Texas Central Partners said the train will likely use elevated tracks in urban areas, such as Dallas, shown in the rendering.

Texas Central Partners said the train will likely use elevated tracks in urban areas, such as Dallas, shown in the rendering.

Houston backs bullet train, inks deal to help progress

Backers of a Texas high-speed rail line on Thursday announced for the second time this week what they called significant progress on the controversial line, inking an agreement with Houston officials, detailing the work to come.

At City Hall, Houston and Texas Central Partners announced the signing of an memorandum of understanding, which commits both sides to share environmental surveys, utility analysis and engineering related to the project and surrounding area and work together to develop new transit and other travel options to and from the likely terminus of the bullet train line.

NEW RULE: Texas ban on texting while driving takes effect Sept. 1

In the memorandum, Texas Central notes the likely end of their Houston-to-Dallas line will be south of U.S. 290, west of Loop 610 and north of Interstate 10. The exact site has been long suspected as the current location of Northwest Mall.

The train will run on its own tracks, separated from roads and elevated in most places in the Houston area. Construction is expected to start late next year or early 2019, company officials said, and take between four and five years. The cost is expected to be at least $12 billion.

The cooperation between Houston and Texas Central is no surprise. City officials, notably Mayor Sylvester Turner, have praised the project, with the mayor citing it among examples of his goal of reducing automobile dependency.

We also look forward to the projects creation of job opportunities and economic development, Turner said in a prepared statement.

The company and others have also touted the lines private financing. Texas Central has said it will not fund the project with public grants, but might seek government-backed loans available to most private companies.

This demonstrates how the free market can play an integral part in addressing Americas enormous infrastructure opportunities, said Houston businessman Drayton McLane Jr., a member of the Texas Central board of directors. The agreement continues the projects momentum and shows the nation and the rest of the world how Texas does big things the right way for the public good.

Despite enjoying robust support in Houston and Dallas where Texas Central also has a memorandum with the city the bullet train project has many detractors in rural areas of the state it will cross. Many skeptics, including some in the Legislature, have said they doubt the companys chances and do not want Texans placed in the position of bailing the company out financially.

Many have also said the private company should not, and in some cases does not, have a right to use eminent domain to acquire land.

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Houston backs bullet train, inks deal to help progress - Chron.com

Though China launched its much-ballyhooed Type 001A aircraft carrier just a few months ago, the People's Liberation Army Navy is hardly resting on its laurels, instead making steady progress on technology for its second home-built carrier, the Type 002.

The Type 002 carrier, development for which is slated to wrap in 2020 or 2021, will be a 70,000-ton aircraft carrier with catapults designed to launch heavier aircraft.

And giant catapults aren't the only new tech in development. Pictured above, the CGT-60F is a heavy duty, F-class gas turbine (which typically have a power output of 170-230 megawatts) designed by Tsinghua University's Gas Turbine Research Center with the Dongfang Electric Group and Shanghai Electric Group.It's completely domestic design that exceeded expectations for cooling and temperature distributionvital factors for large turbines. As such, thestate-run China Daily suggested that the CGT-60F would be a suitable candidate to power a large warship, such as an aircraft carrier.

Additionally, the aircraft carrier mockup at Wuhan (which also hosted the electromagnetic test rig for the Type 055 destroyer)is modifying its island to include newelectronic systems.

Previously modeled after the Liaoning's older island, the changes include the installation of an additional bridge deck,and new, flat paneled Type 346x series AESA radarsjust like the Type 001A carrier, but with smaller AESA radars above the Type 346s.

The Type 002's island would likely have a similar multi-paneled radar system found on the Type 055 DDG's integrated mast. Those smaller AESA radars could be used for targeting and fire control, allowing the Type 002 to datalink with missiles launched from aircraft and other ships, extending their range.

China has alsocontinued catapult testing at the Huangdicun. Obsessives may recall that earlier this summer, China launched the catapult-capable J-15T from the land-based electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), as well as debuted new steam catapults.

By putting both the J-15T and catapultthrough extensive testing, the pilots and aircrew of the Type 002 carrier will be able tomove quickly toward complexoperations when launched.What's more, a J-15 (serial number "111") was spotted in early July 2017 with a inflight refueling pod, slung under the fuselage centerline, between the engine nacelles.This kind of refueling would expand the range and flight times of current fighters.

Additionally, the second prototype J-31 stealth fighter has made additional flights this summer, the most recent on July 25. This burst of activity gives credence to reports that Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, the J-31's builders, is planning to create a third J-31 prototype with the capability to operate on catapult-equipped aircraft carriers.

The J-31, while smaller than the J-20 stealth fighter, has improved stealth and avionics capability on its second prototype. Plus, production versions are planned to be equipped with faster WS-17 engines, which could allow for supersonic flight without fuel-thirsty afterburners.Those putative J-31 fighters could prove to be stiff competitors in air combat with F-35C fighters of the U.S. Navy.

Looking beyond the Type 002, the Type 003 aircraft carrier could be a true supercarrier, with nuclear power and a 90,000-ton displacement. If official displays in China's military museum are any indication, the Type 003 would come with futuristic aircraft like stealthy drone bombers and sixth-generation fighters. It could also have enough electricity to power Chinese lasers and railguns currently under development.

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China's making major progress with its aircraft carrier tech - Popular Science

Demonstrators dressed as custom officials set up a mock customs checkpoint at the U.K.-Irish border crossing in Killeen to protest against the potential introduction of border checks after Brexit. The U.K. has issued a position paper saying it aims to avoid any border checks with Ireland | Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images

The UK wants no checkpoints, no scanners, no cameras. But that means flexible and imaginative solutions will be needed.

By Charlie Cooper and Simon Marks

8/16/17, 8:00 PM CET

Updated 8/16/17, 8:02 PM CET

LONDON It was billed as the U.K.s solution to the intractable problem of the Northern Irish border.

To the Irish government, as well as businesses and traders on both sides of the Irish Sea, it looked like progress but far from a solution.

The position paper, the second of a series setting out more detail about the U.K.s Brexit stance, certainly told us things we did not already know.

The U.K. government has gone beyond its previous rhetoric of no hard border, and now says it wants to avoid any physical border infrastructure whatsoever. No checkpoints, no scanners, no cameras. The open border approach will apply to both people and goods moving across the 310-mile border.

In another positive sign for those farmers and manufacturers who want to maintain the current seamless, invisible frontier, the paper proposed harmonizing the U.K.s post-Brexit food standards with the EU. This could restrict the U.K.s room for maneuver in future free trade agreement talks with other countries who might demand a looser regime but the calculation appears to have been made in Westminster that it is worth it to keep a soft border in Ireland.

Irish businesses are not just worried about the land border, but about their east-west trade with the U.K.

There was also support, as anticipated, for residents of Northern Ireland, who can choose whether to be British citizens, Irish citizens, or both, keeping these rights and thus being able to claim EU citizenship even after Brexit. And the U.K. government signaled its intention to maintain the islands common energy market, which it said had helped reduce power prices as well as boosting renewables and security of supply.

The European Commission said Wednesday that it would carefully study the paper, though a spokesperson for the EUs executive cited an oft-repeated phrase from the EUs chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, that frictionless trade is not possible outside EU rules.

In Dublin, Simon Coveney, the Irish foreign minister, welcomed the principles of the position paper but said he was still lacking detailed answers on the border issues.

There is no straightforward solution to this. If there was we would have heard it by now. This is going to require a unique political solution, he told reporters at his departments office.

Precisely what the solution will be will depend on the future customs relationship the U.K. has with the EU. London offered two proposals on Tuesday, one of which could completely remove the need for a customs border in Ireland, but would require complex tracking of goods.

The other, to maintain a seamless border, would mean flexible and imaginative solutions. One of these, floated in the paper, would involve smaller regional traders, who make up more than 80 percent of the cross-border traffic, to be exempted from customs processes because they dont represent economically significant international trade. The paper also proposed a registration system for major traders so-called Authorized Economic Operators.

In either scenario, the Irish business lobby fears a major uptick in costly regulation unwanted extra red tape of the kind Brexiteers often denounce when it emanates from Brussels.

Irish businesses are not just worried about the land border, but about their east-west trade with the U.K. For the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (Ibec), the simplest and best solution would have been for the U.K. to remain in the EU customs union. London has ruled this out, and while Irish firms welcomed Tuesdays confirmation that the U.K. will seek a transition arrangement very similar to the customs union, there is still a sense of exasperation that the simplest solutions staying in the customs union and single market were never on the table.

U.K. Brexit policy continues to be dictated by domestic party political concerns, not rational economic considerations, said Danny McCoy, Ibecs CEO. We all stand to lose out as a result. A fundamental rethink of the U.K. position is needed if we are to avoid a significant economic hit to key sectors of the economy.

Labour MP Pat McFadden, a supporter of the cross-party, pro-EU, Open Britain campaign, agreed, saying the government was needlessly attempting to reinvent the wheel with its proposals to avoid a hard border.

In Northern Ireland, the position paper was warmly welcomed by the Conservatives Westminster allies, the Democratic Unionist Party, who said it contained many of their ideas.

We are pleased that the relationship between the DUP and the Conservative Party can be seen to bear fruit in many ways, including in the EU exit negotiations, said DUP MP Sammy Wilson, a member of the Brexit select committee in parliament.

Republican party Sinn Fin, with whom the DUP are yet to agree a deal on forming a new government in Belfast, were less enthusiastic.

The U.K. position demonstrated that Northern Ireland was a fleeting concern for the British government. We are collateral damage, said the partys northern leader, Michelle ONeill.

Kalina Oroschakoff contributed reporting.

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Progress, but no solution to Ireland's Brexit problem - POLITICO.eu

By JAY POWELL jpowell@c-dh.net

Maury County experienced another year of growth, new milestones and a road ahead full of hope, tourism dollars and a community thats making an increasing mark on the nations map.

The annual Mayors Lunch sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance took place Tuesday with remarks from leaders of all Maury County factions, including County Mayor Charlie Norman, Columbia Mayor Dean Dickey, Mt. Pleasant Mayor Jim Bailey and Spring Hill Vice Mayor Bruce Hull.

Each speaker touched on the past years accomplishments, major investments and new businesses. Norman said Maury County has reached the attention of international investors, with companies like Italy-based Landmark Ceramics in Mt. Pleasant and Columbias Wiremasters, which last month announced plans to open two new facilities in Germany and Mexico.

Its an exciting time to be living in Maury County and my goal and hope is to make Maury County the best place in this state to live, to learn, to work and to raise a family, Norman said. Today the state of Maury County is strong and prosperous as we continue to transform into a competitive global economy. Who would have thought that 10 years ago?

Dickey covered several aspects of Columbias yearly progress, including new businesses, restaurants and residential developments. There has been a 70 percent building increase since last year, he said, totaling $54 million in value.

The city also has embarked on a new marketing plan for tourism and investors following a recent study by Franklin-based marketing firm Chandlerthinks. This included hiring a new city tourism director, Kellye Murphy, and launching a new Columbia tourism web site in the near future. Other plans include opening a visitors center on the lower level of the Jack-n-Jill building located on North Main Street next to Columbia Police Department.

Moving forward into the next year, Columbias priorities lie within growing the citys economy, provide excellent financial service and to make a more attractive and livable city with a vibrant downtown square.

Building renovations currently underway show a vibrant downtown in which private investment and redevelopment are ongoing. Real estate transfers over the last year set a record high for properties in the downtown historic district, Dickey said. The Columbia Arts District is anticipated to continue to experience arts-related residential and commercial growth and prosperity that will eventually be recognized as a destination for residents and visitors alike.

As Mt. Pleasant mayor, Bailey said the town of about 5,000 residents is spending its time reviewing its local policies, refinancing the citys debt, restoring downtown buildings and working to repair the citys sewer lines. He hopes the revitalization efforts will attract more residents and that the town can someday experience the growth as seen in Columbia and Spring Hill, which could be just around the corner.

A lot of good things are happening out in Mt. Pleasant right now. Were revamping a lot of policy, trying to go through everything we have and playing catch up, Bailey said. Mt. Pleasant has some wonderful employees that are doing a great job to hold an insolvent situation together and were really starting to come out of it.

Spring Hill is one of the states fastest growing cities in many aspects. Its many road projects include the widening of Duplex Road and a roadway extension of Saturn Parkway to Beechcroft Road. The city will also begin annexation of Rippavilla Plantation, of which ownership was acquired by the city earlier this year.

Other top projects in Spring Hill include a 24,000-square-foot expansion to the Spring Hill Public Library and designs for a new Spring Hill Police station.

Hull also touched on the citys recently-passed $44.35 million 2017-2018 budget, which he described as a grueling process to balance. He warned that, given the difficulty of this years budget, there will be tough decisions to face with next years, such as a possible property tax increase to help pay for projects the city needs to complete to combat the expected growth. A special census will also be conducted next year in an effort to acquire more state-shared dollars awarded to cities based on population.

With anything, such as our companies, governments, churches, whatever it is, the budget drives it all, Hull said. Were at a point where were going to have to address our property tax in Spring Hill. Weve already addressed impact fees by hitting up developers, and do it all the time, and make the developers pay for it. We all have to share in the process.

Go here to read the rest:

Mayor's Lunch highlights county progress, future - Columbia Daily Herald

Sanchez is into the final year of his contract and could leave Arsenal on a free at the end of the season, with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City reportedly keen to capitalise on the situation by signing the Chile international for a fee of around 50-60m before the window closes.

Wenger has stubbornly refused to consider selling his best player, even if it means the club taking a huge financial hit in June, and says he is more concerned with the sporting benefits Sanchez can provide as Arsenal target a return to the top four, and a title challenge.

We have not progressed on that front, he said of talks with Sanchez. At the moment he is player who goes into the final year of his contract and goes into the season. No progress on that.

On whether he was prepared to lose the forward on a free, Wenger replied:

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of Arsenal is challenged by Riyad MahrezGetty Images

Midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain has been linked with a move to Chelsea, who are reportedly considering a 35 million offer for a player who is also in the final year of his contract.

But Wenger says he has no intention of selling the England international and expects big things from him.

Jack Wilshere of AFC Bournemouth goes down injured during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and AFC Bournemouth at White Hart Lane on April 15, 2017Getty Images

Another player out of contract at the end of the season, Wilshere recently turned out for the Under-23s to signal his return to fitness following a broken leg sustained during a loan spell with Bournemouth last season.

The England international was recently linked with a surprise move to Championship club Aston Villa but Wenger says Wilshere will stay at Arsenal, for now at least. He said:

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Wenger transfer update: 'No progress' on Alexis Sanchez; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wilshere to stay - Eurosport.com

The image Bronco Mendenhall selected to show his Virginia football team involves a blue sky, green trees and white paint. HATE HAS NO PLACE HERE. WE CHOOSE LOVE, reads the iconic Beta Bridge on UVas Grounds.

Color has been tough to ignore recently in Charlottesville. White nationalists came here and caused unrest from the Rotunda to the Downtown Mall. Tuesday, a variety of Mendenhalls players both black and white spoke to the local media for the first time since the weekends tragic events.

From Micah Kiser to Quin Blanding to Kurt Benkert, they echoed Beta Bridges message.

We just want to show that football is very diverse, said Blanding, a senior safety from Virginia Beach. And once you step on a team and once you become a team and once you form a brotherhood, thats your brotherhood no matter color, no matter race, no matter religion.

Were all one no matter what. Theres no hate on a team. Were all together, we share the same goals and we share the same heart.

On Monday, the Cavaliers assembled on the Rotundas steps, locking arms with one another and smiling. No one was in a helmet or shoulder pads. Each wore a T-shirt, some of an orange shade, some blue, some gray, some black, some white.

Kiser, a two-year captain and senior linebacker from Baltimore, helped organize the team photo. He thought of the idea Friday night while seeing the shocking images of white nationalists marching with tiki torches on his schools campus.

Just us staying together, Kiser said. Us showing what we are, what we represent, how we want to represent this community, how we want to represent this city. I think it was important. Us gathering together.

We didnt take a team picture last year. So us together as a team, not even really wearing football gear because a lot of times people think African-Americans are just here to play football. We wanted to show that were not just here to play football. Were here to be great stewards of the community, get a great education and play football as well.

Us, together as one, locked in arms at the Rotunda. I think we saw a lot of the torch-carrying white nationalists, they were walking down the Lawn and on the Rotunda and kind of claiming that space as theirs. We wanted to say, No, thats not your space, thats our space.

The Wahoos scrimmaged Saturday morning at Scott Stadium. Near the practices end, Mendenhall was alerted by UVa athletics director Craig Littlepage that the city was in a state of emergency. Players were then instructed to board the bus back to the McCue Center.

As soon as we got back, said Benkert, a senior quarterback with roots in Florida and Maryland, all of our phones are blowing up and people are asking, Whats going on? Are you OK?

I think it was shock at first because we had really no idea. We knew that stuff had happened the night before, but we werent sure what was going on that day.

The Cavalier Inn, located at Emmet Street and Ivy Road, houses 70 percent of the team during training camp. Theyre checked into rooms on the third, fourth and fifth floors, Mendenhall said. It was soon learned that some white nationalists, in town to protest the planned removal of the Robert E. Lee statue at Emancipation Park, were staying on the first and second floors.

Benkert said a teammate remembered seeing the silver Dodge Charger that killed Heather Heyer and injured 19 others.

We always stick together, Blanding said. No matter what, were always brothers and we got each others back no matter where they [protestors] are. Unfortunately they were staying a couple floors under us, but were big, tough guys as well. Im not saying we were going to go out there and pick up violence, but we always got each others back no matter what.

Mendenhall said he instructed his team to channel its anger and to stay away from the chaos that ensued on the Downtown Mall.

When adversity hits and theres opposing forces and theres choices to be made, I go to my core beliefs and those are tied to faith, Mendenhall said of his message.

So I was giving them instruction as, when challenged and when you have decisions to make, those arent things to be done spur of the moment, they arent things to be done reactionary. Those things are done to be thoughtfully considered.

And you go deep as possible to assess what you do believe, what examples of that belief do you have in your life and then work to model that as best as possible. And contemplation before action was really what I was sharing with our team.

Many Cavaliers took to Twitter to express their feelings Saturday. Benkert referenced a Bible passage, Romans 12:19-21.

I think it started with the team meeting we had with Coach Mendenhall, Benkert said. How he views whats going on. For me, its just youre not going to make anything better, in my opinion, if you just show more hate than whats already out there.

Thats kind of the approach that I want to take, and its a hard one to take. People are hurt, people are killed and theres a lot of bad going on. But I feel like if you only bring hatred to that, its not going to make the situation any better.

Its love the Cavaliers are after.

Simple and powerful, Mendenhall said of the Beta Bridges updated look.

Virginia opens its season Sept. 2 when it hosts William & Mary.

Thats the cool thing about a team, there is no color, said Marques Hagans, UVas wide receivers coach and Charlottesville resident for the majority of his adult life. Everybodys one. We all wear the same uniforms and bleed the same thing. There is no color in a locker room.

So for us to be able to come together and rally behind the strength of Charlottesville, for what they represent, I think it would be huge for us to get out on the field and try to give something back to the community and show them that we appreciate what they did last weekend in the face of adversity and a lot of hate and ignorance.

See the original post:

UVa football team shares message of love and unity in the wake of violence in Charlottesville - The Daily Progress

Photo: Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media

File photo of the boarded up ranger's cabin in Stratfords Roosevelt Forest, which is where the town's new dog park will be situated, officials say.

File photo of the boarded up ranger's cabin in Stratfords Roosevelt Forest, which is where the town's new dog park will be situated, officials say.

Click through to see where to take your dog in southwestern Connecticut....

Click through to see where to take your dog in southwestern Connecticut....

Tati of Seymour plays on Silver Sands Beach in Milford. Dogs are not allowed on public beaches during the summer, but there are plenty of other dog-friendly outdoor spaces.

Tati of Seymour plays on Silver Sands Beach in Milford. Dogs are not allowed on public beaches during the summer, but there are plenty of other dog-friendly outdoor spaces.

A dog goes swimming at Mianus River Park in Stamford, Conn. on Monday August 27, 2012.

A dog goes swimming at Mianus River Park in Stamford, Conn. on Monday August 27, 2012.

Lauren Schreiber, 18, walks her dog Roxy with friend Charlie Haviland, 17, of Fairfield, and his dog Rocky Thursday, Mar. 6, 2014, at Lake Mohegan's hiking trails in Fairfield, Conn. less

Lauren Schreiber, 18, walks her dog Roxy with friend Charlie Haviland, 17, of Fairfield, and his dog Rocky Thursday, Mar. 6, 2014, at Lake Mohegan's hiking trails in ... more

Coco takes a dip in the pool at the Stamford Dog Park on Saturday, May 10, 2014, the 5-year anniversary of the park.

Coco takes a dip in the pool at the Stamford Dog Park on Saturday, May 10, 2014, the 5-year anniversary of the park.

Jennings Dog Beach is the only off-leash beach in the area from October 1st to March 31st. Dogs are allowed on the sand, but not on the boardwalks, pavilions, or playgrounds.

Jennings Dog Beach is the only off-leash beach in the area from October 1st to March 31st. Dogs are allowed on the sand, but not on the boardwalks, pavilions, or playgrounds.

Patty Johnstone of Sussex, N.J., and her Irish Red and White Setter, Ruger, during the Greenwich Kennel Club Dog Show at Taylor Farm Park, Norwalk, Saturday, June 7, 2013.

Patty Johnstone of Sussex, N.J., and her Irish Red and White Setter, Ruger, during the Greenwich Kennel Club Dog Show at Taylor Farm Park, Norwalk, Saturday, June 7, 2013.

Newtown's first off-leash recreational dog park features two acres of fenced area for licensed and vaccinated, friendly dogs over four months.

Newtown's first off-leash recreational dog park features two acres of fenced area for licensed and vaccinated, friendly dogs over four months.

Dogs are welcomed off leash along this trail bordering Candlewood Lake.

Dogs are welcomed off leash along this trail bordering Candlewood Lake.

Eisenhower Park has nature trails, a pond, a dog run, as well as many other family friendly recreational activities.

Eisenhower Park has nature trails, a pond, a dog run, as well as many other family friendly recreational activities.

Andrea Bulcken, of Shelton, gives her dog Brody a pet while he plays at the Shelton dog park in Shelton, Conn. Friday, Aug. 23, 2013.

Andrea Bulcken, of Shelton, gives her dog Brody a pet while he plays at the Shelton dog park in Shelton, Conn. Friday, Aug. 23, 2013.

Teddy, a Welsh terrier, dunks his tootsies in the water fountain at the Waveny Dog Park in New Canaan.

Teddy, a Welsh terrier, dunks his tootsies in the water fountain at the Waveny Dog Park in New Canaan.

The Housatonic Valley Rail-Trail in Monroe is one of 1600 rail-trails supported by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that is working to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors.

The Housatonic Valley Rail-Trail in Monroe is one of 1600 rail-trails supported by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that is working to create a

Bring your pet to play off-leash at this fenced Greenwich dog park, which includes a separate area for small dogs.

Bring your pet to play off-leash at this fenced Greenwich dog park, which includes a separate area for small dogs.

Compo Beach off-leash dog area welcomes canines from October 1 through March 30. The area is not fenced, though.

Compo Beach off-leash dog area welcomes canines from October 1 through March 30. The area is not fenced, though.

Leashed dogs are allowed in this park with a playground, tennis courts, cafe, fields, trails, and picnic benches.

Leashed dogs are allowed in this park with a playground, tennis courts, cafe, fields, trails, and picnic benches.

The long-awaited dog park in New Milford opened in 2010.

The long-awaited dog park in New Milford opened in 2010.

Dogs are welcomed off-leash and play areas are available in this public park.

Dogs are welcomed off-leash and play areas are available in this public park.

Havoc of New Fairfield at Lovers Leap State park in New Milford.

Havoc of New Fairfield at Lovers Leap State park in New Milford.

This is an on-leash beach open to canines between after October 1st to March 31st, as long as you pick up after them.

This is an on-leash beach open to canines between after October 1st to March 31st, as long as you pick up after them.

Havoc of New Fairfield enjoys a walk at Tarrywile Park in Danbury.

Havoc of New Fairfield enjoys a walk at Tarrywile Park in Danbury.

Dogs are allowed into Greenwich Parks from December 1st through March 31st.

Dogs are allowed into Greenwich Parks from December 1st through March 31st.

Havoc of New Fairfield at Steep Rock Preserve in Washington.

Havoc of New Fairfield at Steep Rock Preserve in Washington.

Donna Myer, of Southbury, gives her dogs, Winslow, left and Gracie, right, a drink in the nearby river , at the Southbury Dog Park, in Southbury.

Donna Myer, of Southbury, gives her dogs, Winslow, left and Gracie, right, a drink in the nearby river , at the Southbury Dog Park, in Southbury.

The Ridgefield Operation for Aminal Rescue Paws for the Cause Dog Walk in Ballard Park Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012.

The Ridgefield Operation for Aminal Rescue Paws for the Cause Dog Walk in Ballard Park Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012.

This friendly, large, off-leash dog park provides plenty of space for your pet to play.

This friendly, large, off-leash dog park provides plenty of space for your pet to play.

Kristin Woxholdt of New Fairfield takes Havoc for a walk at Stone Church Hike in Dover, NY.

Kristin Woxholdt of New Fairfield takes Havoc for a walk at Stone Church Hike in Dover, NY.

Cranberry Mountain in Patterson, NY is another dog-friendly hiking spot.

Cranberry Mountain in Patterson, NY is another dog-friendly hiking spot.

Stratford: Progress being made on dog park

STRATFORD This town has been howling for a dog park for decades, and now some progress is being made on the pooch playground.

The Town Council on Monday, yielding to the hundreds of sad-eyed, floppy-eared faces in town, agreed to award a contract to a company that will demolish the old ranger station residence at the entrance to Roosevelt Forest, where canines will soon be able to cavort with one another.

The low bid came in at about $22,000, which includes carting away whatever other mess is strewn about the old ranger station in the North End.

Details are still being worked out, but officials say that the fenced-in facility will have a key card system to permit only Stratford dogs to enter. There will also be a small parking lot.

In March, the council finally wagged its tail the Roosevelt Forest venue for the facility. Dozens of other sites from one end of town to the other were getting the stiff test, but most of these faced growls of disapproval from nearby residents.

Most of the money will come from an appropriation from the 2016-17 fiscal year, which ended on July 1. Officials said that itll still face scrutiny from the Inland Wetlands Commission.

The building that will be torn down hasnt been used in about two decades.

jburgeson@ctpost.com

More here:

Stratford: Progress being made on dog park - CT Post

A full breakdown of the Chicago Bears' 2017 draft class and its progress after two weeks of training camp.

Mitchell Trubisky, QB, first round (No. 2 overall): Trubisky fired up the entire city of Chicago after he completed 18 of 25 pass attempts for 166 yards and one touchdown in his preseason debut. Trubisky is technically still third on Chicagos quarterback depth chart, but hes applying pressure on starter Mike Glennon. Its only a matter of time before Trubisky wins the job outright, but the Bears are taking it slow.

Adam Shaheen, TE, second round (No. 45): Out of Division II Ashland University, Shaheen excelled in Chicagos offseason program after it drafted him. That success carried over to training camp, where Shaheens expected to have a sizable role on offense alongside fellow tight ends Dion Sims and Zach Miller. Shaheens got really good hands for a big guy (6-foot-6). If Shaheen proves he can block, hell play a lot in the regular season.

Eddie Jackson, S, fourth round (No. 112): Jackson is pushing starting free safety Adrian Amos. Jackson had several interceptions early in camp that apparently caught the attention of the coaching staff, because lately, Jackson is getting more first-team reps. There is also hope the Alabama product may help on special teams, where he starred as a returner in college.

Tarik Cohen, RB, fourth round (No. 119): Cohen was the fan favorite in Bourbonnais. The Bears plan to use Cohen in a variety of ways as their Joker back. Look for the 5-6 speedster to get the ball in space when the regular season rolls around. The Bears ran Cohen between the tackles in the first preseason game, but that was probably by design. Chicago doesnt want to show their hand with Cohen, who has breakaway speed and moves in the open field.

Jordan Morgan, OL, fifth round (No. 147): There hasnt been much discussion about Morgan, even after reserve guard Eric Kush suffered a season-ending torn hamstring. Theres also concern about Kyle Longs ankle, making the interior of the offensive line a real question mark. Morgan, though, may be more of a project after playing college ball at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania.

Originally posted here:

Mitchell Trubisky's progress headlines Bears' strong rookie class - ESPN (blog)

As exclusively revealed during the PC Gaming Show at this year's E3, the ability to vault, climb, and dive through windows is coming to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Now, one of the game's programmers has shared some work-in-progress footage that shows how the new animations are coming along.

What might seem like a small addition to PUBG has scope to grossly alter strategy as it stands. Being able to throw yourself over and therefore behind walls while being pursued, for example, could mark the difference between life and death; while snipers stand to access better vantage points by reaching highers up nests.

As you can see there, players will be able to stall vaults mid-animation which will definitely come in handy when facing off against the aforementioned opportunist snipers.

Again, the above is marked as a 'work-in-progress'. And while we don't as yet know exactly which update vaulting, climbing and window-diving are coming to PUBG, there's still no sign of this ultra-cool maneuvering:

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PUBG's work-in-progress vaulting animations look good - PC Gamer

It's not quite a badge of honor, though it beats the alternative. Lee Westwood was among 13 players who made the cut in all four majors this year, and he has the longest active streak of cuts made among those who have played them all.

Westwood last missed the cut in 2014 at the British Open, making it 13 in a row that he has played the weekend.

That's the good news.

"I'm playing steady, but not well enough," Westwood said.

His best finish was a tie for 18th in the Masters. Westwood tied for 55th in the U.S. Open, tied for 27th in the British Open and tied for 67th at the PGA Championship. He has only one top 10 in the majors since he last missed the cut, a runner-up at the Masters to Danny Willett last year.

"You don't want to be missing cuts. You'd rather be making cuts," Westwood said. "But obviously, I want to contend. Nobody wants to be out early on Sunday."

Jordan Spieth joins Westwood as the only players to make the cut in all four majors over the last three years.

The others to make the cut in every major this year were Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka, Matt Kuchar, Rickie Fowler, Paul Casey, Kevin Kisner, Russell Henley, Steve Stricker, Charley Hoffman, Marc Leishman and J.B. Holmes.

Stricker now has made 26 straight cuts in the majors over the last eight years, though he has either not played (British Open) or not been eligible (Masters, U.S. Open) for six majors dating to his last missed cut at Hazeltine in the 2009 PGA Championship.

Russell Knox was on the wrong list this year. He was among five players who missed the cut in all four majors. The others were Jhonattan Vegas, Tyrrell Hatton, Yuta Ikeda and Jeunghun Wang.

PAYNE STEWART AWARD: Stewart Cink has won an award that is gaining massive momentum as one of the biggest honors on the PGA Tour. He will accept the Payne Stewart Award during the Tour Championship next month.

The award began as a tribute to Stewart, the three-time major champion who died in a plane crash on his way to the Tour Championship in 1999. It recognizes the values of character, charity and sportsmanship, and recent winners have said the ceremony was one of the best nights of their careers.

"To receive the Payne Stewart Award is one of the greatest honors of my career," Cink said. "Payne Stewart was a player and person whom I admired greatly, both on and off the course. His character, his infectious spirit and his dedication to growing the game were all traits that I have always aspired to emulate."

Cink has six victories in 21 years on the PGA Tour, including the British Open in 2009 in a playoff over Tom Watson at Turnberry. That was Cink at his best, not only his performance, but the graciousness in winning over such a popular and sentimental figure as the 59-year-old Watson.

"In every sense of the words, he showed character and sportsmanship," PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said.

Cink has two sons in college and for the last two years has been devoting himself to his wife, Lisa, during her battle with breast cancer.

The Payne Stewart Award ceremony will be Sept. 19 and televised live on Golf Channel.

LAST CALL: The Wyndham Championship is the final PGA Tour event to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs, which in some cases, means keeping a full PGA Tour card.

Geoff Ogilvy, who used a one-time exemption from top 50 in career money, is on the biggest bubble at No. 125.

Rick Lamb is on the next bubble at No. 150. Players who finish between No. 126 and 150 at least have conditional status. That's where Chris Stroud started last season.

But the most critical might be further down the list.

Players who finish between No. 126 and 200 are eligible, if they need it, for the Web.com Tour Finals, which offers PGA Tour cards to the leading 25 players on a money list for four tournaments. Finish outside the 200 and it's a tougher road back to the big leagues.

Among those outside the top 200 going into the Wyndham Championship are Carl Pettersson (203), Jason Bohn (204) and Brad Fritsch (205). Pettersson and Bohn each have status as a past PGA Tour winner. They also could use a one-time exemption to play the Web.com Tour because they have been fully exempt the last five years.

Fritch, because he won on the Web.com Tour last year, would have Web.com status as a past champion, but he would be subject to the first reshuffle.

The answer for all of them is to play hard.

GRAND SLAM SECOND: Louis Oosthuizen went from a reputation of having the sweetest swing in golf to being the best at lip syncing.

All because of another runner-up finish.

Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion at St. Andrews, made a 50-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the PGA Championship and joined the list of players who have finished runner-up at all four majors. He lost in a playoff to Bubba Watson at the 2012 Masters, lost in a three-man playoff at the 2015 British Open and tied for second in the 2015 U.S. Open.

The others to accomplish that were Phil Mickelson, Greg Norman, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Craig Wood. Norman is the only player from that group to lose all four majors in a playoff (Wood lost in extra holes at the PGA Championship when it was match play).

The South African handled it with a performance on the jet home that rates among his best mouthing the words, with more expression than he ever allows on the course, to "I'll Rise Up" by Andra Day.

DIVOTS: Henrik Stenson is playing the Wyndham Championship this week to make sure he reaches the minimum 15 tournaments to keep his PGA Tour membership. It will be his 13th event. At No. 75 in the FedEx Cup, he is assured of playing at least two playoff events. ... NBC analyst Mark Rolfing and his wife, Debi, have been selected to receive the PGA Distinguished Service Award. Along with their promotion of golf in Hawaii, the Mark and Debi Rolfing Charitable Foundation helps high-risk, needy children. They will be honored in November at the PGA of America's annual meeting. ... The reason Justin Thomas has "radar" stamped on wedges since he was still in elementary school: He told Golfweek magazine he was hitting chips and bunker shots close to the hole when Phillip James of Titleist said, "You've got radar out here." He says James to this day won't send him a wedge unless it has "radar" stamped on the back. ... U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka goes into next year atop the U.S. Ryder Cup standings. Points only were awarded at majors and World Golf Championships. Koepka was followed by Thomas, British Open champion Jordan Spieth, Matt Kuchar and Dustin Johnson.

STAT OF THE WEEK: Twelve of the top 15 players in the women's world ranking are not at the Solheim Cup.

FINAL WORD: "Made all the cuts. That's a good step." Rickie Fowler on his year in the majors.

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Westwood making cuts, but not making progress in majors - ABC News

The House Climate Solutions Caucus was created in 2016 by Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo and Democratic Rep.Ted Deutch. Both represent Florida. From the beginning, the Congressmen decided that membership in the caucus would come in pairs one Republican and one Democrat at a time. Their aim is to create a bipartisan group to engage in constructive dialogue to propose climate solutions (Leading on climate change, Aug. 14).

Recently, Rep. Ed Royce, a Republican from California, and Rep. Derek Kilmer, a Democrat from Washington, joined the caucus. The House Climate Solutions Caucus is now 52 members strong.The caucus recently introduced two legislative proposals: Technologies for Energy Security Act (H.R. 1090) and Climate Solutions Commission Act (H.R. 2326). The Technology Act extends tax credits to small scale wind and geothermal energy initiatives. The Commission Act would create a bipartisan panel to propose economically viable actions or policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The hope is that the caucus will propose bipartisan legislation that significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.For the past 10 years, Citizens Climate Lobby has with respect and appreciation for all members of Congress facilitated the development of the House Climate Solutions Caucus. An eloquent description of CCLs political method and proposal is given in Jan Marie Rushforths farewell message found at https://vimeo.com/226505118. Take the time to watch this video, support the House Climate Solutions Caucus and join Citizens Climate Lobby.

James O'Reilly, Glen Burnie

Send letters to the editor to talkback@baltimoresun.com. Please include your name and contact information.

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Signs of bipartisan progress on climate change - Baltimore Sun

The headlines are enough to make a sane person crazy: Washington is broken, Congress is hopelessly deadlocked, and many legislators are more interested in retweets than governance. Thankfully, this isnt the case when it comes to domestic sex trafficking. Members of Congress have moved forward serious anti-trafficking legislation in an open, collaborative manner; and are writing smarter laws that address the problem at its roots.

Previous efforts to curb sex trafficking mainly provided funding for victim services, sharpened penalties for traffickers, and documented problems in other countries. While that work is important and must continue, an increasing number of Republicans and Democrats from the House and Senate have had the ah-ha moment of realizing that traditional policy approaches largely ignore the source of the problem: men who callously buy sex from vulnerable women and youth.

While support for victims is necessary, it is not enough. We must work with law enforcement to avoid penalizing and traumatizing those being exploited, deter men from buying, reduce rates of re-offending, and reserve significant penalties for dangerous and repeat offenders.

Multiple bipartisan bills currently weaving through both chambers are advancing these criminal justice approaches to hold buyers accountable for the harm they cause. One example is The Empowering Law Enforcement to Fight Sex Trafficking Demand Act, which supports law enforcement through access to funding for buyer sting operations. Another is a marquee piece of anti-trafficking legislation, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which is poised for reauthorization this year with new provisions to help scale back the demand that causes victimization.

Nowadays its easy to claim that Congress is out-of-touch, but current activity on Capitol Hill shows that members increasingly see sex trafficking and forced prostitution for what it is: victimization and trauma caused by men who believe their money and status entitles them to sexual access.

Senators and Representatives with vastly different political ideals have recognized that the best solution is to hold buyers accountable, so the need for victim services will decrease over time, and sexual exploitation will no longer operate as a vibrant market.

Alex Trouteaud, Ph.D., is Director of Policy and Research for Demand Abolition, an organization that fights to combat theillegalcommercial sex industry in the U.S. and, by extension, the world.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.

Continued here:

Anti-trafficking laws have made great progress - The Hill (blog)

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

UFC Hall of FamerMatt Hughes' recovery progress after his accident in June is "nothing short of a miracle," according to his friendTony Zucca.

Zucca posted a photo of himself and theformer UFC welterweight championon Instagram on Sunday as Hughes continues his recovery after his truck collided with atrain nearHillsboro, Illinois, less than two months ago:

PerESPN, Hughes, 43, wasin a coma until last month but suffered no broken bones or internal injuries after colliding with the train.

According to MMA Fighting'sMarc Raimondi, he has beenat HSHS St. John's Hospital in Springfield, Illinois, since the collision.

TheHillsboro-born Hughes retired from the UFC in 2013, with his final fight in 2011 when he was knocked out byJosh Koscheckat UFC 135.

He bowed out of MMA with a 45-9 professional record and having held the UFC welterweight title for two lengthy stints between 2001 and 2006.

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Matt Hughes' Progress After Coma 'Nothing Short of a Miracle,' Says Friend - Bleacher Report

A Charlottesville defense attorney assigned to represent the man accused of murder in the death of an Albemarle County woman by ramming his car into a crowd protesting Saturdays white nationalist rally is a former Republican candidate for the City Council and a plaintiff in the lawsuit against the city regarding the removal of Confederate statues.

James Alex Fields Jr., 20, of Maumee, Ohio, is being held at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail without bond until he can meet with an attorney.

Fields is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Heather Heyer, 32, three counts of malicious wounding and one count of hit-and-run resulting in death.

Charlottesville General District Judge Robert H. Downer Jr. appointed Charles L. Buddy Weber to represent Fields, who said he made about $1,300 a month as a security guard and could not afford an attorney.

You have no ties to the community, so at this time you will not have bond until you have an attorney and they can come to this court regarding a bond, Downer told Fields, who appeared via video feed from jail.

Downer indicated that Weber was unaware of the appointment.

I do not know if Mr. Weber has a conflict or if he is willing to represent you.

Will Lyster, a friend of Weber, said the attorney is on a hiking trip and does not have cellphone service. He is expected to return next week.

Downer said a member of the Charlottesville Public Defenders Office has a conflict of interest with Fields regarding the incident and that the office could not represent Fields. He then appointed Weber, a local defense attorney who is on a list of local public defenders, to represent Fields.

Downer set the next bond hearing for Fields for Aug. 25.

Weber, a former chairman of the city Republican Party, is one of 13 plaintiffs who have sued the Charlottesville City Council for its decision to remove the statue of Robert E. Lee from the park that once bore the Confederate generals name. The park has since been renamed Emancipation Park.

The park was the site of Saturdays Unite the Right rally, which brought several white supremacist and white nationalist groups to the park, as well large crowds of counter-protesters. The rally erupted in violence between the groups before it could start, however. Police declared an unlawful assembly and cleared the park after hundreds of people beat each other with sticks and fists, sprayed each other with pepper spray and hurled makeshift missiles.

After the rally, a car plowed into a crowd of about 100 counter-protesters marching down a Downtown Mall cross street and slammed into other cars that had stopped for the protesters. Heyer was killed in the crash, and 19 others were injured.

The car backed up on Fourth Street and sped away. Fields was later arrested.

As Fields Monday hearing was ending, Matthew Heimbach, leader of the white nationalist Traditionalist Worker Party, began shouting accusations that counter-protesters caused Saturdays violence. He was quickly surrounded by television crews and news reporters who were milling about the courthouse, awaiting Downers ruling.

Bystanders then joined the throng, drowning the mans words by chanting Nazi go home until police whisked him safely away from the growing crowd.

The Associated Press on Monday reported that police records from Florence, Kentucky, show Fields mother had called police in 2011, reporting that Fields stood behind her wheelchair wielding a 12-inch knife.

In a 2010 incident, his mother reported that Fields struck her on the head and locked her in the bathroom after she told him to stop playing video games. She told officers Fields was on medication to control his temper.

A former teacher told The Washington Post that Fields espoused Nazi ideals in high school.

Send news tips to news@dailyprogress.com, call (434) 978-7264, tweet us @DailyProgress or send us a Facebook message here.

Ned Oliver of the Richmond Times-Dispatch contributed to this report.

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Attorney assigned to represent Fields is plaintiff in statue removal suit - The Daily Progress

Tiemoue Bakayoko making an instant recovery from his knee injury and coming up to speed in zero time in Contes system would be a more than welcome boon ahead of Sundays trip to Wembley to play Spurs and try to avoid an 0-2 start to the season.

Unfortunately, thats a highly unlikely scenario Bakayoko playing, not the 0-2 start even after a few pictures of him training were shared on Snapchat by his brother. Without confirmation by Chelsea in their nightly training ground report (they only say Tiemoues making progress, as are Hazard and Pedro), we have to assume this is just light training alongside other injured players like, for example, Baba Rahman. (Plus, would a family member be even allowed at first-team training?)

These snaps are quite blurry, but that could in fact be Baba in the orange bib.

That said, other enterprising fans contacted Tiemoues brother on Snapchat, and he seems to be under the impression that there is a chance Tiemoue plays against Spurs on Sunday. Again, that seems highly optimistic and quite unlikely, but were likely to receive more solid confirmation one way or another later this week.

Yes, it has come to this.

As it stands, it will either be David Luiz or Charly Musonda Jr who will have to partner Kante in midfield, unless Conte (or the Chelsea Board) have something incredibly surprising and never before seen at Chelsea up their sleeves.

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Tiemoue Bakayoko continues recovery progress in Chelsea training - We Ain't Got No History

Italy is letting its ambassador take up his post in Cairo, citing on Monday progress by Egypt in the investigation of the 2016 torture death of an Italian scholar that had weighed on diplomatic ties.

The move does not mean Italy intends to ease the pressure on Egyptian authorities to bring Giulio Regeni's killers to justice, Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said. The ambassador will bear a letter asserting the Italian government's determination to discover the truth about the murder, Alfano said.

Ambassador Giampaolo Cantini "will have the task of contributing, via contacts with Egyptian authorities, toward reinforcing judicial cooperation, and, as a consequence, the search for the truth," Alfano said in a statement.

Regeni was a Cambridge University doctoral student researching labor movements in Egypt when he was abducted in Cairo in January 2016. His body was found along a Cairo road a few days later bearing marks of extensive torture.

Italian news agency ANSA said Italian and Egyptian prosecutors issued a joint statement pledging to find the "truth and all the circumstances that led to the abduction, torture and death."

Italian state TV said Egypt has sent Italian prosecutors transcripts of fresh questioning of Egyptian police officers who had a role in investigating Regini's death. Egypt also assured Italy it would provide video surveillance footage from cameras at the Cairo subway stop where Regeni was known to have been last seen alive.

In April 2016, the then-ambassador was recalled to Italy for consultations, to highlight the Italian government's frustration with Egyptian investigators. Since then, that ambassador was assigned elsewhere, and the embassy in Cairo awaited its ambassador.

Regeni disappeared on a day Cairo police were on a tense watch for protests on the fifth anniversary of the 2011 popular uprising.

After his body was discovered, Egyptian authorities offered various explanations, including an assertion that Regeni had been hit by a vehicle. Later, they said he was a victim of a robbery.

Egypt is considered a key ally both in international efforts to combat Islamist-terrorism as well as efforts to stabilize neighbor Libya, a base for human traffickers who have sent hundreds of thousands of migrants by sea toward Italy in the last few years.

In a statement, Alfano dismissed any suggestion that Italy's desire to slow the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean Sea had triggered dispatching the ambassador to Cairo.

"That Egypt is an inescapable interlocutor on issues of primary importance for Italy, like the stabilization of Libya and the fight against terrorism, doesn't signify that Italy intends to turn the page in the search for truth in Giulio Regeni's murder," the minister said.

Regeni's family has been outspoken in demanding that Italy insist on getting the truth from Egypt. His mother has said her son's face was so badly pummeled the only facial feature she could recognize was the tip of his nose.

Italian state TV said Monday night the family was indignant that the ambassador was allowed to go to Cairo.

Frances D'Emilio on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/fdemilio

See the original post here:

Italy OKs ambassador for Cairo, cites murder probe progress - ABC News

Updated, 11:10 p.m.

It started with singing, praying, slogan chanting and flag waving and turned into violence and the death of one protester and two members of a Virginia State Police helicopter crew.

Alt-right marchers and counter-protesters beat each other with fists and sticks and sprayed each other with pepper spray as Saturdays Unite the Right rally ended in violence before it could begin.

A 32-year-old woman was killed and 19 people were injured after a driver sped into a crowd of counter-protesters at Fourth Street Northeast and Water Street mid-afternoon.

The crash occurred after the rally had broken up and a large number of protesters were marching down Water Street. A Dodge Challenger sped into the crowd at Fourth Street Northeast, slamming into pedestrians and into the rear end of another car. The Dodge backed up the street quickly and sped away despite heavy front-end damage.

The driver, James Alex Fields Jr., 20, of Maumee, Ohio, was arrested and charged with one count of second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding and one count of hit and run with injury.

About two hours after the car crash, two state troopers were killed when their police helicopter crashed and burned near Old Farm Road. The helicopter was involved in providing surveillance and information during the day.

Shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday, a Virginia State Police helicopter crashed into a wooded area near a residence on Old Farm Road, said Corinne Geller, state police spokeswoman. The pilot, Lt. H. Jay Cullen, 48, of Midlothian, and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates of Quinton, died at the scene.

Geller said the crash is being investigated but no foul play is suspected.

All in all, police said at least 35 people downtown were treated for medical issues, including 14 treated for injuries from altercations, police said.

Several dozen people attended a small vigil at McGuffey Park on Saturday evening in memory of the woman who died in the car wreck. Flowers were brought in from nearby churches and handed out to those in the park, who, one by one, placed them at the center of a circle of attendees. Candles were later placed around the flowers.

The Unite the Right rally was scheduled to start at noon but it never happened. By 11:30 a.m., with demonstrators and counter-protesters fighting in the streets, Charlottesville and Albemarle County officials declared a state of emergency and later declared the rally an illegal assembly, slowly clearing the park.

It could have been a lot worse today, said Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas. The premeditated violence is deplorable.

Both sides came prepared for violence, wearing protective helmets, masks and carrying flags. When violence broke out, many of the flags were stripped from the wood handles and the handles were used as clubs.

Both sides brought street medics equipped with bandages and fluids for flushing eyes and skin afflicted with pepper spray.

Alt-right demonstrators arrived at Emancipation Park around 9 a.m. with several counter-protesters already present. While the demonstrators milled about the park waving flags, several protesters prayed nearby and others sang while state police ringed the marchers to keep the sides separate inside the park.

One right-wing group in military garb, carrying rifles and wearing pistols, stood between the pro-white demonstrators and counter-protesters.

As more marchers arrived, flying a variety of flags, including the Confederate flag and battle flag, more counter-protesters also arrived. Taunts and jeers broke out on both sides and scuffles began.

The armed demonstrators moved away from the park when both sides began attacking each other and it appeared no firearms were involved.

During the melee, one protester purposefully attacked news reporters with pepper spray despite efforts from other protesters to prevent it. Alt-right demonstrators splashed nearby reporters with ash mixed with liquid while other reporters were pelted with eggs by protesters.

One African-American reporter was punched by an alt-right demonstrator wearing a T-shirt with a portrait of Adolf Hitler.

Protesters pelted the alt-right marchers trying to enter the park with balloons filled with paint and both sides hurled water bottles, some with urine inside, and other makeshift missiles at each other. As more scuffles broke out, the two sides began clubbing each other with the flag poles, sticks and makeshift clubs. Others threw road flares and other items across Market Street at each other.

After declaring the assembly illegal, the Virginia National Guard took over perimeter locations to allow local police to join with state police in clearing the park. Clashes between the groups continued as they walked away from the park and sporadic violence in the form of fisticuffs and stick fights broke out on the Downtown Mall.

Thomas said the violence came quickly.

The situation escalated rapidly into violence and we had no choice but to deploy additional personnel from the Virginia State Police and the Virginia National Guard to help disperse the crowd and move people safely through the streets, he said.

Despite the violence, Unite the Right organizers vowed to return.

This was a monumental event for our movement, rally organizer Jason Kessler said as he joined other demonstrators in leaving downtown. They had to do whatever they had to do, legal or illegal, to shut us down. This is not over.

But Kessler disavowed the violence that followed. He said in an interview with The Associated Press on Saturday evening that driving a car into a group of counter-protesters was the wrong thing. He said he was saddened that people were hurt.

Alt-right torchbearer Richard Spencer said he was outraged by what he said was a lack of police protection.

I have never been so outraged at my government, he said, addressing a crowd of approximately 100 supporters who had relocated to McIntire Park after Emancipation Park was cleared. We are never backing down. We are going to be back here.

The brief gathering, which featured an appearance by former Ku Klux Klan Imperial Wizard David Duke, was the only opportunity the alt-right activists and white nationalists had to assemble Saturday without being confronted by a large number of protesters.

Speaking after the McGuffey Park vigil, Montae Taylor, vice president for youth and college divisions of the NAACP for Virginia who came to Charlottesville from Richmond, said the thwarted rally mirrors stories his great-grandfather told him.

And the fact that I can look at whats going on and see what my grandfather was talking about is not scary, but its appalling, he said.

Bob McAdams, president of the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice, said the services offered by local churches on Saturday and the sanctuaries they provided at Justice and McGuffey parks during rally were blessings.

But human minds, our minds, will take a long time to process the events weve experienced, he said.

The rally and the subsequent sporadic violent outbreaks caused many downtown merchants to close their doors early.

Vincent Derquenne, co-owner of Bizou on the Downtown Mall, said he closed 45 minutes after opening.

The patio was close to full and we had to bring everybody inside, he said. And everybody came, with their dogs and everything.

He said it was OK that they had to close the restaurant for most of the day.

Its a small price, Derquenne said. This is freedom.

Wilson Richey, who is involved in several restaurants downtown, said the July 8 Ku Klux Klan rally and Saturdays have hurt downtown businesses.

I want to encourage everyone to come in droves on Sunday, if you avoided the mall on Saturday and then, perhaps, maybe lean in heavy on your downtown visits next week, he said.

On Saturday evening, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Charlottesville city officials held a news conference and denounced the violence.

McAuliffe thanked local and state law enforcement and the National Guard and said white supremacists are not welcome in Virginia.

Our message is plain and simple: Go home, he said. You are not wanted in this great town.

Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer spoke about Charlottesvilles resilience and the citys ability to write its own story.

This tide of hatred and intolerance and bigotry that has come to us this march with torches at the Lawn is brought here by outsiders and by people who belong in the trash heap of history with these ideas, Signer said. The work of rebuilding and healing is just beginning today. Tomorrow will come and we will emerge I can promise you stronger than ever.

Thomas said police will take the next few weeks and months to investigate and review the events.

What the world saw today is not the place Charlottesville is, he said. We love our city. Let us heal. This is not our story. Outsiders do not tell our story.

Daily Progress staff writers Lauren Berg, Dean Seal, Chris Suarez, Michael Bragg and Allison Wrabel contributed to this story.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Updated, 8:45 p.m.

James Alex Fields Jr., of Maumee, Ohio, has been charged with second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding and failing to stop at the scene of an accident that resulted in a death after a car plowed into a crowd on the Downtown Mall.

The crash killed a 32-year-old woman and injured 19 others following an alt-right demonstration downtown.

Fields is in custody at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.

Updated, 8:14 p.m.

Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas has been empowered to "regulate, restrict or prohibit any assembly of persons, or the movement of persons or vehicles" on any public property including parks, streets and sidewalks, according to a release from city officials.

The emergency ordinance passed City Council unanimously during an emergency meeting at the Albemarle County Office Building, according to the release.

Mayor Mike Signer was quoted in the release, "The Council's decision to give Chief Thomas the authority to enact a curfew as appropriate was made out of an abundance of caution.We did so, having full confidence in Chief Thomas and regional law enforcement's ability to make the final call.

Chief Thomas has yet to take any action, according to the release.

Updated, 7:25 p.m.

President Donald Trump has offered his condolences to the family of the woman killed when a car slammed into a crowd of pedestrians on the Downtown Mall.

"Condolences to the family of the young woman killed today, and best regards to all of those injured, in Charlottesville, Virginia," he tweeted. "So sad!"

BEDMINSTER, N.J. President Donald Trump on Saturday blamed "many sides" for the violent clashes between protesters and white supremacists in Virginia and contended that the "hatred and bigotry" broadcast across the country had taken root long before his political ascendancy.

Updated, 6:33 p.m.

Charlottesville police Chief Al Thomas says a 32-year-old woman was killed when a car plowed into a crowd of counter-protesters on the Downtown Mall. The death is being investigated as a homicide, and the suspect is in custody, Thomas said.

The identity of the woman is being withheld until family can be notified.

Thomas said 35 people were injured during the Unite the Right rally and protests, adding that none was caused by the police.

It is unclear if two deaths caused by a helicopter crash near Birdwood Golf Course are connected to the Unite the Right rally, authorities said, but The Associated Press cited officials in establishing a connection.

President Donald Trump in a tweet said two Virginia State Police troopers died. "Deepest condolences to the families & fellow officers of the VA State Police who died today," he wrote. "You're all among the best this nation produces."

Updated, 5:40 p.m.

The organizer of a rally that drew hundreds of white nationalists and other extremists to Charlottesville says he disavows the violence that eroded it.

Jason Kessler said in an interview Saturday evening that whoever drove a car into a group of counter-protesters did the wrong thing. He said he was saddened that people were hurt.

Kessler is a local blogger and activist who described the event as a pro-white rally. He planned it to protest the citys decision to remove a Confederate monument.

He also criticized law enforcements response to the event, which was dispersed before speakers could take the stage.

He said they did a poor job controlling the chaos to allow free speech.

- The Associated Press

A vehicle plows into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

A vehicle plows into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

A vehicle plows into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

A vehicle plows into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

A vehicle reverses after plowing into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

This car, stopped on Monticello Avenue, was seen plowing into people on the Downtown Mall.

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

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Ohio man charged with second-degree murder after car plows into ... - The Daily Progress

A new television ad unveiled Sunday by President Trumps reelection campaign committee accuses the presidents enemies of trying to undermine his success in office.

The 30-second spot, produced six months into Trumps term, targets Democrats and the news media, and touts what the campaign says are successes that the president has managed to achieve, including a low unemployment rate and record stock-market closes.

It comes as Trump faces a widespread backlash for not denouncing white supremacists by name for their role in Saturdays violence in Charlottesville.

[White House: Trumps condemnation includes white supremacists, KKK, neo-Nazi and all extremist groups]

Democrats obstructing. The media attacking our president. Career politicians standing in the way of success. But President Trumps plan is working, the narrator says.

Photos of several Democratic politicians are featured in the spot, including Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Rep. Maxine Waters (Calif.) and Senate Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (Md.).

The ad includes a montage of television hosts, including Joe Scarborough, Rachel Maddow and Brian Williams of MSNBC, and Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon of CNN, among others.

The presidents enemies dont want him to succeed, the ad says, but Americans are saying, Let president Trump do his job.

In a statement, Trumps campaign said the ad will air on cable news shows and the Internet.

Continue reading here:

Trump campaign ad says his 'enemies' are trying to undermine his progress - Washington Post

CHICAGO, IL - JULY 22: Adam Wainwright

St. Louis Cardinals: At a complete loss for words both good and bad by Dr. Michael D. Miles

We should all be thrilled hope remains for the St. Louis Cardinals playoff performance this year, as the team climbed into a virtual tie with Chicago on Sunday. Its important, however, to examine the landscape of the remainder of the schedule to better judgethe prospects of the competing teams.

In this space, well look at the top two contenders as of today, the Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. Thats not to, in any way, dismiss the potential of either the Milwaukee Brewers or the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, the longtime rivalry between Chicago and St. Louis deserves its own focal point, and no doubt it will form much of the press hype as August and September drone on.

So with all that in mind,there are several distinct advantages that lie with the Wrigleyites, and other factors that remain a bit more ambiguous:

Home versus road: From Aug. 14 on, the Cubs have twenty-six games at home versus only twenty on the road. The Cards are flip-flopped, having only nineteen at Busch where they have played vastly better than they did in the home-win-starved 2016 campaign.They must go on the road for twenty-five of their finalforty-four games.

The Cubs arent quite as strong at home as the Cards.

Each team has 26 losses at home, but by virtue of the Cubs more road-based schedule to date, they have three less wins at home than do the Cards.

On the road, though, the Cubs are a couple of games over .500, while the Cards, with more road than home games remaining, sit four under away from Busch.

Home versus road, Part Two: The other aspect of travel that could have an impact on the race is the length and distance of the remaining road trips for each team. The Cards have both a ten-game and a nine-game trip remaining, with one of them primarily on the West Coast. The Cubs have one trip of ten games, but nothing else longer than six games, and theyre done in the West.

Series versus competitors:Here, too, the Cubs have an edge. Of the series each team has left, the Cards have nine against teams still in serious competition for the postseason, with a total of twenty-seven games. The Cubs? Only seven series, and aslight advantage with only twenty-six against contenders.

Head to head:The Cubs and Cards have seven games left, and on the surface it might look like the St. Louisans have the advantage, with four of those games home at Busch. But the issue is the Cards are an anemic 4-8 against the North Siders to date this season. So achieving even parity will prove a major challenge.

The Big Unknown:What no one knows is which Cards team and which Cubs team will show up for the remainder of the year. While the Chicagoans have never looked like their 2016 championship edition starting pitching deficits and a hugely disappointing Kyle Schwarber have been among the deficits most of the parts remain intact (though the loss of Willson Contreras hurts hugely).

The Cardinals have been a mediocre commodity most of the season, but theyve been All-World in August, riding an eight-game win streak heading into Sunday. So will the remainder of the season emulate the vast majority of the year, with its win one, lose one modality, or the amped up, more recent vintage?

Want your voice heard? Join the Redbird Rants team!

We have absolutely no clue, of course. But well hope that the August edition can carry through the remainder of the 2017 season. If it does, its possible well see the vaunted Cubs recede into the rear-view mirror.

The rest is here:

St. Louis Cardinals: Great progress, but uphill battle with Cubs - Redbird Rants

Jets QB Christian Hackenberg speaks after the Jets' 7-3 win in the preseason opener on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2017, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. Andy Vasquez/NorthJersey.com

Christian Hackenberg (5) in the second quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Saturday, August 12, 2017.(Photo: Michael Karas/NorthJersey.com)

EAST RUTHERFORD The Jets are supposed to be a bad football team this season. Many believe theyll be the very worst in the NFL.

But Saturday night, as the preseason got under way, the Jets looked like something else. A football team that maybe, just maybe, wont be that bad.

The first teamers looked downright good, and quarterback Christian Hackenberg showed definite signs of progress in extensive action as the Jets beatthe Titans 7-3 in thepreseason opener at MetLife Stadium.

TARA SULLIVAN: 5 reactions to Jets preseason opener

JETS: Rontez Miles raves about his newest teammates

Its silly to read too much into a preseason game, especially the first preseason game. The results dont matter and winning is not the priority. But after a training camp fraught with doom and gloom, this was a night of mostly positives.

Quarterback Josh McCown marched the first team offense down the field for an opening drive touchdown. Defensive end Leonard Williams got a sack as the Jets first-team defense allowed only one first down in two drives.

And then there was Hackenberg, who had a good night by any measure. He completed 18-of-25 passes for 127 yards and looked confident and comfortable as he played the majority of the game.

This was far different than the version of Hackenberg we last saw in game action. This was Hackenbergs first game since Sept. 1, 2016, when he played the preseason finale at Philadelphia. Hackenberg struggled that night, completing only 11-of-31 passes and throwing a mind-numbingly bad interception that he should never have tried to throw in the first place.

Christian Hackenberg (5) throws in the first quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Saturday, August 12, 2017.(Photo: Michael Karas/NorthJersey.com)

But in new offensive coordinator John Mortons system, Hackenberg looked comfortable and poised despite playing only one drive with the first teamers. Playing mostly with the backup offensive line and the backup receivers, Hackenberg proved that hes made considerable progress in the last 12 months.

His two best throws of the night were on his final drive of the night: a 12-yard pass to tight end Jason Vander Laan and a 14-yard pass to Marquess Wilson in the third quarter. Both passes were strong throws to the sideline, leading the receiver perfectly.

But there were also mistakes. Hackenbergs final play of the night was a turnover on a botched snap it was difficult to tell if it was Hackenbergs fault or the centers. He also nearly had a pass intercepted in the first half after it was tipped at the line. But overall, it was a good night.

McCown, who got the start, also had a strong night.

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The 38-year-old marched the Jets offense down the field on the opening drive, going 78 yards in eight plays. The highlight of the night was a perfectly-placed, 53-yard pass to Robby Anderson down the right sideline. Anderson, the Jets presumed No. 1 receiver after the loss of Quincy Enunwa, hauled in the pass at the Titans 2-yard line. Charone Peake caught a four-yard touchdown pass three plays later to get the Jets on the board.

McCown finished 3-of-4 for 72 yards and the touchdown. Anderson had three catches for 71 yards, and Chris Harper, continuing his solid play from training camp, caught two balls for 21 yards.

Jets #15 Josh McCown (15) throws in the first quarter against the Titans at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Saturday, August 12, 2017.(Photo: Michael Karas/NorthJersey.com)

It wasnt all good. Kicker Chandler Catanzaro, who has struggled in camp, missed wide left on a 55-yard field goal attempt. Punter Lachlan Edwards, the only punter on the roster, struggled. One of his punts went only 14 yards, and he failed to pin the Titans offense deep in Jets territory.

Corner Darryl Roberts was burned for a 42-yard gain, and Bryce Petty didnt do much as he played the final quarter and change behind Hackenberg and McCown. Petty finished 2-of-6 for 16 yards and took a hard hit on a sack.

Email: vasqueza@northjersey.com

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Christian Hackenberg shows definite signs of progress in Jets' preseason opener - NorthJersey.com