Among the thousands of words that could be used to describe the Olympic experience, Seth Kelsey sums it up with a handful:“The best thing about being an Olympian is that you always get to be one.”Special site keeps you up to date on Olympics happenings.Kelsey should know. The 30-year-old Brush Prairie native is headed to the Olympics for the third time, representing the United States in fencing at the London Games.He is one of two Clark County athletes competing in London — along with women’s javelin thrower Kara Patterson, a 26-year-old graduate of Skyview High School. And he again will be taking his place among the world’s elite athletes.According to sports-reference.com, 7,297 athletes have represented the United States at the Summer Olympics since the inception of the Games in 1896. Out of the millions upon millions of athletes who have aspired to the Olympics over the years, the number who have achieved that dream still could fit into a small arena — and each of those has had their life changed forever.SETH KELSEYo Who: Native of Brush Prairie.o Age: 30.o What: Fencer competing in his third Olympics.o Background: Graduate of Oregon Episcopal School and the Air Force Academy.o Residence: Colorado Springs, Colo.o Event: Individual men’s epee. Competition is Aug. 1.KARA PATTERSONo Who: Native of Vancouver.o Age: 26.o What: Track and field athlete competing in her second Olympics.o Background: Graduate of Skyview High School and Purdue University.o Residence: Chula Vista, Calif.o Event: Women’s javelin. Preliminaries Aug. 7; top 12 qualifiers compete in finals on Aug. 9.“It turns people’s heads when you say you were an Olympian,” said Clem Eischen, 85, who came out of Vancouver High School and Washington State to run the 1,500 meters at the London Games in 1948. “I was an All-American several times, but being an Olympian takes it up another notch.“I didn’t really think much about it at the time. As I get older it becomes more of a precious thing.”Eischen’s Olympic experience reflects the vast changes in the Games over the decades. The London of his Olympics was still recovering from the ravages of World War II, and sports were far from the worldwide media obsession they would become.
Local Olympians cherish role
Vancouver donors failure to pay threatens Ore arts program
BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) — A Vancouver businessman who pledged $400,000 to a Beaverton School District arts program failed to make his scheduled payment this year.The Oregonian reports that the district might have to scramble to find additional private money for the five-year Arts for Learning Program, a collaboration with researchers at the University of Washington and Young Audiences Arts for Learning of Oregon/SW Washington to infuse art into literacy in grades three through five.The donor, John Wolosek, told district staff in August and September he would reschedule his payments, but he hasn’t so far, said Jon Bridges, Beaverton School District administrator of accountability.The 48-year-old stepped forward in September 2010, as the district rushed to find private donors to help meet an $800,000 match within five weeks to secure a $4 million federal education grant for the program. Beaverton was among only 49 education groups chosen from 1,700 grant applicants in the U.S. for the Investing in Innovation Fund, known as the i3 grant.Wolosek and The Giving Stream were relatively unheard of at the time, but he pledged more than several other well-known donors, including Intel and Meyer Memorial Trust. He signed an agreement to pay the pledge in increasingly larger increments every April until he paid it off with $150,000 in 2015. Wolosek made good on the first payment of $25,000 in 2011, but didn’t make a promised $50,000 donation for 2012.Washington state court records list Wolosek as a debtor in a civil case filed in Clark County in November 2010 in which he owes $249,000 on a line of credit agreement. And in Wisconsin, where his business American Bark is located, Wolosek’s company was ordered to pay Associated Bank about $350,000.
House OKs compensation for wrongful convictions
OLYMPIA — The state House approved a measure Friday that would allow people who were wrongfully convicted to seek compensation from the state for the years they lost behind bars.The measure passed on a 95-2 vote Friday night and heads to the Senate. If it passes, Washington would join 27 states, the District of Columbia and the federal government with similar laws.The measure would allow people who were wrongfully convicted to file a claim in superior court for damages against the state. The claimant must show their conviction was reversed or vacated based on significant evidence of innocence, and that they did not commit the crime they were charged with. Once a judge or jury determines the claim is valid, they can award damages.Currently, the only option someone has is to sue the state, but they are required to sue on some basis other than the fact that they were wrongfully convicted, such as intentional wrongdoing or prosecutorial misconduct.Under the bill, compensation would be similar to the amounts paid by the federal government — a wrongly convicted person would receive $50,000 for each year of imprisonment, including time spent awaiting trial. An additional $50,000 would be awarded for each year on death row. A person would receive $25,000 for each year on parole, community custody, or as a registered sex offender.
ACLU files lawsuit after gay couple denied service
SEATTLE — The American Civil Liberties Union in Washington state filed a lawsuit Thursday on behalf of a Kennewick gay couple denied service at a flower shop for their upcoming wedding. The lawsuit is in response to a March 1 incident in which Barronelle Stutzman refused to provide flowers for Robert Ingersoll and Curt Freed’s wedding, despite the two men being longtime patrons of her shop — Arlene’s Flowers and Gifts in Richland, about 200 miles southeast of Seattle. Thursday’s lawsuit is the second legal action taken against Stutzman. Last week, Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a consumer protection lawsuit. Ferguson had sent a letter in March asking her to comply with the law, but said Stutzman’s attorneys responded by saying she would challenge any state action to enforce the law. Her attorney, Justin D. Bristol, has said he expects to take the legal battle to federal court and argue Stutzman’s refusal of service based on the 1st Amendment’s right to free speech.Stutzman was not available at her flower shop Thursday. A message left at Bristol’s office was not immediately returned.While Washington voters legalized gay marriage this past November, protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation were codified in 2006, in one of the first initial pushes to expand civil rights to the gay community.
Man pleads guilty to sharing child porn
A former Vancouver man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court Friday to distributing child pornography. Federal investigators found more than 3,100 pornographic images and 500 movie files on 36-year-old Joseph Schesso’s computers at his old house in Vancouver, according to the state U.S. Attorney’s Office. The case first came to the attention of authorities in 2010, when investigators in Germany found that someone from the U.S. was distributing child pornography through a file-sharing program. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement traced the computer’s IP address to Schesso’s residence. In June 2010, agents served a search warrant at Schesso’s Vancouver home, seizing computers and a media card for a digital camera. The card contained sexually explicit photos of a child who had previously visited Schesso’s house, where the photos had apparently been taken, according to court documents. Schesso’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11. According to a plea deal, he must be sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. He’s currently finishing a 40-month sentence in state prison for attempted child molestation. The sentences will run concurrently, and Schesso will have to register as a sex offender.
Hash oil explosions rise with legalized marijuana
DENVER (AP) — The opening months of Colorado’s first-in-the-nation recreational marijuana industry have seen a rise in fiery explosions and injuries as pot users try to make the drug’s intoxicating oil in crude home-based laboratories.Since Jan. 1, when sales began, the state’s only certified adult burn center has treated 10 people with serious injuries they suffered while making hash oil, compared with 11 in 2013 and one in 2012.Law enforcement and fire officials, meanwhile, are grappling with how to respond, as the questionable legality of the process has made it difficult to punish amateur chemists. Some prosecutors are charging them with felonies, while others say hash oil production is protected under a provision of the new legal pot law.“These today are the meth labs of the ’90s. We have to change our thinking and what we’re looking for,” said police Sgt. Pat Long in Thornton, a Denver suburb where officers were puzzled by the city’s first hash oil explosion in January.Hash oil is typically made by packing the castoff leaves and stems of pot plants into a pipe and pouring highly flammable butane through it. The concoction is heated to make the potent oil for far cheaper than it can be purchased in stores.
Everybody Has a Story Capt Vancouver spending eternity in obscurity
On the WebView a June 2013 graveside ceremony (not recorded by Wollert) honoring all sailors, and Capt. George Vancouver in particularhttp://youtu.be/QIArvn5omB4We tried to escape. We really did. But Vancouver proved a skilled and stealthy stowaway, slipping overseas in spite of firm resolve by my husband and me to make it stay home where it belonged.We chose London for a brief and well-deserved escape, and excitedly embraced all things British: kings and queens, teas and ale, ancient architecture, manuscripts, monuments, Shakespeare. A favorite ritual was strolling through sunny St. James Park, where we were surprised one morning by a small orange ball rolling slowly across our grassy route. Following its trajectory was a panting golden cocker spaniel, straining against a leather leash in the hand of a breathless woman, who issued a quick apology on behalf of her rude furry charge.Not a problem, we reassured her, exposing our obvious accent.You’re American? Where do you live?Thus began Vancouver’s inconsiderate intrusion into our foreign vacation.There’s a Vancouver in the United States, too?Oh, yes. Ours is the first Vancouver. Fort Vancouver. Named after George Vancouver, the explorer.Well, I never realized. … Say, did you know that George Vancouver is buried not far from here?We truly had no idea. Nor did we care very much.The dog rested in the grass as if he sensed the beginning of a familiar routine. His mistress was embarking on a long tale, and he might as well get comfortable.Indeed, she proceeded to tell us about the annual George Vancouver Day celebration, only six days away, in a small village named Petersham, where the noted explorer and cartographer was laid to rest at the ripe old age of 40.I glanced at my watch and reached for my husband’s hand, attempting a gracious exit from this unwelcome diversion. Museums and artifacts awaited, and I was getting impatient. But the dog’s knowledgeable companion persisted. She reported obscure details about Vancouver’s life, including the fact that, after his return from extraordinary travels, he found himself in the unfortunate political crosshairs of England’s powerful prime minister for harsh discipline he’d imposed on one of the minister’s relatives.
Saturday downtown Fire in the Belly
Forget the heat. Move as fast as you can. Lives are at stake.You don approximately 50 pounds of firefighting gear, from boots, helmet and face mask to oxygen tank and ax. You connect a hose to a nearby hydrant, rush to the other end of the hose and start connecting extensions. You might have to force your way through a metal door. Then, your final task is to drag a 185-pound dummy — an incapacitated victim of fire — all the way out of harm’s way.Those were the basics of the firefighter challenge at Fire in the Park, a showcase and friendly competition among local firefighters that’s aimed at educating the public, as well as raising money for Share, the charity that houses and feeds the homeless and hungry. The event was held Saturday in Esther Short Park; it’s sponsored every year by Vancouver Firefighters local union 452.Also benefiting Share, and probably garnering far more attention due to its complete capture of Main Street from Fourth Plain on down, was Cruisin’ the Gut. That’s an annual classic-car-lovers festival that has grown from a modest outing to a total downtown road hog.Back to basics was the unsung theme of the sixth annual Fire in the Park, according to organizer Matt Thierfelder, a Vancouver firefighter. This year’s focus was entirely upon the life-and-death business of firefighting — the skills and strength that firefighters need to have, as well as a few things the public ought to know.That’s why Vancouver fire Capt. Cody Robinett had gathered a gaggle of young children around him for a review of basics such as: What phone number do you call when there’s an emergency? (The kids had that one cold, and they corrected Robinett when he said, “Right! 1, 2, 3!”) Where is the very center of your chest? (That was easy.)
Osakas Kansai Airport to break flight records in upcoming summer season
Japan to conduct nationwide prefectural survey to confirm IR intentions Load More RelatedPosts Huawei Japan joins Kansai Economic Federation with eye on World Expo 2025 and Osaka IR Osaka approves Yumeshima site for commercial development in latest IR move There seems to be no end to the current boom in inbound visitors to Japan.NHK reported on Sunday that international flights arriving at Kansai airport will reach record levels during this year’s summer peak, with routes to and from the US, Europe and China to exceed 1,500 flights a week in August. According to the flight schedule for 31 March to 26 October 2019 published by the operating company of Kansai Airport, regularly scheduled international flights during August are forecast at 1,403 a week and cargo at 145 routes, bringing the total to 1,548.This represents an increase of 166 flights per week over the previous year.The reason for the increase is increased routes to the UK and the United States with British Airways operating four direct flights to London for the first time in 20 years, and Delta running seven flights to Seattle a week for the first time in six years.Further, it is forecast that there will be an additional 107 flights over the same period last year due to flights connecting to China’s mainland.Kansai airport commented, “Kansai is an attractive tourist destination for foreign travelers. We intend to enhance our network and improve the attraction of using our airport to visit Japan.”
Ikea to increase pay for 7300 employees
Ikea UK is to increase the rates of pay for 7,300 employees through the introduction of the living wage and proportionate pay rises for team leaders.The retailer is to implement the Living Wage Foundation’s voluntary living wage rate of £8.25 an hour and £9.40 in London. The pay increase will come into force on 1 April and benefit 6,100 staff members.Ikea UK will also introduce a proportionate pay increase for 1,200 team leaders.The changes form part of the organisation’s wider efforts to ensure that employees receive the right level of pay, and are on the right contract and schedule. This includes a new policy to give all customer-facing staff one weekend off in four.Pernille Hagild, country HR manager at Ikea UK, said: “Implementing the Living Wage Foundation’s recommended rates of pay is not only the right thing to do by our co-workers and our values but it also makes good business sense.“As we look to grow in the UK, motivating and retaining our co-workers, as well as attracting new co-workers, becomes increasingly important.“We also believe that a team with good compensation and working conditions is in a better position to provide a great experience to our customers.”
US home improvement organisation trials robotic exosuits for staff
Something for the weekend: Musculoskeletal conditions, such as back ache or joint pain, can be a reoccurring health and wellbeing issue for employers and their staff, particularly in occupations that involve manual tasks, such as heavy lifting. US-based home improvement and hardware organisation Lowe’s has introduced a new tool to support its employees’ wellbeing as they lift and move products around its stores: wearable robotic suits.Four exosuits, which have been designed in conjunction with Virginia Tech, are currently being tested by the stocking team at Lowe’s Christiansburg store. The lightweight, wearable suits are designed to reinforce proper lifting techniques, and make lifting and moving heavy items easier in a bid to protect against muscle fatigue caused by repetitive movements.The suits achieve this by absorbing energy and then delivering it back to the exosuit-wearing employee. This means that staff members do not have to exert as much force to complete certain movements, such as picking up a bag of concrete or a five-gallon bucket of paint.The exosuits use carbon fibres in both the back and legs, which when stretched taut, act like a bow ready to shoot an arrow. This mechanism helps employees to more easily spring back up after picking up a heavy object.The idea for the robotic suits came from Lowe’s Innovation Lab, the organisation’s disruptive technology hub, and its work with science fiction writers. The Lab envisioned using technology to provide employees with special superpowers to help maximise their performance.The suits will be piloted over the coming months to assess their physical impact. Lowe’s will also conduct an employee engagement study to see how the exosuits affect employees’ experience at work.Kyle Nel, executive director at Lowe’s Innovation Lab, said: “Our employees ensure our stores are always ready for customers. As a way to support them, we found a unique opportunity to collaborate with Virginia Tech to develop one of the first retail applications for assistive robotic exosuits.”Dr Alan Asbeck, assistant professor in the department of mechanical engineering, assistive robotics laboratory at Virginia Tech, who worked on the exosuits, added: “Over the past couple of years, human assistive devices have become an area of interest. But, our technology is different, not only because of the suit’s soft, flexible elements, but because we’re putting the prototype in a real world environment for an extended period of time.”Here at Employee Benefits, we think this certainly gives a whole new meaning to technology in the workplace. Being office-based, our heavy lifting requirements are a little thin on the ground, however the exosuit would definitely come in handy for our coffee run…
First Group consolidates Local Government Pension Scheme assets to create £1bn fund
Transportation organisation First Group has consolidated its pension scheme assets across three Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) arrangements to create a £1 billion fund.The organisation will consolidate its pension schemes’ assets by transferring £700 million from the West Yorkshire LGPS and the South Yorkshire LGPS into the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF). This will form a combined pension asset fund of £1 billion.The consolidation, which is being led by Hymans Robertson, has been designed to bring First Group’s three English LGPS funds under one administrating authority in order to drive efficiencies, reduce overall operating costs, and align the funding and investment strategies across the schemes to adopt a de-risked investment approach.The LGPS is an umbrella defined benefit (DB) pension scheme that is available for employees who work in the public sector or for staff whose employer participates in the scheme. Employees under the age of 75 are eligible to join the LGPS. There are three key schemes; one covering England and Wales, one covering Scotland and one covering Northern Ireland.Richard Murray (pictured), group head of pensions at First Group, said: “Initially, we thought that a consolidation within the LGPS would only be possible for public sector employers, but working together with Hymans Robertson, we made a case for First Group, as a private sector employer to do the same. First Group has a long-standing relationship with all three LGPS funds and worked closely with them and their advisers to achieve this consolidation. Through the process we received support from all our stakeholders and this culminated in approval by the secretary for state. The success of this consolidation is no small part a result of these great working relationships.“The consolidation will enable us to better manage the risks across our LGPS schemes, giving us greater control over the investment strategy, an improved balanced sheet, and enable us to better manage our funding across these obligations. This will allow us to improve cost control while maintaining members’ benefits.”Malcolm Stanley, senior consultant at Hymans Robertson, added: “First Group’s LGPS pensions, with mostly retired employees, were split between several funds. This scenario is not unique; there are over 100 private sector employers participating in multiple LGPS funds. This means added complexity for these employers [because] they have to not only engage with each administering authority individually but also maintain separate accounting records for each of the funds in which they participate. This complexity adds burden both in cost and management time.”
Fort Lauderdale business catches fire in shopping plaza
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – Firefighters were called upon to battle flames at a South Florida business.Firefighters responded to a shopping plaza in Fort Lauderdale to get the flames under control.They were able to put them out. No one was hurt.The plaza is near Powerline Road and Commercial Boulevard.Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Celebs drop everything to come to Art Basel
Patricia Field: “I love color, I love talent. It enriches me.”Celebrity stylist Patricia Field shows you how art can be worn.Patricia Field: “Take a classic — a T-shirt, a pair of jeans, a blazer, a motorcycle jacket; everybody likes those things — and then put your art on it.”The woman behind the “Sex and the City” wardrobe is adding some pop to Basel.Her pop-up shop at Wynwood’s White Dot Gallery features one-of-a-kind pieces to hang on your wall — or wear on your body.Patricia Field: “All of these painters who paint the clothing, they also paint canvases and sculptings and so on.”The stars also aligned at Russell Simmons’ seventh annual Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Finale. The mega producer collaborates with the brand every year to search for the next big name in visual arts. Art Basel isn’t just about the art. It’s about the stars who come into town to see and be seen. From supermodels, to musicians and the woman who brought sex to the city, everyone’s hanging out at the glitziest soirées.Just hours after gracing the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show…Martha Hunt: “The show was incredible. I’m exhausted; it was such a fun week. We were doing press and we did the show. The energy backstage was just indescribable, and it was so much fun.”Supermodel Martha Hunt is having her fun at Art Basel.Martha Hunt: “I’m checking out all the stops during Art Basel. It’s been so much already.”On the Victoria’s Secret Angel’s Basel tour? Casa Faena for the L’Eden by Perrier-Jouët party.From champagne parties to a fashion show… Russell Simmons: “Without artists, we don’t as a society grow. We need to nurture the creative spirit.”His pal Rosario Dawson is a big supporter of the event.Rosario Dawson: “There’s so many artists that are struggling to get their work seen, especially in an environment like this, where people are really appreciating it.”Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
BSO hosts string of holiday events for Broward students families
DANIA BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) – The Broward County Sheriff’s Office held a string of holiday events for the public, this weekend.One event, the 2016 Bytes for Champions Extravaganza, treated 250 students to a party on a yacht, Saturday. The party featured a buffet, DJ and visit from Santa.The Extravaganza continued at Olsen Middle School, where each child received a new tablet and a pair of sneakers, in hopes of putting them on the “path” to excel.BSO also passed out holiday meals to over 200 families. Each box included a ham, sweet potatoes and apple pie.Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Ojus Elementary celebrates 100th anniversary
NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – A Northeast Miami-Dade elementary school is celebrating its 100th anniversary.Ojus Elementary celebrated its centennial with a special drama skit showing Ojus throughout the years.Students also had a chance to listen to a violin solo.Each grade level then submitted a small item to be placed in a time capsule that was buried in the school yard.Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
FBI releases video of Fort Lauderdale bank robber
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – The FBI is hoping to find a bank robber who hit a Fort Lauderdale bank.Surveillance video was released of a man who walked into a Wells Fargo on Tuesday, along Northeast 62nd Street and North Federal Highway. This man implied he had a weapon, the FBI said, and demanded money from a teller.The robber then fled the scene and remains at large.If you have any information on this bank robbery, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Funeral held for Stoneman Douglas student who warned classmate about shooter
CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. (WSVN) – A South Florida teen who was one of 17 people fatally shot at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last week was laid to rest.Mourners paid their respects and said their final farewell to Helena Ramsay at the Church by the Glades in Coral Springs.According to witness accounts, the 17-year-old thought of the safety of her best friend, Samantha Grady, instead of her own after accused gunman Nikolas Cruz opened fire in Building 12, Feb. 14.When Cruz went into their classroom, witnesses said, Ramsay instructed Grady to shield herself with a book.Grady was injured but survived.Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Burglar caught on video entering occupied SW MiamiDade home
SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – Police are seeking the public’s help in locating a burglar caught on camera in Southwest Miami-Dade.Newly released surveillance video captured the crook entering a home near Southwest 40th Street and 98th Avenue through an unlocked back door on Feb. 5.Police said the crook spent several minutes inside the home while the family slept and took off with a laptop.If you have any information on this burglary, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
4 displaced after Fort Lauderdale duplex catches fire 1 hurt
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – A family of four was left without a place to call home after a fire broke out inside a duplex in Fort Lauderdale, leaving one person injured.Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the blaze along Southwest Eighth Street, near 25th Avenue, Monday night.Crews arrived to find thick smoke coming from the building.Firefighters said a neighbor injured his hand when he struck it through the window of the home. Paramedics treated him at the scene.No one was at the duplex at the time the fire ignited.The American Red Cross is assisting the family the fire displaced.Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.