Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Minneapolis church can expand in residential neighborhood

Sunday, January 1, 2012

MINNEAPOLIS ? Unitarian Universalist Church of Minnetonka has won the right to expand in a residential suburban Minneapolis neighborhood after taking its case to court, in an example of a legal fight between religious freedom and local zoning rules happening around the country.

A federal court-mediated settlement was reached last week between the church and the city of Wayzata that permits the church to tear down a house and build a church and parking lot.

The city said it had resisted the plan because wanted to protect the neighborhood. Wayzata Mayor Ken Willcox said the city didn?t intend to deny anyone?s religious freedom.

?It?s heavily wooded, and it provides an important buffer between all of the traffic activity and lights on the freeway, and the neighborhood to the south,? Willcox said of the property overlooking Highway 12.

Church spokeswoman Alison Albrecht said she was happy the congregation would be able to remain in Wayzata, where ? despite the Minnetonka in the church?s name ? it has worshipped since 1965.

?Importantly, we also hope the city will now change its regulations so that other religious groups are no longer prevented from locating here,? she told the Star Tribune.

The settlement also requires the city and its insurer to pay the church $500,000 in damages and attorney?s fees.

The 2000 federal law under which the church sued Wayzata permits religious projects to trump local zoning restrictions. The law, called RLUIPA or the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, is being tested in a growing number of communities around the country, including in California, Maryland, Colorado and elsewhere.

In its 2010 federal suit, the Unitarian church also charged Wayzata with violating its First Amendment rights to free speech and religious worship.

Under the terms of the settlement, the city must help the church acquire two small adjacent parcels of land along Highway 12 owned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

In exchange, the church will drop its lawsuit and agree to work through the city?s normal application and permitting process to build the new church, which it must do within the next six years.

Willcox said the city had to settle the case or face the prospect of exceeding its insurance cap and exposing its taxpayers to additional open-ended legal costs.

?It became clear that ending this expensive and detrimental proceeding was in the overall best interest of the citizens of Wayzata,? he said.

The agreement still must be approved by the Wayzata City Council. Willcox said he expected that would happen at the council?s Jan. 17 meeting.

Tags: religion and zoning, RLUIPA

Source: http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/minneapolis-church-can-expand-in-residential-neighborhood

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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Gingrich embarks on final Iowa campaign push (AP)

MUSCATINE, Iowa ? Onetime Republican presidential front-runner Newt Gingrich called on campaign rival Mitt Romney Tuesday to "just level with the American people" about his moderate political views.

Asked point-blank in a nationally broadcast network interview if he was calling the former Massachusetts governor "a liar," Gingrich replied, "Yes."

In the interview on CBS' "The Early Show," Gingrich declined to predict he'd win Tuesday's Iowa caucuses, but said "I don't think anybody knows who's going to get what right now." He said "I think anybody can come in first" because of a large number of Iowa voters who remained undecided on the day of the caucuses.

Of Romney, Gingrich was asked about previous statements he'd made accusing his opponent of lying. Gingrich assailed Romney for negative television ads that have hurt Gingrich's standing in the polls, saying Romney has been disingenuous about large sums of money that a super PAC has been spending on his behalf for the attack commercials.

"I just think he ought to be honest with the American people and try to win as the real Mitt Romney," Gingrich said. "He ought to be candid and I don't think he's been candid."

But when asked if he could support Romney if he became the party's nominee and runs against President Barack Obama, the former House speaker answered affirmatively. "He would be much less destructive than Barack Obama," Gingrich said. "If you think Barack Obama is someone who is not a risk to the country's future, then that's somebody to vote for."

"I wish Mitt would just level with the American people and be who he really is and let's have a debate between a Massachusetts moderate and a real conservative," Gingrich said.

Briefly the front-runner, Gingrich hoped for a respectable showing in the caucuses after being pounded by millions of dollars in attack ads.

Gingrich was making an 11th-hour push for support as his campaign bus rumbled through eastern Iowa. He began caucus day speaking to about 75 people in a sun-drenched coffee shop in Muscatine.

"All of you have been drowning in negative attack ads. None of them have come from me," he said to applause.

"Iowans have an opportunity tonight to send a message to Washington and to the political system that the age of negative consultants and negative attack ads is over."

He was scheduled to hold another event in Burlington before personally making his case at a caucus gathering in Cedar Falls.

Gingrich is setting his sights on New Hampshire and South Carolina, where he pledged to wage a more aggressive effort to draw contrasts with Romney.

After emerging in early December as a top GOP contender, Gingrich saw his support falter as he took a pounding from a wave of tough ads painting him as an ethically-challenged Washington insider.

The ex-Georgia congressman has tried to cast himself as the conservative heir to President Ronald Reagan, touting a supply-side economic plan of tax cuts and fewer regulations. But he has struggled to with that message by blasting some of his GOP opponents while promising to wage a positive campaign.

"I believe I am the only person who has the range of experience necessary to fundamentally get this country back on the right track," he said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120103/ap_on_el_pr/us_gingrich

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NFL: Black Monday?Rams & Bucs Fire Coaches

Posted by Sabrina B.?@gametimegirl

The?St. Louis Rams?fired coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney, the team announced on Monday AND?Raheem Morris has been fired as head coach of the?Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the club announced in a press release Monday.?

The 52-year-old Spagnuolo was just 10-38 in three seasons in St. Louis after being hired in January 2009. Devaney, 56, was promoted to general manager in December 2008.

ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen reported Sunday night that Spagnuolo and Devaney would be fired.

?I would like to personally thank Steve and Billy for their dedication to the St. Louis Rams organization over the past several seasons,? Rams owner Stan Kroenke said in a statement. ?This was a difficult decision for many reasons. We have tremendous respect for Steve and Billy as people and football professionals.

?No one individual is to blame for this disappointing season and we all must hold ourselves accountable. However, we believe it?s in the best interest of the St. Louis Rams to make theses changes as we continue our quest to build a team that consistently competes for playoffs and championships. We wish Steve, Billy and their families the very best in the future and thank them again for their commitment to our organization and the city of St. Louis.?

The Rams lost 34-27 to the rival 49ers on Sunday to finish the season 2-14, tied with theIndianapolis Colts?for the worst record in the NFL.

The lowly mark was an even bigger embarrassment considering it followed a six-win improvement last season. Attendance at Sunday?s regular-season finale was announced as 55,990, about 9,000 shy of capacity at the Edward Jones Dome, but the stadium appeared no better than half-full and drained quickly in the second half.

-ESPN

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The?Tampa Bay Buccaneers?fired coach Raheem Morris on Monday, the team announced.

General manager Mark Dominik will remain in his role, a source told ESPN.com?s Pat Yasinsksas. Dominik is under contract for the next three seasons.

Dropping their season finale 45-24 to the?Atlanta Falcons?on Sunday, the Bucs closed the year with 10 straight losses ? the franchise?s worst in-season stretch since the 1977 team lost its first 12 games.

?We want to thank Coach Morris for all his hard work and dedication as head coach of the Buccaneers,? Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer said in a statement.

Morris finished 17-31 in his three seasons with Tampa Bay.

As the NFL?s second-youngest team, the Bucs (4-12) might have not handled last year?s NFL lockout as well as an experienced club, but Tampa Bay still managed a 4-2 start that included an emotional 16-13 win over Atlanta. That Week 3 victory ended a five-game series losing streak that gave quarterback?Josh Freeman?his first win over the Falcons.

While Freeman completed a career-high 62.8 percent of his passes this year, he threw 22 interceptions just a year after throwing just six.

When Tampa Bay struggled badly in Morris? first season of 2009, the Bucs still had a reputation for playing hard despite their 1-12 start.

But they won 16 of their next 25 and seemed ready to challenge New Orleans and Atlanta for supremacy in the NFC South.

Everything began to unravel, however, after they beat the Saints 26-20 on Oct. 16. They lost their next 10 ? the franchise?s worst stretch since the 2008-09 teams combined to drop 11 straight.

Sunday marked the seventh loss this season by 16 or more points.

-ESPN

Source: http://www.inflexwetrust.com/2012/01/02/nfl-black-monday-rams-bucs-fire-coaches/

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Monday, January 2, 2012

Police: More cars set afire in LA, arson suspected

A Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter extinguishes multiple cars on fire in a carport in the Sun Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. For the third night in a row, a rash of arson fires has sent firefighters scrambling to extinguish car fires in various neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Most of the fires on this night occurred in the San Fernando Valley. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg)

A Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter extinguishes multiple cars on fire in a carport in the Sun Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. For the third night in a row, a rash of arson fires has sent firefighters scrambling to extinguish car fires in various neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Most of the fires on this night occurred in the San Fernando Valley. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg)

Los Angeles Police Department officers evacuate residents of an apartment building as multiple cars burn in a carport in the Sun Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. For the third night in a row, a rash of arson fires has sent firefighters scrambling to extinguish car fires in various neighborhoods in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg)

A Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter assists a woman and her cat out of her apartment as multiple cars burn in a carport in the Sun Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. For the third night in a row, a rash of arson fires has sent firefighters scrambling to extinguish car fires in various neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Most of the fires on this night occurred in the San Fernando Valley. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg)

A Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter waits for water to extinguish multiple cars on fire in a carport in the Sun Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. For the third night in a row, a rash of arson fires has sent firefighters scrambling to extinguish car fires in various neighborhoods in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg)

Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters assist a man out of his apartment along with a cage of birds as multiple cars burn in a carport in the Sun Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. For the third night in a row, a rash of arson fires has sent firefighters scrambling to extinguish car fires in various neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Most of the fires on this night occurred in the San Fernando Valley. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg)

(AP) ? Several more cars burned in suspected arson attacks in the Los Angeles area early Saturday morning, and authorities investigated if they were connected to nearly two dozen deliberately set blazes a day earlier, police said.

Seven or eight cars burned Saturday in the North Hollywood area, said officer Robert Collier.

He said he didn't have further details of the blazes, but said arson is suspected and there could be a link to the earlier blazes.

"We believe there might be, but we don't know for sure," he said.

Fire officials said the first report came in shortly after midnight, and the most recent about three hours later.

Early Friday morning, fires were reported in nearly two dozen locations in Hollywood and the neighboring city of West Hollywood during a four-hour period before dawn. In nearly every case, the fire started in a parked car.

Flames from torched vehicles ignited some nearby houses early Friday, including one once occupied by Doors frontman Jim Morrison.

But Collier said that although some of Saturday's blazes are in carports and garages, he didn't have any reports of damage to buildings.

Police up a command post in the North Hollywood area and have called a tactical alert, allowing them to call in more officers.

No arrests have been made and no injuries reported.

Another car fire was reported around 7 p.m. Friday in an underground garage in Hollywood that fire officials were investigating for possible links to the series of arson blazes. Los Angeles Fire Capt. Jaime Moore said that a connection hasn't been ruled out.

Arson investigators "consider it to be an incendiary fire similar to the fires from this morning," he told The Associated Press.

The new fires broke out even as authorities beefed up patrols and urged the public to remain vigilant overnight.

Officials announced at least $35,000 in rewards for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons responsible.

All of the Friday's fires were in a 2-square mile area and most were in densely populated residential neighborhoods where residents would likely be asleep.

Authorities interviewed witnesses and looked for any video footage that may have captured the person, or people, responsible for the spate of crimes. Investigators from four agencies met for a strategy session, while Los Angeles officials summoned investigators from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Fire officials couldn't say whether the rash of fires was the work of a copycat. There was a series of other arson fires early Thursday, also in Hollywood. Two people have been arrested and remain in custody for those blazes, officials said.

One of the homes was in Laurel Canyon, where Morrison and his girlfriend once lived, neighbors said. The winding road was the inspiration for the Doors' hit "Love Street," and the house was listed for nearly $1.2 million earlier this year, according to real estate website Zillow.com.

Sandy Gendel, who owns a nearby restaurant, said he heard explosions from what he later determined were likely car tires. He saw flames 30 feet high coming from the deck of the former Morrison house and a gutted Mazda Miata.

"It was just like a towering inferno," Gendel said.

Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Jaime Moore said it is plausible that one person in a car, on a motorcycle or on a bike could have set all the fires, considering the limited area the blazes broke out in.

Hollywood is served by the Los Angeles city police and fire departments. Adjacent West Hollywood is a separately incorporated city served by the Los Angeles County fire and sheriff's departments.

___

Associated Press writers Sue Manning and Greg Risling contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-12-31-Los%20Angeles%20Arson/id-6393e89ffb5d4842b090bb24124f1cf0

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Sunday, January 1, 2012

Zeeland East overwhelms host Reeths-Puffer in Thursday's opener at Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Classic


Reeths-Puffer High School, Muskegon, MI

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, December 29, 2011 11:27 p.m.

ZEELAND EAST 75, REETHS-PUFFER 36: The visiting Chix pulled away with a 22-3 scoring edge in the third quarter in Thursday's opening game at the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Holiday Classic at Reeths-Puffer. Zac VanBeek scored a game-high 19 points and Colton Curtis scored 13 points to lead the balanced Zeeland East attack. Puffer had a strong second quarter and trailed by 12 at halftime, before the Chix pulled away. Junior forward Quinzell Pannell scored 15 points to lead the Rockets.

View photos from the game

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Source: http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/-8389519251835910473

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Hugo Ch?vez Says the U.S. Maybe Gave Him Cancer | Indecision ...

Cigarettes, breathing, looking at the sun, sticking your head in a microwave, eating lead paint, etc. Add yet another item to the already long list of totally fun things that cause cancer: Ruling a South American country.

Venezuelan president Hugo Ch?vez recently insinuated that a plot by the U.S. could be behind?his and other political leader's?illnesses?

Chavez, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in June and had a baseball-sized tumor removed in Cuba, has called for a regional summit of leaders who have battled cancer including Brazilian President?Dilma Rousseff, her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva and Paraguay?s Fernando Lugo.

"I'm just sharing my thoughts, but it's very, very, very strange," Chavez said. "Evo take care of yourself, Correa, be careful, we just don?t know," he said, referring to Evo Morales and?Rafael Correa, the leaders of Bolivia and Ecuador.

The U.S. embassy in Caracas declined to comment on?Ch?vez's theories, seeing as how he also recently called President Obama a clown, said George W. Bush was the devil, and refers to his political enemies as "Imperial Yankees." Even though several of those theories may sound credible, there's no way our government is capable of giving specific leaders long-term diseases.

Or is there??After all, the U.S. did give Osama bin Laden that bullet-sized tumor.

Photo by Pablo Porciuncula/Getty Images News/Getty Images

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Source: http://www.indecisionforever.com/2011/12/29/hugo-chavez-says-the-u-s-maybe-gave-him-cancer/

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