https://history.meigslibrary.org/files/original/36c3dfafadd6adeaa5239fd00bbdc9d2.pdf 04ea417aa146b48cd9e10ee1c722dad8 PDF Text Text log onto www.mydailysentinel.com for archive • games • features • e-edition • polls & more Middleport•Pomeroy, Ohio INSIDE STORY WEATHER Chance of showers. High near 35. Low around 22. ....... Page 2 Dr. Brothers .... Page 2 OBITUARIES SPORTS Local, regional sports .... Page 6 Vernon E. Bing, 47 Doris E. Scott, 90 Willa D. Burcham, 79 Patricia A. Boyles Shane, 52 Mary M. Fisher, 88 Rose M. Grindstaff, 78 Sandra Jo (Byus) Henry, 54 Ernie M. Stutler, 65 Truman D. Turner, Jr., 76 Billie J. Marcum, 76 50 cents daily THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2012 Vol. 62, No. 235 Pearl A. Smith, 56 Woods gets 10 years for 2nd-degree murder Beth Sergent bsergent@heartlandpublications.com MASON COUNTY — One of the three men charged in the 2011 murder of René Gonzalez has been sentenced. Matthew C. Woods, 26, Gallipolis Ferry, was sentenced to a definite term of 10 years with the department of corrections by Judge David Nibert last week. Back in October, Woods pleaded guilty to second degree murder and during a plea agreement hearing, the state had asked the court to consider a minimum sentence of 10 years. Woods, along with Chad W. McCallister, 30, Apple Grove, and Steven L. Adkins, Jr., 26, Apple Grove, were charged in the Gonzalez murder. A grand jury indicted the men in January on first degree murder charges. Woods pleaded to the lesser charge of second degree murder which basically removes the deliberate element of first degree murder. Last week, McCallister also accepted a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, again, this charge removes the malicious or deliberate element in the first degree murder charge. McCallister’s plea includes a mandatory jail sentence of 10 years though he has not been sentenced yet. Nibert will review the plea agreement before sentencing at 10 a.m., Jan. 18 in Mason County Circuit Court. Woods, will receive credit for 502 days already served in jail and he will not be housed in the same correctional institution as either McCallister or Adkins. All three men were previously housed at the Western Regional Jail until Woods accepted a plea agreement and was moved to the Central Regional Jail. Nibert previously granted Woods’ request to be immediately transferred from the Western Regional Jail to the Central Regional Jail upon entering into the plea agreement. At the plea hearing in October, Kevin Huhgart, counsel for Woods, told Nibert his client had already been assaulted once at the Western Regional Jail and when he’d agreed to testify in the cases against McCallister and Adkins, he was concerned about his safety. Woods had been accused of being a part of planning a conspiracy, along with Adkins and McCallister, to rob Gonzalez. Woods was also accused of driving Adkins to Gonzalez’s Gallipolis Ferry home where law enforcement personnel say Adkins allegedly shot the victim twice with a .410 shotgun. Adkins is set to go to trial in March 2013. Commissioners open bids for civic center Staff Report mdsnews@mydailysentinel.com Submitted photos ODOT is inching ever closer to completing the long talked about Nelsonville Bypass. This is a completed overpass crossing U.S. 33. Nelsonville Bypass accomplishments noted Final phase of bypass to open in 2013 Staff Report mdsnews@mydailysentinel.com NELSONVILLE — The official start of winter means the shutting down of many construction projects across the state, including the Nelsonville Bypass. Although work on the 8.5-mile-long bypass will start back up next spring, 2012 was a highly productive and successful year for the $138 million project. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the progress we’ve made this year,” said ODOT District 10 Deputy Director Steve Williams. “Once we open the bypass next year, this ma- jor corridor and busy truck route will not only be safer to travel but will further enhance economic development opportunities in southeastern Ohio.” ODOT broke ground on Phase II and III on Oct. 13, 2009. The entire bypass is scheduled to open by fall 2013. From January 2012 to November 2012, contractors Kokosing Construction Company (Phase II) and Beaver Excavating (Phase III), along with their subcontractors, logged more than 160,000 hours combined on the two phases — that’s equivaA subcontractor works to seed and mulch the hillsides lent to a single person along the Nelsonville Bypass. working 24 hours a day for 18 years. Nelsonville Bypass, miles of highway earth Here’s a look at Phase II work and 4.56 miles of some of 2012’s big Phase II of the Nel- four-lane paving. Phase accomplishments on this huge undertak- sonville Bypass in- II also consists of concludes more than three ing: See BYPASS |‌ 5 POMEROY —The Meigs County Commissioners opened bids on the work to be completed at the Rutland Civic Center during last week’s meeting. Two bids were received on the project which is funded through the Neighborhood Revitalization Grant. The work is to include electrical and plumbing. A bid from KAL Electric Inc. of Athens in the amount of $29,450 was for the electrical portion, with a bid from D.V. Weber of Reedsville in the amount of $6,619 for the plumbing work. The bids were referred to the grants office for consideration before awarding the contracts. A resolution was approved to allow for a grant funding application for the Tuppers Plains Regional Sewer District. Minutes of the previous meeting and bills were approved. Bills were paid in the amount of $173,815.20, with $7,755.27 from county general. Present at the meeting were commissioners Mike Bartrum and Tim Ihle, clerk Gloria Kloes, Denise Alkire from the grants office, and Del Pullins, who gave the invocation. Southern school board OKs agenda items Staff Report mdsnews@heartlandpublications.com RACINE — The Southern Local Board of Education approved agenda items during a recent meeting. Peggy Gibbs, current Board of Education President, was nominated as President Pro-Tem for the boards organizational meeting in January. Gibbs was chosen by a 5-0 vote. The following change orders were approved as presented by Superintendent Tony Deem: 02-002, temporary fencing, $695.60; 02-013, kitchen dishwasher exhaust and temporary exterior lighting, $2,102; 02-015, concrete pull box, $2,726; 02-014, upgrade flagpole finish, $477; 02-012, temporary gate, safety fencing, $2,957; 02-011, PR5-HDMI Cable, $3,193. Revised permanent appropriations were approved in the amount of $17,001,495 as presented by Treasurer Roy Johnson. The organizational meeting was set for 6 p.m. on Jan. 9, 2013, with the budget hearing at 6:15 p.m. The regular January board meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 28, 2013. All meetings will be held in the high school media center. Brown named Knights of Columbus Youth of the Year Carrie Wolfe Special to Civitas Media mdsnews@heartlandpublications.com POMEROY — The Father Jessing Council 1664 of the Knights of Columbus has named Stephen Brown as the 2012 Youth of the Year. Brown was surprised by the announcement following the Sunday service at Sacred Heart church in Pomeroy. As George Korn, the youth director for the local council described this year’s recipient it became obvious who the individual was. “He is someone I look up to,” Korn said. Korn described Brown’s resumé of work including being a lifeguard and swim instructor at the Gallipolis City Pool. He has also volunteered to coach for the River Valley Raiders junior high football team. He has coached offensive and defensive lines and assisted in the press box. He also coaches in the youth basketball league. In addition to coaching, Brown helps tutor students at River Valley junior high in math. Brown is also a student at the University of Rio Grande and has earned a 3.48 GPA for the fall semester carrying 16 credit hours. He is also a part of the university’s honors program. “I just want to say thank you,” Brown said, genuinely surprised to be so recognized. Brown received a plaque and gift certificate. While the nationally the Knights of Columbus have recognized youth so, this was the first time that the Father Jessing Council 1664 had done so. Korn remarked it was something the council was going to continue to do. Brown is also a third degree knight. He volunteers extensively during various church events. He is the son of Allan George Korn, youth director of the Father Jessing Council 1664 of the Knights of Columbus, presents Stephen Brown with his award for being named 2012 Youth of the Year. and Regina Brown. �Thursday, December 27, 2012 www.mydailysentinel.com The Daily Sentinel • Page 2 Ask Dr. Brothers Stay-at-home mom runs out of steam daughter is 9 Dear Dr. years old, and Brothers: I’ve we saw a prealways liked view on TV of being a stay-ata movie that home mom to had an excittwo kids, but ing animal stonow that they ry and got very are both in good reviews, school, I find so since it was myself feelPG, I took her ing uninspired to see it. She about my day ended up cryuntil they ing about the come home. sad fate of the In fact, after I walk them Dr. Joyce Brothers animals. There was only imto the bus, I Syndicated plied violence, usually crawl Columnist but it was back into bed enough to upand sleep unset a child. Is til noon. Even then I feel too tired to do there anything I should do much, and the day drags by to make sure she is emountil I meet the bus again. tionally OK? She seemed Their dad is beginning to to bounce back, but who ask what I do all day and knows? — S.R. Dear S.R.: It’s a funny talk about me getting a job. The idea exhausts and thing about movie ratings. scares me. What’s going Whereas parents used to do their own research as on? — D.L. Dear D.L.: It sounds like best they could in decidthe transition to this new ing which movies were phase of mothering is pre- appropriate for their kids, senting some difficulty for now a quick glance at the you. There may be noth- rating often takes the place ing really wrong other of them doing their job and than that you need to get considering the emotional organized and decide how makeup of the child when you’d like to spend the rest making decisions. Movie of your day after the kids ratings mean that a facego to school. Think of it as less group of experts has a sort of mini-empty nest. made the decision for you, Your lethargy could be a based on its own criteria, reaction to finally having a and unfortunately these chance to catch up on some guidelines are not meant rest, and there’s nothing to be one-size-fits-all. At wrong with catching a cou- the very least, you should ple catnaps while you can. seek out what criteria are If this continues, along being used to alert you to with your habit of check- a movie that has violence, ing out after the school bus sad stuff, sex, bad language arrives, you may want to or whatever your hot butconsider a checkup in case tons are. “PG” isn’t just a designathere is a physical or emotion that means the film tional root to all of this. Many women go back to is fine for anyone under work when their children 13. Remember, the letters reach school age and are stand for “parental guidmore self-sufficient, but I ance.” There are plenty of agree that it should be your movie-review sites online decision, or a joint one — that you can peruse to find not something that your films that fit your family’s husband basically orders particular mold. As far as you to do. See if you can sit your child’s reaction to the down with him and discuss recent movie goes, it’s a how you want your family good sign that she seems to to operate during the next have bounced back. If she’s several years. You may not having bad dreams or want to think about taking new fears involving her classes or turning a hobby pets and things like that, or skill you already have she’s probably over her into a moneymaker. Talk to strong reaction to the movsome of the other mothers ie. You can emphasize that at school, and you may find no animals were actually a number of people you can hurt during the filming, befriend while you all move and that animals can be actors, just like people, when on. it comes to storytelling on *** Dear Dr. Brothers: I am the screen. (c) 2012 by King very upset with the people Features Syndicate who rate the movies. My Ohio Valley Forecast Thursday: A chance of snow showers and freezing drizzle before noon. Cloudy, with a high near 35. West wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent. Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 22. West wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening. Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 42. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph. Friday Night: A chance of snow, mainly after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. Saturday: Snow likely before 1 p.m., then rain and snow likely between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., then a chance of snow after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 38. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. Saturday Night: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 22. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32. Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19. Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. Monday Night: A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 24. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. Local stocks AEP (NYSE) — 42.79 Akzo (NASDAQ) — 21.65 Ashland Inc. (NYSE) — 79.78 Big Lots (NYSE) — 28.08 Bob Evans (NASDAQ) — 40.17 BorgWarner (NYSE) — 69.42 Century Alum (NASDAQ) — 8.48 Champion (NASDAQ) — 0.11 City Holding (NASDAQ) — 34.40 Collins (NYSE) — 58.26 DuPont (NYSE) — 45.09 US Bank (NYSE) — 32.26 Gen Electric (NYSE) — 20.77 Harley-Davidson (NYSE) — 47.90 JP Morgan (NYSE) — 43.96 Kroger (NYSE) — 26.10 Ltd Brands (NYSE) — 45.84 Norfolk So (NYSE) — 61.60 OVBC (NASDAQ) — 18.64 BBT (NYSE) — 29.21 Peoples (NASDAQ) — 20.71 Pepsico (NYSE) — 68.84 Premier (NASDAQ) — 11.05 Rockwell (NYSE) — 82.64 Rocky Brands (NASDAQ) — 12.80 Royal Dutch Shell — 68.98 Sears Holding (NASDAQ) — 39.39 Wal-Mart (NYSE) — 67.99 Wendy’s (NYSE) — 4.70 WesBanco (NYSE) — 21.99 Worthington (NYSE) — 25.15 Daily stock reports are the 4 p.m. ET closing quotes of transactions for December 26, 2012, provided by Edward Jones financial advisors Isaac Mills in Gallipolis at (740) 441-9441 and Lesley Marrero in Point Pleasant at (304) 674-0174. Member SIPC. Submitted photos Southern Ohio Gymnastics Academy’s girls gymnastics team had several winners at their first meet of the year, the Region 5 “The Cup” in Cinncinati, Ohio. Pictured are (front row) Jazmarae Queen, Level 4, first on vault, second on floor exercise; Krystal Davison, Level 4, first vault, second uneven bars, second all-around; Gwyneth Gandee, Level 4, first vault; Ellie Andrick, Level 4, second vault; Kaelyn Topping, Level 3, second floor exercise; Desiree Simpson, Level 3, first uneven bars, first balance beam , first floor exercise, first all-around; (back row) Paxton Roberts, Level 9, second balance beam; Allivia Runyon, Level 7, second uneven bars; Morgan Montgomery, Level 6, first vault; Jerah Justice, Level 5, second vault. Not pictured, Georgia Brown, Level 3, second balance beam. Local gymnasts earn top honors Southern Ohio Gymnastics Academy boys gymnastics team had winners at their first meet of the year, the Region 5 “The Cup” in Cincinnati, Ohio. Pictured are (front row) Dylan Henry, Level 6, first on high bar; Devan Goody, Level 5, second still rings, second parallel bars, second high bar, second all-around; Nate Yongue, Level 4, second floor exercise, first still rings, first high bar; Dexter Roettker, Level 8, first vault, first high bar. Not pictured Andrew Huck, Level 4, second pommel horse, second still rings. For The Record Meigs County Community Calendar 911 Dec. 21 8:14 a.m., Hysell Run Road, lifting assistance; Thursday, Dec. 27 12:24 p.m., Ohio 7, cardiac arrest; 1:49 p.m., East RUTLAND — The Rutland Township Trustees will hold their Second Street, diabetic emergency; 2:31 p.m., Angelo Road, structure fire; 6:10 p.m., Grant Street, weak- year end and reorganizational meetings at 5 p.m. at the Rutland Fire Station. ness; 8:26 p.m., Ohio 124, diabetic emergency. CHESTER — The Chester Township Trustees will hold their year end and reorganizational meetings at 7 p.m. at the town hall. Dec. 22 ORANGE TWP. — Orange Township Trustees will meet for the 12:11 a.m., New Lima Road, chest pain; 9:12 a.m., end of the year meeting at the Township Building off State Route Ohio 124, stroke/CVA; 11:28 a.m., Tucker Road, 681. fractured body part; 1:25 p.m., Hill Street, seizure/ SALISBURY TWP. — The Salisbury Township Trustees will convulsions; 3:15 p.m., Ohio 124, altered mental hold their end of year and reorganizational meeting at 4:30 p.m. at status; 4:51 p.m., Mulberry Avenue, fall; 7:16 p.m., the township garage. unknown, assault/fight; 7:28 p.m., Zuspan Hollow Friday, Dec. 28 Road, difficulty breathing; 10:15 p.m., Ohio 124, asBEDFORD TWP. — The Bedford Township Trustees will hold sault/fight. their end of year meeting at 2: p.m. at the town hall. SYRACUSE — The Sutton Township Trustees will hold their Dec. 23 end of year meeting at 7 p.m. at Syracuse Village Hall. 9:11 a.m., Leading Creek Road, fall; 9:37 a.m., Ohio 124, altered mental status; 10:47 a.m., Pomeroy Tuesday, Jan. 8 Pike, nausea/vomiting; 12:16 p.m., South Second AvTUPPERS PLAINS — The Tuppers Plains Reginal Sewer Board enue, unknown; 2:36 p.m., Ohio 143, chest pain; 4:50 will have their regular meeting at 5 p.m. at the TPRSD office. p.m., Mulberry Avenue, nausea/vomiting; 7:26 p.m., Birthdays East Memorial Drive, burns; 9:30 p.m., East MemoSaturday, Dec. 29 rial Drive, high temperature. POMEROY — Kathleen Wells will celebrate her 94th birthday on Dec. 29. Cards can be sent to her at 34719 Ball Run Road, PomeDec. 24 12:26 a.m., Art Lewis Street, fall; 2:55 a.m., Gener- roy, Ohio 45769. al Hartinger Parkway, weakness; 9:44 a.m., unknown, Monday, Dec. 31 motor vehicle collision; 3:07 p.m., Bashan Road, nauSYRACUSE — Jane Teaford will celebrate her 93rd birthday on sea/vomiting; 3:37 p.m., Tornado Road, cardiac ar- Dec. 31. Cards can be sent to her at PO Box 261, Syracuse, Ohio, rest; 5:39 p.m., Liberty Lane, overdose; 7:27 p.m., 45779. unknown, stroke/CVA. Dec. 25 1:18 a.m., East Second Street, diabetic emergency; 2:43 a.m., East Second Street, diabetic emergency; 3:37 a.m., South Third Street, difficulty breathing; 8:18 a.m., unknown, motor vehicle collision; 9:19 a.m., Ohio 124, altered mental status; 2:17 p.m., will hold a holiday piano recital ‘Food for Fines’ Rocksprings Road, difficulty breathing; 4:35 p.m., POMEROY — The Meigs at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 29 at New Leading Creek Road, unconscious/unknown reason; County District Public Libraries Beginnings United Methodist 7:06 p.m., Ohio 143, difficulty breathing; 10:30 p.m., will be accepting non-perishable Church in Pomeroy. The public food items in lieu of fines during is invited. Mulberry Avenue, nausea/vomiting. the month of December. These items will be distributed to area Sheriff ’s Office Boil advisory lifted MEIGS COUNTY — The Sheriff ’s Office received food banks. For more information POMEROY — All boil advia report that a 1990 Ford Ranger pickup truck was please contact (740) 992-5813. sories for the Village of Pomeroy missing from Tornado Road. The truck was located water customers have been lifted. Office Closed on Yale School Road by the Gallia County Sheriff ’s POMEROY — The Meigs Office the next day. Upcoming blood drives County Health Department will Two batteries were reported stolen from a garage be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 1 in MEIGS COUNTY — Two upon Ohio 681 last week. observance of the New Years holi- coming blood drives have been A UHaul dolly was also reported stolen from one of day. Normal hours will resume at scheduled in Meigs County. The the trucks at B&D Market. first will be from 1-6 p.m. on Dec. 8 a.m. on Jan. 2. Bullet holes were discovered in the roof of a house 26 at the Mulberry Community Center. The second is scheduled on Whipple Raod on Wendesday. Piano Recital Anyone with information on any of these cases is POMEROY — The piano from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Dec. 31 at students of June VanVranken the Middleport Church of Christ asked to call the Meigs County Sheriff ’s Office. Meigs County Briefs �Thursday, December 27, 2012 The Daily Sentinel • Page 3 www.mydailysentinel.com Ohio motorists warned as storm moves in CINCINNATI (AP) — Strong winds and snowfall knocked out power to hundreds of Ohio homes and disrupted post-holiday travel Wednesday with parts of the state facing potential blizzard conditions. Dozens of flights at airports from Dayton to Cleveland were canceled or delayed by midmorning. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport spokesman Todd Payne cautioned travelers to check with their airlines, with as much as 60 percent to 80 percent of the afternoon schedule uncertain because of worsening weather. Early indications were that day-after-Christmas mall traffic would be down, too, with people holding off in the weather on returning that ugly sweater or other unwanted gifts. “I can’t feel my feet, and the ice is hurting when it hits my face,” said Tracy Flint, a Columbus hair stylist, who was trudging across a shopping center parking lot to get to work. “But it could be worse.” The National Weather Service posted blizzard warnings for a swath of Ohio from the Indiana border stretching northeast to the Lake Erie region. After an unusually mild winter last year, the storm was a reminder of how the state can get pounded this time of year. Forecasters expected snow to pile up as much as 10 inches in the Dayton region and Cincinnati’s northwest suburbs. “This is a typical winter storm you would see most winters,” said Myron Padgett, a forecaster in Wilmington, in southwest Ohio. Sheriffs in several western Ohio counties issued road travel warnings, and authorities urged people to give trucks with salt and snow plows room to work on the highways. Several spots already had three to five inches by late morning. The snow was expected to end in the evening, with freezing temperatures remaining. The state’s largest military base, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, shut down operations because of the storm. The Ohio Department of Transportation said it pretreated major highways in antici- pation of ice and heavy snow. Traffic was slow, but moving, in most of the storm-hit areas. Clark County authorities in Springfield said road conditions were hazardous and said county transportation services would be provided only for essential medical needs, such as people getting dialysis treatments. The Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition said a winter shelter would open Wednesday evening at a downtown church to make sure people had a warm place to sleep. GOP shows signs of bending Russian parliament after election defeat endorses anti-US DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — For years, and lost ground to majority Democrats in Republicans have adhered fiercely to their the Senate. Of particular concern is the margin of bedrock conservative principles, resisting Democratic calls for tax hikes, comprehen- loss among Hispanics, a group Obama sive immigration reform and gun control. won by about 70 percent to 30 percent. It took only hours after the loss for naNow, seven weeks after an electoral drubbing, some party leaders and rank-and-file tional GOP leaders to blame Romney for alike are signaling a willingness to bend on shifting to the right on immigration — and signal that the party must change. all three issues. Jindal, a prospective 2016 What long has been a nonpresidential contender, was starter for Republicans — among the Republicans callraising tax rates on wealthy “Put guns ing for a more measured apAmericans — is now backed proach by the GOP. And even by GOP House Speaker John on the table. previously hard-line oppoBoehner in his negotiations Also, put nents of immigration reform with President Barack Obama — like conservative talk show to avert a potential fiscal cri- video games host Sean Hannity — said the sis. Party luminaries, includparty needs to get over its iming Louisiana Gov. Bobby on the table. migration stance, which heavJindal, have started calling for ily favors border security over a wholesale shift in the GOP’s Put mental other measures. approach to immigration af- health on the “What you have is agreeter Hispanic voters shunned ment that we as a party need Republican candidates. And table.” to spend a lot of time and efsome Republicans who previously championed gun rights — Jack Kingston fort on the Latino vote,” veteran Republican strategist now are opening the door (Rep.) Georgia Charlie Black said. to restrictions following a When Congress returned to schoolhouse shooting spree Washington after the election earlier this month. “Put guns on the table. Also, put video to start a debate over taxes and spendgames on the table. Put mental health on ing, a number of prominent Republicans, the table,” Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., said including Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, last week. Other prominent Republicans the top Republican on the Senate Finance echoed him in calling for a sweeping re- Committee, signaled they would be willing view of how to prevent tragedies like the to abandon their pledges against raising Newtown, Conn., school shooting. Among taxes — as long as other conditions were those open to a re-evaluation of the na- met — as part of a package of proposals tion’s gun policies were Sens. Marco Ru- to avoid a catastrophic budget meltdown. Leading the effort was Boehner, who bio, R-Fla., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. “You’ve got to take all these things into has told Obama he would allow taxes to be increased on the wealthiest Americans, as consideration,” Grassley said. And yet, the head of the National Rifle well as on capital gains, estates and diviAssociation, silent for a week after the dends, as part of a deal including spending Newtown shootings, has proposed staff- cuts and provisions to slow the growth of ing schools with armed police, making entitlement programs. Obama, meanwhile, clear the NRA, which tends to support the also has made concessions in the talks to GOP, will continue pushing for fewer gun avoid the so-called “fiscal cliff” by agreeing to a higher-income threshold for tax rate restrictions, not more. Meanwhile, Boehner’s attempt to get increases, while insisting that Congress his own members on board with a deficit- grant him the authority to raise the debt reduction plan that would raise taxes on ceiling. Both sides have spent the past sevincomes of more than $1 million failed last eral weeks bickering over the terms. While some Democrats quickly called week, exposing the reluctance of many in the Republican caucus to entertain more for more stringent gun laws, most Republicans initially were silent. And their virmoderate fiscal positions. With Republican leaders being pulled tual absence from the debate suggested at once to the left and to the right, it’s that some Republicans who champion gun too soon to know whether the party that rights at least may have been reconsideremerges from this identity crisis will be ing their stances against firearms restricmore or less conservative than the one that tions. By the Monday after the Connecticut was once so confident about the 2012 elections. After all, less than two months have shooting, MSNBC talk show host Joe Scarpassed since the crushing defeat of GOP borough, a former Republican congresspresidential nominee Mitt Romney, who man from Florida, called for reinstating moved far to the right during the primary the ban on assault-style weapons, which he season and, some in the party say, lost the had opposed. The ban expired in 2004, despite support for it from Republican Presigeneral election as a result. But what’s increasingly clear is that the dent George W. Bush. Referring to the party is now engaged in an uncomfortable shooting, Scarborough said: “I knew that and very public fight over whether its te- day that the ideologies of my past career nets, still firmly held within the party’s were no longer relevant to the future that I most devout ranks, conflict with the views want, that I demand, for my children.” The next day, Grassley and Kingston of Americans as a whole. Many Republicans recognize that to re- were among the Republicans saying they main relevant with voters whose views are were at least willing to discuss stronger gun laws. changing, they too must change. “The party is at a point where it wants “We lost the election because we were out of touch with the American people,” to have those discussions in public, where said John Weaver, a senior adviser to past people feel comfortable differing from presidential candidates John McCain, the what is perceived as the party orthodoxy,” GOP nominee in 2008, and Jon Huntsman, said Republican consultant Dan Hazelwood. who sought the nomination this year. If silence is a signal, shifts on other isThe polling suggests as much. While Republican candidates for years sues could be coming, chief among them have adamantly opposed tax increases on gay marriage, which the GOP base long anyone, an Associated Press-GfK poll ear- has opposed. Exit polls found half of all lier this month found roughly half of all Americans say same-sex marriage should Americans supported allowing George W. be legally recognized. After three states — Washington, MaryBush-era tax cuts to expire on those earnland and Maine — voted last month to ing more than $250,000 a year. Most GOP candidates — Romney legalize gay marriage, the Republican leadamong them — also long have opposed ership generally has remained quiet on the allowing people in the country illegally to issue. There also has been no effort in the get an eventual path to citizenship. But House or Senate to push major legislation, exit polls from the Nov. 6 election showed only narrower proposals, such as a move in most voters favored allowing people work- the Armed Services Committee to bar gay marriages at military facilities. ing in the U.S. illegally to stay. But in a sign that the fight over gay marAnd gun control has for decades been anathema to Republicans. But a Washing- riage also may be waning within the GOP ton Post/ABC News poll published last base, former House Speaker Newt Ginweek, following the Connecticut shooting, grich said it was time for Republicans to showed 54 percent of Americans now fa- accept shifting public opinion. The former Georgia congressman, who vor stronger restrictions. This is the backdrop as Republicans oversaw passage of the Defense of Marundergo a period of soul-searching after riage Act in Congress and helped finance this fall’s electoral shellacking. Romney state campaigns to fight gay marriage in became the fifth GOP nominee in six elec- 2010, said in a Huffington Post interview tions to lose the national popular vote to that the party should work toward accepthe Democratic candidate. Republicans tance of rights for gay couples, while still also shed seats in their House majority distinguishing them from marriage. adoption measure MOSCOW (AP) — Defying a storm of domestic and international criticism, Russia moved toward finalizing a ban on Americans adopting Russian children, as Parliament’s upper house voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of a measure that President Vladimir Putin has indicated he will sign into law. The bill is widely seen as the Kremlin’s retaliation against an American law that calls for sanctions against Russians deemed to be human rights violators. It comes as Putin takes an increasingly confrontational attitude toward the West, brushing aside concerns about a crackdown on dissent and democratic freedoms. Dozens of Russian children close to being adopted by American families now will almost certainly be blocked from leaving the country. The law also cuts off the main international adoption route for Russian children stuck in often dismal orphanages: More than 60,000 Russian youngsters have been adopted in the United States in the past 20 years. There are about 740,000 children without parental care in Russia, according to UNICEF. All 143 members of the Federation Council present voted to support the bill, which has sparked criticism from both the United States and Russian officials, activists and artists, who say it victimizes children by depriving them of the chance to escape the squalor of orphanage life. The vote comes days after Parliament’s lower house overwhelmingly approved the ban. Seven people with posters protesting the bill were detained outside the Council before Wednesday’s vote. “Children get frozen in the Cold War,” one poster read. Some 60 people rallied in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city. The bill is part of larger legislation by Putin-allied lawmakers retaliating against a recently signed U.S. law that calls for sanctions against Russians deemed to be human rights violators. Although Putin has not explicitly committed to signing the bill, he strongly defended it in a press conference last week as “a sufficient response” to the new U.S. law. Originally Russia’s lawmakers cobbled together a more or less a tit-for-tat response to the U.S. law, providing for travel sanctions and the seizure of financial assets in Russia of Americans determined to have violated the rights of Russians. But it was expanded to include the adoption measure and call for a ban on any organizations that are engaged in political activities if they receive funding from U.S. citizens or are determined to be a threat to Russia’s interests. 60380195 �The Daily Sentinel Opinion Young children are often victims of gunfire in U.S. Monika Mathur Suzanne Gamboa The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Before 20 first-graders were massacred at school by a gunman in Newtown, Conn., first-grader Luke Schuster, 6, was shot to death in New Town, N.D. Six-year-olds John Devine, Jr. and Jayden Thompson were similarly killed in Kentucky and Texas. Veronica Moser-Sullivan, 6, died in a mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., while 6-year-old Kammia Perry was slain by her father outside her Cleveland home, according to an Associated Press review of 2012 media reports. Yet there was no gunman on the loose when Julio Segura-McIntosh died in Tacoma, Wash. The 3-year-old accidentally shot himself in the head while playing with a gun he found inside a car. As he mourned with the families of Newtown, President Barack Obama said the nation cannot accept such violent deaths of children as routine. But hundreds of young child deaths by gunfire — whether intentional or accidental — suggest it might already have. Between 2006 and 2010, 561 children age 12 and under were killed by firearms, according to the FBI’s most recent Uniform Crime Reports. The numbers each year are consistent: 120 in 2006; 115 in 2007; 116 in 2008, 114 in 2009 and 96 in 2010. The FBI’s count does not include gun-related child deaths that authorities have ruled accidental. “This happens on way too regular a basis and it affects families and communities — not at once, so we don’t see it and we don’t understand it as part of our national experience,” said Daniel Webster, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research. The true number of small children who died by gunfire in 2012 won’t be known for a couple of years, when official reports are collected and dumped into a database and analyzed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects to release its 2011 count in the spring. In response to what happened in Newtown, the Na- tional Rifle Association, the nation’s largest gun lobby, suggested shielding children from gun violence by putting an armed police officer in every school by the time classes resume in January. “Politicians pass laws for gun-free school zones … They post signs advertising them and in doing so they tell every insane killer in America that schools are the safest place to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum risk,” said NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre. Webster said children are more likely to die by gunfire at home or in the street. They tend to be safer when they are in school, he said. None of the 61 deaths reviewed by The Associated Press happened at school. Children die by many other methods as well: violent stabbings or throat slashings, drowning, beating and strangulation. But the gruesome recounts of gun deaths, sometimes just a few paragraphs in a newspaper or on a website, a few minutes on television or radio, bear witness that firearms too, are cutting short many youngsters’ lives. One week before the Newtown slayings, Alyssa Celaya, 8, bled to death after being shot by her father with a .38-caliber gun at the Tule River Indian Reservation in California. Her grandmother and two brothers also were killed, a younger sister and brother were shot and wounded. The father shot and killed himself amid a hail of gunfire from officers. Delric Miller’s life ended at 9 months and Angel Mauro Cortez Nava’s at 14 months. Delric was in the living room of a home on Detroit’s west side Feb. 20 when someone sprayed it with gunfire from an AK-47. Other children in the home at the time were not injured. Angel was cradled in his father’s arms on a sidewalk near their home in Los Angeles when a bicyclist rode by on June 4 and opened fire, killing the infant. Most media reports don’t include information on the type of gun used, sometimes because police withhold it for investigation purposes. Gun violence and the toll it is taking on children has been an issue raised for years in minority communities. The Daily Sentinel Reader Services Correction Policy Our main concern in all stories is to be accurate. If you know of an error in a story, call the newsroom at (740) 992-2156. Our main number is (740) 992-2155. Department extensions are: News Editor: Charlene Hoeflich, Ext. 12 Reporter: Sarah Hawley, Ext. 13 Advertising Retail: Sarah Thompson, Ext. 15 Retail: Brenda Davis, Ext 16 Class./Circ.: Tonya Balser, Ext. 10 Circulation Circulation Manager: David Killgallon, 740-446-2342, Ext. 12 General Information E-mail: mdsnews@mydailysentinel.com Web: www.mydailysentinel.com (USPS 436-840) Ohio Valley Publishing Co. Published Tuesday through Friday, 111 Court Street, Pomeroy, Ohio. Second-class postage paid at Pomeroy. Member: The Associated Press and the Ohio Newspaper Association. Postmaster: Send address corrections to The Daily Sentinel, P.O. Box 729, Pomeroy, Ohio 45769. Subscription Rates By carrier or motor route 4 weeks . . . . . . . . . . . .$11.30 52 weeks . . . . . . . . . .$128.85 Daily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50¢ Subscribers should remit in advance direct to The Daily Sentinel. No subscription by mail permitted in areas where home carrier service is available. Mail Subscription Inside Meigs County 12 Weeks . . . . . . . . . . .$35.26 26 Weeks . . . . . . . . . . .$70.70 52 Weeks . . . . . . . . . .$140.11 Outside Meigs County 12 Weeks . . . . . . . . . . .$56.55 26 Weeks . . . . . . . . . .$113.60 52 Weeks . . . . . . . . . .$227.21 The NAACP failed in its attempt to hold gun makers accountable through a lawsuit filed in 1999. Some in the community raised the issue during the campaign and asked Obama after he was re-elected to make reducing gun violence, particularly as a cause of death for young children, part of his second-term agenda. “Now that it’s clear that no community in this country is invulnerable from gun violence, from its children being stolen … we can finally have the national conversation we all need to have,” said Ben Jealous, president of the NAACP. This year’s gun deaths reviewed by the AP show the problem is not confined to the inner city or is simply the result of gang or drug violence, as often is the perception. Faith Ehlen, 22 months, Autumn Cochran, 10, and Alyssa Cochran, 11, all died Sept. 6. Their mother killed them with the shotgun before turning it on herself. Police said she had written a goodbye email to her boyfriend before killing the children in DeSoto, Mo., a community of about 6,300. In Dundee, Ore., Randall Engels used a gun to kill his estranged wife Amy Engels and son Jackson, 11, as they ate pizza on the Fourth of July. An older sibling of Jackson’s also was killed. Engels then committed suicide. The town of more than 5,000 people boasts on its website that it is a semirural town with “the cultural panache of a big city.” Many of the children who died in 2012 were shot with guns that belonged to their parents, relatives or baby sitters, or were simply in the home. Webster said children’s accidental deaths by guns have fallen since states passed laws requiring that guns be locked away from youths or have safeties to keep them from firing. But even people trained in gun use slip up — and the mistakes are costly. A Springville, Utah, police officer had a non-service gun in his home that officials said did not have external safeties. His 2-year-old son found the gun and shot himself on Sept. 11. The names of the father and son were not released at the time of the shooting. Page 4 Thursday, December 27, 2012 Few tests done at toxic sites after superstorm Katie Zezima Kevin Begos The Associated Press OLD BRIDGE, N.J. — For more than a month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said that the recent superstorm didn’t cause significant problems at any of the 247 Superfund toxic waste sites it’s monitoring in New York and New Jersey. But in many cases, no actual tests of soil or water are being conducted, just visual inspections. The EPA conducted a handful of tests right after the storm, but couldn’t provide details or locations of any recent testing when asked last week. New Jersey officials point out that federally designated Superfund sites are EPA’s responsibility. The 1980 Superfund law gave EPA the power to order cleanups of abandoned, spilled and illegally dumped hazardous wastes that threaten human health or the environment. The sites can involve long-term or short-term cleanups. Jeff Tittel, executive director of the Sierra Club in New Jersey, says officials haven’t done enough to ensure there is no contamination from Superfund sites. He’s worried toxins could leach into groundwater and the ocean. “It’s really serious and I think the EPA and the state of New Jersey have not done due diligence to make sure these sites have not created problems,” Tittel said. The EPA said last month that none of the Superfund sites it monitors in New York or New Jersey sustained significant damage, but that it has done follow-up sampling at the Gowanus Canal site in Brooklyn, the Newtown Creek site on the border of Queens and Brooklyn, and the Raritan Bay Slag site, all of which flooded during the storm. But last week, EPA spokeswoman Stacy Kika didn’t respond to questions about whether any soil or water tests have been done at the other 243 Superfund sites. The agency hasn’t said exactly how many of the sites flooded. “Currently, we do not believe that any sites were im- Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Letters to the Editor Letters to the editor should be limited to 300 words. All letters are subject to editing, must be signed and include address and telephone number. No unsigned letters will be published. Letters should be in good taste, addressing issues, not personalities. “Thank You” letters will not be accepted for publication. pacted in ways that would pose a threat to nearby communities,” EPA said in a statement. Politicians have been asking similar questions, too. On Nov. 29, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., wrote to the EPA to ask for “an additional assessment” of Sandy’s impact on Superfund sites in the state. Elevated levels of lead, antimony, arsenic and copper have been found at the Raritan Bay Slag site, a Superfund site since 2009. Blast furnaces dumped lead at the site in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and lead slag was also used there to construct a seawall and jetty. The EPA found lead levels as high as 142,000 parts per million were found at Raritan Bay in 2007. Natural soil levels for lead range from 50 to 400 parts per million. The EPA took four samples from the site after Superstorm Sandy: two from a fenced-off beach area and two from a nearby public playground. One of the beach samples tested above the recreational limit for lead. In early November, the EPA said it was taking additional samples “to get a more detailed picture of how the material might have shifted” and will “take appropriate steps to prevent public exposure” at the site, according to a bulletin posted on its website. But six weeks later, the agency couldn’t provide more details of what has been found. The Newtown Creek site, with pesticides, metals, PCBs and volatile organic compounds, and the Gowanus Canal site, heavily contaminated with PCBs, heavy metals, volatile organics and coal tar wastes, were added to the Superfund list in 2010. Some say the lead at the Raritan Bay site can disperse easily. Gabriel Fillippeli, director of the Center for Urban Health at Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis, said lead tends to stay in the soil once it is deposited but can be moved around by stormwaters or winds. Arsenic, which has been found in the surface water at the site, can leach into the water table, Fillippeli said. “My concern is twofold. One is, a storm like that surely moved some of that material physically to other places, I would think,” Fillippeli said. “If they don’t cap that or seal it or clean it up, arsenic will continue to make its way slowly into groundwater and lead will be distributed around the neighborhood.” The lack of testing has left some residents with lingering worries. The Raritan Bay Slag site sits on the beach overlooking a placid harbor with a view of Staten Island. On a recent foggy morning, workers were hauling out debris, and some nearby residents wondered whether the superstorm increased or spread the amount of pollution at the site. “I think it brought a lot of crud in from what’s out there,” said Elise Pelletier, whose small bungalow sits on a hill overlooking the Raritan Bay Slag site. “You don’t know what came in from the water.” Her street did not flood because it is up high, but she worries about a park below where people go fishing and walk their dogs. She would like to see more testing done. Thomas Burke, an associate dean at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, says both federal and state officials generally have a good handle on the major Superfund sites, which often use caps and walls to contain pollution. “They are designed to hold up,” Burke said of such structures, but added that “you always have to be concerned that an unusual event can spread things around in the environment.” Burke noted that the storm brought in a “tremendous amount” of water, raising the possibility that groundwater plumes could have changed. “There really have to be evaluations” of communities near the Superfund sites, he said. “It’s important to take a look.” Officials in both New York and New Jersey note they’ve also been monitoring less toxic sites known as brownfields and haven’t found major problems. The New York DEC said in a statement that brownfields in that state “were not significantly impacted” and that they don’t plan further tests for storm impacts. The Daily Sentinel Ohio Valley Publishing Co. 111 Court Street Pomeroy, Ohio Phone (740) 992-2156 Fax (740) 992-2157 www.mydailysentinel.com Sammy M. Lopez Publisher Stephanie Filson Managing Editor �Thursday, December 27, 2012 The Daily Sentinel • Page 5 www.mydailysentinel.com Obituaries Vernon Edward Bing Vernon Edward Bing, 47, of Gallipolis, Ohio, passed away at his residence on Monday, December 24, 2012. Vern was born on August 24, 1965, in Columbus, Ohio, son of Vernon William and Oleva Darleen Bing who survive, in Pomeroy, Ohio. Vern was a hardworking man, being the owner of two local businesses, VSL Painting Construction, LLC and VSL Signs, LLC. He was also an U.S. Navy Veteran. He is survived by his loving wife of twenty-five years, Shelly Rahe Wilson Bing; his son, Curtis Edward Bing of Cheshire; his daughter, Lauren Ashley Bing of Gallipolis; two brothers, Carl Duane (Diana) Bing of Bidwell and Charles Anthony Bing of Pomeroy; one sister, Melissa Carol Bing (Ronnie) Bolin of Bidwell; one granddaughter, Cassidy Michelle Bing of Oak Hill, Ohio; several aunts, uncles, and many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by grandparents, Mount Vernon Bing, Bertha Elizabeth Bing, Lee Meredith Bing and Aurelia Bing. Graveside services will be 2 p.m., Sunday, December 30, 2012, for relative and friends at the Addison Reynolds Cemetery with Rev. Don Saxon officiating. Friends may call from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday, December 29, 2012, at Willis Funeral Home. There will be flag presentation at the graveside. Pallbearers will be John Carroll, Randy McKinney, Jerrid Douglas, Jeremy Gardner, James Stewart, and Andrew Parsons. Please visit www.willisfuneralhome.com to send e-mail condolences. Rose Marie Grindstaff Rose Marie Grindstaff, 78, of Racine, Ohio, passed away at her residence. She was born on February 18, 1934, in Charleston, West Virginia. She was a faithful member of the Racine United Methodist Church. She is survived by her children, Linda (Jerry) VanInwagen of Pomeroy, Ohio, Dave (Bert) Grindstaff of Racine, Brian (Gale) Grindstaff of Letart, West Virginia; grandchildren, Jerrod (Melissa) VanInwagen of Racine, David (LaDean) VanInwagen of Timberlake, North Carolina, Cara Grindstaff of Leon, W.Va., Tabitha Grindstaff of Leon, Ryan Grindstaff of Letart, W.Va., Jason (Susan) Morris of Pomeroy, Bobby (Stacy) Thorla of Pomeroy, Kyle (Jamie) McKeever of Ravenswood, W.Va.; great-grandchildren, Tyler, Major, and Weston VanInwagen; brother, James (Karen) Jenkins of Madison, W.Va.; sisters, Sarah Woodson of Virginia Beach, Va., Helen Jones of Oak Hill, W.Va., Alice Berry of Oak Hill, W.Va.; brothers and sisters-in-law, Don and Shirley Grindstaff of Apple Valley, Minn. and Harry Benjamin and Barbara Grindstaff of Oklahoma City, Okla.; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her mother, Garnette Jenkins; husband, David Grindstaff; brother, Jack Jenkins; sister, Sharon Hancock; grandsons, Todd Grindstaff and David W. Grindstaff, Jr. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, December 28, 2012, at the Racine United Methodist Church with the Rev. Bill Marshall officiating. Burial will follow at the Meigs Memory Gardens. Visitation will be held for family and friends from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, December 27, 2012, at the Anderson McDaniel Funeral Home in Pomeroy. A registry is available at www.andersonmcdaniel.com. Patricia Ann Boyles Shane Patricia Ann Boyles Shane, 52, of Middleport, Ohio, passed away on Tuesday, December 25, 2012, at the Holzer Medical Center. She was born on March 4, 1960, daughter of Linda Cremeans Boyles of Middleport and the late Charles William Boyles. In addition to her father, she was preceded in death by her grandparents, Clarence and Julia Boyles and Basil and Kathleen Cremeans; great nephew, Braiden M. Rizer; uncles, Marvin and Melvin Cremeans; and cousin Belinda Roach. She is survived by her daughter, Heather (Trenton Qualls) Boyles; grandchildren, Tyson, Cameron, Collin and Kiana Boyles; mother, Linda Boyles; sister and brother-in-law, Vickie (Tony) Connolly; nephew, Todd (Bethany) Rizer; great nieces and nephews, Briar, Kai- tlyn and Kylie Rizer, Jared (Lindsi Sans) McKinney and Treay Mckinney; special friend, Randy Chafin; and several aunts, uncles and cousins. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 29, 2012, at the Anderson McDaniel Funeral Home in Middleport. Visitation for family and friends will be held from 3-5 p.m. on Friday, December 28, 2012, at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers donations may be made for the Patricia Shane family in care of Anderson McDaniel Funeral Home PO Box 151, Middleport, OH 45760. A registry is available at www.andersonmcdaniel.com. Willa Dean Burcham Willa Dean Burcham, 79, of Proctorville, Ohio died Sunday, December 23, 2012, at home. A funeral service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday, December 28, 2012, at Hall Funeral Home, Proctorville, Ohio by Pastor Steve Rhodes. Burial will follow in Miller Memorial Gardens, Miller, Ohio. Visitation will be held 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, December 28, 2012, at Hall Funeral Home, Proctorville, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Huntington. Mary Margaret Fisher Mary Margaret Fisher, 88, of San Jose, Calif., formerly of Point Pleasant, W.Va., died December 22, 2012, in San Jose, Calif. There will be no local services and no visitation. Burial will be held in the Lone Oak Cemetery in Point Pleasant, W.Va. Arrangements are under the direction of the the Wilcoxen Funeral Home in Point Pleasant, W.Va. Sandra Jo (Byus) Henry Sandra Jo (Byus) Henry, 54, of Rutland, Ohio, died Thursday, December 20, 2012, at home. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, December 28, 2012, at Wilcoxen Funeral Home in Point Pleasant, W.Va., with Pastor Charles Birchfield officiating. Burial will follow at the Kirkland Memorial Gardens in Point Pleasant, W.Va. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m., Thursday at the funeral home Billie J. Marcum Billie J. Marcum, 76, of Thurman, Ohio, died at his residence on Christmas Day, December 25, 2012, surrounded by his family. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, December 29, 2012, in the Harvestime Worship Center, Main Street, Vinton, Ohio, with Pastor Ron Massie and Pastor David Marcum officiating. Burial will follow in the Pendleton-Marcum Cemetery near Vinton. Friends may call at the Harvestime Worship Center on Friday, from 4-8 p.m. The McCoy-Moore Funeral Home,Vinton, is honored to serve the Marcum family. Doris E. Scott Doris E. Scott, 90, of Point Pleasant, W.Va., died December 26, 2012, in Pleasant Valley Nursing and Rehab Center. Arrangements will be announced by the Deal Funeral Home. Pearl Alan Smith Pearl Alan Smith, 56, died December 25, 2012 at The Villages Hospital in Florida. Arrangements will be announced at a later date. Ernie M. Stutler Ernie Murell Stutler, 65, of Leon, W.Va., died Tuesday, December 25, 2012, at his home following a long illness. Funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, December 28, 2012, at Raynes Funeral Home, Buffalo, W.Va., with Elmer Miller officiating. Burial will follow at Wolfe Valley Cemetery, Leon, W.Va. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m., Thursday, December 27, 2012, at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family suggestions donations be made to Gladys Stutler to help offset funeral expenses. Raynes Funeral Home, 2117 Buffalo Road, Buffalo is in charge of arrangements. Truman Donald Turner Jr. Truman Donald Turner, Jr., age 76, died Tuesday, December 25, 2012. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, December 29, 2012, at the Rehobeth Church in Waterloo, Ohio, with Pastor Henry Hatfield officiating. Friends may call from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the church, and a Masonic service will be conducted by the Waterloo Lodge 532. Burial will follow at the Rehobeth Cemetery in Lawrence County. Bypass From Page 1 struction of the west interchange as well as the construction of four bridges. • Poured four bridge decks for a total of 1,304 cubic yards of concrete • Installed 19,000 feet of guardrail — equivalent to the length of nearly 53 football fields • Placed more than 52,000 tons of aggregate base — equivalent to the weight of the Titanic • Paved 8,646 cubic yards of asphalt • Placed more than 475,000 square yards of seeding and mulching • Installed 89,000 feet of drainage pipe — approximately 17 miles long • One of the greatest accomplishments made this year was the opening of 3.8 miles of Phase II — nearly nine months ahead of schedule. “The opening of phase two ahead of schedule is incredible and illustrates the hard work ODOT and the contractors have been doing since we broke ground in 2009,” explained Phase II Project Engineer Audrey Seals. “Motorists can now get into and out of Nelsonville much safer than before.” Nelsonville Bypass, Phase III Phase III begins near Doanville and includes construction of 3.87 miles of four-lane highway. Also included in Phase III is the construction of the U.S. 33/ Ohio 78/Ohio 691 interchange. The project will reroute Ohio 78 1.63 miles through the Happy Hollow area to form the interchange. • Excavated the final 400,000 cubic yards of dirt and placed the last 170,000 cubic yards of embankment • Placed 15,000 cubic yards of grout — that’s enough to fill four-and-a- half Olympic sized pools • Installed 111,000 feet of drainage pipe — approximately 21 miles long • Placed 75,000 tons of aggregate base — the weight of nearly threeand-a-half Great Sphinx • Paved 70,000 square yards of concrete pavement — equal to nearly fourteen-and-a-half acres • Poured five bridge decks for a total of 2,165 cubic yards of concrete • Placed 437,000 square yards of seeding and mulching “We accomplished our goals this year of finishing the excavation work, mine grouting and pouring the concrete decks,” said Phase III Project Engineer Daniel McDonald. “Next year we’ll focus on paving, finishing the State Route 78 interchange and installing safety items such as pavement markings, signs and lighting.” NY firefighters’ killer mapped out plan for slayings WEBSTER, N.Y. (AP) — The ex-con turned sniper who killed two firefighters wanted to make sure his goodbye note was legible, typing out his desire to “do what I like doing best, killing people” before setting the house where he lived with his sister ablaze, police said. Police Chief Gerald Pickering said Tuesday that the 62-year-old loner, William Spengler, brought plenty of ammunition with him for three weapons including a militarystyle assault rifle as he set out on a quest to burn down his neighborhood just before sunrise on Christmas Eve. And when firefighters arrived to stop him, he unleashed a torrent of bullets, shattering the windshield of the fire truck that volunteer firefighter and police Lt. Michael Chiapperini, 43, drove to the scene. Fellow firefighter Tomasz Kaczowka, 19, who worked as a 911 dispatcher, was killed as well. Two other firefighters were struck by bullets, one in the pelvis and the other in the chest and knee. They remained hospitalized in stable condition and were expected to survive. On Tuesday, investigators found a body in the Spengler home, presumably that of the sister a neighbor said Spengler hated: 67-year-old Cheryl Spengler. Spengler’s penchant for death had surfaced before. He served 17 years in prison for manslaughter in the 1980 hammer slaying of his grandmother. But his intent was unmistakable when he left his flaming home carrying a pump-action shotgun, a .38-caliber revolver and a .223-caliber semiautomatic Bushmaster rifle with flash suppression, the same make and caliber weapon used in the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn., that killed 26. “He was equipped to go to war, kill innocent people,” the chief said of a felon who wasn’t allowed to possess weapons because of his criminal past. It was not clear how he got them. The assault rifle was believed to be the weapon that struck down the firefighters. He then killed himself as seven houses burned on a sliver of land along Lake Ontario. His body was not found on a nearby beach until hours afterward. Residents of the suburban Rochester neighborhood who left their homes during the fire were allowed to return Tuesday. Police SWAT team members had used an armored vehicle to evacuate more than 30 residents. Spengler’s motive was left unclear, Pickering said, even as authorities began analyzing a two- to three-page typewritten rambling note Spengler left behind. He declined to reveal the note’s full content or say where it was found. He read only one chilling line: “I still have to get ready to see how much of the neighborhood I can burn down, and do what I like doing best, killing people.” Pickering added: “There was some rambling in there and some intelligence we need to follow up on.” It remained unknown what set Spengler off but a nextdoor neighbor, Roger Vercruysse, noted that he loved his mother, Arline, who died in October after living in the house in a neighborhood of seasonal and year-round homes across the road from a lakeshore popular with recreational boaters. Pickering said it was unclear whether the person believed to be Spengler’s sister died before or during the fire. “It was a raging inferno in there,” Pickering said. As Pickering described it and as emergency radio communications on the scene showed, the heavily armed Spengler took a position behind a small hill by the house as four firefighters arrived after 5:30 a.m. to extinguish the fire: two on a fire truck; two in their own vehicles. Several firefighters went beneath the truck to shield themselves as an off-duty police officer who came to the scene pulled his vehicle alongside the truck to try to shield them, authorities said. The first police officer who arrived chased and exchanged shots with Spengler, recounting it later over his police radio. “I could see the muzzle blasts comin’ at me. … I fired four shots at him. I thought he went down,” the officer said. At another point, he said: “I don’t know if I hit him or not. He’s by a tree. … He was movin’ eastbound on the berm when I was firing shots.” Pickering portrayed the officer as a hero who saved many lives. The audio posted on the website RadioReference.com also has someone reporting “firefighters are down” and saying “got to be rifle or shotgun — high-powered … semi or fully auto.” Spengler had been charged with murder in his grandmother’s death but pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter, apparently to spare his family a trial. After he was freed from prison, Spengler had lived a quiet life on Lake Road on a narrow peninsula where Irondequoit Bay meets Lake Ontario. That ended when he left his burning home Monday morning, armed with his weapons, a lot of ammunition and a measure of hate. “I’m not sure we’ll ever know what was going through his mind,” Pickering said. BUNDLE & SAVE! ON DIGITAL SERVICES FOR YOUR HOME DIGITAL TV HIGH-SPEED INTERNET DIGITAL PHONE Offers may be available now in your area from Acceller, Inc. for these top service providers: * BUNDLES STARTING AS LOW AS $89/mo. For first 12 months FIND OUT MORE BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-866-636-5984 By Acceller, Inc., an authorized retailer. *Geographic and service restrictions apply to all services. Call to see if you qualify. �The Daily Sentinel THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2012 Sports mdssports@heartlandpublications.com Bengals have nothing at stake in final game CINCINNATI (AP) — With their playoff seeding locked in place, the Bengals have the option of taking it easy with some of their players in the final regular-season game. They’ve done it before, and it hasn’t turned out so well. The Bengals (9-6) haven’t won a playoff game since 1990, going 0-3 in the postseason under coach Marvin Lewis. He wouldn’t talk in any detail Monday about his plans for their concluding game against Baltimore at Paul Brown Stadium, other than to say he’s learned from those playoff losses. In 2009, Cincinnati had clinched the AFC North title before the final game on the road against the Jets. He rested starters during a 37-0 loss to New York. One week later, the Jets came to Cincinnati and won 24-14. The starters were rested, but their momentum was gone. “How’d that work out for us?” Lewis said on Monday. “I don’t really have any beat-up guys. So, the only thing that is at stake is you go out and play to win the game every time we go. That’s important.” A 13-10 victory in Pittsburgh on Sunday clinched the final AFC wild-card spot. Baltimore (10-5) won the AFC North later in the day by beating the Giants. The Bengals are locked in as the sixth seed, so they’ll be on the road for every game in the playoffs. Their destination will be decided by how the final weekend plays out. The Patriots currently are the No. 3 seed, which would put the Bengals in line for a first-round game at New England. If the Ravens beat the Ben- gals on Sunday and New England loses at home to Miami, Baltimore would move into the third seed and host Cincinnati in the first round. There’s also a chance the Bengals could open at Houston — where they lost 31-10 in a firstround game last season — or at Denver. The Broncos beat the Bengals 31-23 at Paul Brown Stadium on Nov. 4. There are so many possibilities that the Bengals aren’t paying much attention. Lewis is trying to get them focused on something else this week: evening up things with the rival that made them look bad at the start of the season. The Bengals opened in Baltimore on Monday night and lost 44-13, one of the worst seasonopening drubbings in franchise history. “We didn’t kick the See BENGALS ‌| 8 Heat’s LeBron James talks about 2012, what’s ahead MIAMI (AP) — Pat Riley has a theory why LeBron James’ journey to basketball’s mountaintop took so long. Growth, he said, takes time. “I always use the analogy of the Chinese bamboo tree,” said the Miami Heat president. “You plant the seed in the ground and it just sits there and 10 years later it grows 100 feet in one year. Over the 10 years, there’s a root structure and a taproot that is growing deeper and deeper and deeper and is embedded in the ground. And when that thing starts growing, it ain’t going anywhere but up.” That is, much like James did in 2012. It was practically a year beyond compare. James got his first NBA championship, was the league’s MVP for the third time, a unanimous choice as MVP of the NBA Finals, and collected a second Olympic gold medal. And in perhaps the last marquee moment of his year, James and the Heat play host to Oklahoma City on Tuesday, a Finals rematch on Christmas. James will be center stage with the Heat-Thunder showdown part of the NBA’s Christmas slate of nationally televised games including: The Boston Celtics vs. the Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks against the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets taking on the Chicago Bulls and the Denver Nuggets squaring off against the Los Angeles Clippers. And there are some sensational story lines around all those games. But no NBA player did anything in 2012 that matched what James put together. No longer uncomfortable with the fallout for the way he exercised his right in 2010 to choose his own future, he enjoyed a year loaded with triumphs. James allowed himself to be in the public eye more, heard booing in most road arenas return to normal levels and insists he’s as content as ever. “I’m driven,” James said, “by something greater.” He has money. He would figure to contend for several more championships if he remains healthy. He has enormous fame. He is on top of his game and in his prime. The 27-year-old James is averaging 25.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists and the Heat are leading the Eastern Conference with an 18-6 record. See JAMES ‌| 8 Pedro Portal | MCT photo Miami Heat’s LeBron James dunks in the first quarter as the Miami Heat faced Oklahoma City Thunder at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday. OVP Sports Schedule Thursday, Dec. 27 Boys Basketball PPHS at Wyoming East Tourney, 6 p.m. Girls Basketball Alexander at River Valley, 6 p.m. Gallia Academy vs. Meigs at South Gallia Tourney, 6 p.m. Point Pleasant at South Gallia, 8 p.m. Hannan at Federal Hocking, 6 p.m. Wrestling Coaches Corner Classic at Gallia Academy, 10 a.m. Quad at Wahama, 8 a.m. Swimming River Valley at U. of Charleston, TBA Friday, Dec. 28 Boys Basketball Meigs at Southern, 6 p.m. Hannan at Wahama, 6 p.m. River Valley vs. Belpre at Marietta College, 9:30 Symmes Valley at South Gallia, 6 p.m. Eastern at Alexander, 6 p.m. OVCS vs. Huntington Ross at Wellston, 6 p.m. PPHS at Wyoming East Tourney, 6 p.m. Wrestling PPHS at Wheeling Park Duals, 6 p.m. URG Sports Men’s Basketball at Cleveland State, 7 p.m. Sam Riche | MCT photo Colts head coach Chuck Pagano speaks to the assembled crowd. The Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay welcomed head coach Chuck Pagano back to work today at the Colts practice facility after he’s been away almost three months battling Leukemia. With the Colts now assured a spot in the playoffs Pagano will coach the last regular season game this Sunday in Indianapolis against the Texans and then the pending playoff game. Colts General Manager Ryan Grigson and interim head coach Bruce Airans were also in attendance as well as Pagano’s wife Tina Pagano and his daughter Taylor Pagano. Manning, Peterson, Pagano: 2012 a year to remember DENVER (AP) — From Peyton Manning overcoming four neck surgeries to Adrian Peterson’s rebound from a shredded knee to Chuck Pagano’s fight with leukemia, this has been the Year of the Comeback in the NFL. A season besmirched by tragedies, replacement officials and a bounty scandal also will go down as one in which some of the game’s greats not only regained their old form but somehow surpassed it. There are always feel-good stories about those who overcome long odds and broken bodies to regain at least a sliver of their past glory. This season provided an abundance of them. When the season started, who could have expected Manning to recapture his MVP play so quickly with a new team? Or for Peterson to come back less than nine months after shredding his left knee. Or for Jamaal Charles to return better than ever after suffering a similar injury. Then there’s Pagano beating the biggest opponent of his life. A year ago, Manning was in the midst of four neck operations to fix a nerve injury that had caused his right arm to atrophy and had sidelined him for an entire season. Soon, he would say a tearful farewell to Indianapolis, a city he’d put back on the NFL map, and hook up with John Elway in Denver. Peterson’s left knee was still swollen after he’d shredded it on Christmas Eve, an injury similar to the one Charles suffered earlier last season. Yet both would defy medicine and conventional wisdom alike to rebound as better runners than they were before getting hurt. Pagano’s fight started three months ago when it was disclosed he had cancer, forcing the firstyear Colts coach to take time off for chemotherapy treatments. He returned to work this week, taking the reins from assistant Bruce Arians, who guided the team to a surprising playoff berth in his absence. “When I asked for Bruce to take over, I asked for him to kick some you-know-what and to do great. Damn Bruce, you had to go and win nine games?” Pagano said. “Tough act to follow.” If all goes well at practice this week, Pagano will be on the sideline for the regular-season finale against Houston. That’s a final tuneup for the AFC wild-card playoffs that nobody saw coming for the Colts so soon after cutting ties with Manning, who switched teams, coaches, cities and colors and didn’t miss a beat in 2012. Despite a new supporting cast and a 36-year-old body he insists continues to confound him, the quintessential quarterback has had one of the best seasons in his storied career. Manning set franchise or NFL records just about every week while completing 68 percent of his passes for 4,355 yards with 34 TDs and just 11 interceptions. And yet, he insists he’s not anything close to what he used to be, that all he can do is maximize what’s left in a body that’s been slowed by so many surgeons’ scalpels, and trips around the sun. “I know you don’t believe me when I say this; I’m still learning about myself physically and what I can do, it’s still the truth,” Manning said after guiding Denver to its 10th straight win. “I still have things that are harder than they used to be, so (there’s) things I have to work on from a rehab standpoint and a strength standpoint. That’s just the way it is and maybe that’s the way it’s going to be from here See REMEMBER ‌| 8 Duke looks to end bowl drought vs. Cincinnati CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Chances are when you think of Duke, you think of men’s basketball. Senior receiver Conner Vernon sees Thursday night’s Belk Bowl against Cincinnati as a perfect opportunity to help the Blue Devils’ football team emerge from coach Mike Krzyzewski’s shadow. This is Duke’s first bowl game in 18 seasons, and the Blue Devils will be playing in the only nationally televised bowl of the night. “Anybody who follows college football will be watching, so this is our chance in the national spotlight to take a big step forward with this program and let people know about us,” said Vernon, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s alltime career leader in receptions and yards receiving. Duke (6-6) hasn’t won a bowl game since 1961. “Is there a lot of pressure on us? Absolutely,” said quarterback Sean Renfree. “But good players like added pressure, and they thrive on it.” Coach David Cutcliffe called this game the next step in trying to build a winning tradition and raise the level of expectations of the players, similar to what his friend Krzyzewski has done on the hardwood. “This is national exposure for us,” Cutcliffe said. “The NFL is not playing. We’re it. We’re the game. So people across the country who maybe heard a little bit about Duke football, if they see us play as well as we can play, I think they will be a little shocked. We have a lot of speed and a lot of skill. So this can have a huge impact for us.” And Cutcliffe said the Blue Devils are on the verge of something special. “I don’t plan on not making a bowl again — and that’s the mentality I want every player to have. … When I talked to coach Krzyzewski, there is no question what the expectations of a Duke basketball player are,” Cutcliffe said. “And that’s the opportunity we have — to create really big expectations.” Duke faces a Cincinnati team in transition after the departure earlier this month of coach Butch Jones and both coordinators. Jones left to take the job at Tennessee, so defensive line coach Steve Stripling See DUKE ‌| 8 �ANNOUNCEMENTS Notices NOTICE OHIO VALLEY PUBLISHING CO. Recommends that you do Business with People you know, and NOT to send Money through the Mail until you have Investigated the Offering. Pictures that have been placed in ads at the Gallipolis Daily Tribune must be picked within 30 days. Any pictures that are not picked up will be discarded. SERVICES 300 SERVICES Business & Trade School Gallipolis Career College (Careers Close To Home) Call Today! 740-446-4367 1-800-214-0452 gallipoliscareercollege.edu Accredited Member Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools 1274B ANIMALS Pets GIVEAWAY - 3 female Cats Spayed & litter trained - Indoor Only. Call 446-3897 AGRICULTURE Professional Services MERCHANDISE SEPTIC PUMPING Gallia Co. OH and Mason Co. WV. Ron Evans Jackson, OH 800-537-9528 Miscellaneous J & C TREE SERVICE 30 yrs experience, insured No job too big or small. 304-675-2213 304-377-8547 Repairs Joe's TV Repair on most makes & Models. House Calls 304-675-1724 FINANCIAL Money To Lend NOTICE Borrow Smart. Contact the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions Office of Consumer Affairs BEFORE you refinance your home or obtain a loan. BEWARE of requests for any large advance payments of fees or insurance. Call the Office of Consumer Affiars toll free at 1-866-278-0003 to learn if the mortgage broker or lender is properly licensed. (This is a public service announcement from the Ohio Valley Publishing Company) The Daily Sentinel • Page 7 www.mydailysentinel.com Jet Aeration Motors repaired, new & rebuilt in stock. Call Ron Evans 1-800-537-9528 AAG Ever Consider a Reverse Mortgage? At least 62 years old? Stay in your home & increase cash flow! Safe & Effective! Call Now for your FREE DVD! Call Now 866-935-7730 ACCELLER CLASSIFIED SAVE on Cable TV-Internet-Digital Phone. Packages start at $89.99/mo (for 12 months.) Options from ALL major service providers. Call Acceller today to learn more! CALL 1-866-636-5984 CREDIT CARD DEBT Buried in Credit Card Debt? Over $10,000? We can get you out of debt quickly and save you thousands of dollars! Call CREDIT CARD RELIEF for your free consultation 1-888-838-6679 Miscellaneous Miscellaneous HERITAGE FOR THE BLIND DONATE YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR BOAT TO HERITAGE FOR THE BLIND. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. 888-740-6292 PARK AVENUE Buy Gold & Silver Coins - 1 percent over dealer cost For a limited time, Park Avenue Numismatics is selling Silver and Gold American Eagle Coins at 1 percent over dealer cost. 1-888-284-9780 HIGH SPEED INTERNET Highspeed Internet EVERYWHERE By Satellite! Speeds up to 12mbps! (200x faster than dial-up.) Starting at $49.95/mo. CALL NOW & GO FAST! 1-877-358-7040 HYDRAFLEXIN Attention Joint & Muscle Pain Sufferers: Clinically proven allnatural supplement helps reduce pain and enhance mobility. Call 888-602-7109 to try Hydraflexin RISK-FREE for 90 days. MEDICAL GUARDIAN Medical Alert for Seniors-24/7 monitoring. FREE Equipment. FREE Shipping. Nationwide Service $29.95/Month CALL Medical Guardian Today 877-356-1913 MY COMPUTER WORKS Computer problems? Viruses, spyware, email, printer issues, bad internet connections-FIX IT NOW! Professional, U.S.based technicians. $25 off service. Call for immediate help. 1-877-617-7822 MyION DIABETICS ATTENTION DIABETICS with Medicare. Get a FREE talking meter and diabetic testing supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking! Call 877-310-5568 Want To Buy Want to buy Junk Cars, Call 740-388-0884 Absolute Top Dollar - silver/gold coins, any 10K/14K/18K gold jewelry, dental gold, pre 1935 US currency, proof/mint sets, diamonds, MTS Coin Shop. 151 2nd Avenue, Gallipolis. 446-2842 RECREATIONAL VEHICLES AUTOMOTIVE REAL ESTATE SALES REAL ESTATE RENTALS Apartments/Townhouses 1 & 2 bedroom apartments & houses, No pets, 740-992-2218 RENTALS AVAILABLE! 2 BR townhouse apartments, also renting 2 & 3BR houses. Call 441-1111. FIRST MONTH FREE 2 & 3 BR apts $425 mo & up sec dep $300 & up AC, W/D hook-up tenant pays elec EHO Ellm View Apts 304-882-3017 NICE - 2 bedroom Apartment. Gallipolis $575.00/mo w/s/g washer/dryer included. NO PETS 740-591-5174 Miscellaneous Apartments/Townhouses For Rent : Second floor apartment overlooking Gallipolis City Park. LR 1 bedroom,bath,kitchen-dining area,washer&dryer. $400 per month Call 446-4425 or 4462325 Furnished 2 bedroom Apartment - Racine Oh, NO PETS, 740-591-5174 Nice 2BR Apartment - water & trash included - $600mo plus $600 deposit - 446-9585 Spring Valley Green Apartments 1 BR at $425+2 BR at $475 Month. 446-1599. Twin Rivers Tower is accepting applications for waiting list for HUD subsidized, 1-BR apartment for the elderly/disabled, call 304-675-6679 Houses For Rent 4 BR, NO PETS, Syracuse, OH. $575/mo 304-675-5332 or 740-591-0265 MANUFACTURED HOUSING Rentals 2BR Trailer, Vinton Area, newly remodled, front & back porch in country setting, has small utility shed. $350 plus utilities, all electric, Dep & 1st mo. rent required No Pets. Call for Application & Info 740-4464514 Sales Repo's Available 740)446-3570 RESORT PROPERTY EMPLOYMENT Call Drivers & Delivery R&J Trucking is seeking qualified CDL drivers for local and regional routes with our SemiDumps and regional driving positions with our Bulk Tanker division. We feature weekend home time for our regional drivers, we offer health & dental insurance, vacation and bonus pays, 401(K) and safety awards. Applicants must be over 23 yrs., & have at least 2 yr. commercial driving exp. Haz-Mat Cert., and a clean driving record. Contact Kent at 800-462-9365. EOE. SERVICE / BUSINESS DIRECTORY Manufactured Homes 2 bdrm, 2 bath, trailer for rent $450 mo, plus $450 deposit. Ph 740-367-7006 3 BR 2 bath Mobile home on farm, All Appliances, $600 mo, Plus $300 utility allowance, 540)729-1331 Miscellaneous BASEMENT WATERPROOFING. Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee. Local references. Established in 1975. Call 24hrs (740)446-0870. Rogers Basement Waterproofing www.mydailysentinel.com Thursday, December 27, 2012 �Thursday, December 27, 2012 OVP Sports Briefs South Gallia Holiday Torunament MERCERVILLE, Ohio — The South Gallia Holiday Tournament will be held on Thursday and Saturday at South Gallia High School. The Thursday girls varsity basketball game will be at 6 p.m. between Gallia Academy and Meigs, while the host Lady Rebels will battle Point Pleasant in the nightcap at 8 p.m. The two losing teams will play at noon Saturday in the consolation game, while the two winning teams face off at 2 p.m. in the championship. OVP sports has new email address GALLIPOLIS, Ohio — The Ohio Valley Publishing sports department officially has a new set of email addresses as the company moves forward as a part of Civitas Media, LLC. The office number and fax number remain the same, but the new email contacts for the sports department are Alex Hawley at ahawley@civitasmedia. com and Bryan Walters at bwalters@civitasmedia. com Mason County Youth Wrestling signups POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — The signups dates for the Mason County Youth Wrestling League are as such: First Point Weigh In from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on January 3 at Hartley Wrestling Building. Second Point Weigh In from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on January 8 at Hartley Wrestling Building. Last Chance Weigh in from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. on January 15 at Hartley Wrestling Building. There is a registration fee. Duke From Page 6 will serve as interim head coach Thursday night. Incoming coach Tommy Tubberville will also be on hand to watch but won’t have any input on game day. Jones went 23-14 at Cincinnati the last three years. The Bearcats (9-3) finished tied for the best record in the Big East Conference but are left with only five full-time coaches from Jones’ staff to work the game. They’ll have new coordinators calling the shots on both sides of the ball. Stripling led Central Michigan to a 44-41 win over Troy in the 2010 GMAC Bowl before joining Jones’ staff. Stripling, who’ll call the plays on defense, said his biggest concern had been keeping his team focused through adversity. He said the play calls won’t change. “What we’ve tried to do from the beginning, because this is such a different situation for them, is try to find some normalcy,” Stripling said. “You try to keep them in their comfort zone and keep them focused.” Despite the changes, the Bearcats come in as 7-point favorites. That’s largely because they have a highpowered offense that’ll be facing a Blue Devils defense that collapsed down the stretch. After a rare win over rival North Carolina to go 6-2, the Blue Devils lost their final four games to Florida State, Clemson, Georgia Tech and Miami. During that stretch, Duke’s defense surrendered a whopping 51 points and 294.5 yards rushing per game. That should play into Cincinnati’s hands. Led by senior tailback George Winn, the Bearcats enter the game ranked 31st in the country in rushing. After serving as a backup for most of his career at Cincinnati, Winn has emerged as a leader on offense, running for 1,204 yards and 12 touchdowns. Cutcliffe said Winn reminds him of Cadillac Williams, a guy who can put the team on his back and carry 25 to 30 times per game. “I’ve had a chance to carry this offense and step up and take on a big role,” Winn said. “I think that has meant a lot to this team, and that’s meant a lot to this team which wasn’t given a chance, at least offensively, do anything special this year.” Duke will need its offense to be in high gear. Renfree completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,760 yards with 18 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. His favorite targets are Vernon and Jamison Crowder, who combined for 145 receptions and 15 touchdowns. Desmond Scott also caught 60 passes. Cincinnati features a bend-but-don’t-break defense. “We kept teams off the scoreboard, which is big,” Stripling said. “I think that’s going to be the key.” Stripling laughed when asked if he foresees a highscoring affair. “Well, I’m a defensive guy, so I don’t think that way,” he said. “Ultimately I think this game will be about which defense steps up to the challenge.” Bengals From Page 6 season off very good, and now we get to finish it at home,” Lewis said. “We don’t know who we will play (in the playoffs) or where. We just have to take it on ourselves. More in focus, though, is the Baltimore Ravens. They are a good team that just won our division and a team that beat the snot out of us in the first game.” The Bengals finish at home against the Ravens for the second straight season. Last year, Baltimore came to town and clinched its first division title since 2006 with a 24-16 victory. The Bengals got a wild card when the Jets and Broncos also lost their final games. It’s only the second time in franchise history the Bengals are going to the playoffs in back-toback seasons. They also did it in 1981 — when they reached their first Super Bowl — and in the strike-shortened 1982 season. The win at Pittsburgh on Sunday had special significance. Cincinnati hadn’t beaten the Ravens or Steelers in the last two seasons, going 0-6 against its biggest rivals. “That’s a huge win for us because people were doubting us,” defensive tackle Domata Peko said on Monday. Even though the Bengals can’t improve their playoff position, they can add to their momentum. Last season, dropped three of their last five games, then lost to Houston in the first round. The win in Pittsburgh was Cincinnati’s sixth in the last seven games. Although the offense has struggled lately, the defense has held opponents to 13 or fewer points six times during that sevengame stretch. “In December last year, we were kind of (leveled) off a little bit,” Peko said. “This year we started slower, but now we’re starting to take off. Those are the teams that are dangerous.” www.mydailysentinel.com The Daily Sentinel • Page 8 Tomlin preps for Steelers’ meaningless finale PITTSBURGH (AP) — For the first time in his six-year head coaching career, Mike Tomlin will go into a game with his team already eliminated from playoff contention. Tomlin insists he isn’t going to treat the week of preparation any differently. A day after his Pittsburgh Steelers were knocked out of the postseason race with a loss to Cincinnati, Tomlin vowed that injuries would be the only factor dictating lineup changes for the regular-season finale Sunday. Don’t look for an abundance of younger players auditioning for 2013 jobs. “This is an opportunity to play and play to win, to get this sour taste out of our mouth,” Tomlin said. “I am not going to approach it with that (look-ahead to 2013) mentality.” Among those who won’t play for the Steelers (7-8) against the Cleveland Browns (5-10) is tight end Heath Miller, who sustained multiple torn ligaments in his right knee during the loss to the Bengals. Miller, a prime candidate for the Pro Bowl and team MVP, has torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments as well as a possible tear in his posterior cruciate ligament. Typical recovery time would extend well into next season’s training camp. Just this past year, Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall, offensive tackle Max Starks and nose tackle Casey Hampton began camp on the physically unable to perform list after sustaining torn ACLs over the first eight three contests. Roethlisberger had 17 touchdays of January. “I think we need to let the downs and four interceptions in dust settle to know exactly what nine games before being knocked it is we’re dealing with before out against Kansas City Nov. 12. He has had four interwe start framing his ceptions in the three recovery or his rate games — all losses — of recovery,” Tomlin “This is an since coming back. said. Roethlisberger’s 58.6 “He’s been rock- opportunity to passer rating Sunday solid for us, and we play and play was his third worst really appreciate his efforts.” to win, to get for a game since Nov. 3, 2008, when he was Miller, of course, faces surgery. Reserve this sour taste knocked out of a win at Washington with a running back Baron out of our shoulder injury. Batch had surgery “You can attribute to repair a broken mouth.” it to whatever you forearm on Monday morning. Tomlin said — Mike Tomlin want to,” Tomlin said. roster moves will be Steelers Coach “Obviously, the play is what it is. It hasn’t made to replace those been consistently good two so that the Steelers are not carrying any “dead enough for us to win.” The same can be said for the weight” for Sunday’s game. Starting cornerback Ike Taylor Steelers as a whole. Impressive (ankle fracture) is getting clos- wins at the New York Giants and er to being cleared to play after Baltimore this season were overmissing the past three games. But shadowed by head-scratching lossTomlin indicated there isn’t any es at Tennessee and Oakland, each on a last-second field goal after reason to rush him back. Receiver Mike Wallace (hip Pittsburgh blew a fourth-quarter strain), rookie guard David De- lead, then failed to win it with a Castro (left hamstring) and cor- scoring drive later. “We’ve been in a lot of close nerback Curtis Brown (left ankle) also were injured during the Ben- football games and we just congals game and will be evaluated sistently haven’t made the necesthroughout the week. Cornerback sary plays to win those games,” Keenan Lewis also was noticeably Tomlin said. “We’re 3-5 in games decided by hobbled Sunday. Tomlin acknowledged that three points or less; that’s just not quarterback Ben Roethlisberger good enough in the NFL. A lot of is “less than 100 percent,” but games unfold in that manner. You refused to attribute his struggles have to make the critical plays down over the past three games to the the stretch in those games if you want to be a consistent winner. We haven’t effects of a shoulder and rib injury done that, and that’s why we sit here that sidelined him in the previous in the position we are in.” Remember From Page 6 on out, I don’t know.” Maybe Manning’s being modest, maybe he’s suckering opponents into blitzing him more often so he can burn them again. Either way, it’s a remarkable rebound for a man whose right arm was so weakened after one of his neck surgeries that he could hardly throw the football 15 yards. Long before Manning ever dreamed he’d be wearing the orange-mane mustang on his helmet instead of the blue and white horseshoe, Manning met up with college buddy Todd Helton of the Colorado Rockies for a workout during last year’s NFL lockout. They retreated to an indoor batting cage at Coors Field with a trainer in tow, and Manning’s first pass nose-dived so badly that Helton told him to quit goofing around. Manning wasn’t messing with him. He was dead serious. His arm was shot, his future in football in doubt. A few days later, he underwent spinal fusion surgery and would miss the entire 2011 season. If doctors had told him that was it, Manning said he would have called it a career without regret. But they gave him a bit of hope and that’s all he needed to embark on his comeback in Colorado. Coach John Fox, never one to lobby for awards, suggested this week that Manning deserves a fifth MVP honor for the numbers he’s put up, the obstacles he’s overcome, the shift of culture he’s engineered. Manning isn’t interested in talking about MVPs or comeback awards. He just wants enough wins to get a shot at hoisting another Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans in six weeks. Peterson, on the other hand, is unabashedly clear in his desire for some recognition after overcoming torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee, requiring the kind of reconstructive surgery that usually turns dominant players into ordinary ones. There’s a long, long list of players who had shortened careers because of such injuries. But Peterson returned to the Vikings lineup less than nine months after his operation, and with a league-high 1,898 yards, he’s 207 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s single-season record. He can topple it with another big game Sunday when Minne- sota faces Green Bay with a playoff berth on the line for the Vikings. With typical unflinching confidence, Peterson said in a recent interview with The Associated Press he’s expecting to win the comeback award. “I kind of have that in the bag, especially how I’ve been telling people I’m going to come back stronger and better than ever,” he said. Carrying the Vikings to the playoffs without a potent passing game in a league dominated by strong-armed, accurate quarterbacks would only burnish the credentials of this thoroughbred throwback. In any other year, the zenith of comebacks might be that of Carolina linebacker Thomas Davis, who battled back from three torn right ACLs — in 2009, 2010 and 2011 — to be a major contributor to the Panthers this year. No player in NFL history has returned after tearing the same ACL three separate times. Charles missed nearly all of 2011 with a torn left ACL. Yet the former All-Pro running back has run for 1,456 yards, the seventh-best season in franchise history. He can break his single-seasonhigh set in 2010 with 12 yards against the Broncos on Sunday. Charles ran for 226 yards last weekend, when he surpassed 750 career carries, which also qualifies him for the NFL record for yards per carry. Charles is averaging 5.82 yards on 770 attempts, which far surpasses the 5.22 yards that Hall of Famer Jim Brown averaged in 2,359 attempts from 1957-65. Charles, Peterson and Davis are all better than ever. Manning might be, too, but he’ll never say it. “I’m trying to be as good as I can at this stage,” Manning said. “A 36-year-old quarterback coming off a year and a-half off, playing on a new team, I’m trying to be as good as I possibly can in this scenario. “It’s a different kind of body I’m playing in and just a different kind of quarterback play for me.” Yet, as transcendent as ever. “If he’s lost anything, I can’t see it,” said Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley, who played with Manning in his prime in Indianapolis. “I’m sure in some ways he’s better than he ever was. And he’s always been great.” helmets and rode through Miami in an effort to promote safety and awareness for bicyclists. “Two years ago,” James said, “I don’t know if I would have been ready for that.” There’s no way he would have been ready for that. Not after The Decision and the criticism and all that came with it, part of what he now calls his transformation from the person he was to the person he is. Turns out, they’re nearly the same, although today’s version may have just wrapped up one of the best years by any athlete. “He’s still hungry and thirsty for more,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And I think that’s what separates the great ones and the ultimate competitors. He came off of a historic year, able to win the MVP and crown it with the ultimate team goal. … He wants to continue to reinvent himself, get better and drive this team, push this team for a bigger legacy than just a one-title team.” James recently starred in a commercial for Samsung, one of many companies that pay him for endorsements. This particular spot, though, was more like a snapshot of James’ life, in that it was as genuine as any ad he’s ever done. There’s no actors in the primary roles — his fiancee, his friends, his children, his barber, his teammates, even the kids from the LeBron James Family Foundation, they’re all playing themselves in the spot. Two years ago, James never would have asked any of them to be part of an ad campaign, simply to spare them from potential scorn. That’s no longer a problem. “I wanted to be real,” James said. “I wanted to go out and say, ‘This is who I am’ and I wanted to do it in commercial form. It’s a commercial, but it’s also actuality. There’s nothing fake about it. I was blessed that we were able to put it together the right way, the way we actually envisioned it.” Funny how those words now apply to what the Heat did in 2010. They signed James and Chris Bosh, kept Dwyane Wade, added pieces around them and — albeit a year later than they planned — became NBA champions. When that moment came, when James knew his wait to become a champion was at last about to end, the first thing he did was bury his head in Bosh’s chest, trying not to cry. James often says he is “humbled” by awards or praise. Never did he feel more humble in 2012. His first act of the year — moments after midnight on Jan. 1 — was proposing to girlfriend Savannah Brinson. The way James sees it, that move on bended knee set the tone for everything else to fall into place. “Can you propose twice?” James asked. “Can I do that again to get another year like this?” He can’t. But he would. James From Page 6 What’s left is legacy, him attempting to ensure he truly becomes one of the greatest. “You look at some of the greatest companies,” James said. “As great as McDonald’s is, they don’t stop. As great as Nike is, they don’t stop. They keep trying to be innovative and make new, great things for consumers. They don’t stop. They could. They’ve got enough. I look at that as well, as motivation. I want to keep getting better. I want to put myself in position to maximize every little thing that I have.” That starts with putting himself out there more now. A few weeks ago, James decided to join some friends for an evening bike ride. They pedaled about 20 miles that evening, an outing that proved James has completed a much longer journey. That night, without any trepidation, James was part of a group of 3,000 people who strapped on �Thursday, December 27, 2012 The Daily Sentinel • Page 9 www.mydailysentinel.com Thursday, december 27, 2012 COMICS/ENTERTAINMENT BLONDIE Dean Young/Denis Lebrun BEETLE BAILEY FUNKY WINKERBEAN HAGAR THE HORRIBLE HI & LOIS Mort Walker Today’s Answers Tom Batiuk Chris Browne Brian and Greg Walker THE LOCKHORNS MUTTS William Hoest Patrick McDonnell Jacquelene Bigar’s HOROSCOPE ZITS THE FAMILY CIRCUS Bil Keane DENNIS THE MENACE Hank Ketchum Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman CONCEPTIS SUDOKU by Dave Green HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012: This year you often will swing back and forth between being intellectual and being highly emotional. Some of you might try to control this seesaw of sentiments. Accept that this is unlikely to change any time in the near future. If you are single, this backand-forth could chase away a potential suitor, but come summer, you are likely to meet someone who enjoys your changeability and accepts you as you are. If you are attached, your sweetie might wonder what is going on. You need to accept that his or her responses could be different from what you’d expect. CANCER plays devil’s advocate. The Stars Show the Kind of Day You’ll Have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult ARIES (March 21-April 19) HHH Use the morning for an important talk or meeting. By midafternoon, you could be conflicted or irritated about a situation. Your mood flows into other dealings. Take your time and process the irritation first, then deal with others. Tonight: Mosey on home. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) HHHH Taking a hard look at recent expenditures might be more necessary than you think. Do not let someone’s opinion trigger an argument — just let it go. You know what you want. Do not stand on ceremony. Pick up the phone and call a friend. Tonight: Secure New Year’s plans. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) HHHH You are full of energy and could be difficult to find, according to more than a few people. It seems as if you flee the scene with an adeptness and quickness that surprises many. Make plans, if you can, for a short trip with some good friends. Tonight: Treat yourself. CANCER (June 21-July 22) HHHH Make it OK to move slowly in the morning. Accept and understand what you have been through as of late. Consider your options in the morning, and act in the later part of the afternoon. At the right moment, you will feel alert. Tonight: The world is your oyster. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) HHHH Use the morning to the max when dealing with others. People will tend to be more responsive then. You actually might decide to keep to yourself in the afternoon. Avoid an argument with a favorite person. Patching this up could be difficult. Tonight: All smiles. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) HHHHH Rethink a decision more carefully. Take your time. In the afternoon, test out your conclusion. You might be causing yourself a problem if you move ahead blindly. Look to friends and loved ones for their advice and feedback. Tonight: A force to be dealt with. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) HHHH Your mind drifts to matters beyond the here-and-now. What will it take to anchor you? A boss or key associate needs your time and attention later in the day. Do whatever you need to do in order to stay present. Tonight: Once you let go of the day’s issues, the night becomes fun. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) HHHH Deal with someone or several different people on a one-on-one level. Rethink a personal matter more carefully. Laughter surrounds you later in the day when you relax. Once you detach, you’ll see humor in what was once difficult. Tonight: Try a new pastime. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) HHHH Open up in the morning. A discussion could be quite animated with hostility or aggressiveness. You might not be up for an argument, but you will need to establish boundaries regardless. In the afternoon, clear the air. Tonight: Chat over dinner. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) HHH You might find yourself caught in a financial quandary. For some, this scenario might include trying to make ends meet. For others, it might involve returning useless gifts. Take time for someone who needs an upbeat message. Tonight: Be open to a suggestion. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) HHH You might surprise yourself with the feisty words that come out of your mouth. You have swallowed a lot of anger lately. Perhaps the time has come to process these feelings. Everyone involved would prefer a discussion rather than sarcastic jabs. Tonight: The unexpected occurs. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) HHHH Your ingenuity could face a problem. The issue will keep rearing its ugly head until you face facts and open up a discussion. You’ll decide to let go and indulge in some playfulness. Tonight: Buy yourself that item you wanted but didn’t get. Jacqueline Bigar is on the Internet at www.jacquelinebigar.com. �Thursday, December 27, 2012 The Daily Sentinel • Page 10 www.mydailysentinel.com Browns ink QB Johnson; Weeden, McCoy miss practice BEREA, Ohio (AP) — The Cleveland Browns are down to their third-string quarterback. With both Brandon Weeden and Colt McCoy missing practice Wednesday due to right shoulder injuries, Thad Lewis took first-team snaps in practice. Elevated from the practice squad on Monday, Lewis could make his NFL debut in Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Browns also signed free agent quarterback Josh Johnson, who spent four seasons in Tampa Bay. Johnson replaced safety Usama Young on the roster as the Browns look for protection at quarterback, where starter Weeden went out with a sprained right shoulder in Cleveland’s 3412 loss in Denver on Sunday. Coach Pat Shurmur said Wednesday that McCoy also has a sore right shoulder. Neither Weeden nor McCoy practiced. Rookie running back Trent Richardson also missed practice because of a sprained left ankle. “The injuries to Brandon and Trent are not as serious as you might have thought,” Shumur said. “We’ll see how they come back. If they are healthy, they will play. If they can’t, I have no problem ruling them out.” Shurmur also did not rule out McCoy. When the Browns (5-10) play the Steelers (7-8), they will be looking for their first series sweep against their rivals since 1988. They could be doing it with Lewis in command. The 25-yearold was on St. Louis’ practice squad in 2010 when Shurmur was an assistant with the Rams. The Browns claimed him on waivers in September 2011, but he has yet to take a snap in a regular-season game. Shurmur said he has confidence in Lewis, who played quite a bit in exhibition games this past summer. He added that Johnson is familiar with the Browns’ West Coast offense, but would need time to learn the playbook. McCoy was hurt sometime after replacing Weeden in the second half against the Broncos. He was sacked four times in his limited appearance, but Shurmur said he didn’t know if it was one particular play that caused the problem. “Colt came in and told us he was sore,” Shumur said. “He’s getting treated.” Young sustained a thumb injury that likely will require surgery. He joins a battered defensive backfield that is already missing T.J. Ward with a knee injury. Cornerback Sheldon Brown sustained a concussion in Denver. The club also signed defensive back Jordan Mabin to the practice squad. Johnson played in 26 games for the Buccaneers after being a fifth-round choice in 2008. He started five games and threw for five touchdowns and 10 interceptions overall. He was in San Francisco’s camp this summer. Lions WR Johnson living up to $132 million deal ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions have gotten quite a return on the $132 million, eight-year investment they made in Calvin Johnson nine months ago. “He’s not trying to live up to a contract,” Detroit coach Jim Schwartz said Sunday. “Personal records are great, and we certainly celebrate the season Calvin that has had, but it hasn’t translated to enough wins. “We need more help around him.” That’s a fact. The Lions (4-11) have lost seven straight, the league’s longest active skid, after reaching .500 at the midway mark of a disappointing season. During the losing streak, Johnson has been perhaps Detroit’s only bright spot. He broke Jerry Rice’s singleseason yards receiving record of 1,848 in Saturday night’s 3118 loss to Atlanta. “It’s an accomplishment that took a lot of work,” Johnson said. “You can’t take that thing away.” Schwartz said Johnson hasn’t racked up yards in blowouts because Detroit hasn’t had many of them in a season filled with closely contested losses. He does acknowledge that the team’s record doesn’t let Johnson’s accomplishment ring as true as anyone would like. “It’s hollow in the fact that we only have four wins,” he said. “You’d like for that production to translate to wins and you’d like to be able to celebrate that production with wins.” In the win, the Falcons tried to take Johnson away as an option for Matthew Stafford in the passing game and couldn’t do it. With 11 receptions for 225 yards against Atlanta, he also became the only player in NFL history with 100 yards receiving in eight straight games and with 10-plus receptions in four games in a row. He had seven receptions of 20-plus yards for the second time in his career, a feat no other player in the league has done since at least 1991, according to STATS LLC. Johnson, who has tied another league single-season mark with 100 yards receiving in 11 games, can add to his record total of 1,892 yards receiving in Detroit’s finale Dec. 30 at home against Chicago and could reach the 2,000-yard mark. Johnson’s 10th catch Sunday night was for a 26-yard gain with 2:57 left in the game. After breaking the record with that catch, he jogged over to the sideline to give the football to his father, Calvin Johnson Sr., and told him not to let it go. Not even if someone from the Pro Football Hall of Fame wants it? Robert Gauthier | MCT photo The Los Angeles Lakers’ Metta World Peace, middle, dribbles the ball off Los Angeles Clippers defender Lamar Odom in the second quarter at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Nov. 2. Winning LA: Clippers atop NBA; Lakers win 5 in row Julian H. Gonzalez | MCT photo Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson with his recordsetting reception in the fourth quater against the Atlanta Falcons at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, on Saturday, December 22, 2012. Johnson’s catch lifted him over Jerry Rice for the NFL’s single-season receiving yardage record. “Oh no,” he said. “That’s my ball.” Stafford has done a good job of getting the ball to Johnson despite every team trying to stunt their connections and not having to worry about other playmakers because of Detroit’s injury-depleted receiving corps. Stafford threw for 443 yards against the Falcons, setting an NFL record for the most yards passing in a game without a touchdown. With 4,695 yards passing and a game to go against the Bears, he and New Orleans’ Drew Brees could become the first two NFL players to throw for 5,000-plus yards in consecutive seasons. “I’d love to be able to be able to do it again,” Stafford said. “But I’d love for it to come with a win.” Stafford, who has thrown the ball 685 times this season, is seven attempts away from breaking the NFL single-season record for attempts set by Drew Bledsoe with New England in 1994. Johnson and Stafford have not been able to overcome the team’s minus-12 turnover ratio this season that ranks among the NFL’s worst in perhaps the statistical category that is tied most to winning and losing. Against Atlanta, the Lions turned the ball over three times and their defense didn’t recover a fumble or make an interception. “We lose by 13 and 17 points come off turnovers,” Schwartz said. “We need to do a better job of taking care of the football. And also on defense, we need to come up with some.” Detroit’s comeback hopes were definitely dashed after getting a safety with 1:21 left to pull within 13 points only to have Stefan Logan take a knee at his 4 on a free kick. “That’s probably the first time I’ve seen somebody concede a punt in the field of play,” Schwartz said. “It was a poor decision. Part of a returner’s job is to know where he is on the field. Saying, ‘I didn’t know where I was. I thought I was in the end zone,’ is not a valid excuse. “When that error was made,” Schwartz added, “it made it very, very difficult for the team to come back.” NOTES: The Lions are hopeful TE Brandon Pettigrew will play against Chicago after missing the last previous two games with a sprained left ankle. … Lions DT Sammie Hill was scheduled to have a foot injury examined, Schwartz said. LOS ANGELES (AP) — No one’s rushing to anoint the Los Angeles Clippers, who at 22-6 own the NBA’s best record. They’re not exactly impressed with themselves, either — despite a franchise-record 14-game winning streak. “It is still early in the season and we have a lot to prove to the rest of the league,” Matt Barnes said after he helped the Clippers’ reserves outscore their starters in a 112-100 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. No less an authority than Kobe Bryant is complimentary. “They’re playing extremely well,” Bryant said after leading the Lakers to their fifth straight win, 100-94 over the New York Knicks in the first game of a Christmas doubleheader at Staples Center. “They’re coming at you in waves and waves.” The Clippers have taken advantage of a soft stretch in their schedule to win a franchise-record 14 in a row, although they have earlier wins over some of the league’s elite teams such as the Lakers, defending champion Miami, Memphis, and San Antonio twice. “This is fool’s gold,” cautioned Clippers point guard Chris Paul, who led the starters with 14 points against the Nuggets. “You don’t play for the regular season. Obviously, you want to build something.” While the Clippers continue to soar, the Lakers are starting to show signs of life in what has been a confounding season. “We’re .500,” a smiling Dwight Howard said after the Lakers improved to 14-14. “We did it on Christmas, too. I knew this day would come.” Bryant scored 34 points in his NBA-record 15th Christmas Day game, and Metta World Peace added 20 points and seven rebounds while defending Carmelo Anthony, whose 34 points led the Knicks. The Lakers moved to 9-9 under new coach Mike D’Antoni and upped their holiday record to 21-18, including 13-9 at home. They returned to .500 for the first time since they were 8-8 on Nov. 30. “It’s so early in the season to have turned a corner,” Bryant said. “We have everybody in the lineup and we’re starting to see how we want to play.” The Clippers have clearly figured things out. Jamal Crawford led their reserves with 22 points and Barnes added 20 — one off his season high — as the bench outscored the starters 64-48 in moving one win ahead of second-best Oklahoma City (21-6), which lost to Miami earlier Tuesday. “They’ve got the respect of the league and they’ve got the attention of the league,” said former Clipper Andre Miller, who had 12 points for Denver. “It’s tough to come in here and get a win when the team is playing that well.” Kosta Koufos and Jordan Hamilton scored 16 points each and Ty Lawson added 15 points for the Nuggets, who fell to 7-13 on the road, where 22 of their first 32 games are being played. Crawford’s 3-pointer to open the fourth pushed the lead to 20 and kept the Clippers’ starters on the bench for the final 12 minutes. Denver rallied in the third, using a 15-6 spurt to close to 73-63, capped by Andre Iguodala’s free throw after Paul received a technical foul. The Clippers answered with three consecutive 3-pointers, including two by Willie Green from the opposite corners, for an 84-67 lead. The Nuggets ran off seven in a row to get within 10 before the Clippers regrouped with a 9-2 run, capped by Paul’s 3-pointer, that kept them ahead 93-76 heading into the fourth. “They have a confidence right now that’s pretty powerful,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. The Clippers stretched their lead to 67-48 at halftime with 42 points in the second, their highest-scoring quarter this season. The bench got things going with a 14-10 run before Paul replaced a wild Eric Bledsoe. His presence settled down the second unit until Griffin and DeAndre Jordan eventually came back in during a 28-10 run the rest of the period that produced the Clippers’ first double-digit lead. Driving dunks by Barnes and Griffin, alley-oop dunks by Griffin and Jordan, and consecutive 3-pointers by Barnes and Paul highlighted the scoring binge. “When we are at our best our starters have a great first quarter and our bench elevates that,” Griffin said. In the opening game at Staples, the Knicks were in control most of the way behind Anthony and J.R. Smith, who had 24 points. But they struggled offensively in the fourth, when Anthony was limited to seven points and Smith had five as the Lakers’ defense clamped down. World Peace fouled out with 1:58 to play and the Lakers ahead by four. Steve Nash said of World Peace: “This is what he’s been doing all year. He gets his hands on a lot of balls, pounds on the other team’s best guy. You can’t win without that type of effort.” Smith’s 3-pointer pulled New York to 96-94. After Pau Gasol made one of two free throws, Smith missed another 3 that would have tied the game at 97 with 32 seconds left. “We missed a lot of easy shots, a lot of little chippers around the basket, shots that we normally make,” Anthony said. “There were some plays that we thought should have went our way down the stretch, but for the most part, we fought. I’ll take this effort any night. If we continue to play with this effort, we’ll win a lot of games.” With Bryant double-teamed, Nash passed to Gasol, who dunked with 12 seconds to go, punctuating a win that sent Lakers fans, frustrated by the team’s struggles and coaching change, home happy. The Lakers avenged a 116-107 loss in New York on Dec. 13. AP Sports Briefs Cavs claim guard Shaun Livingston CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers claimed guard Shaun Livingston on waivers from Washington. To make room on their roster, the Cavs waived guard Donald Sloan, who appeared in 20 games for Cleveland this season. Livingston made four starts for the Wizards this season. He was waived on Sunday by Washington and the Cavs had until 5 p.m. Tuesday to claim him. He averaged 3.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 17 games. The 6-footer has appeared in 341 career NBA games. Sloan has appeared in 53 games — 11 starts — for Cleveland, which signed him from the Development League in March. The Cavs play at Washington on Wednesday night. They’ll be without center Anderson Varejao, the league’s top rebounder, who will miss his fourth straight game with a bruised right knee. LeBron’s foul-free streak ends MIAMI (AP) — LeBron James’ foul-free streak is over. The Miami Heat forward was called for a foul against Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka with 7:57 left in the first quarter of the teams’ NBA Finals rematch on Tuesday, marking the first time since Dec. 8 that James was whistled for a personal. James went 254 minutes, 7 seconds of on-court time without being called for any personals, though was assessed one technical during that span for arguing a play where he thought he was fouled. He was called for backing into New Orleans’ Lance Thomas with 2:30 left in the first quarter of that game on Dec. 8. His first foul on Tuesday came when he tried to block a dunk attempt by Ibaka, who made one of the two resulting free throws. Syracuse suspends 2 players for Pinstripe Bowl SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Syracuse has suspended sophomore tailback Adonis Ameen-Moore and reserve tight end Max Beaulieu for the Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday for violating athletic department rules. Head coach Doug Marrone announced the suspensions in an email that did not elaborate on what the players had done. Ameen-Moore, who was used mainly in the Orange’s short- yardage formation, gained 108 yards on 30 carries and scored six touchdowns in the six games he played. Beaulieu played in just one game this season, a home win over UConn. Starting outside linebacker Marquis Spruill also has been disciplined. He will not play “a significant portion” of the Pinstripe Bowl against West Virginia. Spruill and running back Steve Rene were arrested Dec. 2 and charged with misdemeanors after scuffling with Syracuse Police. Marrone did not specify how much of the game Spruill will miss. The junior is fourth on the team in tackles with 62 and is a three-year starter. Ex-Braves player Jones accused of attacking wife ATLANTA (AP) — Police say the wife of former Atlanta Braves star Andruw Jones accused him of dragging her down a staircase, grabbing her neck and saying he wanted to kill her. A police report obtained by The Associated Press says the fight happened around 1:30 a.m. on Christmas Day, after Nicole Jones asked her husband to help her prepare their home for Christmas morning. Andruw Jones was free on bond after being arrested in Duluth on a battery charge, according to Gwinnett County Jail records. It wasn’t known Wednesday whether he has an attorney. Nicole Jones told officers she tried to escape upstairs, but her husband grabbed her by the ankle and dragged her downstairs, got on top of her and said, “I want to kill you,” according to the report. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 12. December Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource December 27, 2012 bing boyles burcham byus fisher grindstaff henry marcum scott shane stutler turner