Category Archives: Liberty

If the United Nations won act regarding conditions faced by Iranian dissidents in Iraq, the United States must.

Soldiers of the Service Battery, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment stand in formation during a ceremony at Camp Liberty, Iraq in this undated photo. (UPI Photo/HO)

LONDON, March 2 (UPI) -- The mullahs ruling Iran have had little reason to be happy with the United Nations in recent weeks, being forced to cope with crippling sanctions because of their pursuit of nuclear weapons and being further isolated by the world community with every passing day.

And, at home, the government is divided and the people are restless, especially having seen the Arab Spring force long-term dictators from power. So the mullahs are happy to get any good news and find any friends.

On top of the list of these friends is the government of Iraq, which is doing its best to carry out Tehran's campaign to eradicate its main opposition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran and its main component, the People's Mujahedin of Iran.

Some 3,400 PMOI members have been living peacefully in Iraq for a quarter of a century but since the United States agreed to leave Iraq their life has been in turmoil. Acting to please his bosses in Tehran, Iranian Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has engaged in a campaign of harassment and then murder to drive these dissidents from their homes in Camp Ashraf, north of Baghdad.

Finally, with assurances from the United Nations and United States and after pleas by Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the Iranian opposition, Ashraf residents agreed to be transferred to Camp Liberty, a former U.S. Army base near Baghdad Airport, where they would be processed by the U.N. refugee agency before being relocated in third countries.

It sounded too good to be true -- and it was. The devious Maliki, either with complicity or sheer ignorance by U.N. officials, had turned "liberty" into imprisonment. What was supposed to be a temporary home with all the freedoms and dignities of Camp Ashraf became a walled enclosure with Iraqi police stations, rampant presence of Iraqi armed forces, sophisticated Iraqi listening devices atop the walls and living conditions unfit for animals, much less humans.

How did this all happen? How did the U.N. Assistance Mission to Iraq determine that the conditions at Camp Liberty met any humanitarian standards? How could the secretary-general's special representative, Ambassador Martin Kobler, declare his satisfaction with the arrangements at Camp Liberty that has all the markings of a prison?

Why won't the Iraqi government allow a bipartisan delegation of former high-ranking U.S. officials to go to Camp Liberty and see for themselves the conditions that Kobler and Maliki consider suitable?

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Outside View: Why U.S. should protest conditions at Camp Liberty

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., March 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty Tax recently celebrated the military veterans who have found success in a second career as owners of Liberty Tax franchise offices throughout the country. Veterans like Chris Cho, a former US Army Sergeant, have turned their military training and discipline into success in the world of taxes.

"I've been lucky enough to achieve great success," says Cho, who operates two franchises along with his wife. "My military background has helped me maintain the professionalism, discipline, and strength necessary to create a successful tax business." Cho's offices in San Antonio, Texas serve a variety of clients throughout the year. During the main tax season, he employs some 20 people and prepares hundreds of returns. During the off season, his office serves people with self-employment income, small business owners, and others whose tax situation requires them to file beyond the usual January-April window.

Liberty Tax has long been known for its veteran-friendly atmosphere; Liberty is a member of IFA's VetFran, and incentives are available for military veterans interested in becoming franchisees. "We are thrilled to see our military veterans experience success in the tax world," says John Hewitt, CEO and Founder of Liberty Tax Service. "Liberty Tax Service has always stood behind our men and women in uniform, and we're honored to support so many veterans as franchisees."

Liberty Tax has franchise opportunities available throughout the US and Canada. The company is noted for its rapid, successful expansion and for its supportive environment with extensive training for franchisees. With these advantages, Liberty Tax Service is poised to continue its trend of rapid growth and help more veterans find a new career after the military.

About Liberty Tax Service: Liberty Tax Service (http://www.libertytax.com) is the fastest growing retail tax preparation company in the industry's history. Founded in 1997 by CEO John T. Hewitt, a pioneer in the tax industry, Liberty Tax Service has prepared over 9,000,000 individual income tax returns. With 42 years of tax industry experience, Hewitt stands as the most experienced CEO in the tax preparation business, having also founded Jackson Hewitt Tax Service.

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Liberty Tax Celebrates Success of Military Veteran Franchisees

The Liberty boys basketball team is in the Class 5A state playoffs for the first time in school history.

It's reward? A first-round game Saturday against Benson, the PIL champion and the team widely considered the favorite to win the state championship.

"They are tough," Liberty head coach O.J. Gulley said. "They have a bunch of athletes, a bunch of guys who are basketball smart and can play multiple positions. They have a lot of confidence. They've definitely got it rolling right now."

The Techmen (22-2), ranked second in the OSAA power rankings, have won 21 straight games since losing to Lake Oswego in their opening game of the Les Schwab Invitational the day after Christmas. They beat perennial power Jefferson three times and didn't lose once in PIL play.

For some perspective, the last time the Techmen played Madison they won 87-36 on Feb. 21. Liberty, ranked 21st, needed a fourth-quarter comeback to beat Madison 60-53 in a play-in game on Monday.

But that doesn't mean Gulley is resigned to a loss.

"It's important for us to say, 'Hey, anything can happen,'" he said. "If they go into the game thinking they can't win then they're already defeated."

And despite the school's paltry history of basketball success, he said his team isn't just satisfied with making the playoffs. Their goal from the season's start, Gulley said, was to advance to the state tournament at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene.

And now they're one win away.

"They're excited," Gulley said. "We're kind of in uncharted territory."

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Basketball roundup: Liberty boys advance to first state playoffs

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa --- Liberty Bank, which has operated under tightened regulatory scrutiny since July, is trying to get leaner while it intensifies its focus on eastern Iowa, according to its top officer.

The changes will lead to perhaps 100 fewer employees than the 280 it had before, said John Rathjen, Liberty's CEO and president.

The changes do not affect the Cedar Valley market, said Rathjen.

"We have no plans to divest of those markets," Rathjen said. "The 380 corridor is an attractive market for us. It's one we're committed to."

The bank has one branch each in Waterloo and Cedar Falls. Two years ago, Liberty sold its branches in Grundy Center and Eldora to Green Belt Bank & Trust.

Liberty is cutting elsewhere to meet the demands of regulators.

Regulators informed Liberty on July 14, 2011, that the company needed to raise its core capital ratio. The bank suffered loan losses in Florida during the recession.

The bank is selling four locations in northwest Iowa to Northwest Bank. Last week, Liberty also announced an agreement to sell branches in Garner and Klemme to Ames National Corp.

On Tuesday, Rathjen said Liberty also is selling its Granger branch to Earlham Savings Bank of West Des Moines. The bank also has closed a branch in Iowa City.

Tuesday Ackley State Bank, part of Grundy Center-based GNB Bancorporation, announced it has entered into an agreement to buy Liberty's Iowa Falls branch.

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Trimmer Liberty Bank selling branches

Liberty Health Network has found a new set of buyers for it's top selling Garlic Supplement AlliSTAR. Thanks to increasing numbers of research publications touting Garlic's healing powers, many survivalists and doomsday preppers are counting on using the supplement when traditional medicine is not available.

Tamps Bay, FL (PRWEB) March 02, 2012

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has always included Garlic as an essential health-care item. Says LHN's Chief Operating Officer Russell Bly. But now, mainstream sources such as the national Institute of Health The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reports A recent review of randomized controlled trials in humans found that Garlic supplementation (standardized dehydrated Garlic powders and various nonstandardized preparations alone or in combination with other ingredients) may reduce levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein (LDLs), as well as platelet aggregation (which causes blood thickening) in the short-term compared with placebo or no Garlic supplementation. When prescription medication is scarce, AlliSTAR may be a possible option. In addition to reported blood chemistry improvements, other research indicates Garlic may be effective for a variety of bacterial conditions Bly said enthusiastically.

Liberty's AlliSTAR Garlic, Ginger, and Star Anise product is availab both from the Liberty http:// AlliSTAR website at http://allistar.mylhn.com and from Amazon.Com . Liberty hopes recognition of Garlic as a power health supplement, along with special pricing may make AlliSTAR part of every survivalists essential Bug-Out-Bag.

About Liberty Health Network, LLC

Liberty Health Network is one of the nations leading Direct and Internet Marketing companies with a state-of-the-art Global Distribution facility in Tampa Bay, Fl. For 12 Years, the Liberty Health Network name has been synonymous with high quality Mortechem-Free Nutritional Supplements, Anti Aging Skin Care, and Internet Web Applications. The statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease.

Businesses or Individuals interested in distributing Liberty Products or requiring more information on this topic should contact Chief Operating Officer Russell Bly at (813) 774-8191 or e-mail at office(at)libertyhealthbiz(dot)com.

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Marketing Services Liberty Health Network, LLC (813) 774-8191 Email Information

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Liberty Health Network Announces Growing Prepper and Survivalist Nutrition Market For AlliSTAR Garlic, Ginger, Star ...

School ended 15 minutes earlier, but 178 teenagers crowded the hallway outside Liberty High School's Main Office.

Wednesday was the second day for the school's Liberty Fit program, an after-school club that trains students and their families to run the Helvetia Half-Marathon. The students who run aren't typical athletes. Most had never run even a mile. But one by one, they listened as health teacher Laurie Jenkins made her pitch. Then they signed up.

When I first wrote about the club last school year, I couldn't believe that Jenkins was that persuasive. No way a teacher would have convinced me to run 13 miles in high school, I thought. My mom used to write notes to excuse me from running a mile in PE.

"Are you serious?" I asked junior Tony Lopez. "That's the only reason? A teacher asked you?"

But over the next few months, Jenkins sent me emails, suggesting I join the Liberty Fit crew. With this year's club still five months away from starting, she ended an email about a grant the school won with, "The invitation is still there to come join us. :-)"

Jenkins is a lifelong runner who will run the prestigious Boston Marathon for a second time this year. Maybe marathons have taught her the power of enduring. Though I demurred several times, she continued to invite me to run with the group. Even if I didn't come to every practice, she said, she believed I could become a runner.

She wore me down. I wrote the club's starting date in my calendar and decided to try running with the students at least once. Wednesday morning I started begrudging my pledge. Fat snow drops splatted against my windshield as I drove to Hillsboro. But Jenkins has a power -- the kind that could convince a Southern girl like me to scamper through the snow.

By Wednesday afternoon, the snow had disappeared, though, and I stood in running pants as Jenkins delivered this year's pep talk. Pacing is important, she told us.

"You never want to come in from Liberty Fit tired," she said. "It's not fun when you're tired, and it's not correct."

We set off. "Twenty minutes," I thought. "I can do this."

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Liberty High School begins after-school running club Liberty Fit

By Danny Davis

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

LIBERTY HILL The plan called for celebrating Liberty Hill's precious berth in the girls state basketball tournament with a sleepover at the home of senior guard Lorrie Potts.

But after traveling to Corpus Christi this past weekend for a pair of Class 3A playoff games the second being a regional-final victory over Burnet and then heading back home, the Lady Panthers discovered they weren't up for staying up late, gossiping about boys and gorging themselves on pizza.

No, they just wanted to sleep.

"We were all in the same house, sleeping," said senior guard Kourtney Bevers. "There wasn't much celebration, because we worked so hard."

The Lady Panthers' tired state could be partly attributed to their aggressive defensive play, which limited West Oso to 13 points on Friday in the regional semifinals before Burnet scored 36 points Saturday.

Liberty Hill, which opens play today in the Class 3A state tournament at the Erwin Center, boasts a defense that has allowed only 37.1 points a game this season. Anchored by a full-court press, the defense shifts into different looks once opponents reach midcourt with the basketball. Lady Panthers coach Matt Kirschner said Monday that his team's defense has forced more than 30 turnovers per game.

"Our defense leads directly into our offense," said Kirschner, who emphasizes this philosophy by intertwining defensive drills into offensive workouts during Liberty Hill's practices. "We're one of the few teams that will press on everything. Miss, make, turnover, we're going to press you."

Liberty Hill's defense has benefited from the team's depth, as nine players routinely play in the first quarter of a game.

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Behind full-court press, Liberty Hill Lady Panthers aim for state title

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Liberty Dialysis Holdings, Inc. (Liberty), a leading provider of dialysis services, completed its merger with Fresenius Medical Care (Fresenius) on February 28, 2012. Liberty is the holding company for Liberty Dialysis and Renal Advantage. KRG Capital Partners, a Denver-based private equity firm, is the primary investor in Liberty, along with co-investor Bain Capital Ventures.

Based in Mercer Island, WA, Liberty provides dialysis services for patients who have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end stage renal disease (ESRD). Under the Liberty brand, the Company pioneered the physician joint venture model working collaboratively with empowered physician owners to drive excellent and cost-effective care. Under the Renal Advantage brand, the Company built a successful track record of developing and acquiring dialysis programs and working closely with market-leading physicians. Liberty has been the fastest growing dialysis company over the last five years and has grown from 15 programs in 2005 to over 280 at the end of 2011.

Libertys management team has done an outstanding job of executing on its growth plan while maintaining its focus on patient care, said Mark King, Co-founder and Managing Director of KRG Capital Partners. Throughout KRGs partnership with Liberty, the team has driven significant growth through its existing joint ventures, new programs and accretive acquisitions, including Renal Advantage.

Partnering with KRG provided the resources needed for Liberty to expand rapidly and become the worlds third largest dialysis provider while consistently providing outstanding quality care, said Mark Caputo, CEO of Liberty. We chose to partner with KRG because of its track record of supporting growth, its ability to make quick decisions and its focus on assisting management teams in building true industry leading companies.

Fresenius was advised in this transaction by Baker & McKenzie. KRG and Liberty were advised by Ropes & Gray LLP.

About Liberty Dialysis

With more than 280 dialysis programs operating under the Liberty Dialysis and Renal Advantage brands, Liberty Dialysis is dedicated to providing outstanding care for patients with kidney disease and a rewarding career experience for its 5,300 caregivers and employees. Liberty has a history of developing programs in underserved communities in conjunction with local physicians and non-profit organizations. Liberty partners with local nephrologists and hospitals in developing, owning and operating these centers. Liberty was founded in 2002 by Mark Caputo and Bob Santelli and currently generates more than $1 billion in annual revenues. In 2010, KRG Capital Partners acquired a significant stake in Liberty from Bain Capital Ventures and subsequently financed Libertys merger with Renal Advantage, adding another well respected brand to its portfolio. Liberty's primary equity sponsor is KRG Capital Partners. For more information on the company, please visit the website for Liberty Dialysis at http://www.libertydialysis.com.

About KRG Capital Partners

Founded in 1996, KRG is a Denver-based private equity buyout firm with $4.3 billion of cumulative capital either deployed or available for future investment, which includes approximately $1 billion deployed since inception on behalf of equity co-investors. The firm seeks investment opportunities for its partners where KRG can work in concert with owners and operating managers who are committed to expanding their companies and becoming industry leaders. The result is a partnership that focuses on creating a significantly larger enterprise through a combination of internal growth and complementary add-on acquisitions. Since inception, KRG has invested in 41 platform companies and has completed 128 add-on acquisitions for those platforms. For more information on KRG, please visit http://www.krgcapital.com.

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Liberty Dialysis Holdings, Inc., a Portfolio Company of KRG Capital Partners, Completes Merger with Fresenius Medical ...

Liberty Tax provides four tax measures to check if you are a homeowner filing a 2011 return.

Virginia Beach, VA (PRWEB) February 27, 2012

Mortgage insurance premiums are deductible as interest for filing a 2011 return, added John Hewitt, Founder and CEO of Liberty Tax Service.

Liberty Tax examines some other tax measures for homeowners filing a 2011 tax return:

A Residential Energy Credit Continued in 2011

For eligible property placed in service during 2011, homeowners may be able to claim a credit of up to $500 of the cost of certain energy efficient property. The residential energy credit may offer a tax break on a 2011 return if all installation was completed in 2011. Residential energy credits apply only for main homes, and can include a new roof or exterior doors that meet the Energy Star requirements. The 2011 credit must be reduced by the amount of any residential energy credit taken after 2005, and can be claimed by filing Form 5695 Residential Energy Credit.

Tax Relief for Some Financially Distressed Homeowners Was Extended in 2011

Homeowners experiencing short sales and foreclosures will get a break for debt-forgiveness tax consequences. Instead of treating cancellation of debt as taxable income on the foreclosure of a principle home, no taxes will be levied on discharges of indebtedness of up to $2 million dollars for married taxpayers filing jointly and of up to $1 million dollars for a married taxpayer filing a separate return through tax year 2012.

Remaining Points May be Deductible in the Year of Home Sale

Starting in 2011, those selling a home who havent deducted all of their points may be able to deduct them in the year that they sell the home. A home seller who is a single taxpayer has the opportunity to owe no tax on the first $250,000 of profit for the sale of a home owned and lived in for two of the last five years. A married couple owes no taxes on the first $500,000 of profit for the same time period.

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Liberty Tax Covers Tax Tips for Homeowners

Last June, as Virginia was playing in the College World Series in Omaha, there was no bigger fan of the team than Liberty pitcher Blake Forslund.

I was pulling for them all the way, Forslund said. I was really hoping theyd get there and then win the national championship, but things didnt work out.

On Tuesday afternoon at Davenport Field, things worked out just fine for the former Virginia player.

The 6-foot-4 215-pound right-hander tossed 3.2 innings of scoreless relief and picked up the win as Liberty shocked UVa, 8-0.

It was a unique experience, Forslund said. Not many people get to come back and pitch against the program they started with, but I have nothing but good things to say about the coaches and the program [at UVa]. It was a good welcome back.

Not for Virginia it wasnt.

UVa coach Brian OConnor called the defeat one in which the Cavaliers had twice as many errors (four) as hits (two) one of the most disappointing of his tenure. It was the programs first regular-season mid-week loss at home since 2009, a string of 28 games.

They beat us in every phase of the game today, said OConnor, whose team opens a home weekend series with Wright State and Seton Hall on Friday. They certainly out-pitched us. They were more aggressive at the plate than us and they played a lot better defense than us.

Sophomore pitcher Artie Lewicki, making his first career start, was tagged for five runs (four earned) on five hits in 3.0 innings and took the loss.

Lewicki, who walked two and struck out two, got into trouble in the third. Libertys Andy Smith walked with one out and then stole second base. He scored with two outs when Tyler Cox singled to right on a 3-2 pitch. Cox moved to second after a throw from right fielder Mike Papi got away from catcher Nate Irving, then scored on the next pitch when Bryan Aanderud singled up the middle.

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Liberty blanks Virginia baseball team