Fasten your seatbelts. A new low in promotional advertising is making news at Spirit Airlines, which is flying high on the Secret Service prostitution scandal. The airline is offering one-way flights to Cartagena, Colombia and other destinations for $19.80. As if. Maybe that price is for the pet cicada that has to fly in your carry-on. The promo is as tacky as the ultra low-cost airline, which has the dubious distinction of vying with ATamp;T for most customer complaints.

The headline on the promo, More Bang for Your Buck, is an in-your-face reference, replete with scantily clad babes, to the Secret Service agents who gave themselves a green light to book services from the red light district of Cartagena. Their sins went beyond lust and adultery. They were charged $800 by the women and said they would only pay $30. Thats a number Spirit Airlines would understand, but not the legal prostitutes of Columbia.

But wait, theres more! To capitalize on the Government Services Administration (GSA) scandal, Spirit has another $19.80 special. All you party animals can take a trip to Vegas on Spirit, which calls their GSA promotion, great savings always.

Unfazed by his detention at a New York airport by US immigration authorities for a couple of hours, Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, joked about the incident later at Yale University, where he was honoured as a Chubb Fellow.

Khan, who has millions of fans in India and around the world, was detained at New Yorks White Plains airport, about 35 miles from New York, when he arrived Thursday on a private plane along with Nita Ambani, wife of Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani.

While Ambani, whose student daughter Isha is president of the South Asian Society at the university, and the rest of their group were cleared immediately, Shahrukh Khan was allowed to go only after his hosts intervened and took up the issue with the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, according to sources.

Later talking to students, Khan, dressed in a chic black suit thanked Ambani for getting him to the US after a long flight. Then he was detained at the airport as always, said Khan adding with a smile, It was nice, as it always happens.

Whenever I start feeling too arrogant about myself, I always take a trip to America. The immigration guys kicked the star out of stardom, he said.

But he always has his small victories even in such circumstances, said Shahrukh Khan, who was detained at New Yorks Newark International airport in August 2009 too when he arrived to take part in an Independence Day event in Chicago.

They (immigration officials) always ask me how tall I am and I always lie and say 5 feet 10 inches. Next time I am going to get more adventurous. (If they ask me) What colour are you, I am going to say white, he said.

However, he made no mention of the incident during a press conference or his lecture to a capacity crowd as he spoke to them about success and failure and how to live life to the fullest.

Encouraging young people to find fulfilment in creativity, to learn to laugh at themselves and to never become cynical about their lives, he said: Failure is a fiendish friend that can lead to success by teaching one to be pragmatic, to work harder, and to be true to oneself.

But sources said Khans detention at White Plains airport had caused tense moments for Khan and his team as they were struggling to get the situation sorted out.

Later, after the intervention by the Indian consulate here, the US Customs and Border Protection authorities expressed profound apology in a letter to the mission.

Khans name was flagged in the system and airport people needed approval of senior authorities to clear him, it clarified.

(Photo credits: Michael Marsland, Yale University)

This weekend, I will take a trip back in time — sort of. I will fly to New Bern, NC, a quaint and charming Southern town. The tea is sweet and the people are sweeter. It is easy to see the appeal.

I am traveling to New Bern for a movie premiere of The Lucky One, the newest romantic movie based on the bestselling novel by Nicholas Sparks. The movie follows the story of a Marine returning from Iraq. He believes that he is alive due to a woman he has never met. He finds her, takes a job with her familys business and a romance begins. Sparks is a master storyteller and I have no doubt that I will be crying in the theatre.

The premiere is part of Sparkss Celebrity Family Weekend to raise funds for his Nicholas Sparks Foundation and my organization is one of the beneficiaries. As part of his commitment to the military, several service members have been invited to attend with their spouses.

So today, I share another love story. My storytelling skills are not as great as Sparks, but my story shares some of the same elements. This love story also began in North Carolina. The hero is a Marine, and his heroine is blonde and beautiful.

Samantha met Mark when she was still in high school and working part time at her local Dairy Queen. They immediately began dating and five years later, on April 16, 2009, the couple married.

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Being young, the couple did not have a lot of money. And since Mark was a Marine with multiple deployments, they did not have a lot of time either. They agreed that they would save for the perfect honeymoon — a guided hunting trip.

Both Samantha and Mark loved hunting. Relaxing and enjoying nature made the outdoor sport perfect for the young couple. Hunting was their favorite activity.

On June 16, 2011, Mark died from injuries sustained from an IED in Afghanistan 13 days prior. It was his fifth overseas deployment.

Samantha made a promise. She would still go on that honeymoon to honor Mark. She would hunt in his memory.

Two weeks ago, just a few days before her third wedding anniversary, Samantha joined other military spouses for a turkey-hunting trip to Florida. Although my organization has hosted countless service members on hunting trips through our outdoor adventures program, this was the first trip that focused on our spouses. All of the women loved it.

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For Samantha, the trip meant so much more than just hunting.

I promised myself that no matter how long it took, I would go on my honeymoon. I am so thankful… It has given me a sense of accomplishment and a sense of closure.

It is important to share one last detail. Each woman on the trip was successful and brought home a turkey. Samantha did better.

I am the only one that got two turkeys — one for me and one for Mark.

Happy Anniversary Samantha. Mark would have been so proud.

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Every now and then, we have to give the body a break from excessive pounding (read: running, sumo wrestling, and other contact sports). Luckily, low-impact workouts are typically less hard on the body, especially our joints, and can be a great way to get in a heart-pumping workout while reducing the risk of injury^[1][2][3]. Most trainers define low-impact exercises as motions where one foot stays on the ground at all times. But rather than doing single-leg deadlifts until keeling over, we figured it’d be best to round up 21 low- (or no!) impact exercises to keep things varied and full o’ fun.

Get Low (Impact) — Your Action Plan

1. Walking: These boots are made for walking, so perhaps we should listen up. Walking is a stress-free way to stay movin’. And tweaking that walking routine can really heat things up: Hit the hills, add dumbbells, or weighted ankle or wrist straps to really get that heart rate up^[4].

2. Rowing machine: Spice up the cardio routine and bring the water sports to the gym? Yes, please. The rowing machine (impact not included) is an intense and fun way to workout those arms, back, legs, and core. Score!

3. Kayaking: Want to actually hit the water? Grab a kayak and jump on in! Kayaking works the arms and core (no crunches necessary) and can burn up to 400 calories an hour while seeing some stellar sights.

4. Strength training: We suggested 20 reasons to strength train, and here is one more: Most strength training exercises are low-impact and still work up a sweat^[5]. (Keep in mind those monster box jumps wearing a weighted vest doesnt exactly qualify.) Try squats, lunges, or supermans!

5. Swimming: Skip the pool floats and start doing laps. Swimming is a great low-impact exercise with a boatload of benefits, from strengthening the shoulders to improving lung function^[6].

6. Water aerobics: If laps in the pool gets repetitive, bring the aerobics class to the water and start treading or doing the pike scull. Some gyms even offer treadmills in the pool to really keep things interesting. (We may want to rethink calling them dreadmills.)

7. Yoga: It’s no tackle football, but the NFL pros are doing it. So ease up and add some spinal twists and half moons to that fitness routine. Or try aerial yoga to really lift the stress off the ground.

8. Elliptical: Sorry treadmill, elliptical takes the cake when it comes to putting less stress on those legs. Try spicing up the routine with these workout ideas, while getting in a sneaky arm workout, too.

9. Stairmaster: Not all gyms have staircases, but they probably have a Stairmaster. (Which is obviously way more exciting than a treadmill.) No gym nearby? No problem. Hit the real stairs.

10. Cycling: Thank mom and dad for teaching us to take off the training wheels. Hopping on the bike is a fun way to fit in some exercise, with a lower chance of damaging the joints. Once the wheels start turning, you’ll be talking like a pro.

11. Step aerobics: For a good cardio workout without all the poundage, research suggests pulling out the step platform^[7]. Some say an hour of step aerobics could be equivalent to a mid-distance run.

12. Tai Chi: Try some meditation in motion to give those bones a break. This gentle, fluid movement may also help ward off headaches, helping to improve flexibility, too^[8]. (Whether that includes a hangover headache is unclear.)

13. Hiking: Another way to spice up a walk is to add some hiking terrain (opt for flatter areas, though, to keep impact to a minimum). Ready to strap on the boots and hit the woods? Just make sure to stay in-the-know about hiking dos and donts.

14. Cross country skiing: This flat-terrain travel keeps things heated — even in the snow. So strap on the skis and start pumping those poles. You’ll keep the pressure light (as snow) on the body.

15. Rock climbing: To take off some stress, head to the nearest wall (err, rock wall, that is!). Climbing movements are typically slow and controlled, which works the muscles without the added strain^[9].

16. Pilates: High-impact sports won’t magically give us six-pack abs, that we know. The potential solution? Just roll out the mat for a quick Pilates session to strengthen the core and help increase flexibility.

17. Golf: Now, now — golf isn’t just for the pros (or the retired). Take a trip to the fairway and get that swing on. Bonus points for skipping the golf cart and walking the course!

18. TRX: Also known as “Total Body Resistance Exercise,” TRX is a strap suspension system (say that three times fast) that’s easy on the joints but a challenge on the body. Head to the nearest gym to learn the ropes.

19. Snowshoeing: For a different kind of walk in the park, snowshoeing is the way to go. Working against the resistance of the snow will expend more energy than walking on dry land, while staying tame on the body^[10].

20. Ballroom dancing: Take a tip from “Dancing With the Stars.” Not only is dancing super sexy, it’s often easy on the body and a guaranteed great workout^[11]. So go grab a partner and give those dips, twirls, and whirls a spin!

21. Rollerblading: Let’s take a trip back to the 90s and strap on some skates. Gliding on pavement won’t fail to burn calories while putting less stress on limbs. Now, if only stopping was that easy…

Do you mix things up with some of these lower-impact workouts? Have a favorite on the list? Tell us below!

Perhaps it should be no surprise to see Smart turn to Twitter. Plenty of celebrities have already found it an effective way to communicate with a young fan base that sees text messaging as a preferred form of communication. If anything, social media has become the next big thing for automotive marketers desperate to reach out to the Millennials who will soon outnumber the vaunted Baby Boomers — today the largest segment of automotive buyers.

But Millennials, also known as Gen-Y, arent going to be an easy target. Theres a pretty significant shift in how people are viewing automobiles and transportation, in general, suggests John McFarland, senior manager of global marketing for Chevrolet.

In fact, a surprising number of young buyers today dont seem to be interested in automobiles at all, apparently preferring to sit with a smartphone or iPad in hand and communicating with friends in 140-character bursts, according to a new study by the University of Michigans Transportation Research Institute.

Where 69 percentof 17-year-olds had a license in hand back in 1983, that once seemingly ubiquitous rite of passage has become passe today, the number falling to just 50 percentby 2008, UMTRI found.

It is possible that the availability of virtual contact through electronic means reduces the need for actual contact among young people, said UMTRI lead researcher Michael Sivak. Furthermore, some young people feel that driving interferes with texting and other electronic communication.

The US, incidentally, isnt the only country where the trend has been measured. Another study found similar declines in seven of 14 countries, including Germany, South Korea, Canada, Norway, Sweden and Great Britain. In Japan, the shift has been well documented for more than a decade and accompanies other shifting patterns among younger citizens — who also appear to be less willing to work the extended hours typical in that country since the end of the Second World War.

Automotive marketers are rapidly shifting strategy to target Millennial buyers. Ford last week launched what it is calling the Plug N Play in Electric City with the 2012 Focus Electric, a Facebook-based game allows up to five people to take a trip in the new battery-electric version of the makers compact sedan.

Social networking allows Ford to meet customers it might not connect with through traditional advertising, making it easier to open a dialogue with a whole new audience, said Focus Electric Marketing Manager Chad DArcy.

The maker is also betting on another generational shift, studies showing that the majority of Millennials are interested in hybrids, battery-electric vehicles and other alternate propulsion technologies.

Thats buoying hopes that vehicles like the Ford Focus Electric, Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt and other battery-based products will eventually generate a substantial market, even though they are today little more than an asterisk on the automotive sales charts.

Indeed, while manufacturers may be shifting marketing strategies to reflect the tastes of the newest generation of motorists, the industry is beginning to make significant changes to the very products it hopes to sell to Millennials.

The new Nissan Connect is one of the latest systems to link the cars so-called infotainment system with a motorists smartphone. That makes it possible to use apps like the Pandora music service and access news on Stitcher. The latest generation of the Mercedes-Benz mbrace system allows a motorist to check Facebook postings — translated into synthetic speech to minimize driver distraction.

WASHINGTON – A Republican senator from Kentucky is seeking an inquiry by Congress into how many government agency conferences have been held in Las Vegas in the past three years, following the spotlight this week on the GSAs over the top training at the M Resort in 2010.

Sen. Rand Paul said his request was prompted by a set of letters from the year earlier in which Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., urged White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to disavow an informal policy discouraging bureaucrats from holding meetings in Las Vegas and other resort cities.

In this letter Senator Reid actively encourages the administration to reverse recent policy on conferences in Las Vegas, Paul said in a letter Wednesday to Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight Committee.

In light of the recent extravagant spending within the General Services Administration, and the subsequent House and Senate hearings, I respectfully ask you to investigate how many government agency conferences, from any agency throughout government, were held in Las Vegas since then, Paul wrote.

Neither Paul nor aides were available Thursday evening to expand on the letter, and there was no immediate reaction from Issa.

Reid in a statement sought to put context on the 2009 letter but did not comment directly on Paul, a Senate freshman and tea party favorite whose father, Ron Paul, campaigned in Nevada for the Republican presidential nomination.

Reid and Rand Paul have tangled before, most notably during debate on the Patriot Act in May when Reid accused the GOP freshman of holding up progress on the anti-terrorism bill by insisting on a gun amendment. They also sparred this week over an amendment Paul sought to add to a Postal Service bill to strip $2 billion in foreign aid from Egypt.

PAUL LETTER DRAWS CRITICISM

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., didnt show the restraint that Reid did.

Kentucky Senator Rand Pauls irresponsible, politically-motivated witch hunt is jeopardizing convention business, jobs and our states economic recovery, Berkley said.

Vince Alberta, spokesman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, questioned why Paul would single out Las Vegas for scrutiny.

We are all frustrated that a handful of employees with GSA made some poor decisions and didnt use common sense and wasted taxpayer dollars, but this goes beyond Las Vegas, Alberta said. I would be interested to know if Senator Paul is making similar requests in states such as Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio and Florida.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said the issue has nothing to do with Las Vegas.

Our city shouldnt be singled out for bad choices made by federal employees, as this type of abuse could have happened anywhere, Goodman said. Instead of pointing fingers at Las Vegas, we should be investigating how federal employees were able to mismanage our federal dollars.

More than 350,000 Las Vegas jobs are connected to the tourist industry so any attempt to drive conventions away from Las Vegas would be extremely detrimental to the health of our city, she said. About 16 percent of our visitors are here for business-related reasons – that translates to more than 6 million people a year. Clearly, the vast majority of those meetings take place here without the issues demonstrated by the GSA.

REID OFFERS CONTEXT

Reid said the 2009 appeal to the White House, which was widely publicized at the time, came after he learned that Nevada cities were being blacklisted from hosting government conferences.

He said the blacklist originated during the Bush administration, and President Obama deserves enormous credit for removing this misguided prohibition.

The Nevadans plea to the White House also came four months after Obama, in remarks aimed at companies that accepted bailouts during the recession, said, You cant take a trip to Las Vegas or down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers dime.

Obamas off-the-cuff comment in an Indiana speech sparked worry from Las Vegas officials and within the gaming industry that gamblers and tourists might find it another reason, in addition to the recession, to stay home.

Reid in his June 26, 2009, letter told Emanuel that even during these difficult times, Las Vegas remains an unmatched destination.

But, Reid told the White House official that the FBI, the GSA and the Bureau of Indian Affairs recently had moved conferences out of Las Vegas.

He asked Emanuel to tell federal agencies to base travel destinations on cost and space availability, not on the basis that they are too leisure-oriented.

Emanuel wrote back on July 14: I agree that federal policy should not dictate the location of where such government events are held.

GSA CONFERENCE PROBED

Pauls letter takes a step down a road that Nevada leaders scrambled to avoid this week as four congressional committees – including the one headed by Issa – held hearings on the Western Regions Conference hosted by an arm of the General Services Administration in Henderson over four days in October 2010.

An inspector generals report this month detailed $823,000 in what it called excessive, wasteful and in some cases impermissible spending.

Costs for the 300-person conference included $136,504 for multiple scouting trips to Las Vegas to plan the event, $6,325 for commemorative coins, $75,000 for a bicycle-building exercise and the hiring of a mind reader to give a motivational speech.

In speeches, remarks to reporters and in letters to colleagues, Reid, Berkley and Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., placed the focus squarely on the GSA officials who planned the extravagant conference.

They argued Las Vegas should not be tarred as a destination that encourages excesses, or at least not when it comes to taxpayer money.

Some in Congress accepted the message, some did not.

What happened in Las Vegas could just as likely have happened in Chicago, New York or someplace else, said Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla. Its totally unfair for people to draw a line there.

On the other hand, Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., opened a hearing of the House public buildings subcommittee Tuesday saying that meetings could be held in places such as Des Moines, Iowa, or Modesto, Calif., but the purpose of these lavish conferences is to go to Palm Springs, Las Vegas, Napa.

Review-Journal writer Benjamin Spillman contributed to this report. Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760. Follow him on Twitter @STetreaultDC.

He has already teed off a whopping 94 times since taking the oath. That is 70 more rounds than his predecessor. Yes, Ramp;R is something that this president has mastered and apparently, he never stops planning, well, his next trip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, APRIL 14)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:I want to thank President Santos and the people of Colombia for the extraordinary hospitality in the beautiful city of Cartagena. Were having a wonderful time. Usually when I take these summit trips, part of my job is to scout out where I may want to bring Michelle back later for vacation. So well make sure to come back sometime in the near future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY:Make no mistake, the first family has circled the globe on their private, luxurious vacations since 2009. Destinations including but certainly not limited to Mount Rushmore, Hawaii, Vail, Aspen, Panama City, Marthas Vineyard, Maine, North Carolina and even Spain.

Now while the president himself wasnt on all of those trips, security concerns will prevent us from ever knowing the exact cost, but some estimates do exist. According to the HawaiiReporter.com, their 17-day Christmas vacation in 2010 cost you, the taxpayer, more than $4 million.

In other words, the GSA has nothing on this White House.

Joining me now with more as we continue to vet the president, the mainstream media wont do it, Stuart Varney from the Fox Business Network and Amilya Antonetti from AMA Productions, good to see you both.

You know, let me just show what he said about corporate fat cats. Watch this, flying to Vegas. This is what Obama said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, FEB. 9, 2009)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:You are not going to be able to give out these big bonuses until you pay taxpayers back. You cant get corporate jets, you cant go take a trip to Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers dime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY:We have $5 trillion in new Obama debt. Hes taken a lot of trips himself.

STUART VARNEY, FOX BUSINESS NETWORK:You know, look, sometimes when you see the record of this president, maybe he should spend more time playing golf. Keep him out of the Oval Office, look what he has done.

HANNITY:Good point.

VARNEY:All joking aside, GSA, the junket to Las Vegas, thats the kind of thing you get when you vastly expand the scope and scale and spending of government. Its massive government, massive spending, massive junketing, that is what you get.

Its such a contrast when you look at what the president does on these vacations, the lavish vacation. At the same time, we have a faltering economy, massive unemployment and running up the massive debt. Its a real clash between the lavish lifestyle, the time spent vacationing and what is going on with the economy and his record.

HANNITY:How many vacations do you take a year, because I dont take that many vacations?

VARNEY:Very few.

HANNITY:Whatever time I take its usually my kids sporting event or school event or whatever it is. Amilya, do you ever play golf?

AMILYA ANTONETTI, AMA PRODUCTIONS:No, I dont have time for golf.

HANNITY:I dont have time for golf. I play once in a while. The ball is in the woods because I cant hit the stupid ball because I dont practice because I dont have time to play 94 times in three years. Your reaction.

ANTONETTI:I am at the global summit right now. Im at the global economic summit right now. Im telling you Im booked 20 hours out of the day because Im maximizing the opportunity to sit across the table with world leaders from Israel, Panama, Cuba, Colombia. To be able to get in their brain and say how do we work together? Listen to somebody taking vacation time and not maximizing the opportunity is bad leadership.

HANNITY:Yes, I think thats what it comes down to.

VARNEY:Is this a good political strategy to go after the president for playing golf and taking lavish vacations?

HANNITY:And basketball.

VARNEY:And basketball, is that a good strategy? I think it would be better to concentrate on the presidents record. The record is very, very poor.

HANNITY:Dont you combine it, thought?

It looks like a clash, doesnt it? It looks like lavishness on the part of the president with a weak economy. But you know, you could look kind of small and almost — if you chase down the president –

HANNITY:He plays class warfare every day. You know, its not cheap to play golf. He is the one lecturing, you know, these corporations to get off the corporate jets and stop taking trips to Vegas until they pay back the taxpayers. Hes accumulated $5 trillion in new debt.

VARNEY:Does America begrudge its chief executive playing a lot of golf and flying around on Air Force One? Probably yes when its so lavish and the country is in such bad shape. We have $5 trillion of extra debt.

HANNITY:Look, when you take a vacation, every two months, a little over two months, Amilya, that seems to me to be excessive. I dont begrudge any president a vacation, but in tough economic times, forcing taxpayers to pay for this, beating up, quote, wealthy Americans, class warfare. Doesnt it seem like a huge contradiction?

ANTONETTI:And its nothing that a CEO would do. Meaning, as the CEO of my company, that when the company needs me I am focused and drilled down until I get it to the next point of positive, forward moving that is provable on paper. I would never insult my employees to take time off when they needed me the most. It is disgraceful.

HANNITY:All right, Amilya, good luck at the summit. I hope you do well there. Im not so sure about opening up the trade with Cuba but good luck. Stuart, thank you for being with us.

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The Meridian Community College Eagles are gearing up for the final two weekends in Miss-Lou Conference action and the stakes are at an all-time high. The Eagles control its own destiny of winning the 2012 Miss-Lou Conference Championship, but the road to a championship will take a trip through New Orleans, LA this weekend. MCC (27-17 4-2) will take to the road this weekend to tangle with its longtime nemesis, the Delgado Community College Dolphins.

The two teams met earlier this season at Scaggs Field and MCC won two of three games against Delgado. The pair of victories for the Eagles came down to the final at-bat and MCC knows very well that this visit to Delgado will be one of the more important road trips in recent memory.

We always look forward to the challenge of going to New Orleans and playing Delgado, said MCC head coach Chris Curry. It is probably the toughest environment that we will play in all season and that will make us a tougher team.

Delgado (23-15, 3-6) is currently sitting in third place among the three teams in the race for the Miss-Lou Conference Championship. The Dolphins lost two of three games at home last weekend against Baton Rouge Community College. Delgado also lost two of three games on the road at Baton Rouge two weekends ago. The Dolphins will be looking to rebound after losing its series against MCC at Scaggs Field earlier this season.

The key to the success of the Eagles throughout the 2012 season has been the pitching staff. MCC is led by sophomore Wes Stokes and freshman Brandon Smith. Stokes leads the team with a 4-0 record and has compiled a 2.85 ERA, to go along with 34 strikeouts in just over 53 innings pitched. Smith leads the team in ERA with a 2.74 and has collected 28 strikeouts in just over 42 innings pitched.

I think the key is always on the mound and we need to throw strikes and get ahead of the hitters, added Curry. I have been very pleased with our starting pitching and when we have a lead late in the game we need to throw strikes and close the door.

MCC will looking to continue its recent success at the plate this weekend and the Eagles are led on the offensive side by sophomore catcher Wade Wass. The Pensacola, FL native leads the team and the NJCAA with 18 home runs, and leads the team with a .449 batting average.

We know that he (Wass) will not get many pitches to hit this weekend and we will be looking for the guys hitting around him to come up with some big hits.

MCC will be looking to win a regular season series at Delgado this weekend for the first time since 2001.

The series will begin Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader that begins at 1 pm and the final game of the series is scheduled for Sunday at 1 pm

• By Chris Halliday
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• Dec 21, 2011 – 12:39 PM
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• Report a Typo or Correction

Orangeville Taxi out, New Wave Pools in

If you take a trip down Broadway, you might be surprised to see one of the buildings on the towns main drag is missing in action.
It is funny to see it there one day, Coun. Mary Rose commented during a recent council meeting, and then not the next.
Rose couldnt recall council signing off on a demolition permit for the former Orangeville Taxi dispatch office, but that is because town council wasnt required to approve one.
It wasnt a complete demolition, it was a partial demolition, said Vern Douglas, Orangevilles director of building and bylaw enforcement. They didnt take the entire structure down, the foundation remained. … A full demolition would be removing the entire structure, everything else and building new.
When Rose asked how often a situation involving a partial demolition like this occurs in Orangeville, Douglas admitted it is a rare occurrence.
Not very often, he replied. Maybe twice in the last 10 years.
Moving into its new digs near Veterans Way, Orangeville Taxi recently sold its former dispatch office to New Wave Pools and Spa Services the deal closed on Nov. 15.
New Wave Pools, which is currently renting space in a plaza on Broadway nearby, has begun to renovate. The entire first storey of the former Orangeville Taxi dispatch office has been brought down, but the foundation and sub floor of the original structure remain.
Cathy Koolen, office manager of New Wave Pools, said the business wont open up in its new location until next April.
The roofline that was on the old building isnt going to work with what the new building will be, she said. We may as well start from the ground up. It was a pretty old building and fairly decrepit once we starting taking things apart.
The new owners are building an addition, which will make the structure double the size of what it was, Douglas explained.
Construction difficulties was the reason they took it down to foundation, Douglas said. Theyre using the foundation of the existing building and the sub floor, but there is a big addition going on beyond that.
Residents living on Broadway raised their arms in angst last year when Orangeville Taxi requested a zoning amendment, which would have allowed the business to expand.
Siding with several vocal residents, who raised a litany of concerns, including pollution, traffic and safety issues, the 24-hour nature of the business, headlight glare, reductions in property value and the lot not being big enough to sustain a larger scaled business, council denied Orangeville Taxis re-zoning application in January.
The cab company appealed councils decision to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) last July the town and business came to an agreement and avoided a full-fledged hearing.
As a result of the pre-hearing, the OMB approved 302 Broadway as a restricted commercial residential zone.
It was not a residential property anymore because of the rezoning, Douglas said. It didnt need a residential demolition permit, which is the process that council often sees come through.
As Douglas explained, the new building owners have done nothing wrong in this situation. He noted his department has been fully aware of what New Wave Pools has been contemplating from the get-go.
We knew that he was basically going to be removing the first storey to incorporate the new faccedil;ade into the whole new building, the addition and everything else, Douglas said. You get to a point where it is probably easier and money better spent to remove something that is 60 years old and inferior construction to replace with something that is more energy efficient.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – Are you planning to take a trip this holiday season? If so you are not alone. Experts predict a 1.4% increase in travel this end of year holiday season.

I think there is a little pent up demand for people to travel, AAAs Clay Ingram said.

AAA says the increase could be an effect of the slightly improved economy.

People might feel a little more confident– not in the economy in general but with their own personal situation. As a result theyre willing to make sacrifices in other areas so they can travel during the holiday season, Ingram continued.

All that traffic means less margin for error. Cars will be closer, focus will fall and frustration could rise.

We all know how it feels to feel like youre late going somewhere. You start making bad decisions, weaving in and out of traffic, Ingram said.

Alabama State Troopers say their big concern is distracted driving– particularly with cell phones. Its something they say makes you eight times more likely to wreck.

If you have to use an electronic device such as a cell phone please make it a short conversation and dont prolong your time on the cell phone, Trooper Curtis Summerville said.

So they encourage you to pump the brakes and take a little more time to prepare before getting behind the wheel.