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The Meydenbauer Group of Wells Fargo Advisors announces free divorce education classes to be held on Wednesday June 20th, 2012. The workshop does not address legal issues, but focuses on the less tangible, but vital advice that an individual may need to ...Source: news.yahoo.com
Self-help guru and ex-MTV boss husband announce split six years after she writes book about finding a soul mate and KEEPING him - Daily Mail
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She wrote a book about finding 'the One' but Kathy Freston and her husband Tom Freston have announced that they are separating after 14 years of marriage.
The nationally celebrated self-help guru and founder of MTV met at a Grammy Awards after-party in 1996 and have been together for 17 years.
Though according to the media power couple's statement, divorce is not yet on the cards, the news will no doubt disappoint fans of Mrs Preston's.
United front: Tom and Kathy Freston at the 10th Annual NRDC 'Forces for Nature' Gala in April before announcement of their separation this week
In 2006, the wellness blogger and author penned a tome entitled The One: Finding Soul Mate Love and Making it Last and is adored by talk show hosts like Oprah and Ellen for her sage insights into spirituality in life and love.
Over the past few years the enviably trim and youthful Forty-something has gradually become vegan and has shared her in depth knowledge of nutritional well-being in a series of books and dietary guides.
Though the couple presented a united front at the launch of her latest title, The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple!) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss in April, last Thursday Mr Freston noticeably walked the red carpet alone at the Paley Center for Media awards at Gotham Hall.
The Freston's joint statement read: 'We've mutually agreed to a period of separation. We love each other very much, and are moving forward with good will and kindness.'
You were saying? Mrs Freston penned this self-help book in 2006
The optimistic nature of their announcement was certainly in keeping with Mr Freston's attitude which appeared lighthearted and playful at the awards ceremony as he fooled around with a paparazzo.
The philanthropist and activist who has been a principal in Bono's ONE campaign and a consultant for Oprah Winfrey's OWN network was being honored with the Paley Prize for Innovation and Excellence.
Kathy Freston meanwhile will be relying on her motto 'progress not perfection' to cope with the media attention that news of the split may bring.
Relations between the couple however are far from stressful according to one source who told the New York Post: 'They're friends; this is not a war. And there's been no decision for divorce.'
And whatever happens, it would seem that the meditation fanatic and goddess of mindful living knows only too well that the couple's split does not signal the end of the road.
As she told The New Yorker in 2006 at the launch of The One: 'There are six billion people in the world, and I can't imagine there's only one person for each person - if something was to happen to him, we're in trouble.'
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
With video: Fireworks law expected to create booming business, but some have safety concerns - Detroit Free Press
When firecrackers erupt in Michigan skies this summer, you'll see more bang than ever before.
Thanks to a state law that took effect this year, Michiganders can purchase and set off firecrackers that shoot into the air, such as Roman candles and bottle rockets.
• Reading this story on a phone or tablet? Click here to see the video.
The changes in legislation thrills retailers -- who expect to see an increase in customers because pyrotechnics-lovers no longer will be smuggling them in from neighboring states -- and the state, which sees the dollar signs of a new revenue stream exploding beside the multicolored bursts.
However, some area fire and public safety officials fear a jump in injuries and property damages from people using these higher-power fireworks.
"With anything, there's always risks and rewards," said state Fire Marshal Rich Miller.
More than 500 licenses -- about 75% for temporary sites, such as tents that pop up in store parking lots -- already have been issued since the law took effect, though that number rises every day as the Fourth of July approaches, Miller said.
The new law requires fireworks retailers to carry $10 million in liability insurance.
The wider variety of fireworks for sale in Michigan is expected to translate into $8 million to $10 million annually for the state, according to state Rep. Harold Haugh, D-Roseville, one of the bill's sponsors. The money comes from the licensing fees ($600 for a temporary site, $1,000 for a permanent one), 6% sales tax and a 6% fireworks safety fee. The fee will be used for firefighter training.
"It was all about jobs, the economy, increasing our tax revenues, utilizing vacant buildings," he said, adding that stopping the interstate smuggling also was behind it. "Why should we fund Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin with Michigan tax dollars when we can keep the money here?"
Some retailers in neighboring states are bracing for a decline in business.
"We'll probably be 5%-10% down," said Mike Kmetz, manager of Rocket Fireworks in Michigan City, Ind. "I'm not like 'whoo-hoo' about it, but it is what it is. You can't do nothing about it."
He estimated that in past years, 25% of his customers were from Michigan; some made a special trip from as far away as Grand Rapids to buy fireworks.
On this side of the border, though, fireworks sellers are anticipating a bang-up of a season.
"People who love fireworks love all kinds of fireworks," said Elissa Burda, owner of Motor City Fireworks in Monroe Township. "Customers are very happy to get the types of products that they love. ... Definitely, business is up. Customers can buy more of what they want, and our store is fully stocked."
But some in the medical community are expecting more fireworks-related injuries because of the law.
Dr. James Larkin, chairman of emergency medicine at McLaren-Macomb hospital in Mt. Clemens, said such injuries have been common in the past.
"But I think any time you make something easier for the public to obtain, they'll obtain it, and we'll see more injuries from it," he said.
Eye injuries, burns and mangled fingertips and hands are typical, Larkin said, noting that even mishandled sparklers -- "as American as apple pie" -- can cause injuries.
Many physicians encourage people to watch professional shows rather than trying fireworks on their own, but if they do opt for their own displays, they should make sure the people watching are safe.
"When you realize the potential for injury that can be lifelong, it really is a tragedy when you see these things that could be preventable by not doing it," he said.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's most recent data, three Americans died and 8,600 were taken to the hospital with injuries as a result of fireworks in 2010. Children younger than 15 accounted for 40% of those injuries.
In addition, the Michigan Department of Community Health says there were three fireworks-related fatalities in the state in 2006-10, one in 2006 and two in 2007. The department does not keep statistics on fireworks-related injuries in the state.
Northville Township's Deputy Director of Fire Service Richard Marinucci said he has seen how a moment of careless fireworks-handling can cause fires, with fireworks landing in an open convertible or in a leaf-filled gutter on a house. Making more powerful fireworks legal for Michigan residents will not come without cost.
"From our perspective, we think it's a little more risky than it needs to be," he said of the changes. "More people are going to buy them. ... There's more chance of an accident happening."
Burton Fire Chief Doug Halstead, who also is president of the Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs, noted that the law would have a direct impact on local ordinances.
For instance, although it allows local units of government to restrict the use of consumer fireworks, the law prohibits such restrictions on national holidays and the day immediately before and after each of those.
With 10 national holidays, Michigan residents would be free to use fireworks during those specified days regardless of noise ordinance restrictions.
Brighton Area Fire Authority Chief Michael O'Brian, who worked on behalf of the chiefs association, said he had encouraged lawmakers, when they were drafting the legislation, to maintain local control over fireworks-related issues.
He said he has fielded hundreds of phone calls from municipal officials questioning how the changes will affect their communities or expressing concern.
"It's very frustrating for local communities," O'Brian said of some of the changes. "(The legislation) didn't fully turn out the way we would want."
Haugh disagreed: "I'm the father of four and grandfather of four. There's always concern for safety in this. We worked with the state fire marshal's office and we have some of the most stringent, if not the most stringent, safety requirements in the United States."
He added that the law will be reviewed in two years.
Miller acknowledged that the fireworks law likely will mean more calls for fire departments and emergency responders, but said, "The state fire marshal encourages -- as with any new product or activity or function -- the safe use and participation with all applicable laws."
Contact Zlati Meyer: 313-223-4439 or zmeyer@freepress.com
More Details: What you need to sell fireworks
• Money for the license fee -- $600 for a temporary location or $1,000 for a permanent site.
• Have no felony convictions involving theft, fraud or arson.
• Carry $10 million in liability insurance -- a provision retailers are fighting in court.
• Be prepared to abide by the rules governing the sale of fireworks, including not selling to a minor and hanging no-smoking signs at your retail site.
Source: www.freep.com
State says 'stand' law might require changes - Herald Tribune
Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll made the statement in response to a Tampa Bay Times analysis of nearly 200 "stand your ground" cases that showed widespread confusion and disparities in the way the law is being implemented.
Carroll said the task force will use the data collected by the Times as it considers possible recommendations for next year's legislative session.
The group's organizational session last month lasted 10 hours and raised what Carroll called "many, many questions" about the law, which was passed in 2005 and eliminated the "duty to retreat" in self-defense cases.
"When we heard from sheriffs, they had problems, and when we heard from defense and prosecuting attorneys, they had problems," Carroll said. "From judges, we heard that there have been cases we need to look at and get an understanding of how the courts have ruled."
However, Rep. Dennis Baxley, an Ocala Republican who sponsored the law, said Monday that it is "premature" to suggest changes are needed.
"I think there's more data to come about the positive aspects of the statute as it exists," Baxley said, noting that the law has helped people who were legitimately defending themselves. "It's hard to do with a fairly small universe of cases to make a lot of judgments about what's there."
After controversy over the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager, by George Zimmerman, the Times compiled the most extensive database so far of "stand your ground" cases. It includes the races of victims and defendants and the circumstances under which people have been killed or hurt.
Stories published Sunday and Monday revealed that the law has allowed drug dealers to avoid murder charges and gang members to walk free. Though the Times found no obvious racial bias in how black and white defendants were treated overall, people who killed a black person were more likely to walk free than those who killed a white person.
Carroll's task force, appointed by Gov. Rick Scott, includes two sheriffs, a former state Supreme Court justice, defense and prosecuting attorneys and a neighborhood watch volunteer. The group's first regular meeting will be June 12 in Longwood, not far from Sanford and the scene of the February shooting that sparked international outrage and led to Zimmerman's arrest on a second-degree murder charge.
Gathering information for the panel will be three law students working with professor Michael Seigel, director of the University of Florida's Criminal Justice Center. He said the students will "piggy-back" on the Times' research.
In reading the Times' stories, "what jumped out at me was how things you were covering are things that we have been asked to look at by the task force, for example the issues of race," Seigel said Monday.
Seigel said he was not surprised that police and others responsible for implementing the law are finding many ambiguities.
Judges have issued contradictory rulings in similar cases that have sent one defendant to prison while setting another free, the Times investigation found. Still unresolved are key legal interpretations of the law, including whether a defendant can get immunity from prosecution if he illegally had a gun. Courts are also divided on what the law is when a victim is retreating.
"When a new law comes in, it takes a long time to get a settled interpretation," Seigel said. "But to say it's always more messy than we expect isn't to say it's not worth trying to clean up in critical aspects."
Former state Rep. Dan Gelber, a Miami Democrat, said he was struck by the Times' finding that similar "stand your ground" cases have resulted in dramatically different outcomes because that was something he feared when he voted against the law in 2005. He said removing the duty to retreat made it harder for juries to fix blame in complicated self-defense cases.
"When you say there's no obligation to de-escalate a confrontation, that people can go at it, it becomes impossible for judges or juries to decide who should be responsible," Gelber said. "And in a state as armed as Florida, the outcomes were not unpredictable."
Starting with its June 12 meeting, the task force will hold several sessions around the state to collect testimony. Among possible recommendations is better monitoring of "stand your ground' cases to determine who is using the law and which races and ethnic groups it affects. The Times reported that no one is keeping track of such cases, making it almost impossible to assess the law's impact.
Source: www.heraldtribune.com
Loose bowling tops County order of Essex troubles - This is Gloucestershire
ALEX Gidman was left to rue a sluggish start with the ball as a Ravi Bopara-inspired Essex eased to an eight-wicket CB40 victory over Gloucestershire.
On his return to the Eagles line-up the England star stroked an imperious unbeaten 120 as the hosts powered through to win with 19 balls to spare.
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Kane Williamson hit 73 for Gloucestershire
Earlier a superb 73 from Kiwi star Kane Williamson and gutsy half-century from Ian Cockbain helped Gloucestershire post a competitive 224 for five.
But despite claiming the early wicket of Mark Pettini, thanks to a catch from skipper Gidman off Ian Saxelby the Eagles took control.
Bopara took control, combining in a partnership of 185 for the second wicket with Terry Westley (82) to punish some errant bowling as the hosts took firm control.
"We didn't bowl as well as we can at the start of the Essex innings. If you give class players easy scoring opportunities they will take them," Gidman said.
"The pitch stayed pretty consistent all through and if you bowled at the top of off stump it was hard to score. Essex did that better than us."
Gidman was happy with the way his side wrestled back their innings after a slow start in which the Essex bowling attack got on top.
Kiwi star Williamson, who will leave for New Zealand's tour of the West Indies at the end of the month, again looked in fine form.
There were also telling lower order contributions from Ian Cockbain, who hit an unbeaten half-century, and seasonal debutant Jack Taylor who blasted 22 off 12 balls.
"I felt momentum was with us at the end of our innings. We are a developing batting unit and have guys who can strike the ball well in the closing overs," Gidman said.
"It might have been a slightly below-par score, but if we had taken a few wickets early on it would have been competitive.
Dspite defeat Gidman remains confident that Gloucestershire can challenge for the top positions in their CB 40 group this term.
The Netherlands have raced away at the top of the table, but with plenty of home games to come, not least a triple header at the county's Cheltenham Festival fortress, Gidman is taking an optimistic outlook.
"It's a blow, but only the Netherlands are on a roll in our group, with the rest of the teams beating each other, so we are still well in it," he said.
Gloucestershire return to CB40 action on Sunday when they make the short trip to New Road to face Worcestershire.
The Friends Life t20 then kicks-off on Thursday with the visit of local rivals Somerset to Bristol for a game that star t20 signing Muttiah Muralitharan is set to play.
Source: www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk
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