activists on Facebook also reported the arrival of ambulances and helicopters after the explosion. Syria's northwestern Latakia province bordering Turkey is , predominantly Alawite and a regime stronghold. Its coastal capital, the city of Latakia, is fully under regime control, but some northern parts of the province are in rebel hands. In villages to the north of the city, government troops on Tuesday destroyed an ammunition dump and several tunnels operated by al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, Syria's state news agency said on Wednesday. It quoted a military source as saying five Libyan fighters were killed in the operation. The United States decided last week to send arms to the rebel forces. But the G-8 summit of world leaders ended Tuesday without mentioning arms in its final statement, reflecting a split on the issue. The group includes Russia, which opposes the idea.
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Peacemakers begin pilgrimage at New Echota
by Abbey Lennon, Calhoun Times
Jun 19, 2013 | 146 views | 0 0 comments | 5 5 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Pastor Samuel Mosteller (left) and Tom Bluewolf (wearing the black hat), both of Native American ancestry, sign a declaration of peace symbolizing reconciliation between both victims and perpetrators of the Trail of Tears, inside the council house at New Echota, Saturday, June 8, 2013.
Pastor Samuel Mosteller (left) and Tom Bluewolf (wearing the black hat), both of Native American ancestry, sign a declaration of peace symbolizing reconciliation between both victims and perpetrators of the Trail of Tears, inside the council house at New Echota, Saturday, June 8, 2013.
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A small band of seven people are on one big mission; “to help bring about national reconciliation with America’s First People.” Traveling from places as far away as Virginia and Albany, N.Y., this small group came together Saturday, May 8 at New Echota, the first capital of the Cherokee people, along with other participants representing many cultures and ethnicities, with a plan to end their pilgrimage of peace in Tahlequah, Okla., the new capitol of the Cherokee Nation, Saturday, June 15. Known as the Peacemakers for Sacred Healing the group began the more than 1,000 mile journey, along one of the infamous Trail of Tears routes, with a ceremony in the council house at the historical site. The group listened to speakers such as Pastor Samuel Mosteller, President of the Georgia Southern Christian Leadership Conference and descendant of both Creek and Cherokee Native Americans; and Tom Bluewolf of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The group delivered the message that in order to keep the atrocities of the past from occurring again, listening to the stories of the Native American’s journey of suffering, passed down from generation to generation, must be retold, and listened to. “This is really about coming together as a family,” said the groups spokesperson Rev. Claire Daugherty. “A big part of healing is listening to someone’s story. Anyone who has suffered trauma needs to talk about it. On this journey we are listening; listening and saying we are so sorry. We want to hear those stories and we want to repent and work together for a brighter future, we cannot undo the past, but the future is a blank slate. We can learn from the past.” Tom Bluewolf performed a “song of honor through the mouth of the Sassafrass Tree,” a flute created by a fellow Native American, from the bark of the Sassafrass Tree, inscribed with ancient Creek symbols of the wind and star clans. The group performed a symbolic “cleansing” ceremony by writing past transgressions on flash paper to be burned, leaving behind no ash, to the quiet notes of Bluewolf’s flute and the soft beat of the drum. The group then collectively signed a declaration of peace which reads: Peacemakers for Sacred Healing Trail of Tears Journey June 7 – 15, 2013: Georgia, Tennesee, Arkansas, Oklahoma We, the undersigned, are the Peacemakers for Sacred Healing between Native Americans and non-Native Americans. We free ourselves from the pain and anguish of our past. Our committed friendship is bound on earth and in heaven in the spirit of our ancestors. We continue to respect our sacred earth, especially our love for America and will together serve the world as one family under God, Great Spirit, Yahweh, Allah, Jehovah, Heavenly Parent, Creator, True Parents. Amen, Aho, Aju! After the ceremony, the group convened for a picnic of a diverse spread of food and toured the rest of the grounds at New Echota before departing to their next location. According to Daugherty many different Native American descendants and tribes along their journey hosted the group allowing them to hear the stories of generations past. Many groups co-sponsored the pilgrimage including the United Native American Council; The American Clergy Leadership Conference; Family Federation for World Peace; Kingmaker Magazine; Women’s Federation for World Peace; and the Sufi Order of Villa Rica. Along their journey, the group prayed and asked for forgiveness for the wrong done to the Cherokee along the trail of tears, however this was not their first journey for peace. Though plans for the pilgrimage along the infamous Trail of Tears route began approximately six years go, according to Daugherty, since 2007, the group has been to Jamestown, Plymouth and others have also traveled overseas to the Middle East on missions of peace. “We are seed droppers and hopefully you will continue this type of reconciliation work. I hope that in your communities you will continue, and that as you are inspired you will do more and that the pains of this nation can be bound up and we really can live in peace,” said Daugherty. “The bible says the sins of the father are vested on the seventh generation. If you think of a generation as 25 years those seven generations have passed. 175 years, seven times 25. To me that is great news, that means now we can be freed from this painful burden. It’s not just the victim, but the perpetrator, the trauma comes back to them as well, so we must heal together.” The group’s journey ended Saturday in Tahlequah with a sacred “Wiping of the Tears” ceremony at the new Cherokee Capital. Daugherty says she hopes this will be an annual event to help continue to tell the story of what happened to the Nation’s First People, so that it will never happen again. Rev. Tom Cutts, National Executive Director American Clergy Leadership Conference, helped bring the group to Gordon County and New Echota to begin their pilgrimage.
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County approves budget brings back 13 more RIF’d employees
by Doug Walker, Associate Editor
Jun 19, 2013 | 868 views | 0 0 comments | 17 17 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Floyd County Board Of Education
Floyd County Board Of Education
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The Floyd County school system has now brought back a total of 21 employees who thought they were losing the jobs due to a Reduction in Force program. Personnel changes approved during a called school board meeting Wednesday morning added 13 employees to the eight who had been brought back by the last board meeting on June 4. The school board approved its FY 2014 budget Wednesday during a special called meeting. Floyd County Schools Superintendent Jeff McDaniel said the final digest was down 0.64 percent as opposed to the 2.25 percent decrease the original budget numbers were based on, which means the revenue side of the budget is up almost $863,000 from the original project. As a result, McDaniel hopes to make a recommendation at the September board meeting to reduce the number of furlough days for school system employees from 10 to 8. The recommendation will await a month’s worth of enrollment figures after school starts. He said it’s important to be able to get accurate Full Time Equivalent numbers that are linked to Quality Basic Education funding formula meet-ing,” McDaniel said. If those two days are added back for the instructional staff, they will be added on non-instructional days in the schedule. “It’s just too late to change the calendar at this point,” McDaniel said.
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