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U.S. births break record; 40% out of wedlock By Mike Stobbe, AP medical writer Posted: March 18, 2009 12:05 p.m., Updated: March 18, 2009 11:51 a.m. ATLANTA - More babies were born in the United States in 2007 than any year in the nation's history, topping the peak during the baby boom 50 years earlier, federal researchers reported Wednesday. There is both good and bad news from the more than 4.3 million births: -The U.S. population is more than replacing itself, a healthy trend. -However, the teen birth rate was up for the second year in a row. The birth rate rose slightly for women of all ages, and births to unwed mothers reached an all-time high of about 40 percent, continuing a trend begun years ago. More than three-quarters of these women were 20 or older. For a variety of reasons, it's become more acceptable for women to have babies without a husband, said Duke University's S. Philip Morgan, a leading fertility researcher. Even happy couples may be living together without getting married, experts say. And more women - especially those in their 30s and 40s - are choosing to have children despite their single status. The new numbers indicate the nation is experiencing a baby boomlet with fertility rates higher in every racial group. On average, a U.S. woman has 2.1 babies in her lifetime. The highest fertility rates were among Hispanics. But it's not clear the boomlet will last long. Some experts think birth rates are already declining because of the economic recession that began in late 2007. "I expect they'll go back down. The lowest birth rates recorded in the United States occurred during the Great Depression - and that was before modern contraception," said Dr. Carol Hogue, an Emory University professor of maternal and child health. The 2007 statistical snapshot reflected a relatively good economy coupled with cultural trends that promoted childbirth, she and others noted. Meanwhile, U.S. abortions have been dropping to their lowest levels in decades, according to other reports. Some have attributed the abortion decline to better use of contraceptives, but other experts have wondered if the rise in births might indicate a failure in proper use of contraceptives. Some earlier studies have shown declining availability of abortions. Cultural attitudes may be a more likely explanation. Morgan noted the pregnancy of Bristol Palin, the unmarried teen daughter of former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. The young woman had a baby boy in December, and plans for a wedding with the father, Levi Johnston, were scrapped. "She's the poster child for what you do when you get pregnant now," Morgan said. Teen women tend to follow what their older sisters do, so perhaps it's not surprising that teen births are going up just like births to older women, said Sarah Brown, the chief executive for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Indeed, it's harder to understand why teen births had been declining for about 15 years before the recent uptick, she said. It may have been due to a concentrated societal effort to reduce teen births in the 1990s that has waned in recent years, she said. The statistics are based on a review of most 2007 birth certificates by the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The numbers also showed: -Cesarean section deliveries continue to rise, now accounting for almost a third of all births. Health officials say that rate is much higher than is medically necessary. About 34 percent of births to black women were by C-section, more than any other racial group. But geographically, the percentages were highest in Puerto Rico, at 49 percent, and New Jersey, at 38 percent. -The pre-term birth rate, for infants delivered at less than 37 weeks of pregnancy, declined slightly. It had been generally increasing since the early 1980s. Experts said they aren't sure why it went down. -Among the states, Utah continued to have the highest birth rate and Vermont the lowest. CDC officials noted that despite the record number of births, this is nothing like what occurred in the 1950s, when a much smaller population of women were having nearly four children each, on average. That baby boom quickly transformed society, affecting everything from school construction to consumer culture. Today, U.S. women are averaging 2.1 children each. That's the highest level it's been since the early 1970s, but is a relatively small increase from the rate it had hovered at for more than 10 years and is hardly transforming. "It's the tiniest of baby booms," said Morgan in agreement. "This is not an earthquake; it's a slight tremor." Subject: National Guard Spreads Positive Image, NGB Chief Says To: DEFENSE-PRESS-SERVICE-L@DTIC.MIL By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2005 - Performing its mission around the world in 2005 has allowed the National Guard to spread a positive message about the military, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said here Nov. 30. With almost 80,000 citizen-soldiers deployed overseas in the global war on terrorism and thousands more responding to natural disasters in the United States and abroad, 2005 has been an unprecedented year for the Guard. "Nothing has happened this year that the Guard hasn't been part of," said Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum in a Pentagon Channel interview. "The best part of it is, when we're responding to these kind of disasters, everybody understands why you're needed. Everybody supports what you're doing; nobody questions how you're doing it. When you're out there saving lives instead of taking lives, it makes those that you're saving feel very, very good about you." In disaster relief efforts for hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the earthquake in Pakistan, the National Guard is sending a significant message, albeit unintentionally, about the quality of America's military, Blum said. "When (people) see the uniforms and they see the military equipment being used as a force for good, it sends a very positive message to them about what's right about this country," he said. The National Guard's response to Hurricane Katrina was the largest, fastest response of the U.S. military to a natural disaster in the country's history, Blum said, and it really was amazing in its scope. "It is a difficult thing to do, but it didn't look difficult," he said. "The way the states responded, it actually looked rather effortless." One phone call with the states' adjutants general was all it took to generate 50,000 guardsmen to respond to the disaster, Blum said. Every state, including U.S. territories and commonwealths, participated in the disaster response, while still supplying troops to the global war on terrorism, he said. The concerns people had about disaster response being affected by overseas deployments were legitimate, Blum said, but were not realized. "As a matter of fact, the deployments did have an effect on our response - they made it better," he said. "Over 60 percent of the people that responded were veterans of at least a year 'boots on the ground' (in Iraq or Afghanistan) if they were Army National Guard and at least one, two or more Air Expeditionary Force rotations overseas. They brought those same skills to Mississippi and Louisiana, and they were invaluable." Blum said he is immensely proud of the National Guard response to Katrina, because it was on target, on time and more than sufficient. All the U.S. governors agreed the troops were needed, and not one doubted the mission at all, he said. "It should make every American immensely proud of their National Guard and of their military," he said. This year's missions have caused an increase in recruitment and retention for the National Guard, Blum said. He attributes that to the value of what the Guard is doing, he said. "I think a lot of that is, people see the goodness of what we're doing on the TV screen and they read about it in the paper, and they want to be part of something bigger than themselves -- something that will make a difference for them and for other people," he said. Biography: Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, USA [http://www.ngb.army.mil/ngbgomo/library/bio/blum_sh.html] Related Site: National Guard Bureau [http://www.ngb.army.mil/] _______________________________________________________ NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK, the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051202_3521.html. Americans Need to Recognize Progress in Iraq, DoD Spokesman Says To: DEFENSE-PRESS-SERVICE-L@DTIC.MIL By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, June 16, 2005 - Americans need to go back and evaluate the progress that has been made in Iraq, Pentagon spokesman Larry Di Rita said today. Di Rita spoke at a Pentagon news conference along with Marine Lt. Gen. James Conway, the Joint Staff operations chief. Di Rita said it is important to remember the progress that has been made. Less than a year ago, the Coalition Provisional Authority still ran Iraq. It wasn't until the end of June that the CPA turned sovereignty over to the interim Iraqi government. It wasn't until Jan. 30, 2005, that the citizens of Iraq chose their transitional government. "(Iraq) has had several major milestones of electoral actions," Di Rita said. "It'll have more going forward, and they're scheduled." The Iraqi National Assembly is writing the new constitution. That effort is set to end by Aug. 15. A vote on the document is set not later than Oct. 15. International efforts in Iraq remain strong, with around 30 countries helping in various capacities, and NATO has expanded its training mission in the nation, Di Rita said. The coalition continues rebuilding the country. "We've probably expended or at least obligated to expend, I would say, something south of $10 billion and heading further," he said. But the most notable difference is in Iraqi security forces. Earlier this week, Marine Gen. Peter Pace said that when CPA transferred sovereignty to the Iraqis, there was only one battalion that was effective. That number has risen to more than 100. Conway said around 169,000 members of the Iraqi security forces are trained and equipped, and those units continue "to grow their operational capabilities." The general said the Iraqi forces still have shortfalls - mostly in command and control and experience. "That doesn't happen overnight," Conway said. "We have a plan for growing the force. We're on track with projections of numbers. We're partnering our battalions with theirs, and our military transition teams are working with these units to enable them to operate independently." And Iraqi troops are picking up real missions and handling them well, Conway said. Iraqi brigades have taken over patrolling in large areas of the country and right in downtown Baghdad. "Iraqi troops, along with U.S. transition team members, led the operation to free Australian hostage Doug Wood," Conway said. "Further, on Tuesday, Iraqi and coalition forces captured another one of al Qaeda's key leaders in northern Iraq, the so-called emir of Mosul, Abu Talha." Conway said the Iraqi forces are "taking back their country from the insurgents." Di Rita and Conway spoke about recent polls that show a drop-off of American support for operations in Iraq. "Obviously, the public support of these kinds of operations is critical," Di Rita said. He said that Americans deployed to Iraq are showing a different side of American commitment. "The Americans who ... know the most about Iraq are our military," he said. "And in numbers we've probably not seen maybe in my lifetime, ... they're re-enlisting 200 percent of goal -- 150 percent of goal for units that have deployed to Iraq. So those individuals who are the most knowledgeable Americans of all think, 'Jeez, it's something worth doing.'" Conway said it concerns him. He told the story of a Vietnamese colonel and a U.S. Marine colonel speaking after the war in Vietnam. "The Marine said, 'We beat you every time on the battlefield.' And the Vietnamese colonel said, 'That is true, but it's also irrelevant.'" The general said the enemy realizes "that American public opinion is the center of gravity; that a democracy can't do certain things if, in fact, the citizens don't support it." He said he would like to see a reversal in the trend. "It's extremely important to the soldier and the Marine, the airman and the sailor over there to know that their country's behind them," Conway said. "We didn't start this fight. So I don't know that it's our option to simply withdraw at this point." Biographies: Larry Di Rita [http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/dirita_bio.html] Lt. Gen. James Conway, USMC [http://www.usmc.mil/genbios2.nsf/0/24f33df7bf06b3a2852568030060440a?OpenDocument&Click=] _______________________________________________________ NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK, the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jun2005/20050616_1748.html. DoD Examines High Operational Tempo's Effect on Equipment By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 19, 2005 - Equipment that servicemembers are using in Iraq and Afghanistan is getting years worth of use in just one year on the ground, and the Defense Department is taking steps to ensure the tanks, Bradleys, Strykers, Humvees, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles stay in a high state of readiness. No one is going into combat in substandard equipment, a DoD report concluded. The report -- "Ground Force Equipment Repair, Replacement and Recapitalization Requirements Resulting from Sustained Combat Operations" -- went to Congress last week. The department was concerned about the effect prolonged combat would have on equipment even before Congress asked for the issue to be examined. "Equipment is being used at a much higher rate than it is in peacetime -- two to eight times higher, depending on the piece of equipment you are talking about," said Mark Franklin Cancian, director of the Land Forces Division of DoD's Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation. "As a result, it needs a lot more maintenance." In addition, problems caused by the high operational tempo are further aggravated by the harsh environmental conditions. Equipment operating in Iraq and Afghanistan face problems from dust, dirt and heat, Cancian said. Other equipment, especially trucks and Humvees, are running with added armor, which taxes the engines, springs and brakes. The Abrams tank is a perfect example of the extent of the problem. In peacetime, Abrams tanks drive about 65 miles a month. In Iraq, soldiers are driving them about 325 miles each month. Other pieces of equipment have similar statistics. Humvees are being driven more than twice as far each month as in peacetime. Armored security vehicles are being driven about eight times as much, and Bradley fighting vehicles about five times their peacetime average. And helicopters are being flown about twice as much as in peacetime. "The question we asked was, 'What's the long-term effect of combat operations on our equipment?'" Cancian said. DoD used the results of the study to help inform officials for the fiscal 2005 supplemental budget request. That request funds all the work that can be accomplished this fiscal year to repair or replace equipment. Portions of the $82 billion request fund depot maintenance and procurement actions Cancian said a lot of maintenance is done in theater. Most equipment does not have to be shipped back to the states for major overhauls. When equipment does get shipped back, some maintenance is done in the units and some in depots. The depots have "all the funding and capacity to do the work." There are some equipment "washouts," and there is procurement money in the supplemental to cover pieces of equipment that are not economical to fix. Cancian said these washouts are mostly trucks. Combat losses also need to be replaced. Most procurements can be handled by current production lines, Cancian said. But some, such as the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior observation helicopter, have been discontinued. The Army will accept some risk in using this helicopter until a replacement comes on line in fiscal 2007 or 2008. "The risk isn't that we can't fight a war," he said. "It means units may have to rotate more quickly than they otherwise would." Related Site: DoD Program Analysis and Evaluation [http://www.pae.osd.mil/default.asp] _______________________________________________________ NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK, the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2005/20050519_1225.html.
Walthourville readies for police, new city hall By Alena Parker, Staff writer (aparker@coastalcourier.com) Posted: March 20, 2009 9:27 a.m., Updated: March 20, 2009 9:15 a.m. �Four eyes are better than two. Eight eyes are better than four,� according to Walthourville Police Chief Terry Harget, who said he wants to get out, be seen and deter crime. �Our goals are to improve the quality of life in Walthourville and the surrounding communities, to service our customer base, which is our citizens,� said Harget, a 21-year law enforcement veteran. Harget became police chief for the county�s second-largest municipality after serving on a police force in New York and as a captain with the Clinton County Sheriff�s Office in the Atlanta area for nine years. Walthourville�s jurisdiction, which is roughly five square miles in diameter, currently has two certified police officers and, Harget said, they will hire one more. He commended the sheriff�s office for its past police protection but said, judging from the feedback he�s getting, the community already feels an attachment to the new police department. �They know that with their own police department, we�ll have better response time[s],� Harget said. �We�re going to build upon what the sheriff department has done over the years.� As one of his priorities, Harget plans to focus on the municipality�s seniors and children, implementing summer camps and mentoring programs to provide �some redirection for kids who get in trouble for the first time.� �We want to make sure we let them know that we care and we�re concerned,� Harget also said of the city�s elderly population. �I think what we really need to service is the whole community.� Harget said he thinks police presence is the community�s biggest concern. �They weren�t seeing them enough and they want to see more officers, more often in the neighborhood,� Harget said. He suggests residents attend city council meetings, listen to WPD updates and keep the lines of communication open. �And when our officers are in the neighborhood � they�ll be rolling around the neighborhoods with their windows down � just wave at us. We�ll stop and let you know what we�re doing,� Harget said. The department motto is professionalism, integrity and courage. �They should expect courteous, professional service with officers who have integrity in their heart,� Harget said. �Service with a smile.� The new city police officers will hit the streets as the mayor and city council prepare to move into a new city hall building, according to project contractor Ray Mehalko with Tri-County Construction. Complete with an elevator and a drive-through billpay window, the city is set to move into its new offices next to the Walthourville volunteer fire department as early as next week. �I believe the elevator was because ... we have a very high amount of elderly people in the Walthourville area,� Mehalko said. �Having to go up and down those stairs would definitely put a hurting.� Work for the 2,000- square-foot, two-story building took about five months. The new city hall on Busbee Road, off Talmadge, is an overhaul of an old 1920s home, built by someone who used to work on the railroad. �We�re taking an old home and turning it into an office, trying to keep the history of the building intact,� Mehalko said, comparing it to Flemington�s City Hall. Workers took out all the bad wood and fitted the building with new floor joists and new wiring. �The house was actually leaning about six inches to one side,� Mehalko explained. �It wasn�t level.� In order to level the building, Mehalko explained they used the same 120-pound jack used for railroad cars. The old city hall building will go through some retouching and become the new police department. �The building used to be an old railroad depot in the early 1900s and this is the first major facelift since then,� Mehalko said. �Each one of the buildings have a history behind it.� Plans are also in the works to renovate the outside of the fire station to maintain a unified theme. Be All You Can Be Today�s Army wife has come a long way from the days when Martha joined George on at Valley Forge, when Molly fired the cannon volleys at Fort Monmouth, and when women crossed the prairies to be with their Indian-fighting husbands on the western frontiers. She has changed, yes, but in some ways there remains a marked similarity between the Army wife of today and her sisters of yesteryear. Spirit, courage, vitality and a sense of dedication are terms that apply as much today in describing her as in days gone by. Who is the Army wife of today and what does she represent? � She is a unique individual, a one-of-a-kind person, belonging to a sisterhood of women making a difference in their world. � She is the young Korean bride studying English in order to feel more a part of her new country. � She is the girl who smiles from behind the counter at the post exchange. � She is a teacher, a lawyer, a real estate agent. � The Army wife of today attends school in order to further her education. � She spends hours volunteering at the thrift shop. � She may be an action officer at the Pentagon, a helicopter pilot at Fort Rucker, or a platoon leader in West Germany. � She is the Scout Leader, the Sunday School teacher, the wives club president. � She is the baker of vast quantities of cookies to take to the motor pool for troops returning from the field. � She is the young mother at the commissary with an infant in her car seat and a toddler in tow dressed in BDU's just like Dad. � She is independent, resourceful, and adaptable. The Army wife of today is many things to many people. She is part of the spirit of America and a special part of the Army family that encourages each person to "Be All That You Can Be." The mission's impact on family life will change over a soldier's or civilian employee's career and will be greatly influenced by a number of factors such as the type of mission and the mission's location and its relationship to higher headquarters missions. Over the past few years, the DoD has increasingly encouraged servicemembers and veterans to take advantage of the GI Bill, both during active duty as well as after transitioning out. Over 50 percent of GI Bill benefits are not used within the 10-year span of eligibility after separation. Many veterans do not realize they have likely earned college credit through their military training, coursework, and occupational specialty. These credits will reduce the amount of time it will take to complete a degree and save tuition dollars. Servicemembers and veterans who are interested in receiving credit for their service can get tips on doing so, as well as find schools that award credit for military service, at Military.com. Go to the College Credit section for more information. NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense No. 497-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 19, 2005 Media Contact: (703)697-5131 Public/Industry Contact: (703)428-0711 Pentagon Channel Celebrates One-Year Anniversary The Pentagon Channel will mark the one-year anniversary of its launch by broadcasting live from the Joint Service Open House at Andrews Air Force Base on Friday, May 20, 2005. The Pentagon Channel broadcasts military news and information for and about the 2.6 million members of the U.S. Armed Forces: Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve. Broadcast 24/7, the Pentagon Channel helps ensure that U.S. Forces remain the best informed in the world. Today, more than one million service members on 201 military bases in the U.S. can watch the Pentagon Channel - and this number is increasing every day. The Pentagon Channel is also available to the 700,000 service members and their families serving in 177 countries overseas via the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS). In addition, the Pentagon Channel also offers streamed programming live at pentagonchannel.mil - as well as individual newscasts and original programs as Video On Demand. "Our focus at the Pentagon Channel is to communicate to the men and women in the military," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs. "We provide what our service members want and need to their jobs better: relevant, timely, and credible military news and information." Service members who work and live on military bases can watch the Pentagon Channel on their installation's cable systems. But many live off-post - particularly National Guard members and military reservists, who comprise nearly half the potential military audience. The Pentagon Channel works to ensure their access to military news and information by encouraging carriage of the service by commercial cable and satellite systems. The Pentagon Channel now reaches more than 12 million households through this commercial distribution. The Pentagon Channel is carried nationwide by DISH Network, as well as by divisions of Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, Cox Communications, Mediacom Communications Corporation, RCN Corporation, Armstrong Cable Services, Knology Holdings, GCI Communications, Verizon Services Corporation, and a number of smaller cable companies and public access and government channels in communities around the country. [Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20050519-3222.html] Radio Messages Connect Families to Front Lines The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) recently introduced its Patriot Family Connection program to help connect deployed military members with their loved ones back home. The new program offers family members, friends of deployed service members and AAFES associates a chance to record their greetings, words of support and thanks. Messages can be recorded 24 hours a day, free of charge, and are forwarded to American Forces Network (AFN) Radio, which is heard at locations overseas including those in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. Anyone can record a message simply by calling 1-800-713-1302 and following the prompts. For more information, log on to the AAFES Web site and click on the Patriot Family link. Exchange Services' Prepaid Phone Cards Better Than Others By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 18, 2005 - When it comes to buying prepaid phone cards to call home from Iraq or Afghanistan, not all cards are alike. Friends and loved ones who purchase prepaid cards at supermarkets, gas stations or warehouse stores may think they�re sending deployed troops a big stockpile of calling minutes. But that�s often not the case. Many prepaid cards that offer low per-minute calling charges are actually geared for stateside use, according to Judd Anstey, public affairs specialist for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service. When used overseas to call home, these-type prepaid cards often buy just a fraction of their advertised calling minutes. In contrast, the Military Exchange Global Prepaid 550- and 200-unit phone cards, part of the �Help Our Troops Call Home� program, offer lower per-minute rates than other prepaid cards, including AT&T prepaid cards sold by other retailers, Anstey said. "It's the best value out there," he noted. In fact, the program remains a big hit that�s saving troops and their loved ones big dollars. And this is a year after the Defense Department made the unprecedented move of allowing military exchanges to sell prepaid phone cards to anyone wishing to buy them for deployed troops. Last April, DoD introduced the since-named �Help Our Troops Call Home� program, which enables even people not otherwise entitled to exchange privileges to buy Military Exchange Global Prepaid Calling Cards for deployed troops. A year later, the program is within striking distance of the $2 million mark -- enough to buy and distribute more than 78,000 prepaid cards, according to Anstey. Cards purchased through the program can be sent to individual servicemembers or to �any servicemember� through the American Red Cross, United Service Organizations, Air Force Aid Society or Fisher House Foundation. During the past year alone, these partners have distributed almost 27,000 prepaid phone cards through the program, Anstey said. More than half of those cards were donated through the American Red Cross. If usage is any gauge of the cards� popularity, they�re a big hit. During February alone, troops generated nearly 20 million minutes of calls using the cards at AAFES phone centers in the Middle East, Anstey said. The Help Our Troops Call Home program enables the public to tap into an exclusive DoD contract with AT&T that gives troops the lowest per-minute fees for calls placed from AT&T phone centers, Anstey said. If the card is purchased in the United States, the per-minute fees are 21 cents a minute from Iraq, Afghanistan or Kuwait. If the deployed servicemember buys the card overseas, the rates are even lower -- 19 cents a minute from Iraq, Afghanistan or Kuwait, Anstey said. These rates are lower than they were a year ago, Anstey said, and compare to as much as 40 cents per minute charged by some phone-card companies after converting calling units to actual calling minutes. In addition to low rates, the military prepaid cards don�t expire and aren�t subject to additional charges or connection fees, he said. Army Lt. Col. Debra Pressley, AAFES� chief of corporate communications, called the public outpouring through the Help Our Troops Call Home program �inspiring.� �The decision to allow the exchange services to work directly with the American public has provided a textbook study in how to safely and effectively support our troops,� she said. One participating organization, the USO, has sent almost 1,700 prepaid cards through the program, according to Donna St. John, spokeswoman for the USO World Headquarters, in Washington. That�s in addition to the USO�s own �Operation Phone Home� program, which had sent almost 300,000 100-minute global calling cards to deployed troops as of April 1, St. John said. AT&T has donated more than $6 million in prepaid cards to the USO program. The USO also distributes prepaid phone cards to wounded troops recuperating at military hospitals stateside and overseas and has included �several hundred thousand� phone cards in Operation USO Care Package boxes sent to deployed troops, St. John said. More information about the Military Exchange Global Prepaid Calling Card is available on the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, the Navy Exchange and the Marine Corps Exchange Web sites, or by calling (800) 527-2345. Related Sites: Military Exchange Prepaid Calling Cards [https://thor.aafes.com/scs/default.aspx] Army and Air Force Exchange Service [http://www.aafes.com/pa/default.asp] Navy Exchange [http://www.navy-nex.com/] Marine Corps Exchange [http://www.usmc-mccs.org/shopping/shoppinginfo.cfm] _______________________________________________________ NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK, the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2005/20050418_648.html.
Downtown adding business By Alena Parker, Staff writer Posted: March 14, 2009 12:12 p.m.; Updated: March 14, 2009 11:33 a.m. Downtown Hinesville is attracting new business, just as new city signs identifying the business district advertise. Vivian Smith says her new store, $20 and Below Accessories, will offer luxury items at discounted prices. She plans to open the store on MLK Jr. Drive at the end of the month. Smith said inspiration for the store hit her during a visit to Atlanta about a year ago. Later, she saw another discount accessory store in Savannah. �I wasn�t looking to buy anything,� Smith said. �Initially, what caught my eye was the sign �$20 and below,� and when I went in there, I was surprised.� Smith said she wanted to open a store in Liberty County that replicated the upscale look of the other stores and offered good deals. �Instead of always having to go to Savannah, provide something here locally,� said Smith, who has lived in the Hinesville area for 15 years. �If there�s more things here, I find that people would stay here.� Touting merchandise shipped from New York, Philadelphia and even China, Smith said she plans to offer shoppers a variety of quality, elegant pieces at low costs. �It�ll definitely be different,� Smith said. �You won�t be able to go to Wal-Mart or any other store and see the same kind of stuff.� The store�s products will include shoes, jewelry, casual dresses, totes and luggage bags. She also hopes to sell some men�s items, such as theme ties and cuff links. �We just want to offer excellent customer service, affordable prices, quality accessories,� Smith said. She tried to get a feel for Hinesville�s downtown business environment by joining the Army Community Heritage Partnership Program. �ACHPP has really helped me and I can see it helps other people,� Smith said. �I think it really helps focus on what�s really needed.� Vicki Davis, Hinesville Downtown Development Authority director, said she wants to continue the effort to revitalize downtown. �Retail business is certainly a welcome addition to the downtown scene,� Davis said. �The $20 and Below store will certainly be a great catalyst to encourage other retail businesses to consider downtown for their business ventures.� Smith completed all the permitting and licensing requirements and will now focus on stocking shelves and decorating the store. �I�ve always wanted to do a small business on my own. � It�s a learning experience,� Smith said. �I�ve had so many people help through the process.�
What You Don't Know About Julia Roberts by Amy & Nancy Harrington, GetBack.com March 19, 2009 Julia Roberts' new film "Duplicity" with Clive Owen opens this week. And since she spends the whole movie covering up her past, lying, stealing, and cheating, we thought it only fitting that we expose some of the actress' personal secrets. Of course, none are as covert as her "Duplicity" dealings, but we think you might find them more interesting. She Once Had a "Foot Assistant" It's not really as pretentious as it sounds -- only a little. While filming the 1991 movie "Hook," she spent so much time in the air as Tinkerbell that she actually had an assistant whose job was to keep the bottom of her feet clean. Coretta Scott King Was Her Anonymous Fairy Godmother In 1967 Coretta Scott King took her children to acting lessons in the home of a white couple in Atlanta. The drama teachers were Julia Roberts' parents, Walter and Betty Lou. When Mrs. MLK heard that Betty Lou was in labor, she secretly paid the hospital bill for her stay, as a way of repaying the Roberts for their kindness toward black children in Georgia. The secret was finally revealed after Coretta's death in 2006. She Was a Broadway Flop Julia has had a lot of success in her day. Hit movies, Oscars, Golden Globes, and more. But she was not as triumphant in her Broadway debut. Her performance in "Three Days of Rain" was widely panned, and the play only ran for 70 performances. Recently, she told "Allure" magazine that she'd like to take another stab at the Great White Way. But she said that next time she'd pick an easier play. She Takes Her Makeup Lying Down Insisting that it gives her a more relaxed look, Julia has all her movie set makeup applied while she's flat on her back. Sounds like a good excuse for a nap, if you ask us. She also uses a safety pin to separate her lashes when she applies her own mascara -- a real-life detail she brought to her character in "Charlie Wilson's War." George and Brad Once Paid Her Salary... Not At the time Julia signed on to the cast of "Ocean's Eleven" she was earning $20 million for movie roles. When Clooney and Pitt found out she had agreed to costar with them, they sent her a card. The note read, "We heard that you get 20 per film." Inside was a $20 bill. Always the jokesters. She Gave up Helping Animals for Hollywood Julia loved animals so much as a kid that she wanted to be a vet when she grew up. But then she saw big brother Eric acting and decided to follow in his footsteps. Still, she is quite the equestrian (she did her own riding in "Runaway Bride"), and she has made two PBS specials, "In the Wild: Orangutans with Julia Roberts" and "Wild Horses of Mongolia with Julia Roberts." She gets up close and personal with the animals in both docs. The Other Roberts Girl We all know Julia's brother, Eric ("The Pope of Greenwich Village" and "Nobody's Fool"), but what most people don't know is that there's another thespian in the family -- and we're not talking about Eric's daughter, teen star Emma Roberts. Julia's big sis, Lisa Roberts Gillan, is also an actress. Sadly for Lisa, her career has not achieved the $20 million per movie status. In fact, it's mostly achieved the "your sister's a huge star, so we'll put you in her film" status, with some of her biggest roles to date in "Duplicity," "Mona Lisa Smile," and "Runaway Bride." Runaway Bride Though Julia seems settled and happy with Danny Moder, her husband of seven years, she was once a little bit of a commitment-phobe. After filming "Steel Magnolias" she was briefly engaged to costar Dylan McDermott. Then while making "Flatliners," she fell for another costar, Kiefer Sutherland, once again getting engaged and this time leaving Kiefer just days before the nuptials (to be fair, he cheated on her with a stripper, so her running was justified). Then she actually took the plunge with singer Lyle Lovett, after dating only three weeks. They were separated in less than two years. Along the way, there were also relationships with Liam Neeson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Matthew Perry, and Jason Patric, but Julia retired her running shoes when she met Danny on the set of "The Mexican." She Keeps Good Company In 2001 Julia became one of an elite group of five actresses when she won the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and SAG Award for the same performance: her title role in "Erin Brockovich." The other women in this exclusive club include Ren�e Zellweger for "Cold Mountain," Reese Witherspoon for "Walk the Line," Helen Mirren for "The Queen," and Jennifer Hudson for "Dreamgirls." Once a Cover Girl, Always a Cover Girl In 1990 Julia was the first actress to appear on the cover of "Vogue" (until then, the magazine had only featured models). (Cher had made several cover appearances in the ?70s, but she was still known as a singer at the time). And for years "GQ" claimed that she was the first woman to ever grace their cover. The magazine itself took back the claim, remembering a Carol Channing cover in 1964 (guess Julia was just the first PRETTY woman). Julia has also been named one of "People" magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" 11 times, and we're guessing after seeing her March 2009 "Allure" cover, that number will most likely increase.
State fines 30 gas station for gouging...None in Liberty, Long Counties Associated Press Posted: March 19, 2009 9:16 a.m., Updated: March 19, 2009 8:54 a.m. ATLANTA - More than 30 Georgia gas stations have paid fines to the state Office of Consumer Affairs over alleged price gouging in the wake of Gulf Coast hurricanes last fall. Some stations have to pay up to $10,000 in fines to the state, while others must refund money to customers who can prove they bought gas during the price spike. The list includes a $20,000 fine against nine Tennessee-based Pilot Travel Center stations. The stations are among 200 the state is investigating over complaints of unfairly raising gas prices when hurricanes shuttered several Gulf Coast oil refineries and left several southern states without enough gas. Under state law, businesses have to prove they were making the same profit with their elevated prices as they were before the governor activated the anti-gouging statute. Pilot, in a statement released at its Knoxville headquarters, said the case involved a technical violation to Georgia law "in that it was not recovering its full cost on the date when the state of emergency was declared. Had Pilot increased its prices at the time of the declaration in order to recover all of its costs, Pilot likely would not have been found in violation." The privately owned Pilot operates 340 travel centers and convenience stores in 41 states, concentrated mostly in the Southeast and Midwest. Ohio-based Marathon Ashland Petroleum is a partner. Gas prices peaked at Pilot stations in Knoxville at $4.99 a gallon in September, and some stations ran out of gas in the face of long lines of worried customers hoping to fill up. Pilot Chief Executive Officer Jimmy Haslam said at the time the compounding effects of Hurricane Gustav followed by Hurricane Ike worked to reduce supply and then raise wholesale prices. Haslam said that even with raising the retail price, Pilot's profit still was less than a dime a gallon - about 7.5 cents.
Army Information Line 1-800-833-6622 The Army Information Line (toll-free) provides accurate information, useful resources and helpful referral services to those with issues or concerns about Army Life including but not limited to: Child Support Deployment Family Readiness Family Readiness Groups Finance Military Installations Experienced Constituent Liaisons staff the line and are available to assist members of the Army Well-Being constituent communities � Soldiers (Active-Duty, National Guard and Army Reserve), Civilians, Retirees, Veterans and Families. The Army Information Line also serves as a safety net for those who have exhausted all other resources. Contact Us Number: 1-800-833-6622 Hours: Monday � Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST Voicemail: Please leave a message after business hours. Your call will be returned the next business day. News and Information Who answers your Army Information Line call? [8/24/2005] Everyone should know more information on a little-talked about service. This service is highly utilized, effective and cost efficient � it is the Well-Being Liaison Office�s Army Information Line (1-800-833-6622). This is a toll-free number that is more than 24-years old, and while it has no battle ribbons it certainly earned credit for operating during two wars and countless operational conflicts. The right information at the right time [8/24/2005] The Well-Being Liaison Office�s constituent liaisons have a wealth of experience in dealing with a variety of issues ranging from supplying information on how to contact local resources such as an Army Community Service office, to more complex issues. Tapping all available resources to resolve issues [8/24/2005] Taking care of Army Families in a proper manner often calls for extraordinary efforts, and sometimes can even require making contact with many different agencies to resolve a problem satisfactorily, especially when deployments and issues relevant to Army life place undue stress on family members. Army Information Line supports Soldiers; present, future alike [8/24/2005] Unlike many other military resources, it�s important to note that the Army Information Line staff will do whatever they can to assist any caller, regardless of their relationship to the Soldier. There is no requirement to be an �ID Card holder� to receive assistance from the Army Information Line staff. Helping Army programs to help people [8/24/2005] Not all calls to the Army Information Line come directly from callers outside the Army�s infrastructure. Sometimes the Well-Being Liaison Office�s constituent liaisons are contacted directly by staff of Army programs who are unable to assist someone that has contacted them directly, and they turn to the Army Information Line to provide that assistance. New Law to Affect SGLI Payments, Premiums By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 18, 2005 - Defense and Veterans Affairs officials are ironing out details of programs that will expand benefits provided through Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance. The $82 billion supplemental legislation signed into law by President Bush May 11 increases maximum SGLI coverage to $400,000 and provides payouts of up to $100,000 for servicemembers with traumatic injuries, explained Stephen Wurtz, the VA's deputy assistant director for insurance. The increased SGLI coverage will take effect Sept. 1, and the so-called "traumatic SGLI" benefit, December 1. Wurtz said the legislation directs that both benefits will be retroactive to Oct. 7, 2001. Traumatic SGLI benefits will be retroactive for troops who have lost limbs, eyesight or speech or received other traumatic injuries as a direct results of injuries received during Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. The benefit does not apply to servicemembers suffering from disease. The retroactive coverage increase is payable as a result of deaths in either operation, or under other conditions prescribed by the secretary of defense, Wurtz said. Servicemembers enrolled in the SGLI program will notice an increase in their premiums when the increases take effect. The traumatic SGLI benefit will be rolled into the basic SGLI program and will likely cost about $1 a month, Wurtz said. Troops opting for maximum SGLI coverage -- $400,000 vs. the current $250,000 - will see their monthly premiums increase from $16.25 to $26, Wurtz said. This is based on the rate of 6.5 cents per $1,000 of insurance coverage. SGLI coverage is currently available in $10,000 increments, but as of Sept. 1, the increments will increase to $50,000. Because the rates have not changed, servicemembers who retain $250,000 or less coverage will see no increase in their premiums, Wurtz said, except for the $1 "traumatic SGLI" premium. While these expanded benefits will be provided retroactively, affected servicemembers won't be charged retroactive payments, he said. DoD will absorb that cost. In a new twist introduced through the supplemental legislation, troops with dependents must get their spouse's approval to purchase less than the full amount of SGLI coverage. In the case of members who are not married, notice will be provided to the designated beneficiary when the member purchases less than the maximum coverage. The new traumatic SGLI benefit is designed to provide "a quick infusion of cash" for cash-strapped families of troops recuperating from traumatic injuries received in the line of duty, Wurtz said. Compensation will range from $25,000 to $100,000, and is designed to help families of severely wounded troops leave their homes and jobs to be with their loved one during recovery. "These families incur a lot of expenses, and this is designed to help them financially," Wurtz said. While VA staff members consult with DoD to write regulations that will put the new SGLI benefits into effect, Wurtz said, "lots and lots of details have to be worked out." Among outstanding issues is the fact that the expanded SGLI coverage is part of the supplemental legislation package that funds operations only through Sept. 30. That's 30 days after the new SGLI limit takes effect and two months before the traumatic SGLI benefit begins. Wurtz said VA is confident Congress will resolve this issue before there's any lapse in coverage. VA will continue to oversee and control the SGLI program. Related Site: Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance [http://www.insurance.va.gov/sgliSite/SGLI/SGLI.htm] _______________________________________________________ NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK, the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2005/20050518_1209.html.
Developers look for population hike estimates New brigade coming to Fort Stewart By Alena Parker, Staff writer (aparker@coastalcourier.com) Posted: March 18, 2009 11:11 a.m., Updated: March 18, 2009 10:41 a.m. Developers, builders and real estate professionals pushed chairs into a circle Monday morning to discuss preparing for the new brigade coming to Fort Stewart. Allen Brown, local broker for Century 21, organized the meeting after hearing different estimates of what is coming and what is needed. �We just all need to have a consensus of what the impact is,� Brown said. �Probably the most important question is when.� October 2010 is the �e-date of the new brigade,� according to Mike Biering, deputy garrison commander, with about 2,400 troops coming in that month alone. �That October 2010 means those soldiers are on the ground and training,� Biering said, adding some families will be here months earlier looking for homes. The group learned there will be about 390 new soldiers and their families in between next April and October. No one else comes for the next six months, according to Biering�s timeline, then another 1,000 soldiers arrive in spurts through October 2011. �The worse thing we can do is either overbuild or underbuild any particular market,� Hinesville City Manager Billy Edwards said. Newcomers are not bound to find homes within the county, but the group wants Liberty to be the first choice. �We are definitely proponents of having our soldiers and families living in the local community, as much as possible,� Biering said. Making the county more attractive to homebuyers sparked discussion. Though Liberty provides the shortest commute to post, there is competition with surrounding areas, namely Glennville and Savannah, with Richmond Hill, �chief among them,� according to Clay Sikes. �If we could provide the quality housing in the inner-core of the city, close to post�we feel like there�s a great possibility that those numbers that have drifted away from us may drift back to us,� Sikes said. Calling himself the �senior statesman,� with 36 years of local experience, Sikes said housing issues from the 1970s build-up when a division was stationed on Fort Stewart needed to be considered. �Those (buildings) are now approaching 30 to 35 years old,� Sikes said. He said many of them would need so much remodeling that new homes could be in the same price range. With homes sold and resold �some six, seven or eight or nine times,� Sikes said the trend has been for homes at that age to having to go through a �complete renewing,� in order to compete in the market. �That�s become more obvious to me in last six to 12 months than ever before,� Brown agreed. �Because people can buy the new construction, get that new carpet, that new paint. So it�s tough right now for those [sellers].� Biering estimates a 2,000-person civilian workforce will be attached with the new brigade. �You have to look at the packages, holistically,� Friends of Liberty Director Paul Andresak said, bringing up education and healthcare. �The soldiers are going to be looking at everything that goes along with it.� While exact numbers are still uncertain, Biering said there are guides. �If you take the 5th brigade, only, and use that as a short-term yardstick�you pretty much can�t go wrong,� he said. He estimates about a 25 percent increase for the community to absorb. Here's a poem for Army Children. I was considered one once (My father is retired from the Army.) and can identify with them, hence it being shown on this page. It will also be featured on "For and About the Children" (geocities.com/ravet2005/children.html). I am an Army Child. My hometown is nowhere. My friends are everywhere. I grew up with the knowledge that home is where the heart is and the family� with no dependence on the dwelling. Mobility is my way of life. Some would wonder about roots, yet they are as deep and strong as the mighty oak�I sink them quickly. Absorbing all an area offers and hopefully, giving enrichment in return. Travel has taught me to be open. Shaking hands with the universe. I find brotherhood in all men. Farewells are never easy. Yet, in even sorrow comes strength and the ability to face tomorrow with anticipation�and if when I leave one place, I feel that half my world is left behind. I also know that the other half is still waiting to be met. Friendships are formed in hours and kept for decades. I will never grow up with someone, but I will mature with many. Be it inevitable that paths part, there is the constant hope that they will meet again. Love of Country, Respect and Pride fill my being when Old Glory passes in review. As I stand to honor the Flag, so also do I stand in honor of all Soldiers, and, most especially, to the parents whose life created mine. Because of this, I have shared in the rich heritage of Army Life. ANONYMOUS
State unemployment rate hits record Associated Press Posted: March 19, 2009 9:24 a.m., Updated: March 19, 2009 9:16 a.m. ATLANTA - The state Labor Department says Georgia's unemployment rate in February was 9.3 percent, the highest since rate-keeping was standardized by the federal government in 1976. The department said Thursday that the previous record in Georgia was a revised 8.5 percent in January. The February jobless rate was up 3.9 percent from 5.4 percent at this same time last year. Georgia's unemployment rate remained above the national rate of 8.1 percent for the 16th consecutive month. The department says 445,498 unemployed Georgians are now looking for work, an increase of 69.2 percent over the year. It says the number of payroll jobs in February decreased 189,800, or 4.6 percent, from February 2008.
State fines 30 gas station for gouging...None in Liberty, Long Counties Associated Press Posted: March 19, 2009 9:16 a.m.; Updated: March 19, 2009 8:54 a.m. ATLANTA - More than 30 Georgia gas stations have paid fines to the state Office of Consumer Affairs over alleged price gouging in the wake of Gulf Coast hurricanes last fall. Some stations have to pay up to $10,000 in fines to the state, while others must refund money to customers who can prove they bought gas during the price spike. The list includes a $20,000 fine against nine Tennessee-based Pilot Travel Center stations. The stations are among 200 the state is investigating over complaints of unfairly raising gas prices when hurricanes shuttered several Gulf Coast oil refineries and left several southern states without enough gas. Under state law, businesses have to prove they were making the same profit with their elevated prices as they were before the governor activated the anti-gouging statute. Pilot, in a statement released at its Knoxville headquarters, said the case involved a technical violation to Georgia law "in that it was not recovering its full cost on the date when the state of emergency was declared. Had Pilot increased its prices at the time of the declaration in order to recover all of its costs, Pilot likely would not have been found in violation." The privately owned Pilot operates 340 travel centers and convenience stores in 41 states, concentrated mostly in the Southeast and Midwest. Ohio-based Marathon Ashland Petroleum is a partner. Gas prices peaked at Pilot stations in Knoxville at $4.99 a gallon in September, and some stations ran out of gas in the face of long lines of worried customers hoping to fill up. Pilot Chief Executive Officer Jimmy Haslam said at the time the compounding effects of Hurricane Gustav followed by Hurricane Ike worked to reduce supply and then raise wholesale prices. Haslam said that even with raising the retail price, Pilot's profit still was less than a dime a gallon - about 7.5 cents.
From Savannah's Candy Kitchen...http://www.savannahcandy.com/...225 East River Street � Savannah, Georgia 31401-1220 From a mother�s kitchen in Woodbine, GA to Savannah, GA, candy from the Strickland kitchen is still down home delightful. The man behind the famous Savannah, GA Candy is, Stan �the candy man� Strickland. The story begins in Woodbine, Georgia. His mother worked in a candy factory in Woodbine known for their Pralines, Log Rolls, Glazed Pecans, Peanut Brittle and Divinity. At home, she was always making candy, especially during the holidays. She was an old fashioned baker who measured with the �cup� of her hand and always used the best, fresh ingredients. For Stan�s mother, cooking and baking was an art form. Stan baked with his mom in the kitchen learning how to make her spectacular homemade southern delights. Stan decided to share his family�s sweet southern delights with others at his Savannah, GA candy store. Over thirty years ago, Stan opened Savannah�s Candy Kitchen on historic River Street. Visitors quickly discovered that Stan�s kitchen was the place to experience and taste down home southern sweetness. In order to keep up with the demand for his candy, Stan had to expand; but he made sure to keep his recipes fresh and homemade no matter how big the kitchen grew. Now Savannah�s Candy Kitchen occupies over 4,200 square feet and every square foot is filled to the brim with the best candies, cakes, and confections in the south.