Brazil began its preparations for the Beijing Olympics with a 3-0 win over Singapore on Monday at the National Stadium.
The Brazilians dominated possession in the first half and opened the scoring after 20 minutes through Diego.
The Werder Bremen attacker shot from the edge of the box after receiving a flick from Ronaldinho. Seven minutes later, Diego's delicate chip caused confusion in the Singapore area and …
A variety of classes, from ceramics to lifeguard training, arebeing sponsored by Charleston Parks and Recreation.
A first session of lifeguard lessons will begin March 5, runningevery Friday and Saturday through April 3. Pre-course testing isscheduled Feb. 26. A second session is slated April 16 through May1, with pre-course testing April 9.
Both courses will be at the West Virginia Rehabilitation CenterinInstitute. Fees for either are $140. Call Paul Martin at 348-6484to sign up at least a day before the pre-course start date.Also, a variety of arts classes, including instruction inceramics, floral design and tole painting, will be conducted at theKanawha City …
Cressman-Irvin, 79, Nith Valley Mennonite, New Hamburg, Ont., Dec. 11.
Dueck-Mary, 93 (b. Oct. 9,1912), Altona Bergthaler Mennonite, Man., Dec. 7.
Derksen-Lynda Helen, 84, Zoar Mennonite, Langham, Sask., Dec. 8.
Esau-Helen, 92, Leamington United Mennonite, Ont., Dec. 18.
Friesen-Helen (nee Fast), 79, Grace Mennonite, Steinbach, Man., Nov. 2.
Hildebrand-Elizabeth, 95 (b. May 10,1910), Steinbach Mennonite, Man., Dec. 7.
Hoffman-Ephraim, 90 (b. April 1,1915), Breslau Mennonite, Oat., Dec. 10.
Kehler-Henry, 96 (b. Nov. 6, 1909), Altona Bergthaler Mennonite, Man., Dec. 3.
Klippenstein-Laura, 71 (b. Jan. …
James Brown knew all along that he wanted to open a museum to inspire people _ especially the poor _ to pursue their dreams. So he carefully saved all his belongings, from glittering suits and glossy shoes to the comb he used to neatly sculpt his hair.
The soul singer who died in 2006 says so himself in a new exhibit at South Carolina State University that showcases the attention he paid to his roots, his eclectic tastes and his showman's image.
"I'm going to make a James Brown museum because I want people to know that a young kid really has a chance to make it. And the only way they have a chance to make it is if he has somebody around to look …
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- If he is used to anything in his young WhiteSox career, Mark Buehrle should be used to hard luck.
The Sox left-hander, who endured a nine-game losing streak lastseason that was due in part to a lack of run support, was on theshort end again Monday after the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 9-7 victory.
This time, he had enough runs for a victory -- it was his fellowpitchers who let it get away. Yet in the early going, Buehrle figuredluck finally was on his side.
"I really didn't think I had that good of stuff," Buehrle said. "Ifell behind in the count a lot. If I have this outing the next timeout, it's not going to go as well as it did. I …
When Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) told a group of African Americans at a King Day speech that Republicans were running the U.S. House of Representatives like a "plantation," she drew the outrage of the other side of the aisle.
Demanding that she apologize, the GOP - from the White House on down - made it clear that they felt her comments were out of bounds.
As usual, Black politicians didn't waste any time rushing to Clinton's defense. Maybe this desperate bid to curry favor with the presumptive 2008 Democratic presidential nominee is needed, but frankly, enough with another Democrat talking tough to the brothers and sisters, yet remaining quiet before her white …
Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards took his third-place New Hampshire finish in stride, pledging to carry his battle forward despite difficult odds. "I am in this race until the convention," he told supporters.
Edwards had campaigned on a message of ridding Washington of special-interest corruption, and he made clear that despite finishing well behind his two main rivals he would not change course as the race heads toward "Super Tuesday" next month.
"I am in this race until we have actually restored the American dream and strengthened and restored the middle class in America," he said.
Edwards had 17 percent …
On Friday, the left-hander learned he was going to the Padres after all.
''It's kind of hard leaving here,'' Richard said. ''I came up through here. I'm really appreciative of the opportunities Chicago has given me. I'm nothing but happy with the playoffs last year, just being a part of it, and making the team this year. That was all a lot of fun. I'm ready to move on. It'll be fun.''
General manager Ken Williams said Richard and the other traded prospects -- lefty Aaron Poreda and right-handers Adam Russell …
STATE
Midstate business leaders applauded the state government for rolling back spending in the long-delayed budget, but the cuts will fall heavily on economic development programs.
For example, the Industrial Resource Centers that provide consulting services to manufacturing firms will receive some $7.7 million. That's about half the typical amount, said John Lloyd, president and chief executive officer of Mantee Inc., the consulting center in York.
"We are a program that can help lead the Pennsylvania economy out of the recession," Lloyd said. "Manufacturing is critical to our economy here in Pennsylvania ... and now, at a time when manufacturers need the help the …
Treasury prices rose Monday as fixed-income investors secured positions before a number of key economic reports to be released in the coming days.
With little in the way of economic news during the session, investors looked toward Tuesday's Commerce Department report on April retail sales to get a better idea of consumers' ability to spend. The market's concern is that record-high energy and food prices have cut into consumer spending, which accounts for two-thirds of the U.S. economy.
Many economists predict that late 2008 might show a rebound in the economy, but that hinges on how financially secure consumers feel. One factor will be what happens to crude …
Pilates, one of the fastest-growing fitness activities in thecountry, is facing a problem: The number of people signing up forclasses is outstripping the pool of people qualified to teach them.
Because a number of Pilates exercises engage the neck and spine,the quality of the instruction is more critical than with many otherforms of exercise.
"Demand has been going up," says Christine Betsill, Pilatescoordinator for the Galter Life Center on the North Side, which seesat least 150 students a week in classes and private lessons. "Pilateswas just featured on the Oprah show -- I don't know that it'sdirectly based on that, but it has boomed [at Galter] since a coupleof …
La madre de Jesus "Mujer de la historia"
AHORA que estamos nuevamente en tiempos de espera por la llegada del Tercer Milenio, por la llegada del Tercer Milenio, por los Dos Mil Anos de Cristianismo y por el fenomeno de la Globalizacion y de la violencia, que abarca a toda la humanidad, no seria desatinado posar la mirada reflexiva en la bondad de la Virgen Maria.
Maria, esa mujer excepcional que por su dolor al pie de la Cruz, su fidelidad en la entrega - "hagase en mi su voluntad segun la palabra" - y su humildad ante Dios, se ha convertido en la excelencia femenina del segundo milenio y en la Madre abnegada de esa historia de la salvacion, que todos los seres humanos de …
Aberdeen Grammar travel to Biggar tomorrow with their confidencesky high after knocking West of Scotland off the top spot inPremiership Two.
Head coach Mike O'Donovan warned his shock troops to expect agreater challenge in the Scottish Borders.
He said: "Biggar will be a more effective side than West and wemust not get carried away with ourselves.
"They have had some strange results, but are still in thepromotion race.
"We will certainly have a fight on our hands."
Grammar have a full squad, including the return of in-form AndyBuchan who was unavailable last week, although he was more thanadequately replaced bytry-scoring Ali Roberston.
Grammar will be pushed all the way by the home front five.
"We will just have to stand up and be counted," said O'Donovan, who has Grammar nicely tucked in third place and poised for a run atthe leaders Haddington.
Should the Rubislaw side repel the Biggar forward challenge, theywill be able to release their explosive back division who ran infive tries last week.
O'Donovan said: "When we're getting it right our backs are aformidable force, especially when they are getting good ball fromhalf back Billy Russell and Morgan Ward."
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Shea Weber scored a power-play goal and added an assist as the Nashville Predators beat the Atlanta Thrashers 2-1 in a preseason game on Monday night.
Sergei Kostitsyn scored the first goal of the game 3:06 into the first period with a tip-in off of a shot by Weber from high above the right circle.
Ben Eager got the Thrashers even at 15:30 of the second period when he scored with a wrist shot from a few feet in front of the crease.
With Nashville on a power play, Weber gave the Predators a 2-1 lead 11:02 into the third when he blasted a shot from just inside the blue line that went through traffic and past goalie Ondrej Pavelec.
Pavelec and Nashville counterpart Pekka Rinne went the distance in goal. Pavelec stopped 29 shots, and Rinne made 21 saves.
NOTES: Weber's goal was the first on the power play for Nashville in four preseason games. Nashville goaltender Chet Pickard dressed for his first preseason non-rookie game, but didn't play. This was the first road game of the preseason for the Thrashers.
The prime ministers from five Southeast Asian nations gathered in Hanoi Friday to boost cooperation in face of the global economic slowdown.
Their mutual efforts have become "extremely necessary" given the world's financial troubles, said Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, speaking at the opening of the meeting, also attended by leaders of Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand.
With the exception of Thailand, the so-called Mekong nations are among the poorest in Asia.
Dung said the summit offered an opportunity for the member countries to "share experiences and help one another to cope with common challenges."
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said boosting cooperation in trade, investment and tourism would help to "narrow the development gap and reduce poverty in the region."
But he warned that a shortage of financing may hinder their cooperation.
Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said member countries were all affected by the prevailing economic uncertainty.
"We are not immune to the recent global financial crisis," he said "We have been affected by volatile oil and food prices as major commodity producers and exporters."
The organization of five Mekong River countries was established in 2003.
MORGANTOWN - Coach Rich Rodriguez felt better about WestVirginia's football defense Sunday after viewing tapes of Saturday's62-24 season-opening victory over Western Michigan.
"I'm more encouraged now than I felt right after the game," hesaid on his weekly media teleconference. "We did seven or eight three-and-outs. We were really close to executing. But, at the same time,our guys were really good against the run again.
"Our guys know there are a few things on third down that we've gotto get better at. There are a lot of ways we can do that, and I thinkthey will try to do that this week."
After allowing 12 first downs and 186 yards in the first half, theMountaineers gave up just six first downs and a mere 91 yards in thesecond half against WMU. For game, they intercepted three passes andrecovered a fumble.
While the defense exerted some pressure on the Broncos'quarterbacks, Rodriguez still thinks it's not enough. "We've got tocontinue to get better at that," he said. "What I didn't likedefensively was we didn't execute (well) on third-and long plays."
He thought the effort and intensity generally was good and thatthe players, for the most part, played pretty smart. There were acouple of missed assignments, but not as many as usual in an openinggame, he noted.
Offensively, Rodriguez noted that a couple of things could havebeen potential touchdown plays except for missed assignments.
"But I thought our guys stayed pretty focused for all fourquarters," he said.
He praised quarterback Patrick White and tailback Steve Slaton,who combined for 464 of the team's 542 yards and eight of the ninetouchdowns.
He's not surprised because he sees them every day in practice.
"They're so competitive that you kinda expect them to (excel),"Rodriguez said. "But sometimes they can make mistakes, too. Steve ishealthy now and Pat continues to grow each and every day."
Both are high in the Heisman Trophy mix this year.
Rodriguez also made these observations:
- The defensive secondary did a solid job generally.
- Center Mike Dent graded out as high as anybody on the offensiveline in his first start. It was a " very solid beginning" for him.
- WVU was penalized only six times for 34 yards, which is betterthan usual for a season opener. No penalty was what the head coachconsiders "silly."
- There hasn't been as much hype about next Saturday's WVU-Marshall game, though it's a sellout in Huntington. He expects thehype to pick up this week.
- Rodriguez thought all the true freshmen graded out about thesame. Those included tailbacks Noel Devine and Jock Sanders,linebacker Pat Lazear, and defensive back Sydney Glover.
- Linebacker Archie Sims, a junior-college transfer, has a sorehamstring. No one else was injured in the game.
| 1Rays 3, Blue Jays 2 | |||
| TAMPA BAY @ TORONTO @ | |||
| ab r h bi @ab r h bi | |||
| Iwmra 2b 4 0 2 0 Inglett 2b 5 0 3 0 | |||
| Upton cf 3 1 0 0 Scutaro 3b 5 0 0 0 | |||
| Crwfrd lf 4 0 2 1 Rios cf 5 1 2 0 | |||
| Lngoria 3b 3 0 0 0 Ovrbay 1b 3 1 1 2 | |||
| CPena 1b 4 1 1 1 Stairs dh 3 0 0 0 | |||
| Hinske dh 3 1 1 0 ALind lf 4 0 1 0 | |||
| WAybr dh 1 0 1 0 Wlkrsn rf 2 0 0 0 | |||
| Nvarro c 4 0 2 0 Mench rf 2 0 0 0 | |||
| Gross rf 4 0 0 0 Zaun c 3 0 1 0 | |||
| Bartlett ss 4 0 0 0 McDnld ss 4 0 1 0 | |||
| Totals @ 34 3 9 2 Totals @36 2 9 2 | |||
| Tampa Bay 100 200 000_3 | |||
| Toronto 200 000 000_2 | |||
| E_Iwamura (3). DP_Tampa Bay 1, Toronto 1. LOB_Tampa Bay 6, Toronto 10. 2B_Iwamura (20), Crawford (11), Hinske (16), Zaun (9). 3B_Crawford (9), Rios (4), ALind (2). HR_CPena (18), Overbay (7). S_Upton. | |||
| IP H R ER BB SO | |||
| Tampa Bay @ | |||
| EJackson W,7-7 5 7 2 2 2 3 | |||
| Howell 1 2 0 0 0 1 | |||
| Balfour 1 0 0 0 0 2 | |||
| Wheeler 1 0 0 0 1 1 | |||
| Percival S,23 1 0 0 0 0 0 | |||
| Toronto @ | |||
| Richmond L,0-1 5 1-3 7 3 3 0 4 | |||
| Carlson 1 2-3 0 0 0 0 2 | |||
| Downs 1 1 0 0 1 2 | |||
| BJRyan 1 1 0 0 0 0 | |||
| WP_EJackson. | |||
| Umpires_Home, Hunter Wendelstedt | First, Mike Winters | Second, Marvin Hudson | Third, Scott Barry. |
| T_2:54. A_40,322 (49,539). |
Saugus To The Sea Bill Brown, art by Brad Yung, i84pgs, Smart Cookie Publishing, available through microcosmpublishing.com, $1745, (2001)
I was immediately drawn to the way in which Brown cuts out all the bullshit in his engaging and at times manic voice as he moves his protagonist Billy Brown through California City and its seedy underground. The details in the open segments concerning something as quotidian as the legitimacy and effectiveness of automated sprinklers was reminiscent of Don DeLillo's domestic masterpiece White Nobe and makes you think about those details long after the sprinklers have been shut off and forgotten on the page. Throughout this sunny and quick novel is artwork by Stay As You Are legend Brad Yung. Brown's writing is instant, alchemic and at times hyperbolic: "1 shoot past the lane dividers, those luminescent white hockey pucks that look like vertebrae, just to keep the simile rolling, laid out by hand, one by one, by a Caltrans worker in a bright orange hardhat who drives around in a little go-cart." (Nathaniel G. Moore)
THE LAST KISS
(L'ULTIMO BACIO)
**
Carlo Stefano Accorsi
Giulia Giovanna Mezzogiorno
Anna Stefania Sandrelli
Francesca Martina Stella
Alberto Marco Cocci
Marco Pierfrancesco Favino
Paolo Claudio Santamaria
Think Films presents a film written and directed by GabrieleMuccino. Running time: 114 minutes. In Italian with Englishsubtitles. Rated R (for language, sexuality and some drug use).Opening today at Landmark Century.
'The Last Kiss" is a comedy, I guess, about male panic at thespectre of adult responsibility. If you're a guy and want to figureout what side of the question you're on, take this test. You're ayoung single man. Your girlfriend announces at a family dinner thatshe is pregnant. You (a) accept the joys and responsibilities offatherhood; (b) climb up into a treehouse at a wedding to begin apassionate affair with an 18-year-old; (c) join three buddies indiscussing their plan to buy a van and trek across Africa.
Carlo (Stefano Accorsi), the hero of the film, is torn between (b)and (c). Marriage looms like a trap to him, and he complains toFrancesca (Martina Stella), the 18-year-old, that he fears "thepassion is going" from his life. When his girlfriend Giulia (GiovannaMezzogiorno) takes him along to look at a house they could buy, hecomplains that buying a house seems so "final." Not encouraging wordsfor a pregnant fiancee to hear. "If I catch him cheating, I'll killhim," she says, in the ancient tradition of Italian movie comedy.
But the movie isn't all comedy, and has fugitive ambitions, Ifear, to say something significant about romance and even life.Consider some of Carlo's friends. Paolo (Claudio Santamaria) isexpected to take over his father's clothing store, has no interest inretail, but is wracked with guilt because his father is dying andthis is his last wish. Marco (Pierfrancesco Favino) is a seriallover. Adriano (Giorgio Pasotti) is depressed because his girlfriendhas lost all interest in sex after giving birth. Their 30s and indeedtheir 40s are breathing hot on the necks of these friends, who clingto golden memories of adolescence.
There is also the case of Anna (Stefania Sandrelli), Carlo'smother, who is married to a detached and indifferent psychiatrist,and seeks out a former lover with hopes of, who knows, maybe nowtaking the path not chosen. The lover is delighted to see her for achat over lunch, but reveals that he has recently married and is theproud father of a one-year-old. How cruelly age discriminates againstwomen (at least those prepared to consider it discrimination and notfreedom).
"The Last Kiss" specializes in dramatic exits and entrances. Annabursts into her husband's office when he is deep in consultation witha patient, who seems alarmed that his own house is so clearly not inorder. Carlo awakens with dread after a night spent imprudently, andflees. Giulia makes a dramatic appearance at a death bed afterdiscovering Carlo lied to her. And so on.
The problem is that the movie has no idea of it is serious or not.It combines heartfelt self-analysis with scenes like the one whereCarlo is taken by his teenage squeeze to her friend's birthday, andtries to party with the kids. This is either funny or sad, not both,but the movie doesn't know which.
The message behind all of this is difficult to nail down. Mars andVenus? Adults who haven't grown up? The last fling syndrome? Doingwhat you want instead of doing what you must? I have just finishedWithout Stopping, the autobiography of the novelist and composerPaul Bowles, who as nearly as I can tell always did exactly what hewanted, and was married to Jane Bowles, who did the same. The answer,obviously, is not to choose between marriage and the van trip throughAfrica, but to dump the buddies and find a wife who wants to comealong.
SANTIAGO, Chile - Authorities on Tuesday began exhuming the remains of dozens of victims of repression under the 1973-90 dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet in a renewed effort to determine their identities.
The remains of 13 people were unearthed with help from three foreign experts on the first day of exhumations ordered by Judge Carlos Gajardo. Some of the remains are being uncovered for a second time after the coroner's office acknowledged last year that the misidentified remains of some victims were handed to the wrong relatives.
The victims were originally buried in unmarked tombs at Santiago's General Cemetery in the first few weeks after the bloody 1973 coup led by Pinochet. Some coffins contained the remains of two victims.
Forensic bungling during the first exhumation forced families to relive their grief and outraged the nation. The coroner's office said 48 of the 126 bodies exhumed from the cemetery since 1991 were misidentified. In 67 other cases, officials were either not able to identify the bodies or had doubts about the identities. Only 11 bodies were identified correctly.
Because of those failures, the judge decided to call three foreign experts to help with the new exhumations, said Maria Luisa Sepulveda, a social worker appointed by the government to follow the process. She said the samples of the human remains may be sent abroad for tests.
According to a report prepared by an independent commission appointed by the civilian government that succeeded Pinochet in 1990, a total of 3,190 people were killed for political reasons during his long reign, and 1,197 were arrested and never seen again.
Fewer than 200 of the missing have been accounted for properly.
Pinochet died in December at age 91.
SARASOTA, Fla. The start of Carlton Fisk's 20th full season willhave to wait.
The veteran catcher, agreeing that his right foot tendoninflammation has not improved enough for him to play in Tuesday'sopener at California, was placed on the 15-day disabled listWednesday.
It was made retroactive to last Saturday, meaning Fisk couldcatch at Oakland April 12 before the team returns to Chicago for itshome opener April 13 against Seattle.
"I told Pudge, `I'm not worried about the first five or sixgames; I want you healthy for the next 150,' " general manager RonSchueler said.
"He said he couldn't play on it the way it is now and was gladthat if it had to happen, it happened now and not later."
Fisk, hitting .125 in exhibitions, hasn't played in two weeks.
KARKOVICE HURTING: Backup catcher Ron Karkovice also is injured,but not enough to keep him from taking Fisk's place. He jammed histhumb twice Tuesday in Fort Myers, once when he slid head first intohome.
"You always want to play, but not at the expense of someonebeing hurt," he said.
EXTRA PITCHER: The Sox will carry 11 pitchers to start theseason. Steve Wapnick, Brian Drahman and Roberto Hernandez will viefor two relief spots on a three-game barnstorming trip startingtomorrow.
THEFTS REPORTED: Police began an investigation into stolenequipment and memorabilia from the clubhouse. Their only clue was astyrofoam cup with water and a cigarette in it.
The thieves knew their targets, going right to the lockers ofstars Fisk, Frank Thomas and Robin Ventura for bats, jerseys andgloves.
"It had to be an inside job," a security member said.
COLD BUSINESS: Sox groundskeeper Roger Bossard isn't concernedwith recent Chicago snow, but is keeping an eye on predictions of acold spring.
"Snow is good groundcover," Bossard said. "If I had my way,there'd be snow from mid-November until the end of March.
"What I'm concerned about is a cold front we're supposed to getwhen we open at home (April 13). Earl Finkel's reports are importantto me. He's 60 percent accurate on long range."
NOTES: Dan Pasqua is puzzled by shoulder soreness. "I don'tknow what's wrong, and no one's telling me," he said. Ozzie Guillen agreed to a rap-song promotion for "This Week inBaseball," but not his double-play partner. "I'm sorry, but no,"Steve Sax said after trying to figure out the words. About 2,000 upper-deck box and reserved seats go on sale at ComiskeyPark today. Bill Melton, who led the league in home runs with 33 in 1971 andfive times hit 20 or more, will work with the club in variousfunctions and perhaps do radio work.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — One of Casey Anthony's defense lawyers says he's worried about her safety once she's released from jail after being acquitted of murdering her 2-year-old daughter.
Cheney Mason told the NBC's "Today" show Monday he doesn't know where Anthony will go when she's freed Sunday from a Florida jail. He said she would need time and counseling to re-enter society after being jailed for nearly three years before and during her high-profile trial. She was convicted of four counts of lying to law enforcement.
Mason said Anthony's relations with her parents were "pretty well burned" after the trial, where her defense team contended she was sexually abused by her father. Her father, George Anthony, denied the claims.
Jail records show Casey Anthony refused a visit Friday from her mother, Cindy Anthony.
DENVER - The Denver Broncos once again found barely enough offense to go with their suffocating defense.
Jason Elam kicked two field goals, Tatum Bell ran for a short touchdown and Champ Bailey picked off another key pass as the Broncos defeated the winless Oakland Raiders 13-3 Sunday night.
The offense-challenged Broncos (4-1) haven't allowed a touchdown in three home games and they're the only team NFL team since 1940 to start off a season by yielding just one TD through five games.
The Raiders committed 13 penalties, including four false starts on backup right tackle Chad Slaughter, and fell to 0-5 for the first time since 1964. With Detroit, Tampa Bay and Tennessee all winning Sunday, the Raiders are the only winless team in the NFL.
As is their style, the Broncos bent but didn't break. Bailey picked off a pass at the Denver 1 in the first half and defensive tackle Michael Myers ended another promising drive by the Raiders when he scooped up LaMont Jordan's fumble at the Denver 19 with 4:24 remaining.
Sebastian Janikowski's 47-yard field goal following Robert Thomas' recovery of Darrent Williams' fumbled punt return pulled the Raiders to 13-3 midway through the third quarter. Even that was ugly. The Raiders' 23-yard drive that ate up almost 6 1/2 minutes included two sacks and a fumble by quarterback Andrew Walter, which he recovered himself.
Thanks to Javon Walker, Bailey and eight whistles on the Raiders, the Broncos took a 13-0 lead into the locker room. With this Denver defense, that's downright insurmountable.
Bailey had perfect position on Randy Moss and picked off Walter's pass just before he tiptoed out of bounds. Last week, Bailey's picko of Steve McNair's lob pass in the end zone just before halftime helped the Broncos beat Baltimore, also 13-3.
Bailey's interception came just two plays after Walter, making his third start in place of Aaron Brooks (injured right shoulder), hit Moss for a 51-yard gain to the Denver 28. The play covered nearly as many yards as the Raiders managed (57) on their first 22 plays.
In the first quarter, safety John Lynch punched away a pass to Moss in the end zone, and Janikowski's 54-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.
Two plays later, the Broncos went ahead for good.
Denver took over at its 44 and Jake Plummer pulled off a play fake before lofting a jump ball to Walker, who outleaped cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and came down at the Raiders 2 for a 54-yard gain.
Bell took it in on the next snap for a 7-0 Denver lead with 39 seconds left in the first quarter - the first points the Broncos have scored in the opening quarter all season.
Elam kicked field goals of 51 and 22 yards in the second quarter for a 13-0 halftime lead. His second field goal came after fullback Cecil Sapp, replacing starter Kyle Johnson, who sprained his right ankle on the Broncos' first series, dropped a wide-open pass while he was trotting in for an easy 4-yard touchdown.
Walker, who caught four passes for 75 yards, had a 29-yard gain on a double-reverse on the drive.
Things got so bad for the Raiders that Terdell Sands body-slammed Bell in the closing minutes and was whistled for a personal foul, Oakland's 13th penalty.
The Raiders actually outgained the Broncos 244 yards to 235, but Walter was just 13-of-26 for 189 yards. Plummer completed 11 of 18 passes for 102 yards.
Art Shell's return to the sideline this season hasn't been smooth, and it's only getting rougher. Oakland came into the game with the worst offense in the NFL, averaging 225.3 yards, and the Raiders suspended receiver Jerry Porter without pay on Saturday for conduct detrimental to the team.
Porter was inactive for the first four games after feuding with Shell and demanding a trade at the beginning of training camp. Porter was the Raiders' leading receiver last season with 942 yards.
Notes:@ The Raiders' worst start came in 1962, when they lost their first 13 games before beating Boston in the season finale, ending 19-game skid. ... Broncos WR Rod Smith became the sixth player in NFL history to catch 100 passes against three or more teams. ... Slaughter was inserted into the lineup after starter Langston Walker suffered an unspecified injury in the first quarter. ... Shell fell to 11-2 against the Broncos.
Participacion Civica en el Censo 2000
La Oficina del Censo dio a la publicidad los detalles de una campana multicultural y multilingue, a nivel nacional para educar al publico sobre el Censo 2000. Este es el mayor esfuerzo por parte de la Oficina del Censo para aumentar la participacion civica en un censo decenial.
"Este anuncio subraya el amplio compromiso que se ha asumido para asegurar que el Censo 2000 logre contar la poblacion de la manera mas exacta y completa posible," dijo el Secretario de Comercio, William M. Daley. "Gracias a los esfuerzos de muchas personas con conciencia civica, el Censo 2000 realmente reflejara quienes somos como pueblo, lo que nos permitira crear un mejor futuro para el pais y todos los que viven en el".
El objetivo de la campana es informar a todos en los Estados Unidos, Puerto Rico, Islas Virgenes, Guam y la Mancomunidad de las Marianas del Norte, sobre la importancia del Censo 2000 y como se pueden beneficiar sus comunidades al participar en este evento civico.
La campana educacional del Censo 2000 es una estrategia integrada que, por primera vez en la historia, usara publicidad y anuncios pagados. Tambien incluye el programa del "Censo en las escuelas", programas con grupos comunitarios, promociones con los medios de comunicacion y a traves de eventos especiales.
El mensaje clave de esta campana educacional es que la recaudacion de datos correctos en el censo tiene el potencial de proveer beneficios tangibles a individuos y a sus comunidades. Los anuncios emplean variaciones del lema central: "Este es su futuro... no lo deje en blanco".
Los anuncios pagados comenzaran el primero de noviembre y estan divididos en tres etapas: educativos, motivadores y seguimiento a la falta de respuesta. Los anuncios presentan mensajes sobre el Censo 2000 para el publico en general, asi como mensajes especificos para los afro-norteamericanos, hispanos, asiaticos, indios norteamericanos, nativos de Hawai y otras islas del Pacifico y nativos de Alaska. La campana incorpora anuncios de television, radio, prensa y pancartas en exteriores en 17 idiomas que incluyen espanol, arabe, coreano, mandarin, tagalo y vietnamita. Los anuncios se veran pronto en las principales cadenas de television y cable del pais, en emisoras de television y radio locales y en publicaciones para el mercado en general y los grupos etnicos.
Se decidio usar los anuncios pagados debido a la reduccion en el numero de hogares que han devuelto por correo los formularios de los ultimos censos. En 1980, apenas un 25% de los hogares en el pais dejaron de enviar sus formularios por correo, sin embargo esa cifra ahora asciende a casi 40%. Eso significa que la Oficina del Censo se ve obligada a desplazar a cientos de miles de empleados para tocar puerta en puerta. Los anuncios estan disenados para motivar a las personas a llenar el formulario del Censo 2000 cuando lo reciban el proximo mes de marzo y que lo devuelvan por correo, reduciendo asi considerablemente el costo de las operaciones de seguimiento.
"Este es el censo del pueblo", dijo Dr. Kenneth Prewitt, Director de la Oficina del Censo. "Consideramos que todos en este pais merecen ser contados y queremos llevar ese mensaje a todos los que viven en los Estados Unidos, Puerto Rico y las islas".
"Queremos que todos sepan que sus respuestas contribuyen a la informacion usada por los gobiernos estatales, locales y de las tribus para decidir donde y cuando se deben construir mas escuelas, hospitales, carreteras, jardines infantiles y centros de capacitacion para empleos", anadio Prewitt.
Ademas, Prewitt observo que el gobierno federal se vale de la misma informacion para distribuir anualmente mas de $185 mil millones en fondos que se usan para financiar una gran gama de programas.
Si bien los anuncios pagados son un componente importante de la estrategia educacional del Censo 2000, no son el unico factor. Se organizaran eventos especiales y actividades de promocion para crear conciencia entre el publico sobre el Censo 2000.
El programa del "Censo en las escuelas" esta disenado para ayudar a los estudiantes a entender la importancia y beneficios del censo para que ellos motiven a sus padres a llenar y devolver sus formularios del censo.
Bajo el Programa de Grupos Comunitarios, el Censo 2000 esta recibiendo un nivel sin precedentes de ayuda de casi 30,000 grupos que incluyen: gobiernos estatales, locales y de las tribus; agencias federales; organizaciones nacionales y comunitarias; empresas, corporaciones y medios de comunicacion. Estos socios, que incluyen el Congreso de los Estados Unidos, estan ayudando a motivar y comprometer a las comunidades a devolver por vuelta de correo sus formularios del censo.
Los socios del Censo 2000 tambien proveen lugares donde se puede llevar a cabo la capacitacion y evaluacion de los enumeradores del censo, asi como centros de reunion donde las personas pueden recurrir en busca de ayuda para llenar sus formularios o recoger formularios, si no reciben uno por correo.
La Oficina del Censo necesita la ayuda de los residentes locales para realizar las labores del Censo 2000. Las oportunidades de empleo incluyen enumeradores en las distintas comunidades y vecindarios del pais, y tambien trabajos de oficina. Hay disponibles un gran numero de posiciones de media jornada. Para mas informacion sobre posible empleo con la Oficina del Censo en su area, puede llamar al numero gratis: 1-888-325-7733.
La Oficina del Censo garantiza que las respuestas que se proveen en los formularios del censo se mantienen en la mas estricta confidencialidad. La informacion que se recaudar a traves del Censo 2000 proveer los datos necesarios para que las distintas comunidades alrededor del pais reciban fondos federales para sus programas y para la planificacion de las comunidades y el desarrollo del sector privado.
GENEVA - Members of the U.N.'s new human rights watchdog formally agreed Tuesday to continue their scrutiny of Israel while halting investigations into Cuba and Belarus - a move that immediately drew fire from the United States.
The decision was part of a package of reforms adopted by the members of the Human Rights Council to change how it conducts its work, including how and when to launch investigations into some of the world's worst rights offenders.
The council, which was formed last year to replace the discredited U.N. Human Rights Commission, passed the compromise package despite objections from Canada over plans to continue singling out Israel for scrutiny by the global body.
The European Union, which played a key role in the talks, said before the meeting that it remained to be seen how the council can perform on the basis of the agreement.
"The package is certainly not ideal, but we have a basis we can work with," said Ambassador Michael Steiner of Germany, which currently holds the EU presidency. "The package must prove its value in practice."
The United States - which is only an observer to the 47-nation body - has been skeptical of the council since its inception.
Warren Tichenor, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, said the reforms approved by the members "raise serious questions about the institutional priorities of the Human Rights Council."
Israeli Ambassador Itzhak Levanon said the accord was disappointing because the council had failed to ensure that it would be "non-selective and impartial."
"It is not a bright day for the protection of human rights," Levanon said, adding that the agreement "perpetuates the immoral fixation on Israel."
Rights groups were also skeptical about the agreement.
"The decision presents a floor for the council's work, but a great deal more needs to be built," said Peggy Hicks, global advocacy director for the New York-based Human Rights Watch. She said the agreement "gives leeway to countries that seek to weaken human rights protections."
The council's members had negotiated for a year on the ground rules for how it will operate over the next four years, but last-minute demands by China threatened to scuttle negotiations.
China had demanded that two-thirds of the council's members - rather than the current simple majority - agree before an expert is appointed to make a special investigation of alleged rights violations in a country.
It only dropped its objections after the council's outgoing president, Luis Alfonso de Alba of Mexico, engaged members in 14 hours of tense talks, eventually presenting the meeting with an updated compromise noting that resolutions against a country should have "the broadest possible support" - preferably co-sponsored by at least 15 member countries - before being considered.
Among the other changes was the establishment of a "universal periodic review" mechanism under which all countries will have their rights record examined regularly.
The new agreement also removes two mandates given to U.N.-appointed rights experts to examine the records of Cuba and Belarus, a move strongly criticized by non-governmental organizations, the United States and some European countries. The U.S. accuses Cuba of numerous rights violations, including the jailing of critics and limits on speech.
Nine other expert mandates, including on Haiti, Somalia, Congo, Sudan, Myanmar, North Korea and the Palestinian territories, will continue.
An influential Cuban-American member of Congress, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, said she would seek to halt U.S. funding to the council because of the "hopelessly flawed" rules exempting Cuba and Belarus and targeting Israel.
"To its shame, the U.N. Human Rights Council celebrated its first birthday by giving gifts to Fidel Castro, the authoritarian regime in Belarus and the enemies of the democratic state of Israel," said Ros-Lehtinen, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
In Havana, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque called it "a historic victory in the fight of our people for justice."
The decision ends "the anti-Cuban practice that the United States created solely as a pretext to maintain and exacerbate the political genocide that are its blockade and aggressions against Cuba," he said. Washington's 45-year-old embargo chokes off nearly all U.S. commerce with Cuba.
The large Muslim and African groups which dominate the council had lobbied hard to minimize the scope for naming and shaming countries over their human rights records, but make an exception for Israel, the only government explicitly criticized so far by the body. Censure by the council brings no sanctions beyond international scrutiny.
The new agreement contains an agenda for future council meetings that provides for regular discussions of "human rights violations and implications of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and other occupied Arab territories."
---
Associated Press writers Ken Guggenheim in Washington, Alexander G. Higgins in Geneva and Audra Ang in Beijing contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House became the "Pink House" Thursday night for breast cancer awareness.
President Barack Obama announced via Twitter earlier in the day that the building will be bathed in pink light Thursday, just for one night.
Obama signed a proclamation at the beginning of the month designating October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Last October, the Obamas hung a large pink ribbon on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the White House.
The American Cancer Society says there are roughly 40,000 breast cancer deaths each year in the U.S.
The main entrance to Vice President Joe Biden's official residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory also was to be lit in pink Thursday night.
Tony Blair exited Britain's political stage a few months ago. Which side he left from, however, is open to question. Having won three consecutive majorities, he's the country's most successful left-wing Prime Minister ever.
Or is he?
I adhere to the old-fashioned notion that what politicians do in office is more important than the number of elections they won. By this standard, it's hard to conclude that Blair was a lefty at all. Because Britain went backwards during his era, in terms of the things that matter most to our side of the political spectrum. Britain today is a leaner, meaner, more unequal society than when Blair came to power - and considering he inherited Margaret Thatcher's legacy, that's saying something.
Of course, no one expected Blair to undo the dramatic changes wrought by Thatcher. He took office in 1997 after deliberately watering down Labour Party policies and distancing himself from the past. But few thought he would actually take Britain in the wrong direction.
Here are seven ways Britain actually shifted to the right during Blair's tenure. The list doesn't even include Blair's disastrous endorsement of George Bush's military adventures - only the damage he did on the home front:
Inequality: Income inequality and poverty didn't budge under Blair, staying at the high levels reached under Thatcher. Wealth inequality actually got worse: in 1997 the richest 1% of Britons owned one-quarter of all wealth (excluding dwellings); today they own one-third.
Children: Nothing reveals the soul of a society more than how it treats its children. Last year the U.K. ranked dead last (worse even than the U.S.) on UNICEF's ranking of 21 industrialized countries for the quality of children's lives. Even when they go off to school, Blair hurt the kids. He broke a campaign promise and introduced "marketsensitive" tuition fees at universities - now many thousands of dollars.
Unions: Blair kept almost all of Thatcher's anti-union laws, and during his reign union membership declined further: from close to 30% of workers when he took office to barely 25% today.
Industry: Over 1.25 million manufacturing jobs disappeared under Blair, cementing Britain's status as an industrial hasbeen. He oversaw the near-demise of Britain's automotive industry, and watched Britain's merchandise trade deficit swell to 6.5% of GDP.
Monetary Policy: One of Blair's first acts was to grant so-called "operational independence" to the Bank of England (it may be independent from the government, but that hardly makes the Bank independent and certainly not neutral). In the decade since, the government made no effort to reform the Bank's rigid, unidimensional inflation-targeting system, nor challenge the underlying quasi-monetarist ideas which guide that system.
Privatization: Blair extended Thatcher's commitment to selling off public assets - but he did it in disguise. He pioneered public-private partnerships: a fiscal shellgame in which taxpayers bear the risks and investors reap the profits.
The Labour Party Itself: Needless to say, the activists who worked their behinds off to bring Blair to power quickly lost enthusiasm under his unprincipled rule. It was Blair's deliberate goal to break the ties binding his government's policies to actual Labour Party decisions. It is thus poetic justice that Labour Party membership fell by more than half during his rule, leaving his successors without a grassroots base.
In each case, it's not that Blair failed to undo Thatcher's right-wing shift, or failed to fulfill the hopes of the progressive voters who elected him. Rather, he actually led Britain in the wrong direction. Despite a few positive measures (like Britain's first minimum wage and modest increases in public spending), there's no doubt the U.K. remains - after a decade of Labour rule - one of the most market-oriented, business-dominated, unequal jurisdictions in the developed world.
There are lessons in Blair's legacy for those who still aspire to build a more inclusive, equal society. Most important is that merely electing someone who professes to share your views is no guarantee you'll even head in the right direction. Blair's first and foremost goal, in retrospect, was getting elected, not changing society - and, despite Britain's initial relief at ousting Thatcher's Conservatives, that was not enough to put the country back on track.
Worst of all, the unions and other groups that should have demanded more from Blair were silenced by their allegiance to Labour's electoral strategy. They mostly kept their mouths shut, even as Blair headed in an increasingly conservative direction. Only recently have they found their voices, opposing Blair's policies at home and abroad.
That's a crucial lesson for Canada's lefties to keep in mind, given our own fractured and confusing political landscape. The experience of Blairism proves we must keep our eyes on the prize (namely, better policies) - not on the party.
[Sidebar]
"One of the lessons of Blair's legacy, for those of us who still aspire to build a more just society, Is that merely electing someone who professes to share your views is no guarantee you'll even head in the right direction.'
[Author Affiliation]
(Jim Stanford is an economist with the Canadian Auto Workers and a CCPA research associate.)
A Supreme Court ruling finding that Americans have the right to bear arms anywhere they live almost certainly means the end of Chicago's decades-old handgun ban, but it may not make handgun ownership there much easier if the city's powerful mayor has his way.
Shortly after the high court voted 5-4 Monday along familiar ideological lines _ with five conservative-moderate justices in favor of gun rights and four liberals opposed _ Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley said officials were already at work rewriting the city ordinance to adhere to the court ruling while protecting Chicago residents from gun violence.
"We will never give in to those who use guns to harm others," Daley said in comments aimed at his constituents. "Your fight is my fight and we're in this together."
And in other cities and states, officials said they were confident their gun control laws would withstand legal challenges.
"We do think it'll probably give us some bigger legal bills, but I suspect that we will be able to continue to do exactly what we've been doing _ have reasonable regulations as to who can buy and where you can carry," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an ardent gun control advocate, said of Monday's ruling.
The decision didn't explicitly strike down nearly 30-year-old handgun bans in Chicago and its suburb of Oak Park. Instead, it ordered a federal appeals court to reconsider its ruling. But it left little doubt that the statutes eventually would fall.
In the majority decision, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the Second Amendment right "applies equally to the federal government and the states."
But the decision also signaled that some limitations on the Constitution's "right to keep and bear arms" could survive legal challenges. Alito noted that while fully binding on states and cities, the Second Amendment "limits (but by no means eliminates) their ability to devise solutions to social problems that suit local needs and values."
Justices John Paul Stevens and Stephen Breyer, joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor, each wrote a dissent. Stevens said that unlike a ruling two years ago overturning a Washington, D.C., handgun ban, Monday's decision "could prove far more destructive _ quite literally _ to our nation's communities and to our constitutional structure."
Gun rights supporters challenged the Chicago and Oak Park laws _ the last two remaining outright bans, according to The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence _ almost immediately after the high court struck down a ban on handguns and a trigger lock requirement for other guns in Washington, a federal city with a unique legal standing. That ruling applied only to federal laws.
Lower federal courts upheld the Illinois cities' bans, noting that judges on those benches were bound by Supreme Court precedent and that it would be up to the high court justices to ultimately rule on the true reach of the Second Amendment.
Monday's ruling was a victory for gun rights supporters, but they also said they expected state and local governments to draft laws to impede gun ownership.
Attorney David Sigale, who represented one of the plaintiffs associated with Monday's decision, said he has been advising prospective handgun owners to hold off buying them.
"In light of Mayor Daley's threat... that there could be a whole new mess of regulations on the books, which I'm sure will only go to further hinder and burden the Constitutional rights given today, I think it would be prudent to wait and see what those developments are before everyone rushes out and avails themselves of this new right," Sigale said.
Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, said he expects the same from other municipalities as well, saying the NRA "will continue to work at every level to insure that defiant city councils and cynical politicians do not transform this constitutional victory into a practical defeat through Byzantine regulations and restrictions."
In Massachusetts, Attorney General Martha Coakley said the ruling would not pose a problem because the state controls, but doesn't ban, guns. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is pushing a bill that would make it illegal to buy more than one gun per month.
"The provision in the governor's bill relative to a one-gun-a-month limit is not analogous since it does not ban the ownership of firearms, but just regulates the amount," said Deval's spokesman, Kyle Sullivan.
Daley didn't specify what measures he intends to push, but he said he planned to move quickly to get them in front of the City Council, saying that it is possible a special session will be called to address the issue.
He said he's considering creating a registry of the names and addresses of everyone in the city who legally owns a handgun, which would be made available to police officers, firefighters and other "first responders" before they arrive at the scene of emergencies.
The mayor also said Chicago might follow the District of Columbia's lead in requiring prospective gun owners to take training courses that include several hours of classroom learning about gun safety and passing a 20-question test.
Daley has suggested that owners may be required to buy insurance for those guns.
___
Associated Press writers Deanna Bellandi in Chicago, Glen Johnson in Boston, Sara Kugler Frazier in New York and Mark Sherman in Washington contributed to this report.
Residents of Oak Creek Canyon, prepare to stop at an Arizona Department of Safety check point south of Flagstaff, Ariz. Saturday, June 24, 2006. Some of the residents evacuated from scenic Oak Creek Canyon because of a 4,200-acre wildfire were allowed to return to their homes Saturday as crews reinforced their lines around the blaze, officials said. (AP Photo/Matt York)
A 4,200-acre wildfire that threatened hundreds of homes was 35 percent contained early Sunday, fire officials said.
Though an evacuation order was lifted for some residents of scenic Oak Creek Canyon on Saturday, the blaze still threatens homes in the canyon's southern end, where crews focused on finishing a protection line.
Overnight efforts to widen the lines protecting the homes went as planned, said David Eaker, a spokesman for the team fighting the fire.
Authorities said it will be about two days before the remaining evacuees can return home. Officials hope to have full containment by Wednesday, barring any weather disturbances that could push the flames.
"In my mind, we have crossed the threshold where we are on the offense, chasing it down," Mike Dondero, deputy incident commander for the fire, said late Saturday. "And we are gaining on it real fast."
The fire started June 18 north of Sedona as a transient's campfire and spread to steep terrain above the canyon. No homes have burned.
North of Sedona, officials reopened two roads in Grand Canyon National Park that were closed because of a 15,500-acre wildfire.
The fire raised questions early Saturday about whether visitors would be stranded in the park. As fire activity lessened, the road closures were lifted later in the day, said Bill Kight, fire information officer.
An unknown number of tourists were voluntarily escorted out of the Grand Canyon's North Rim. The North Rim, which is significantly more remote and less popular than the park's main South Rim entrance, remained open to visitors.
The blaze, which had not threatened any property, was allowed to burn since it was discovered June 8 in the Kaibab National Forest after a series of lightning strikes.
Elsewhere, a nearly 48,000-acre blaze in southwestern New Mexico's Gila National Forest was 23 percent contained Saturday. It had destroyed a cabin and was threatening about 80 other structures. It was started by a campfire, officials said.
In Southern California, a 15,000-acre wildfire in Los Padres National Forest was 85 percent contained, and crews hoped to have it fully contained by late Sunday, officials said. The blaze 45 miles east of Santa Maria was started Monday by an electrical short circuit, and had destroyed two sheds and three oil company trailers.
Hundreds of firefighters in southern Colorado were battling a nearly 14,000-acre wildfire that was sparked by lightning a week ago. Residents of about 50 homes were allowed back into the area Sunday afternoon. Another fire in southern Colorado that started Friday forced the evacuation of 12 homes Saturday afternoon.
Wildfires have charred 3.2 million acres nationwide so far this year, well ahead of the average of just over 1 million acres by this time, the National Interagency Fire Center reported. Huge grass fires that swept Texas and Oklahoma this spring account for much of the increase.
___
On the Net:
National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov
Residents of Oak Creek Canyon, prepare to stop at an Arizona Department of Safety check point south of Flagstaff, Ariz. Saturday, June 24, 2006. Some of the residents evacuated from scenic Oak Creek Canyon because of a 4,200-acre wildfire were allowed to return to their homes Saturday as crews reinforced their lines around the blaze, officials said. (AP Photo/Matt York)
A 4,200-acre wildfire that threatened hundreds of homes was 35 percent contained early Sunday, fire officials said.
Though an evacuation order was lifted for some residents of scenic Oak Creek Canyon on Saturday, the blaze still threatens homes in the canyon's southern end, where crews focused on finishing a protection line.
Overnight efforts to widen the lines protecting the homes went as planned, said David Eaker, a spokesman for the team fighting the fire.
Authorities said it will be about two days before the remaining evacuees can return home. Officials hope to have full containment by Wednesday, barring any weather disturbances that could push the flames.
"In my mind, we have crossed the threshold where we are on the offense, chasing it down," Mike Dondero, deputy incident commander for the fire, said late Saturday. "And we are gaining on it real fast."
The fire started June 18 north of Sedona as a transient's campfire and spread to steep terrain above the canyon. No homes have burned.
North of Sedona, officials reopened two roads in Grand Canyon National Park that were closed because of a 15,500-acre wildfire.
The fire raised questions early Saturday about whether visitors would be stranded in the park. As fire activity lessened, the road closures were lifted later in the day, said Bill Kight, fire information officer.
An unknown number of tourists were voluntarily escorted out of the Grand Canyon's North Rim. The North Rim, which is significantly more remote and less popular than the park's main South Rim entrance, remained open to visitors.
The blaze, which had not threatened any property, was allowed to burn since it was discovered June 8 in the Kaibab National Forest after a series of lightning strikes.
Elsewhere, a nearly 48,000-acre blaze in southwestern New Mexico's Gila National Forest was 23 percent contained Saturday. It had destroyed a cabin and was threatening about 80 other structures. It was started by a campfire, officials said.
In Southern California, a 15,000-acre wildfire in Los Padres National Forest was 85 percent contained, and crews hoped to have it fully contained by late Sunday, officials said. The blaze 45 miles east of Santa Maria was started Monday by an electrical short circuit, and had destroyed two sheds and three oil company trailers.
Hundreds of firefighters in southern Colorado were battling a nearly 14,000-acre wildfire that was sparked by lightning a week ago. Residents of about 50 homes were allowed back into the area Sunday afternoon. Another fire in southern Colorado that started Friday forced the evacuation of 12 homes Saturday afternoon.
Wildfires have charred 3.2 million acres nationwide so far this year, well ahead of the average of just over 1 million acres by this time, the National Interagency Fire Center reported. Huge grass fires that swept Texas and Oklahoma this spring account for much of the increase.
___
On the Net:
National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov
Residents of Oak Creek Canyon, prepare to stop at an Arizona Department of Safety check point south of Flagstaff, Ariz. Saturday, June 24, 2006. Some of the residents evacuated from scenic Oak Creek Canyon because of a 4,200-acre wildfire were allowed to return to their homes Saturday as crews reinforced their lines around the blaze, officials said. (AP Photo/Matt York)
A 4,200-acre wildfire that threatened hundreds of homes was 35 percent contained early Sunday, fire officials said.
Though an evacuation order was lifted for some residents of scenic Oak Creek Canyon on Saturday, the blaze still threatens homes in the canyon's southern end, where crews focused on finishing a protection line.
Overnight efforts to widen the lines protecting the homes went as planned, said David Eaker, a spokesman for the team fighting the fire.
Authorities said it will be about two days before the remaining evacuees can return home. Officials hope to have full containment by Wednesday, barring any weather disturbances that could push the flames.
"In my mind, we have crossed the threshold where we are on the offense, chasing it down," Mike Dondero, deputy incident commander for the fire, said late Saturday. "And we are gaining on it real fast."
The fire started June 18 north of Sedona as a transient's campfire and spread to steep terrain above the canyon. No homes have burned.
North of Sedona, officials reopened two roads in Grand Canyon National Park that were closed because of a 15,500-acre wildfire.
The fire raised questions early Saturday about whether visitors would be stranded in the park. As fire activity lessened, the road closures were lifted later in the day, said Bill Kight, fire information officer.
An unknown number of tourists were voluntarily escorted out of the Grand Canyon's North Rim. The North Rim, which is significantly more remote and less popular than the park's main South Rim entrance, remained open to visitors.
The blaze, which had not threatened any property, was allowed to burn since it was discovered June 8 in the Kaibab National Forest after a series of lightning strikes.
Elsewhere, a nearly 48,000-acre blaze in southwestern New Mexico's Gila National Forest was 23 percent contained Saturday. It had destroyed a cabin and was threatening about 80 other structures. It was started by a campfire, officials said.
In Southern California, a 15,000-acre wildfire in Los Padres National Forest was 85 percent contained, and crews hoped to have it fully contained by late Sunday, officials said. The blaze 45 miles east of Santa Maria was started Monday by an electrical short circuit, and had destroyed two sheds and three oil company trailers.
Hundreds of firefighters in southern Colorado were battling a nearly 14,000-acre wildfire that was sparked by lightning a week ago. Residents of about 50 homes were allowed back into the area Sunday afternoon. Another fire in southern Colorado that started Friday forced the evacuation of 12 homes Saturday afternoon.
Wildfires have charred 3.2 million acres nationwide so far this year, well ahead of the average of just over 1 million acres by this time, the National Interagency Fire Center reported. Huge grass fires that swept Texas and Oklahoma this spring account for much of the increase.
___
On the Net:
National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov
Residents of Oak Creek Canyon, prepare to stop at an Arizona Department of Safety check point south of Flagstaff, Ariz. Saturday, June 24, 2006. Some of the residents evacuated from scenic Oak Creek Canyon because of a 4,200-acre wildfire were allowed to return to their homes Saturday as crews reinforced their lines around the blaze, officials said. (AP Photo/Matt York)
A 4,200-acre wildfire that threatened hundreds of homes was 35 percent contained early Sunday, fire officials said.
Though an evacuation order was lifted for some residents of scenic Oak Creek Canyon on Saturday, the blaze still threatens homes in the canyon's southern end, where crews focused on finishing a protection line.
Overnight efforts to widen the lines protecting the homes went as planned, said David Eaker, a spokesman for the team fighting the fire.
Authorities said it will be about two days before the remaining evacuees can return home. Officials hope to have full containment by Wednesday, barring any weather disturbances that could push the flames.
"In my mind, we have crossed the threshold where we are on the offense, chasing it down," Mike Dondero, deputy incident commander for the fire, said late Saturday. "And we are gaining on it real fast."
The fire started June 18 north of Sedona as a transient's campfire and spread to steep terrain above the canyon. No homes have burned.
North of Sedona, officials reopened two roads in Grand Canyon National Park that were closed because of a 15,500-acre wildfire.
The fire raised questions early Saturday about whether visitors would be stranded in the park. As fire activity lessened, the road closures were lifted later in the day, said Bill Kight, fire information officer.
An unknown number of tourists were voluntarily escorted out of the Grand Canyon's North Rim. The North Rim, which is significantly more remote and less popular than the park's main South Rim entrance, remained open to visitors.
The blaze, which had not threatened any property, was allowed to burn since it was discovered June 8 in the Kaibab National Forest after a series of lightning strikes.
Elsewhere, a nearly 48,000-acre blaze in southwestern New Mexico's Gila National Forest was 23 percent contained Saturday. It had destroyed a cabin and was threatening about 80 other structures. It was started by a campfire, officials said.
In Southern California, a 15,000-acre wildfire in Los Padres National Forest was 85 percent contained, and crews hoped to have it fully contained by late Sunday, officials said. The blaze 45 miles east of Santa Maria was started Monday by an electrical short circuit, and had destroyed two sheds and three oil company trailers.
Hundreds of firefighters in southern Colorado were battling a nearly 14,000-acre wildfire that was sparked by lightning a week ago. Residents of about 50 homes were allowed back into the area Sunday afternoon. Another fire in southern Colorado that started Friday forced the evacuation of 12 homes Saturday afternoon.
Wildfires have charred 3.2 million acres nationwide so far this year, well ahead of the average of just over 1 million acres by this time, the National Interagency Fire Center reported. Huge grass fires that swept Texas and Oklahoma this spring account for much of the increase.
___
On the Net:
National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov
Residents of Oak Creek Canyon, prepare to stop at an Arizona Department of Safety check point south of Flagstaff, Ariz. Saturday, June 24, 2006. Some of the residents evacuated from scenic Oak Creek Canyon because of a 4,200-acre wildfire were allowed to return to their homes Saturday as crews reinforced their lines around the blaze, officials said. (AP Photo/Matt York)
A 4,200-acre wildfire that threatened hundreds of homes was 35 percent contained early Sunday, fire officials said.
Though an evacuation order was lifted for some residents of scenic Oak Creek Canyon on Saturday, the blaze still threatens homes in the canyon's southern end, where crews focused on finishing a protection line.
Overnight efforts to widen the lines protecting the homes went as planned, said David Eaker, a spokesman for the team fighting the fire.
Authorities said it will be about two days before the remaining evacuees can return home. Officials hope to have full containment by Wednesday, barring any weather disturbances that could push the flames.
"In my mind, we have crossed the threshold where we are on the offense, chasing it down," Mike Dondero, deputy incident commander for the fire, said late Saturday. "And we are gaining on it real fast."
The fire started June 18 north of Sedona as a transient's campfire and spread to steep terrain above the canyon. No homes have burned.
North of Sedona, officials reopened two roads in Grand Canyon National Park that were closed because of a 15,500-acre wildfire.
The fire raised questions early Saturday about whether visitors would be stranded in the park. As fire activity lessened, the road closures were lifted later in the day, said Bill Kight, fire information officer.
An unknown number of tourists were voluntarily escorted out of the Grand Canyon's North Rim. The North Rim, which is significantly more remote and less popular than the park's main South Rim entrance, remained open to visitors.
The blaze, which had not threatened any property, was allowed to burn since it was discovered June 8 in the Kaibab National Forest after a series of lightning strikes.
Elsewhere, a nearly 48,000-acre blaze in southwestern New Mexico's Gila National Forest was 23 percent contained Saturday. It had destroyed a cabin and was threatening about 80 other structures. It was started by a campfire, officials said.
In Southern California, a 15,000-acre wildfire in Los Padres National Forest was 85 percent contained, and crews hoped to have it fully contained by late Sunday, officials said. The blaze 45 miles east of Santa Maria was started Monday by an electrical short circuit, and had destroyed two sheds and three oil company trailers.
Hundreds of firefighters in southern Colorado were battling a nearly 14,000-acre wildfire that was sparked by lightning a week ago. Residents of about 50 homes were allowed back into the area Sunday afternoon. Another fire in southern Colorado that started Friday forced the evacuation of 12 homes Saturday afternoon.
Wildfires have charred 3.2 million acres nationwide so far this year, well ahead of the average of just over 1 million acres by this time, the National Interagency Fire Center reported. Huge grass fires that swept Texas and Oklahoma this spring account for much of the increase.
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On the Net:
National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov
Residents of Oak Creek Canyon, prepare to stop at an Arizona Department of Safety check point south of Flagstaff, Ariz. Saturday, June 24, 2006. Some of the residents evacuated from scenic Oak Creek Canyon because of a 4,200-acre wildfire were allowed to return to their homes Saturday as crews reinforced their lines around the blaze, officials said. (AP Photo/Matt York)
A 4,200-acre wildfire that threatened hundreds of homes was 35 percent contained early Sunday, fire officials said.
Though an evacuation order was lifted for some residents of scenic Oak Creek Canyon on Saturday, the blaze still threatens homes in the canyon's southern end, where crews focused on finishing a protection line.
Overnight efforts to widen the lines protecting the homes went as planned, said David Eaker, a spokesman for the team fighting the fire.
Authorities said it will be about two days before the remaining evacuees can return home. Officials hope to have full containment by Wednesday, barring any weather disturbances that could push the flames.
"In my mind, we have crossed the threshold where we are on the offense, chasing it down," Mike Dondero, deputy incident commander for the fire, said late Saturday. "And we are gaining on it real fast."
The fire started June 18 north of Sedona as a transient's campfire and spread to steep terrain above the canyon. No homes have burned.
North of Sedona, officials reopened two roads in Grand Canyon National Park that were closed because of a 15,500-acre wildfire.
The fire raised questions early Saturday about whether visitors would be stranded in the park. As fire activity lessened, the road closures were lifted later in the day, said Bill Kight, fire information officer.
An unknown number of tourists were voluntarily escorted out of the Grand Canyon's North Rim. The North Rim, which is significantly more remote and less popular than the park's main South Rim entrance, remained open to visitors.
The blaze, which had not threatened any property, was allowed to burn since it was discovered June 8 in the Kaibab National Forest after a series of lightning strikes.
Elsewhere, a nearly 48,000-acre blaze in southwestern New Mexico's Gila National Forest was 23 percent contained Saturday. It had destroyed a cabin and was threatening about 80 other structures. It was started by a campfire, officials said.
In Southern California, a 15,000-acre wildfire in Los Padres National Forest was 85 percent contained, and crews hoped to have it fully contained by late Sunday, officials said. The blaze 45 miles east of Santa Maria was started Monday by an electrical short circuit, and had destroyed two sheds and three oil company trailers.
Hundreds of firefighters in southern Colorado were battling a nearly 14,000-acre wildfire that was sparked by lightning a week ago. Residents of about 50 homes were allowed back into the area Sunday afternoon. Another fire in southern Colorado that started Friday forced the evacuation of 12 homes Saturday afternoon.
Wildfires have charred 3.2 million acres nationwide so far this year, well ahead of the average of just over 1 million acres by this time, the National Interagency Fire Center reported. Huge grass fires that swept Texas and Oklahoma this spring account for much of the increase.
___
On the Net:
National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov
Residents of Oak Creek Canyon, prepare to stop at an Arizona Department of Safety check point south of Flagstaff, Ariz. Saturday, June 24, 2006. Some of the residents evacuated from scenic Oak Creek Canyon because of a 4,200-acre wildfire were allowed to return to their homes Saturday as crews reinforced their lines around the blaze, officials said. (AP Photo/Matt York)
A 4,200-acre wildfire that threatened hundreds of homes was 35 percent contained early Sunday, fire officials said.
Though an evacuation order was lifted for some residents of scenic Oak Creek Canyon on Saturday, the blaze still threatens homes in the canyon's southern end, where crews focused on finishing a protection line.
Overnight efforts to widen the lines protecting the homes went as planned, said David Eaker, a spokesman for the team fighting the fire.
Authorities said it will be about two days before the remaining evacuees can return home. Officials hope to have full containment by Wednesday, barring any weather disturbances that could push the flames.
"In my mind, we have crossed the threshold where we are on the offense, chasing it down," Mike Dondero, deputy incident commander for the fire, said late Saturday. "And we are gaining on it real fast."
The fire started June 18 north of Sedona as a transient's campfire and spread to steep terrain above the canyon. No homes have burned.
North of Sedona, officials reopened two roads in Grand Canyon National Park that were closed because of a 15,500-acre wildfire.
The fire raised questions early Saturday about whether visitors would be stranded in the park. As fire activity lessened, the road closures were lifted later in the day, said Bill Kight, fire information officer.
An unknown number of tourists were voluntarily escorted out of the Grand Canyon's North Rim. The North Rim, which is significantly more remote and less popular than the park's main South Rim entrance, remained open to visitors.
The blaze, which had not threatened any property, was allowed to burn since it was discovered June 8 in the Kaibab National Forest after a series of lightning strikes.
Elsewhere, a nearly 48,000-acre blaze in southwestern New Mexico's Gila National Forest was 23 percent contained Saturday. It had destroyed a cabin and was threatening about 80 other structures. It was started by a campfire, officials said.
In Southern California, a 15,000-acre wildfire in Los Padres National Forest was 85 percent contained, and crews hoped to have it fully contained by late Sunday, officials said. The blaze 45 miles east of Santa Maria was started Monday by an electrical short circuit, and had destroyed two sheds and three oil company trailers.
Hundreds of firefighters in southern Colorado were battling a nearly 14,000-acre wildfire that was sparked by lightning a week ago. Residents of about 50 homes were allowed back into the area Sunday afternoon. Another fire in southern Colorado that started Friday forced the evacuation of 12 homes Saturday afternoon.
Wildfires have charred 3.2 million acres nationwide so far this year, well ahead of the average of just over 1 million acres by this time, the National Interagency Fire Center reported. Huge grass fires that swept Texas and Oklahoma this spring account for much of the increase.
___
On the Net:
National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov
