Governor signs bill to protect health care workers
Citing a sharp increase in the number of assaults on health care workers in recent years, Gov. Peter Shumlin today signed a bill that would make such assaults a crime with stiffer penalties. The Governor signed the bill outside the Emergency Room at the Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin, where health care workers requested the change following numerous assaultive incidents. ‘This bill will help us protect the medical personnel who, along with our law enforcement and firefighters, work to keep us safe and protected,’ the Governor said, shortly before signing the bill into law. The number of workplace assaults occurring in the health care industry is four times higher than in the private sector, advocates said. At the Central Vermont Medical Center, the number of incidents has jumped 100 percent in five years. In one case, for example, a nurse had his arm broken by someone visiting the Emergency Room; in another, a patient tried to bite an emergency room nurse, who was then attacked by the patient’s family member. Medical Center CEO Judy Tarr and hospital medical staff also joined the bill signing.The new law adds health care workers to assault laws already protecting law enforcement and firefighters. A person convicted of simple or aggravated assault against a nurse or other health care worker while on duty will face fines and imprisonment for not more than one year and up 10 years for repeat offenses. The court will take into account whether the defendant was a patient at the time and had a psychiatric illness, which might have exacerbated the situation. Source: Governor’s office. 5.12.2011
How The Masters Was Won November 16, 2020, 8:00pmLive on 
Take a look at the best shots from the final day of The 84th Masters at Augusta National Dustin Johnson claimed a record-breaking victory at The Masters to register a second major title; the world No 1 ended the week on 20 under and five clear of nearest challengers Cameron Smith and Sungjae Im. By Sky Sports GolfLast Updated: 15/11/20 11:50pm – Advertisement – – Advertisement – Brooks Koepka showed off his short game skills on his way to another major top-10 and Justin Thomas stuffed his approach at the 15th to three feet and made eagle, while Tommy Fleetwood and Andy Ogletree also feature in some of the day’s best efforts.Click on the video above to look back at the top shots from the final round of The Masters! Relive Dustin Johnson’s record-breaking victory in “How The 2020 Masters Was Won”, a two-hour programme offering highlights and reaction, on Monday from 8pm on Sky Sports Golf. – Advertisement – 3:47 
– Advertisement – Smith became the first player in Masters history to shoot four rounds in the 60s, with the Australian’s undoubted highlight coming when he gauged out of the trees at the ninth to leave a tap-in birdie.An eventful end to Tiger Woods’ defence saw him almost pitch in at the third for eagle and bounce back from an ugly 10 at the par-three 12th to birdie five of his last six holes, while Bryson DeChambeau almost left himself a tap-in eagle at the 13th after going inches away from an unlikely two. Take a look at the best shots from the final day of The 84th Masters at Augusta National A near-albatross, some incredible approach play and plenty of chip-ins all feature in the top shots from a record-breaking final round at The Masters.Dustin Johnson broke the 72-hole scoring record at Augusta National on his way a five-shot victory, with an impressive tee-shot into the par-three sixth helping him recover from back-to-back birdies and regain control of the tournament.The world No 1 pulled clear of the field on the final day, taking advantage of the par-fives either side of a sublime birdie at the 14th to end the week on 20 under and well clear of nearest challengers Cameron Smith and Sungjae Im. 
Most German foundations have come through the financial crisis relatively well so far, according to a survey from the Association of German Foundations (AGF).Nearly 40% of the foundations surveyed managed to maintain their investment income in 2012, while around 25% have actually increased their earnings.Only one-third saw a fall in income over the same period.The survey was carried out to investigate the effect that continuing low interest rates has had on foundation income, with 250 foundations responding to an online questionnaire last July about their most recent financial results. Hans Fleisch, secretary-general at the AGF, said: “Many foundations have found a way round the crisis by increased fundraising.“Another strategy has been to bring greater professionalism to investing, including the creation or revision of investment guidelines.“Results show that the better the foundation’s knowledge of investments, the higher its returns.”But he warned: “Because of continuing low interest rates, expectations for this year are still subdued.“And the longer the period of low interest, the thinner the air for foundations.”For the third year in a row, investment returns have been very low.In both 2012 and 2011, average returns on assets were 3%, down from 3.5% in 2010.A similar survey in 2008 revealed average returns of 4.4%.However, Fleisch said it was striking that foundations with a higher endowment – €1m or above – could usually generate significantly higher returns.For 2012, these foundations reported returns as high as 4.3%.“Larger foundations are more likely to possess in-house professional expertise, which can add a few basis points to income,” Fleisch said.“Furthermore, some investment solutions are not possible if you’re small.”He said most of the return had come from equities – largely German stocks, which had done well because of the performance of the domestic economy.Fleisch estimates the assets of German foundations to be worth €100bn.More than 60% of total foundation assets in Germany are held in conservative assets, largely government bonds, he added.However, he said there has been a noticeable shift over the past year towards real estate, particularly the booming Berlin market.Around 10-15% of total assets are currently in real estate, including commercial and residential property, forestry and agriculture.Very little is in alternatives.The survey showed that while 61% of the larger foundations have an investment policy document, this is true for only 46% of the smaller foundations.Fleisch said that more foundations were now planning to create guidelines, while many of those with a policy already were revising it to allow more investment risk – for example, by permitting a greater percentage of assets to be held in equities.However, some German states restrict risky assets to a specific percentage of the portfolio, or prohibit ‘speculative’ investing.German federal law says the total book value of a foundation’s endowment capital must be maintained over the medium term.Meanwhile, mission-related investing is, for most foundations, still in the future – only one-fifth of trusts that have set guidelines are planning to connect the foundation’s purpose with its investment policy.Only half the foundations responding to the survey said they were planning any concrete measures to deal with the financial crisis.But 68% of larger foundations are planning to improve effectiveness though cooperation with other parties.Fleisch said the economic crisis had not dampened the enthusiasm for creating foundations – each year, approximately 600-700 new ones are formed in Germany.
Share 22 Views no discussions Sharing is caring! A type of malaria could move from monkeys to humans, say scientistsScientists are warning that a species of malaria could switch from targeting monkeys to humans.Macaques in south east Asia are a vast source of Plasmodium knowlesi which can spread to people, they write in PLoS Pathogens.They believe that growing human populations and increased deforestation in the region could lead to the parasite switching host.But those changes could also reduce the spread of the disease.Around one million people die each year as a result of malaria.It is caused by parasites and is spread by mosquitoes when they drink blood.‘Huge reservoir’P. knowlesi is known as the fifth malarial parasite in humans.It mostly exists in monkeys, however, there have been human cases and it has been shown in the laboratory to be able to spread from human to human.In south east Asia, the macaques are the second most common primate after humans.Blood tests on 108 wild macaques showed that more than three quarters were infected with the malaria parasite.Professor Balbir Singh, from the Malaria Research Centre at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, told the BBC: “they are a huge reservoir of Plasmodium knowlesi.”Genetic analysis showed that P. knowlesi had existed in monkeys since before humans settled in south east Asia. The researchers said humans were being infected from the ‘reservoir’, rather than the disease spreading between humans.Prof Singh raised concerns about what could happen in the future: “We don’t know how mosquito behaviour will change.“With increasing human populations and deforestation we may get a shift to humans. The number of malaria cases is coming down so there is also decreased immunity. Or would deforestation reduce numbers? It could go either way.”Dr Hilary Ranson, from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, said: “It seems a very reasonable thing to speculate.“Deforestation or any perturbation of the ecosystem frequently leads to humans being exposed to an expanded range of biting insects and the pathogens they transmit, yellow fever is a good example of this.”She said if humans catch the parastite more often then P knowlesi may evolve to target humans.“To me the important message is that disruption of the environment exposes people to a range of known and potentially unknown pathogens transmitted by blood feeding insects that do not typically feed on humans” she added.By James GallagherHealth reporter, BBC News Tweet
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Share CoronavirusLifestyleLocalNewsRegional OECS Ministers of Agriculture to host Virtual Meeting on Impacts of COVID-19 by: – April 30, 2020 A special meeting of the OECS Council of Ministers of Agriculture will be held virtually on Thursday, 30 April 2020 under the chairmanship of the Honourable Saboto Caesar, Minister of Agriculture, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.The meeting will discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the region’s agricultural sector and the imminent need for regional food security. Ministers will also discuss support to Member States to assist with cushioning COVID-19-related issues.The declaration of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 11 2020 resulted in increased risk to global food production due to the expected impact on factors such as farm labor, transportation and hoarding by major global producers.In this regard the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission is cognisant of the urgent need of the Member States to collaborate on strategic interventions aimed at mitigating and even reducing the level of food insecurity in the region.Director General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules, stated, “COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the economies of the region. We recognised from early on that there was also the possibility of a severe negative impact on the region’s food supply given our heavy reliance on food imports. The Member States of the OECS – with St. Vincent and the Grenadines as our lead – has been on a structured path towards food security, import substitution and healthy food consumption.“As debilitating as the pandemic has been, it also provides us with an opportunity to completely transform our economies and to do many of the things that we have long aspired to do but have failed to address with urgency. The meeting of Agriculture Ministers will give us an opportunity to review the work that has been ongoing and agree on measures to accelerate production (including community and domestic gardens), reduce imports, stimulate intra-OECS trade and improve nutritional status of our populations.”
Share Share The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Kemal Siddique (pictured above) will be resident in Singapore. (Photo: Caricom.org)SINGAPORE, Singapore, Wednesday December 28, 2011 – Singapore has appointed its first Plenipotentiary Representative to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).He is Kemal Siddique, a released issued today by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.Siddique, the Executive Director of Tony K Siddique & Associates Pte Ltd, will be resident in Singapore.He currently serves as Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Denmark and Special Envoy of Asia-Middle East Dialogue for Economic/Business Issues. He is also a Special Envoy to Ukraine.Siddique joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in August 1970, served as Counsellor at the Singapore Embassy in Jakarta from 1971 to 1973 and Charge d’Affaires ad interim at the Singapore Embassy in Bonn from 1973 to 1978. He was also Deputy Director for Western Europe and North America from 1978 to 1982 and Director for Southeast Asia from 1982 to 1984. Prior to his current appointment as Non-Resident Ambassador to Denmark, he served as Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Norway, Sweden and Finland. In 1996, he retired from the civil service and moved to the private sector.Siddique was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) and the Public Service Star by the Singapore government.The German government conferred the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit for his contribution in promoting Singapore-German Relations. Caribbean 360 News 339 Views no discussions Tweet
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Junior Dean Ferman, age 82, of Metamora, Indiana died Friday, August 3, 2018 at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.Born January 8, 1936 in Manchester, Kentucky he was the son of the late Henry Clay & Jessie M. (Saylor) Ferman. On December 22, 1984 he was united in marriage to the former Carolyn Littell and she survives.Junior was retired from Batesville Casket Company where he had worked for over 44 years. In his leisure time he enjoyed hunting & fishing and playing cards. He was also an accomplished woodworker, having made many model cars and toys for friends and family.Besides Carolyn, his wife of over 33 years, survivors include four children, Greg Baker of Metamora, Indiana, Toni Ferman of San Diego, California, Tammy Allen of Aurora, Indiana and Pam Wiedeman of New Alsace, Indiana; three step-children, Tammy Price of Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, Lesa Lows of Aurora, Indiana and Terry Lows of Aurora, Indiana; a sister, Linda Jo Brown of Connersville, Indiana and a brother Jack Ferman of Metamora, Indiana; 6 grandchildren, 8 step-grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren, 15 step-great grandchildren as well as one great-great grandchild.In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three brothers, Jimmy, Johnny, and Freddy Ferman.Family & friends may visit from 5 until 8:00 P.M. on Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at Trinity Full Gospel Holiness Church, 20015 Haytown Hill Road, Metamora, Indiana.Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, August 8, 2018 at Trinity Full Gospel Holiness Church in Metamora, Indiana. Burial will follow in Cupps Chapel Cemetery in Metamora.Memorials contributions may be directed to Cupps Chapel Cemetery. Phillips & Meyers Funeral Home is honored to serve the Ferman family, to sign the online guest book or send personal condolences please visit www.phillipsandmeyers.com .
ARLINGTON, Minn. (Sept. 17) – Four different drivers took turns at the front of the MN 93 IMCA Modified Jeff Rucks Memorial feature before Brandon Beckendorf took the Saturday night checkers at Arlington Raceway.Jerry Wren was scored first on the first circuit. Mark Noble made his way to the front before eighth starting Tyler Limoges drove by.Following a restart, Beckendorf caught Noble for second; another yellow gave Beckendorf the edge he needed to get by Limoges.Beckendorf led the last three laps. Clint Hatlestad caught Lomoges in the battle for second and Jesse Rogotzke was fourth.Nate Eakin held off Michael Stien in the race for the 95.7 IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car checkers. Matt Looft was the Unhinged Pizza IMCA Northern SportMod winner.Dave Moriarty led the first 13 laps of the B&B Chassis IMCA Stock Car feature. Following a lap 14 restart, Dean Cornelius got his bumper ahead of Moriarty.On the last time around, Dan Mackenthun glided by Moriarty but with the cars three wide at the flag, Cornelius was the leader and winner. Mackenthun got second and Moriarty was third.Cory Probst took over the lead in the Premier Logistics IMCA Hobby Stock feature on lap four and never looked back. Joe Bunkofske led the entire Coors Light IMCA Sport Compact feature to win his first race of the year.
Versailles, In. — Turkey hunters have until May 12 ton get a “gobbler.” The bag limit is one bearded or male turkey per hunter.Check out our Where to Hunt map for hunting grounds near you.
The former amateur world champion got a third round T-K-O victory against Tim Ibarra at a sold-out Madison Square Garden basement arena. Conlan, who was escorted to the ring by UFC champion Conor McGregor, took the first couple of rounds to find his range before a series of body shots led the referee to halt the featherweight bout after 59-seconds of the third.