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Even though I’d grown up on the east coast, I wasn’t aware of the existence of the Gunks until a few years ago. Driving up and seeing the cliffs for the very first time was like a dream. What makes the Gunks so special is that the rock is littered with horizontal cracks (rather than vertical ones). After climbing in a few other areas, I truly began to appreciate on a whole new level how extraordinary the climbing style here is. We’ve got it all—overhanging roofs, big airy traverses, and exposure!
I drove up from the city on a Thursday evening with great anticipation to meet my dear friend, Day Acheson. Friday morning, we started down the carriage road and had the entire place to ourselves, it felt like, so we began hitting all of the classics. When I first began leading, 5.8 in the Gunks terrified me My experience up until that point had been that 9s in the Gunks are generally more straightforward and thuggish, whereas 8s have a tendency of being much more delicate, thin, and balance-y and I would often opt for a 5.9 over an 8 any day. Then I climbed Son of Easy O.
You can link both pitches together with a seventy-meter rope, which is exactly what we did. Day and I cruised through and embraced the afternoon air from atop. While the start of the first pitch always feels a bit spicy, the second one offers a jug haul through overhanging rock. We quickly made our way down the cliff and Day offered to take the first pitch of Airy Aria (5.8). I led the second and third as a link-up. Upon rapping down, Day took a look at the crux on Carbs and Caffeine (5.11a). “Why not?” we said, so we racked up for the second pitch.
The first pitch of Carbs followed a thin crack that diagonals up and left. Then came pitch two, where I worked my way through overhangs and to two bolts stacked atop each other. The second bolt was so mank that I let out a pathetic laugh as I tried to continue climbing past. There were several big moves to smaller than small crimp-like holds. I loved stepping up into the hand traverse, or the “crab crawl”. With my left foot comfortably resting on a hold, I made my way out to the traverse ledge. There was a belay/rap station waiting for me with two locking carabiners. I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to grab those biners! But I continued and was belaying Day up to the anchor shortly after.
The following day, Gunks local and friend Scott Albright suggested that I try the Stand (5.11a). Feeling pretty good at that moment, we took a walk over to the Slime Wall. There was no anticipation or nervous first-time jitters—I just felt ready.
“You’re gonna send this.” Scott’s words hummed in my ear.
Scott and I have known each other for a little over a year now, and within that year, it has been a decade of friendship. We met in Red River Gorge and have been inspiring, supporting, and belaying one another on our projects since then. So I was feeling pretty confident as I tied in. He laughed at my bowline, saying he had no idea how to check that so it was probably fine. I went up, traversing left and standing high to take a look at the next move. A crack opened up, I reached with my left hand at first but only half a pad on my middle finger made it.
“You need higher feet,” Scott told me. I know, I know, I thought silently, and slightly annoyed. Out loud, I asked, “Do you put a piece of gear in before making this move? It’s kinda scary to commit with no gear yet.” Scott nodded his head and told me he that he didn’t.
“Kathy,” he said. “It’s YOUR climb. You do whatever you need to do.”
The move felt really mellow, just like Scott said it would be, all the way to the left-facing corner. I crimped hard on the thin horizontal which was my last good hold and poked my head around the corner to see what came next: NOTHING. I panicked for a second and then collected myself as I prepared to try it again. High step. Watch your feet. Breathe. I balanced myself by touching tiny little crystals in the rock with the tips of my fingers. The thin horizontal was enough for the tips of my toes to stand on. It was never scary. It was never pumpy. I just felt like I’d sailed through the moves and moments later, I came down from the anchors atop Frustration Syndrome (5.10c) and Scott gave me a high five. Smiling from ear to ear, I had sent my first two Gunks 11s that weekend.
On our last day, Day and I rallied and woke at 3:30 a.m. to climb the first pitch of High Exposure (5.6) by headlamp. We arrived at the Grand Traverse (GT) ledge just as the sun began to greet us. I’ve seen a few sunrises in my life and each one is always a different kind of beautiful, but this one seemed to be in a league of its own. Maybe it was because it was the solstice day, or because I hadn’t climbed High E in quite some time, or maybe because we were finally approaching summer (and this past winter had felt especially long.) Day and I shared coffee and croissants at the top as we watched the cedar waxwings start to wake up before we continued on to rappel back to the base.
Being in the Gunks at any time of the day is a magical moment, but the thrill of watching new daybreak on that June solstice day was something I will never know how to put into words. I think that those are the moments in my life that don’t always immediately scream out, “Wait! Pay attention to this. This could be important.” It’s those little moments that, if you’re not careful, will pass you by. They don’t always come with special tags or knock on your door saying, “Special delivery!” And I guess that that’s just life…something we create out of many, many moments. We make each one special by giving each one its own meaning. I have no words for that feeling, either.
Cover photograph courtesy of Day Acheson.

domain: hobby


Police release sketch of suspect in robbery of Ward area store
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CrimeStoppers and the Honolulu Police Department released a sketch of a suspect in the robbery of the RIX Island Wear store on Monday.
Photos: Softball: UH vs. Pacific, March 6
Photos: Basketball: UH vs. UCSB, March 6
Photos: Softball: UH vs. California, March 5
More Photo Galleries »


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OneDigital, an Overland Park, Kansas-based insurance and financial services firm, has launched a program aimed at small businesses that combines a defined-contribution plan offering with a financial wellness program.
Joining other providers that have entered the small-plan market in the wake of recent regulatory changes encouraging pooled employer plans and multiple employer plans, OneDigital’s offering is aimed at businesses with 100 or fewer employees.
OneDigital said the solution also integrates with existing health benefits coverages, allows for outsourcing of administrative and fiduciary responsibilities associated with the plan, and provides ongoing investment support and advice at the employer level as well as personalized coaching and investment support designed specifically for each employee.
Don’t just throw more people at the problem
The post OneDigital offers retirement plan for small businesses appeared first on InvestmentNews.
Andrew is half-human, half-gamer. He’s also a science fiction author writing for BleeBot.

domain: news


Ambient Intelligence constitutes a new paradigm for the interactions among intelligent devices and smart objects acting on behalf of humans. The ultimate goal of Ambient Intelligence systems is to transform our living and working environments into “intelligent spaces” able to adapt to changes in context and to users’ social needs. Such systems must have the capability of interpreting their contexts.Moreover, the open nature of Ambient Intelligence systems and the unnoticeable ways in which various sensors may access users’ personal data make two seemingly antagonistic requirements: preserve users’ privacy and facilitate convivial interactions among humans and devices. The concept of conviviality has recently been introduced as a social science concept for Ambient Intelligence to highlight soft qualitative requirements like user friendliness of systems. To make Ambient Intelligent systems desirable for humans, they must be convivial and private, i.e., fulfil both their need for social interactions, making communication and cooperation among participants easier, while also preserving the privacy of each individual. Hence the need for trade-offs between being private and convivial; intuitively the former keeping information to a small circle of insiders while the later shares it with all. The aims are to enable knowledge sharing for the collective achievement of common objectives among entities through coalition formation, while at the same time respecting each entity’s privacy needs. Hence, the CoPAInS project is about designing and developing models of interaction among intelligent devices; it is also about their corresponding methods. The main goal of CoPAInS is to facilitate privacy and conviviality in Ambient Intelligence and to provide tools for it. To achieve our objective, first we develop a formal framework for context representation, privacy and conviviality, using methods of Knowledge Representation & Reasoning. Second, we validate and verify privacy and conviviality properties of Ambient Intelligence systems using model-checking techniques. We then simulate and test use cases from the field of Ambient Assisted Living. Third, to demonstrate the feasibility of our approach and its usefulness to support Luxembourg citizens’ everyday activities, we apply the gained expertise to use cases provided by Hotcity. Finally, we produce guidelines to assist system designers in the development of privacy-aware and convivial “assistive systems”.


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I found out over the weekend that my planned 1 day book blitz had fallen through. I sulked for a bit (a few days if I’m truthful), drunk some wine, contemplated giving up, and then today I had a breakthrough – why not arrange my own mini tour. With indie publishing anything is possible, isn’t it?
I know it won’t have the reach of a properly organised tour, but I’m hoping all you lovely bloggers and retweeters will help me spread the word.
The plan (which I am making up as I go along) is to have a week where people agree to post their reviews of Visions of Zarua.
I’m looking for – book reviewers, book bloggers and readers who enjoy fantasy and would be willing to offer their time reading my debut book.
I’m offering – a free ebook of Visions of Zarua and my eternal gratitude.
In exchange for – an honest review on your blog, Amazon, Goodreads etc. I’d also be happy to take part in interviews, Q&A sessions, guest posts etc. If you haven’t time to review the book, maybe you might consider one of these alternatives.
Time scale – I was thinking of 5 weeks time w/c 27th June. I know that’s short notice but I am an impatient sort of person and I hate sitting around waiting for things to happen. If that date doesn’t work for you, but you are willing to help me out then please still get in touch.
What I hope to achieve – I’m hoping to drum up some interest in my book and I think the best way to achieve that is with reviews. Blitzing the internet with reviews over a set week will hopefully spread the reach and persuade people that it’s worth taking a chance on Visions of Zarua.
I may get no response from this request, or maybe I’ll be inundated with replies, who knows. All I can do is take a chance, as with every aspect of self publishing.
Even if you haven’t time to get involved, I still appreciate any retweets and reposts you are able to do over the coming weeks.
Please leave any comments below, or use the contact form on the website to email me. Thanks for reading.
Here’s what others have been saying about Visions of Zarua on Amazon and Goodreads.
‘It’s so lovely to read a book that is a stand alone completed tapestry… I definitely recommend you give this book a try as it’s a real all in-one fantastical adventure story.’
‘Wonderful fantasy meets mystery!’
‘Dark sorcery with slithering secrets… Visions of Zarua casts a shadow of excitement giving the fantasy genre a nice little jolt.’
‘Thrilling and dark fantasy novel… from the very first chapter I was hooked. Overall I just love this book… I can’t wait to read more of the author’s work’
‘Enjoyable read with a hint of classic “who dunnit”…’
‘A brilliant read… would recommend to anyone who likes murder, mystery and of course fantasy’
‘The perfect amount of epicness… one of those fantasy books that can please any reader’
‘If you want a great book that takes you away from the monotony of daily life, then this is the book for you’
‘Gripping, well written story…the intertwined stories kept me gripped until the end. I recommend, even if you’re not a fantasy fan!’
‘…putting this book down, because of the non-reader-friendly-world I live in, made me unhappy. Mrs Rogerson deserves standing ovation for her debut novel… I will applaud with pride and appreciation. Visions of Zarua was simply a story that I love.’
Two wizards, 350 years apart. Together they must save the realm of Paltria from Zarua’s dark past.
An ancient darkness haunts the realm of Paltria. Apprentice wizard Paddren is plagued by visions of a city on the brink of annihilation. When his master Kalesh dies in mysterious circumstances, the Royal Order of Wizards refuses to investigate. Helped by his childhood friend, the skilled tracker Varnia, and her lover Leyoch, Paddren vows to find the killer. The investigation leads Paddren down a sinister path of assassins, secret sects and creatures conjured by blood magic. But he is guided by a connection with a wizard from centuries ago – a wizard whose history holds the key to the horror at the heart of the abandoned city of Zarua. Can Paddren decipher his visions in time to save the Paltrian people from the dark menace of Zarua’s past?
Links to recent reviews can be found on the Visions of Zarua page


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Laurus nobilis is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is one of the plants used for bay leaf seasoning in cooking. It is known as bay laurel, sweet bay, bay tree (esp. United Kingdom), true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree or simply laurel.
Laurus is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes three species. Worldwide, many other kinds of plants in diverse families are also called “bay” or “laurel”. (Wikipedia)
Edward Step on The Bay Tree – Laurus nobilis
The Bay is the true Laurel, of whose leaves and berries the wreaths were made in ancient days for poets and conquerors. Naturally it is more of a shrub than a tree, for though it often attains a height of sixty feet, it persists in sending up so many suckers that the tree-like character is lost. In cultivation, however, it is often grown on a single stem, as well as formed by cutting into arbours and arches. We call to mind a Cornish village, where a garden enclosure in its square (or “plestor,” as Gilbert White would say) was surrounded by about a dozen Bays so grown. Bays grow abundantly in the gardens of South Cornwall, and we always connected their general cultivation with the pilchard fishery. Certainly, these trees in the plestor were very convenient in the autumn and winter, for the leaves are an essential ingredient in the proper composition of that seductive dish, marinated pilchards, to which they impart their peculiar aromatic flavour.
The Bay is a native of Southern Europe, whence it was introduced at some date prior to 1562. Prior says the name is the old Roman bacca (a berry), altered “by the usual omission of ‘c’ between the two vowels,” this plant having become the bacca par excellence, because its berries were articles of commerce.
The evergreen leaves are lance-shaped, without teeth, and arranged alternately on the branchlets. Not all the trees produce the berries, for the sexes are in distinct individuals, and all the white or yellowish four-parted flowers on one tree are stamen-bearing, whilst on another individual they all bear ovaries and no stamens. The berries, at first green, ultimately become of a dark purple hue. The flowers will be found in April or May; the ripe berries in October. The Bay is grown chiefly as a shrubbery ornament, and can only survive our winters out-of-doors in the South of England.
— Treatment Herbs (@treatmentherbs) December 21, 2015

domain: biology


Island Transit was late with paperwork related to an audit, which is likely to have findings showing the misappropriation of federal funds, according to Oak Harbor Mayor Scott Dudley.
An audit exit conference has been tentatively scheduled at Island Transit for Friday, Oct. 24, but it’s unclear whether the board of directors will open it to the public.
Andy Asbjornsen, an audit manager with Washington State Auditor’s Office, explained that auditors are conducting two types of regularly scheduled audits of the troubled transit agency.
The “federal audit” looks at how the agency spent dollars from federal sources; for Island Transit, that means auditors are looking at how the $18-million federal grant for the new transit facility was spent.
The other is the accountability audit, which will be completed after the federal audit.
Asbjornsen said Island Transit missed the Sept. 30 deadline for completing the data collection form that goes along with the federal audit.
As a result, Asbjornsen explained, the federal government will automatically deem Island Transit as “high risk” for next year’s audit, which translates into greater scrutiny.
The grant dollars, however, have already been spent, so there essentially won’t be a federal audit next year.
“It is not likely to have a significant effect,” he said.
Asbjornsen noted that Island Transit has had recent staffing changes, which may have complicated the audit process. After financial problems came to light, the finance manager was fired, Martha Rose recently quit as director and 22 people were laid off.
“It’s taking a little longer than we had anticipated,” he said, adding that auditors have been in contact with their federal counterparts.
Asbjornsen wouldn’t say whether there may be findings on the financial audit since it isn’t yet finalized. Coupeville Councilman Bob Clay, chairman of the transit board, also said he wouldn’t discuss it until the audit is complete.
Dudley, on the other hand, said he spoke with one of the auditors working on the federal audit. She told him that findings for “financial health” and “misappropriation of federal funds” were likely, according to the mayor.
He said the latter finding could have major implications for Island Transit.
“We could have a situation where the federal government comes back and says, ‘We want some part or all of those grant dollars back,’” he said.
Asbjornsen said it is up to Island Transit to decide whether to open the exit conference to the public. He said it’s a chance for the auditors and the agency to discuss the audit before the report is finalized.
“It is their meeting,” he said.
Clay said Island Transit audit conferences are normally not open to the public, but it will have to be if a quorum of board members attend. He said the public, if allowed, won’t be able to give input.


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and I’m obsessed with all things design, cookies, and creating joy in the kitchen. Now I get to help other women find joy
in their own kitchens!
Once upon a time, I was a graphic designer with a competitive resume. But becoming a mother to a child with serious medical challenges disrupted my life in the most difficult and beautiful way. I gave up my graphic design career to take care of my son 24/7. Eventually, I found my groove and was ready to do something just for me. That’s when I designed my first cookie, and I’ve never looked back.
For the past four years, I’ve thrown every ounce of my energy into learning the ins and outs of cookie baking and decorating. And I’ve managed to turn really impressive-looking designs into easy-to-learn techniques that anyone can perfect with the right guidance. I’ve created dozens of mini classes and resources to help my students fall in love with this hobby like I did, and some of them have even gone on to launch their own businesses with my help.
We’ve created a really tight-knit community of cookiers in our little corner of the internet, and we’d love for you to be a part of it.

domain: artistic


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Hershey Track Meet Results Listed
More than 60 athletes took part last week in the Hershey's track and field meet hosted by the Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department at Western Heights High School.
The other area Hershey event will be Saturday at Carl Albert Junior High, hosted by the Midwest City Optimists.
Local winners advance to the state meet July 18 in Ada. State winners will be eligible for selection for the regional team going to nationals Aug. 13-15 in Hershey, Pa.
Registration for Saturday's meet will be accepted by calling 739-1290 before 5 p.m. today. BIOG: NAME:
Archive ID: 501464


ISLAMABAD – The National History and Literary Heritage Division has received Rs 194.740 million for the up-gradation and digitalization of various cultural departments working for the adequate projection of art and culture in the country, under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2020-21.
According to the budget document, the federal government has allocated Rs 184.740 million for the ongoing schemes and Rs 10 million for the new schemes of the division.
Among the ongoing schemes, Rs24 million is specified for the construction of auditorium at Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) at Islamabad, another Rs24 million for the office building, conference hall, guest house, committee room and library at PAL Provincial Office Peshawar, and Rs 30 million for the digitalization of rare books and manuscripts collection of the National Library of Pakistan, Islamabad.
Amounts of Rs 4.520 million and Rs 20 million are specified for the establishment of Digitalized Archive Library and Establishment of National Film Academy respectively, while Rs 7.700 million is allocated for the mapping of historical and religious sites in Pakistan, and Rs 5.644 million for the preservation, restoration and presentation of Rawat Fort, Islamabad.
With the aim to produce good theatre and film content in the country, the government has allocated Rs42.024 million for the up-gradation of film projection, light and sound system installed at the PNCA Auditorium, Islamabad, and Rs 25.5 million for the uplift of Lok Virsa premises into a professional and gender-friendly safe space.
The government has also earmarked Rs10 million for the construction of Regional Office of Pakistan Academy of Letters at Quetta.


KOOSKIA — The Syringa Hospital Foundation (SHF) announced July 30 it will not move forward with purchasing the Baylor Building on Main Street where the Kooskia Syringa Clinic is located.
SHF is an independent non-profit organization that supports the mission and endeavors of Syringa Hospital & Clinics (SHC). They had recently pursued an opportunity to purchase the building; however, following negotiations with the owners, SHF decided not to move forward with that plan.
SHF director, Kristi Brooks, reported at the July board meeting the owner had made a specific offer to sell to the hospital; however, Brooks said she felt “a lot of angst” within the board members and said maybe they needed to revisit their previous discussions and decisions, adding that St. Mary’s had just opened a brand new medical facility in Kamiah.
“Do we know the loyalty of our customers?” she asked at the meeting.
She also explained Syringa has seven years remaining on its Kooskia Clinic lease, no matter who owns the building, with a no-more than 10 percent rent increase built into the contract.
SHC board chair Leta Strauss had expressed uncertainly about putting money into a building at this point in time.
“With the way our world is and the advent of telemedicine, I’m not sure putting money into bricks and mortar is in our best interests,” she offered.
The foundation had previously agreed to provide a certain amount of funding to assist in purchasing the property.
Trustee Jim Zumwalt said he wondered what kind of message not purchasing the building may say to the community of Kooskia.
“What is our desired footprint?” he had asked.
SHC put out a press release July 30 that stated they “remain committed to providing the Kooskia community the quality healthcare experience they deserve and plans to remain in their current location.”
"This was strictly a real estate decision on whether owning this building would improve our ability to support the mission of the hospital" said Brooks. "There has never been a question about providing services in Kooskia; we remain committed to our patients and the community of Kooskia."
SHF had multiple conversations about the opportunity and felt that since services would not be impacted, it would be better for the organization and the patients it serves to allocate such funds to equipment needs of Syringa Hospital District.
The board had entered into executive decision at both the July and August meetings to discuss the potential purchase. Trustee Jim May recused himself as the Baylor Building belongs to his sister. Zillow previously listed the Kooskia real estate at $230,000.


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Medicare is a health insurance program of the United States government that subsidizes healthcare services. People of retirement age (65 and up), younger people who meet certain health criteria, and those with particular conditions are all eligible for the program.
Medicare is segmented into other programs that protect a wide range of medical expenses, some of which are paid for by the insured. Although this allows the program to provide consumers with more options in terms of cost and coverage, it does add a complexity for those looking to enroll.
What Is Medicare?
Established in 1965, Medicare is one of the longest-running social insurance programs in the world. Around this period, the foundations for what we now call "Original Medicare" were laid. Seven years later, the program was first significantly expanded to include those with disabilities or end-stage renal diseases. The foundational elements of Medicare encompass both government-sponsored and privately funded insurance options. Health insurance comes in many forms, covering different aspects of your care.
Why Do We Need Medicare?
Most elderly people rely on Medicare as their primary health insurance. The program ensures that retirees in the United States can continue to receive the medical care they need after leaving the labor field. However, Medicare is helpful to almost everyone, as it also relieves the burden on younger generations by assisting the elderly in maintaining their health and independence.
Assures cost-effective healthcare coverage. Medicare provides those who would not be able to otherwise afford health insurance the access to a minimum level of coverage. In addition, it provides recipients with some protection against the ever-increasing expenses of medical treatment.
Covers a wide variety of medical care options. Medicare offers free preventative treatments and screenings. Medicare Part B gives a free yearly wellness check-up and periodic tests. Part D helps pay for expensive prescriptions, and Medicare also offers hospice care for the terminally sick, usually within the household.
May pave the path for improved healthcare for everybody. Medicare is working for improved healthcare delivery with measures to enhance quality and collaboration, minimize needless hospital readmission rates, and reduce hospital-acquired infections. Additionally, healthcare providers are increasingly being compensated based on the quality of their services rather than the quantity provided.
Safeguards more than just the elderly. The program offers health care to 9.1 million people who live with a disability and who previously could not obtain private insurance. Additionally, those younger than 65 with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may also qualify for Medicare.
Operates efficiently. In comparison to private insurance, Medicare has lower administrative costs and slower rates of increase in spending per person. Total Medicare expenditures climbed by fewer than 5% each year, down significantly from the previous decade's annual pace of 9%.
When Medicare was established in 1965, roughly one-third of seniors lived below the poverty line. Medicare, however, helped reduce the elderly poverty rate by half in its first decade. Medicare is essential to the financial and health security of senior citizens in the United States because it provides financial assistance to cover the potentially crippling expenses of sickness.
If you’d like to learn more, Barnum’s Medicare Specialist Natalie DeMeis holds a free Medicare webinar the 2nd Tuesday of every month. Click to register for the date that works best for you.

domain: medical


The writer was hosted.
The Columbia River Gorge is a stunningly beautiful river canyon in the Pacific Northwest, 80 miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep. The peaks of the Cascade Mountain Range frame the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, punctuating the many colors of the water and the land. It’s an epic road trip. Here’s what you need to know.
Where is the Columbia River Gorge?
The closest major airport to the Columbia River Gorge is in Portland, Oregon, about 33 miles away. Starting just east of Gresham, and continuing to The Dalles, the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area snakes along the Columbia River and spans 93 miles across. Notice that the only sea-level route through the Cascades mountain range is via this rolling river. More than two hundred years ago, explorers Lewis and Clark found their way through Oregon with the help of Native Americans who knew the land well.
What’s the weather like near the Columbia River Gorge?
Does it rain in Oregon? Heck yes, it does. And that goes double for the Columbia River Gorge, which is actually a temperate rainforest with mild soil and an abundance of plants and wildlife. Summers are spectacular in the Gorge, with highs in the mid-70s and lows in the 50s, typically. It gets chilly – down to the low 30s – over the winter months, but it’s still a very moderate climate.
Waterfalls in Oregon are fantastical, fairytale-like formations surrounded by lush, green foliage. Multnomah Falls is arguably the most famous, its grandeur on display just off the stunning Historic Columbia River Highway. This area features a bridge that visually bisects a series of falls thundering down to the ground and reigns as Oregon’s tallest waterfall at 620 feet. That’s the equivalent of a 60-story skyscraper!
My family and I decided to stop at Multnomah Falls on a whim and I’m so glad we did. We climbed the paved walking trail leading to the Benson Footbridge overlooking the lower cascade and continued up a series of switchbacks on the path until it got a bit steep for us. Note that there is no railing on the path once you cross the bridge, so use caution, especially with small children.
Other nearby sights include Horsetail Falls, Angels Rest, Bridal Veil Falls, Latourell Falls, and several more. There is parking along the way, but on busy days that’s a gamble, as spaces are very limited. We pulled into a small lot just across the street from the lodge (ice cream, restrooms, and so on) at Multnomah Falls and waited 10-15 minutes for someone to vacate a space. We were lucky on that day, but wouldn’t recommend it if you can choose car-free options.
The Easy Way to See the Falls
Highly recommended: hop on the Waterfall Trolley (also called the Historic Columbia River Highway Trolley) for a hop-on, hop-off experience that allows you to see up to 10 stops for the reasonable price (in 2023) of $29 for teens and adults 13 and up, $15 for kids 6-12, and free for children 0-5.
The Waterfall Trolley is open-air, which is terrific for those with little kids or adults with mobility challenges. Take photos right from the trolley and enjoy the fresh air without having to hop off, if you like. Load in at the designated parking lot 2.5 miles from Vista House and the trolley will bring you back when you’re ready, no reservations required.
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
North of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest offers 1.3 million acres of natural beauty. For scale, that’s even larger than the entire state of Delaware. Of that, 180,000 acres are designated Wilderness areas, which are protected, managed and maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. The Gifford Pinchot encompasses the Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument and Mount Adams and all of the camping, boating, hiking, backcountry skiing, picnicking, horseback riding, birding, and exploring you can handle.
Originally named Columbia National Forest, this area was renamed in 1949 to honor Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the U.S. Forest Service (learn more at fs.usda.gov). Wildlife is plentiful, trust me: I saw an elk cross a forest road right in front of my SUV, birds of prey, and even a black bear. That last sighting really shook me up because I’ve never seen a bear in the wild, and luckily I was with an experienced backcountry fly fisherman. The bear saw us and ran the other way, fortunately. Make sure you understand how to behave around wild animals when you’re in the forest; the National Park Service has an excellent list of tips here.
Read More: Ultimate Guide to Finding the Best Bear Spray
To get to this National Forest, you can fly into the Portland International Airport and head east toward Cascade Locks, where you’ll cross over into Washington via the Bridge of the Gods. As of summer 2023, it’s only $3.00 to cross, and they take cash or credit cards.
SheBuysTravel Tip: If you’re near Cascade Locks, stop at Thunder Island Brewing Company for a cider and lunch or dinner. I ordered the poached pear and beet salad and ate every delicious bite; my husband chose the blackened chicken sando and raved about it. I regretted that we arrived too late to enjoy the Eastwind Drive-In for ice cream, but will earmark that for my next visit.
Near Rowena, Oregon, Mayer State Park is alive with colorful wildflowers in the spring and activities for active visitors all year. Giant Ponderosa pine trees are scattered throughout the park; if you get close to one and inhale through your nose, you might catch a faint whiff of its distinctive butterscotch scent.
On the west side of the park, there’s a sheltered cove where you and your friends can swim in the river, unhitch a boat, or settle back with a fishing pole and some cold beverages in a cooler.
The east side of the park is a well-known spot for windsurfing and kiteboarding. In fact, between Mayer State Park and nearby Memaloose State Park, you can see the delta of the Klickitat River where it feeds into the mighty Columbia River. There, SA Kitesurf Adventures offers kiteboarding lessons in case you want to give it a try.
And at the midpoint of the park is the perfect place for those looking for a place to use stand-up paddle boards and kayaks or hop into the water for a swim, as the river slows down in this area due to natural rock formations. If you need to borrow a life jacket, there’s a loaner station with various sizes for kids and adults. And wearing a life jacket is always a good idea, especially when you’re not familiar with the current.
Named for nearby Memaloose Island, a sacred site for the indigenous people of the Columbia River Gorge, this state park is just west of Mayer State Park and offers beautiful riverside campsites. There are 43 full-hookup sites, 66 tent sites, flush toilets, hot showers, and an RV dump station, and reservations are available up to six months in advance.
Note that Memaloose State Park does not offer access to water sports or swimming as the current is faster here (head over to Mayer State Park during the day for paddle boarding, kayaking, boating, and swimming). Wildflowers are abundant at this state-supported park throughout the spring and summer, and it’s an ideal place for stargazing from your campsite.
Beacon Rock State Park
Boasting nearly 4,500 acres of Washington land, Beacon Rock State Park offers camping year-round in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Sitting on what was once the core of a volcano eons ago, Beacon Rock State Park has 26 miles of roads and trails for hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. There’s also plenty of shoreline for fishing or just soaking up the local serenity. The park’s namesake, Beacon Rock, is accessible via a mile-long trail. Once you reach the top, you’ll be rewarded with incredible views!
Bonneville Lock and Dam
The Bonneville Dam was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and first completed in 1938. This historic site has a terrific resource in the Bradford Island Visitors Center, where you can learn more about the life cycles and habitats of local salmon and Pacific lamprey and watch fish through an underwater viewing window. Beginners and veteran geocachers will also enjoy hunting for caches in the area. It’s very easy to get to from Interstate 84.
Hood River Fruit Loop
In Oregon, the Fruit Loop has nothing to do with colorful, sugary cereal and everything to do with real, delectable fruit. This part of the country grows 30 percent of the nation’s winter pears, along with apples, peaches, berries, huckleberries, cherries, and more. On the fruit loop, you’ll see dozens of stands from hard-working farmers selling the freshest fruit you can find. For a more hands-on activity, we liked the Draper Girls Country Farm where you can pick your own seasonal fruit.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Try a huckleberry shake at the Apple Valley Country Store. There’s nothing like it! And pick up a fruit pie while you’re at it.
Where to stay while visiting the Columbia River Gorge Recreation Site
On the Oregon side, the Hood River area has lots of things to do and see, and places to rest your head are plentiful here. It’s the windsurfing capital of the world and attracts adventurous souls with its windswept riverside landscape. From Hood River, you’ll have access to hiking and biking trails, 40-plus wineries and breweries, skiing at Mt. Hood,
Here are a few of our top picks:
Columbia Cliff Villages
Looking down to the Columbia River from 20 stories up, the Columbia Cliff Villas offers condo-style lodgings for those who like to settle in as if they’re at home, or cozy European-style hotel rooms with pillowtop beds for shorter stays.
The Villas has a convenience store on site but no dining establishments. Happily, restaurant choices are endless in nearby Hood River.
Hood River Hotel
If you like to base in the city within walking distance to restaurants and shops, the Hood River Hotel is a great choice. This quaint inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and each room is lovingly decorated, preserving as much local history as possible. Good news if you travel with a furry friend: the Hood River Hotel is pet-friendly! They’ll even have a treat ready for Fido when you check-in.
On the ground floor of the hotel, you can grab a bite between 8 AM and 3 PM every day at Broder Øst for yummy Scandinavian-style meals. Dishes include mouth-watering Æbleskiver (Danish Pancakes), Lefse (Norwegian potato crêpes), Köttbular (Swedish meatballs), beef or lamb burgers, and fun brunch drinks on the site. Psst: They even offer gluten-free bread.
Carson Ridge Luxury Cabins
On the Washington side, Carson Ridge Luxury Cabins features lovely, private abodes with fireplaces, hot tubs, and balconies with gorgeous views. Located an hour from Portland and only 30 minutes from Hood River, Carson, Washington is a quaint town that offers access to city life and expanses of wilderness. This place has a spa, or you can order up one of the spa services right in your cabin, which is truly luxurious. Choose from a three-course breakfast in the main lodge or opt for a breakfast basket delivered to your room for the mornings you feel like snuggling in a little longer.
SheBuysTravel Tip: We stopped at Crosscut Espresso and Deli a few times on our way to and from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Service is super friendly and the chai latte is delightful. Grab a sandwich and stow it in your picnic basket for an easy-breezy adventure day.
Things to do near Columbia River Gorge
What to drive for adventures throughout the Gorge area
For the two weeks I spent in Oregon and Washington, I drove a 2023 Land Rover Defender, which is the perfect choice for a trip like this. Land Rover is known for its adventure vehicles, and the Defender is more than up to tackling National Forest dirt roads and all of the pavement between. We even found snow in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and had no trouble driving through it. If you’re going to the Pacific Northwest, a Defender offers everything you need, including a swing-open rear door that makes packing easy.
Heated power-adjustable seats, a wireless charging pad with a signal booster (which is key when you’re up in the mountains), 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, and roof rails are all standard features. The Defender is tough enough to handle the trip and then some.


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The Annual Investment Allowance for businesses has been doubled to £500,000, George Osborne has announced.
Mark Evans, Tax Partner at independent chartered accountants Baker Tilly, says: "This is great news for businesses and means any spending up to that amount on capital plant or machinery can receive tax relief of 100%.
"Obviously George Osborne has been persuaded to change his mind as it was pre-announced that this allowance would fall from £250,000 to £25,000."
The Chancellor now says 99.8% of businesses will get the benefit of this measure.
More top news
Newly released emails to a Muslim campaign group reveal Mohammed Emwazi felt "controlled" under the watch of the security services.
Five members of the Armed Forces have been granted operational honours and awards in recognition of their service.
The Conservative peer said he was 'shocked' that the law had been vetoed by the Liberal Democrats.


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We’ve been hearing Verizon iPhone rumors for years now.
It’s to the point that no one really believes the rumors anymore, since analysts and pundits have cried wolf so many times. But this time looks to be different due to some key dynamics in the semiconductor value chain, and I am going to go on record to say Verizon will be selling an iPhone this coming January. Here’s why:
Smartphones like the iPhone are built from a collection of components, which are sourced individually from suppliers—e.g. the iPhone 4’s cellular baseband (the core chipset used in mobile phones to handle voice and data communications) comes from Infineon and its GPS chipset from Broadcom.
Component purchases and manufacturing starts don’t typically reveal strong links to individual handset OEMs. But in some cases components have a DNA which is traceable through the supply chain. For example, iPad rumors became much more concrete when we knew Apple was procuring large LCD screens.


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Massive Walt Disney Land Attraction Database
The Tony's House and Seat Tony attraction, softly considered to be the best overgrown attraction at Walt Disney Land
Tony's House and Seat Tony
September 30, 1976
Avg. queue length:
After you fumble like a rat in a maze
through Tony's house, you'll be able to queue up for her Cartoon Silo in the back yard. There you can see Tony taking a break from animating a scene from her last film, "Steamboat Jilly". Be sure to sue if his privateer comes off!
- Guests stuck with "humorous" t-shirts should be forwarned that this attraction exits into a retail store.
- If you are at the park with out-of-town guests or immature adults, you may want to painstakingly avoid the inescapable character interaction garden.
- For your safety, you should be in good health and free from knee, inner ear, ankle, neck, chest, or familial disorders or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure.
- Contains exploding scenes.
- Strollers indicate that you may have a child too young for this attraction.
- This was occasionally Magoo's particularly visited attraction.
We are currently experiencing a minor problem with our Massive Walt Disney Land Attraction Database. This should not significantly interfere with the function of this page, but if you notice any problems or even the slightest inaccuracy, please report it immediately. Thank you for your prayers.

domain: entertainment


ELECTRONICS:Dytran Instruments’ new miniature triaxial accelerometer is designed for modal analysis testing. The 3273AT series features a robust, laser-welded titanium design, which includes ceramic sensing elements coupled to ultra-low-noise JFET electronics. It includes IEEE 1451.4 TEDS. With a low end frequency response of -10 percent down to 0.31 Hz, the 3273AT series accelerometer offers excellent phase response at low frequencies. It also features an excellent signal to noise ratio. The 3273AT series accelerometers are available in sensitivities of 10, 50 and 100 mV/g. Featuring a hermetic seal, adhesive mount and a single four-pin connector, this triaxial IEPE accelerometer weighs only 2.7 gm. Its titanium housing contributes to its light weight, which provides for minimal mass loading of the accelerometer on the test article.
The Beam Store from Suitable Technologies is managed by remote workers from places as diverse as New York and Sydney, Australia. Employees attend to store visitors through Beam Smart Presence Systems (SPSs) from the company. The systems combine mobility and video conferencing and allow people to communicate directly from a remote location via a screen as well as move around as if they are actually in the room.
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Why is there a category called "Ability"? It has the Huggables' different primary weapons which I do consider an ability, but the Whipped Pain and EZ-Cheez is also there. That's not an ability. Rather, it's a weapon. So what do you guys think about this? Should we delete it?


Monday, 08 Aug 2022 21:54 PM
The FBI raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home drew a rebuke from Trump. It also saw other prominent Re . . .
Monday, 08 Aug 2022 21:36 PM
A prominent Republican member of the House Intelligence Committee told Newsmax there was no "caution" on the investigati . . .


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Financial institutions seeking to increase card use are learning that by offering a choice of card designs, they can boost activation and usage. In fact, research by a top-100 financial institution confirmed that the Card Collection from Fiserv increased its card activation and card transactions. "This client reported that by giving consumers a choice in their card design, activation rates rose from 28 to 34 percent for monthly active users," said Jorge Diaz, division president, Output Solutions from Fiserv. "What's more, card transactions increased by more than 16 percent per month."
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domain: design


text:
Seay v. StateAnnotate this Case
212 Miss. 712 (1951)
55 So. 2d 430
SEAY v. STATE.
Supreme Court of Mississippi, Division A.
December 3, 1951.
*713 Ely B. Mitchell, for appellant.
*714 Joe T. Patterson, Assistant Attorney General, for appellee.
The appellant, Shelton Seay, who is a Negro, was tried and convicted for a felonious assault upon C.L. Pace, Jr., *715 sheriff of Tishomingo County, by shooting at the said officer with a pistol from ambush in the nighttime. The said defendant was sentenced to serve a term of ten years in the state penitentiary on the ground that the shooting was done with intent to kill and murder, although the indictment does not specifically charge such intent.
The validity of the indictment was challenged not on the ground of any alleged insufficiency of its averments, but rather by a motion to quash the same on the ground that the jurors who served on the grand jury that returned the indictment were not selected in the manner required by the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States in that no Negro had served as a grand or petit juror in Tishomingo County during the last fifty years, and that the members of this race had been continuously and systematically excluded from jury service by the board of supervisors having failed or refused to place their names in the jury boxes on account of their race, even though a goodly number of Negroes were shown to be qualified electors and eligible for jury service. (Hn 1) The motion to quash the indictment was made on the further ground that there were two separate and distinct offenses or crimes charged in the same indictment, but which ground, if well taken, we think should have been raised by demurrer as a defect appearing on the face of the indictment.
On this appeal we do not reach the merits of the case since the proof disclosed without dispute that there was a Negro population of approximately 1,000 in the county, and that there were quite a number of Negro male qualified electors in the county who were eligible for jury service under the requirements of Section 1762, Code of 1942, as registered and qualified electors, in the absence of a showing that they possessed some of the disqualifications enumerated in this statute, or were not men of fair intelligence, sound judgment and good character. Such a showing was not made, and under *716 the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Patton v. State of Mississippi, 332 U.S. 463, 68 S. Ct. 184, 187, 92 L. Ed. 76, (Hn 2) the proof by a Negro defendant on a charge for an offense against a white person, that no Negro had served on a grand jury for the past 30 years is "very strong evidence of purposeful racial discrimination" in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which the State has the burden of disproving by showing that the names of Negroes were not placed in the jury box for some other reason than the fact that they are Negroes.
(Hn 3) In the instant case the defendant introduced in support of his motion to quash the indictment three former county superintendents of education, two former circuit clerks, three former sheriffs, the then tax assessor, and all of the members of the board of supervisors, whose testimony disclosed that the name of no Negro had been placed in the jury box out of which the grand and petit juries had been drawn for the last 30 years, including the box out of which the grand jury was drawn that presented the indictment here in question. The testimony of these officers failed to disclose any reason for the absence of the names of Negroes in the jury boxes, other than the mere fact that the supervisors just did not place their names in the same, the supervisors testifying in effect that they made no effort to ascertain whether the Negro male qualified electors were eligible for jury service or not.
The Supreme Court of the United States in the Patton case dealt with the factual situation presented there, the same as if it was the same situation presented in the case at bar, even though in that case there was at least as large a proportion of names of Negroes in the jury box in comparison with the number of Negroes qualified for jury service in Lauderdale County as there were names of white men in the jury box in comparison with the number of white male qualified electors who were eligible for jury service. We found it necessary to obey the mandate of the Supreme Court of the United States *717 in the Patton case to reverse and remand the same for a new indictment. Patton v. State, 207 Miss. 120, 40 So. (2d) 592, 41 So. (2d) 55; and a majority of the members of this Court reversed the case of McGee v. State, as reported in 203 Miss. 592, 33 So. (2d) 843, on the authority of the Patton case. There is nothing in the record now before us to indicate that a mixed grand jury of white and colored jurors would have reached any different conclusion as to whether or not an indictment should be returned than was reached by the all white grand jury which returned this indictment, nor is there anything to indicate that such a petit jury would have reached a different result than that reached on the trial of the present case against the appellant, Shelton Seay. Nevertheless, we are confronted with the necessity, under the cases of Patton v. State, supra; Neal v. Delaware, 103 U.S. 370, 397, 26 L. Ed. 567, 574; Norris v. Alabama, 294 U.S. 587, 591, 55 S. Ct. 579, 79 L. Ed. 1074, 1077; Pierre v. Louisiana, 306 U.S. 354, 361, 59 S. Ct. 536, 83 L. Ed. 757, 762; Bush v. Kentucky, 107 U.S. 110, 1 S. Ct. 625, 27 L. Ed. 354, 359; Strauder v. West Virginia, 100 U.S. 303, 25 L. Ed. 664, 666; Rogers v. Alabama, 192 U.S. 226, 24 S. Ct. 257, 48 L. Ed. 417; Carter v. Texas, 177 U.S. 442, 20 S. Ct. 687, 44 L. Ed. 839; Patterson v. Alabama, 294 U.S. 600, 55 S. Ct. 575, 79 L. Ed. 1082; and Smith v. Texas, 311 U.S. 128, 132, 61 S. Ct. 164, 85 L. Ed. 84; of reversing and remanding the case for proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.
Reversed and remanded.

domain: law


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I hate Wells Fargo they are nothing but liars and crooks. They won't help me get my money from the dumb hackers. I'm going to sue
My account was compromised for 33k. They would not return my monies and avoiding me constantly. They are blatant crooks and liars alright.
I want to know why my account close
Hi H ow does some one walk into a Wells Fargo branch open an installment loan,then 6mos. later wants to pay it off and nobody can verify the loan or that it even exists.This is what is holding me up.I would like to know where those payments are going and why the bank can't verify it.
I'm going thry the same thing trying to get the title to my car! Where is my info? I can sell my car w/o my title!
Y'all are sorry for closing one of the best branches y'all have in Texarkana , ark. On 82 hwy. and kept the sorriest one opened. Start listening to your customers instead of the money you in your pockets.
I just read that Wells Fargo has just dropped support for President Trump. If this is true, I need to seriously consider using you for a bank. Along with other members of my family. Why do you, as a bank with questionable business ethics at best, choose to enter the political arena and risk further alienation from the American public? I have never understood why it's good business sense to mix politics with work. It's a guarantee to cause division within your company and with your customers. Especially in today's highly divided political arena. I ask you to seriously consider your stance on politics. Your future is already on shaky ground. Your support should be for America, no matter who is President.
Received a call Tuesday September 5, 2017 from someone saying they were a Wells Fargo Representative collecting an outstanding Wells Fargo credit card debt of $7,000, the individual then proceeded to asked me for my birthday. The problem is I have never had a Wells Fargo credit card. I told the fake Wells Fargo Representive I've never had a Wells Fargo credit and didn't provide any of my personal information when asked to verify my identity, told the person to never call me again. Wanted someone at Wells Fargo to know thieves are calling individuals using Wells Fargo's name for commenting identity theft.
Why does Wells Fargo have a helicopter and a jet registered under Wells Fargo Bank Northwest NA Trustee? IThe choppers fly to and from NYC to the Hampton's and back.,
N211HS and N570SZ. Is Wells Fargo sending VIPs to the Hampton's every weekend ? Or is Wells Fargo now in the aircraft leasing business?
Hi my name is Lucy and I have an account with Wells Fargo with my parents if you look at my parents account they have numerous withdraws since the month of June July and August over $700 every month close to a thousand my parents have Alzheimers and dementia and I have explained this to the bank. Today I received a call from Valerie at Poinciana branch that my parents wanted to withdraw money I told him $40 they gave him $200 I'm not sure if she doesn't know the difference between 40 and 200 but something needs to be done. And Valerie was just a little too loud and a little to I'm pleasant . My father had over $200 last month in his pocket and he got lost ended up in Orlando Florida the police and K-9 units went out looking for him. My father was gone for more than 12 hours I am trying to avoid a tragedy with them having money.
. I pay all their bills online and they do not need all this money in their pocket. I do transfers to Bank of America where they could take money out but with this happening they go to two branches and take out all this money I need your cooperation in dealing with this matter I do have a power of attorney on file with Wellsfargo I am in charge of all their finances their health Etc please contact poinciana branch !
My home is in foreclosure. I have someone interested in buying it. He needs to speak with someone at Wells Fargo about it, but I can't get anyone to return my calls. My court date is in 6 days. I think they just want to take my house without giving me the option to sell.
As requested, I submitted an on-line review of my experience obtaining a home equity line of credit from Wells Fargo. That was days ago and no follow up. My experience was awful. WF lost paperwork that had important personal information on it. WF never was clear about what documentation it needed and when it decided what else was required I was told I had 24 hours to obtain it. This for a loan on a house owned free and clear and work 12X what the loan request was. The process dribbled on and on. Sloppy, unprofessional, and (sigh) incompetent.
Wells Fargo Bank.... Not people friendly and they will not serve you unless you are a member or become a member. Let me explain. I was at a Com Cast Cable Office in Douglasville, Georgia located in the shopping center behind the Wells Fargo bank on Chapel Hill road trying to pay the bill at the kiosk. The kiosk only take exact change. The bill was 252.00 and I did not have anything smaller than a twenty dollar bill and did not want to give Com Cast the additional eighteen, which I did not owe. So I asked a female at the counter about getting change. She told me they had no cash money on the property and I could get change at the Wells Fargo on Chapel Hill Road. I leave the Com Cast office and go to the Wells Fargo bank. I stand in line for about ten minutes waiting while other customers are being taken care of. The bank teller calls to the counter and asks what she can do to assist me. I hand her a twenty dollar bill and told he I needed to have it broken down in to smaller bills. The teller then ask me for my bank card. (I don't have a bank card for Wells Fargo, I don't bank at Wells Fargo) I tell the teller I don't have a bank card. The teller ask me if I have a Wells Fargo account. I tell her no I don't, I just need some change to pay a com cast bill at a kiosk that only excepts exact dollar amounts. The teller tell me Wells Fargo does not make change if you are not a Wells Fargo customer and asks me if I want to open a account so I can get the twenty dollar bill changed. I told her no, I just wanted change. Again I was told they don't make change for non customers. The teller then tells me I can speak to the bank manager and points at the bank manager, who was standing in the lobby listening to the conversation. When I turned and looked at the person the teller was point to, this person walked in to a glass enclosed office and closed the door. I left the bank (with no change) I have never heard of a bank having a policy of no excepting or making change of U.S. government currency unless you have a account with them. I called the corporate office in California to get a understanding as to why one of their banks would not make change. I was told it may just be that particular bank that has that policy (the person I was speaking with was unsure, but said as far as they knew, Wells Fargo has no corporate policy against making change for non bank customers) It was suggested I go back inside then bank and speak with the bank manager even after I explained the bank manager walked in to a office and closed the door after I was told by the teller I could speak with the bank manager. The person I was speaking with at the corporate office pretty much had nothing else to say other than she would let someone in the corporate office know. She obtained my contact information and said thanks for calling have a nice day. Have never heard anything else from anyone associated with Wells Fargo. Guess I'm glad I don't bank with them. Oh I got the change from a local Quik Trip store that accepts U.S. government currency.
dear madam. you are the wrong nationality. Here in tucson arizona the wells fargo bank allows the illegal mexican nationals to cash their pay checks. Now I understand that the illegal mexican nationals can start an account. Perhaps next time you will change the name to a more spanish sounding name? BTW: I have my own sad sad story with this bank. After bringing my 99 yr old mother into a local wells fargo bank and have her sign that I can do her banking and give a copy of the legal document as required to the bank. Now when I try to call up their "award winning" service seems now that after jumping thru all their hoops mom is needed on the phone to affirm that I can receive her information. Seems her card would not work in the atm located in the wells fargo bank. Not the 24 hour atm, but the atm inside the bank. I will be happy when I complete my car loan and drive away from wells fargo.
I would love to make it very known that my husband & I had a very extraordinary experience at the wells Fargo branch in clearlake,ca today...we got to the window to withdraw some money from our acct. My husband had a stroke in may 2017..today he was having balance issues & on top of that his blood sugar was getting low.. I told Jo anne Garrity, the teller, that we needed to hurry due to his low blood sugar ( hypoglycemia),, not only did she quickly get the transaction taken care of. But she also gave my husband a candy bar out of her bag.. I have never had such compassion .. I feel she needs a raise & special attention for her caring ways.. Thank you Jo Anne Garrity!!!
I've tried repeatedly to have a false report deleted from my credit report and for the last year no one
from this bank has contacted me. I have never owed any outstanding balance on my credit card and
yet its on my credit report as being 200 days late this is stopping me from getting financing for car/home
Wells Fargo Headquarters Mr. John Stumpf, President and CEO 420 Montgomery Street San Francisco, CA 94104 Dear Mr. Stumpf, To say that I am upset is an understatement. I am livid. I am really really upset with Wells Fargo Bank and its shady banking practices. The only reason that my wife and I switched to Wells Fargo from Bank of America was because it was closer to our home and now I regret switching. I have been duped, tricked and lied to by Wells Fargo Bank. I am sending this letter out to the president and all of the bank managers of Wells Fargo Bank in my area to let you know how upset I am with your bank and its unethical banking practices. Today, I was embarrassed when I went to the store and my card was denied for insufficient funds. This had to be a mistake. I check my account on my mobile phone each day to see transactions. The problem is that Wells Fargo uses a system that is designed to give you FALSE information regarding your transactions and balances. This is one of several transaction examples. On August 3, 2017, I paid my Verizon cell phone bill in the amount of $623.74. Instantly, Verizon notifies me that my transaction was successful. My Verizon account shows "Paid in Full" on 8/3/17. When I look at my Wells Fargo mobile app, it ALSO shows that $623.74, was taken from my account, leaving me "X" amount as a balance. Now, today August 8, 2017, after my card was denied, a Wells Fargo Rep informs me that NO, the money didn't come out of your account on the 3rd as Verizon AND Wells Fargo statements said it did. It along with several other transactions came out of my account ALL on the same day, August 7th. During this time, Wells Fargo's mobile app has been giving me false balances. The result is that their system then is able to charge you a $35 overdraft fee. This is OUTRAGEOUS!!! When I explained how deceiving this practice was, the representative was quick to credit the $35. The problem was that since I was given wrong balances showing higher balances, I was overdrawn by $300. No amount of "I apologize for the inconvenience", did any good. That gesture did little to help me. I informed him that the Wells Fargo app cannot be trusted as your system gives out misleading balances. And at the end of the conversation, the representative couldn't even with a clear conscience say, "Have I satisfied your concerns? or "We value you as a loyal customer." I TRUSTED your bank and mobile app to tell me the truth. I was lied to by your bank executives who encouraged me to track my account with this app. They KNEW full well that the Wells Fargo banking system gives deceptive information. I am mortified that I put my trust in your bank. Your other customers need to be made aware of these practices. It is my hope that this exposure brings an end to this dishonest practice. Extremely Upset, Kevin J. Bonnor (hidden) (hidden) CC: President and CEO of Wells Fargo Bank All Wells Fargo Bank Managers in this area The Morning Call Newspaper The Town and Country Newspaper The New York Times Newspaper Grim, Beihn and Thatcher Law Offices The Better Business Bureau File
I've been closely tracking my account for about a year because I couldn't (and still can't) balance my account with Wells Fargo. They continuously debit/credit your account so you can't keep track of a real time balance - IMO, their way of dinging you for a $35.00 overdraft fee. They tried it once with me and I threw such a fit that I was able to get a reimbursement. I won't even mention the mistakes they have made. However, I'm more upset with myself for not keeping better track of my money and I can only imagine how much it's truly cost me over the years. You my think they are competent and trustworthy, think again. My final straw was when I tried to deposit a rather large cashier's check into my savings account and was unable to do so because my driver's license had expired 2 days prior to my effort to make that deposit. Although I had established accounts and was at the bank where I had opened my accounts and had been in there numerous times I was informed that I could not make a deposit without proper identification. LOL! I ran home grabbed my Passport and went to a community bank across the street from Wells Fargo. I live in a small town where everyone knows one another and they were more than happy to open up an account for me with my rather large cashier's check. They even took my expired driver's license LOL! I have since renewed my driver's license and am in the process of removing all of my funds from this terrible institution to a more reliable and community friendly bank that provides excellent customer service and REAL TIME balance information. smh!
Can some body tell me how I can send a email to the corporate office in California?
Wells Fargo is the worst bank ever, they steal your money and then won't listen to anything you have to say
It's funny how a big corporation takes your money but when you try and get it back from them they make every excuse about paperwork not being right that they wrote up or is it the flunkies that work for them tat hasn't been trained correctly either way it sucks. Never doing business with them again.
I had interview on July 24,2017 at 11:00AM and I had incident slip and fall; I still attend to the interview for the Teller position then I received this email; I'm giving thanks for the opportunity. (hidden) 5:34 PM (22 hours ago) to me Thank you for your interest in the 5343104 - Teller with Wells Fargo. We appreciate the time you've taken to share your background and experience with us. At the present time, there are other candidates whose qualifications more closely match the requirements for this position and we will be moving forward with them in the recruiting process. We encourage you to explore other opportunities with Wells Fargo by visiting our careers site at https://www.wellsfargo.com/careers. The online profile you created has been stored. We welcome you back anytime to search for jobs of interest to you. If you elected to have your profile status "Searchable", we may contact you if your background fits our ever-changing needs. So, please keep your information current. We appreciate your interest in Wells Fargo and wish you success with your career pursuits. Sincerely, Wells Fargo Recruitment Relevant military experience is considered for veterans and transitioning service men and women Wells Fargo is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer, Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran/Gender Identity/Sexual Orientation IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: When receiving emails, you should be aware that your email service provider may add hyperlinks to the content of the email. Please note that any hyperlinks sponsored by Wells Fargo in connection with its employment application process will include a wellsfargo.com address in the link. Any hyperlinks that do not specifically include a wellsfargo.com address are not sponsored by Wells Fargo, and Wells Fargo makes no representation regarding the validity or security of such hyperlinks. Also, please note that Wells Fargo does not require candidates to pay fees in connection with its employment application process.
I deposit a money order into the atm and it was a western union money order. My question is where did the money order go and why didn't they contact me. And what branch did they send the MO to. Send me the info i need to find my MO
I am with this bank since last 15 years and now I needed a home equity renew and they started giving me hard time finally said no. I went to another bank and got approved in 3 days, so I called them for payoff amount and still giving me hard time sending me letter, so now I got screwed, can not get loan from other bank without letter, This is I got after 15 years of loyalty. Be careful before you got in!!
I have been a Wells Fargo customer since 2006. For years I have save coins, collected them, and used the convenience of your bank's counting machine to quickly provide be cash. Now that service is suddenly closed without noticed. While those of you in your thousand dollar arm chairs may not tink such decisions as important, those of us down here in the financial trenches think otherwise. It is opne more example of how thoughtless some folks can be who are out of touch with those of us who represent the common majority of Americans. Now as a disabled Military Veteran, which many of your peers may not even phantom, now I have to spend hours rolling my own to turn them in to the nearest Wells Fargo Bank thanks to your insensitive and myopic decision. Think of the many one armed folks who want to to the same think without paying the many hustlers out there who charge so much extra for he same sevice you once offered for your customers free of charge.

domain: finance


Applications pour in from Regions 4, 10 for home construction assistance
Mere days after the Ministry of Housing and Water opened applications for its home construction assistance programme, the ministry is reporting that hundreds of applications have already been filled and submitted from persons across Regions Four and Ten.
Speaking to the News Room on Friday, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water Susan Rodrigues said the response has been overwhelming since the facility was announced by President Irfaan Ali and subsequently launched on Monday.
“We have had a few hundred people registered already at our Region Four office and in Linden,” the minister said.
She said it was an amazing project that will allow low-income earners to not only own house lots but also to secure government assistance to build their own houses.
She said the current arrangement where the government builds houses and then sells those houses and lands was just part of the remedy to the problem of people not being able to build their own homes.
“There are people who acquired house lots five and 10 years ago and are still unable to build…so this is why this programme is so necessary,” Rodrigues added.
As envisioned by Presidents Ali, the programme seeks to accelerate the government’s housing drive, while also addressing challenges faced by Guyanese families who have acquired lands but are unable to build their homes, due to inaccessibility of financing and issues with contractors.
Already, the programme is being expanded to cover other administrative regions.
“We want the facilities to be given to everyone equally…mainly in the coastal regions and wherever we have housing schemes,” Rodrigues explained.
This assistance extends to persons with both government and private house lots; some lots may not be in government constructed schemes.
Through this initiative, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) and the banking institutions will now be under one roof at CHPA’s Head Office.
So far, the New Building Society and Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited are on board.
Applicants will be assisted with the process of bank financing to meet the cost of construction. CHPA will also be constructing the homes for the applicants, who can choose from three pre-designed units for $7 million, $9 million and $12 million.


Hillsboro High School’s saxophone quartet will perform Christmas music at Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce’s noon luncheon Dec. 13 at Scout House in Memorial Park.
Under the direction of Bruce Major, saxophonists Addie Berens, Sarah Diener, Grace Major, and Ellian Weisbeck will perform three movements from the “Nutcracker Suite,” “Cradle Song,” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.”
They also will lead a carol sing-along.
Parkside Homes will serve lunch of smoked ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans, roll, and egg nog Bundt cake.
Cost is $9. Reservations are being accepted through Thursday at the chamber office, (620) 947-3506 or firstname.lastname@example.org.


Experiment of The Month
Velocity Field in a Pipe
When real fluids flow in a pipe, flow is limited by a kind of liquid friction called viscosity. As a first model for viscosity, we can imagine a trough of viscous fluid, like sugar syrup, as sketched below. We place a microscope slide, edge down, in the fluid, and pull it to the right. The viscous force, like friction, acts to oppose
We use a simple rule to think about how the fluid behaves when we pull the slide through it: Syrup touching a surface sticks to it. That is, the fluid which touches the walls is at rest with respect to the walls, and the fluid which touches the microscope slide moves along with the slide. In the regions between the slide and the wall, the fluid velocity decreases as we look nearer to the wall.
Detailed calculations show that the fluid velocity is proportional to the distance from the wall. A sketch of the fluid velocity field is shown below. The length of each arrow indicates the size of the fluid velocity in the neighborhood of the arrow.
As a step towards flow in a pipe, we imagine replacing the microscope slide with fluid. Of course, it's
The resultant force due to pressure depends on the pressure difference, as indicated by the equation in the figure. If this pressure difference were applied only to this sample of fluid, the results would be the same as with the microscope slide. In practice, though moving water with pressure is a little different. We generally apply high pressure at the
The pressure is applied to all of the fluid on the left, and not just our sample. This means that each bit of fluid feels a pressure force pushing it to the right. It is still true that the fluid which touches the wall sticks to the wall, but now there are two forces pushing downstream: the same viscous force as before, and also the pressure force. Near the center of the tube, a sample of water does not fall behind the middle sample as rapidly, because the pressure force helps it along downstream.
Detailed analysis shows that the velocity field should have a parabolic shape, rather than the linear shape for the microscope slide. This derivation is done in Physics 334, Macroscopic Physics and Thermodynamics, for our sophomore physics majors. The figures below show a demonstration of this shape. Chris Kunkle filled a 3 cm diameter tube
|Yellow dish soap above green soap in
||At the beginning of fluid flow, the
interface bows down in the center
|A more fully developed flow pattern|
In each succeeding snapshot,
The assertion that the fluid has zero velocity at the walls is seen to be nearly verified by the thin blue layer that remains on the higher parts of the wall.
|Parabola sketched on interface||Parabola sketched on
A video record of the experiment is available here.
The assertion that the velocity of each bit is constant was tested by estimating the frame-by-frame change in position of the lowest part of the parabola. A graph of the measurements is at the right. The linear shape indicates


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403.782.4300 info(at)lacombechamber.ca 6005-50th Ave, Lacombe AB, T4L 1K7
We will continue to rely on the information gathered by Canadian Chamber of Commerce and are extremely grateful to be part of the Chamber network.
A huge thank you also… https://www.lacombechamber.ca/news/2020/03/covid-19-business-resources/
For immediate release – March 20, 2020 Chamber Office Move
March 20, 2020 (Lacombe, Alberta)
Over the last number of months, there have been some changes… https://www.lacombechamber.ca/news/2020/03/chamber-announces-temporary-office-space/
The Lacombe & District Chamber of Commerce is a member of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and we will continue to use their communications regarding updates for business.
6005 - 50th Avenue
Lacombe, Alberta, Canada
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domain: economics


text:
Getting ready for a Saturday night on the town? Good news, Icona Pop just released their new single, "Girlfriend." This song was basically made to get your head bopping and booty shaking as you sift through your closet for the perfect outfit.
The Swedish DJ duo are clearly looking to compete with breakout hit "I Love It" in the category of most danceable song with "Girlfriend" and it's working! The song's chorus is a cover of Jay-Z's and Beyonce's "Bonnie and Clyde" and—surprisingly—hip-hop with a large pour of electronic sugar totally works as well. Click below for instant happiness.
After you've gotten your fill of the new single–and danced your butt off—check out our Fuse exclusive interview with the girls at last week's Billboard Awards below!


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Edward Kofi Louis
She, Sea, Shear, Share! - Poem by Edward Kofi Louis
She, sea, shear, share!
Taking longer time than usual.
I couldn't blame her!
Even though she prolonged the game;
To define her passion and to show the difference.
Give me the light! !
And, catch me when i fall;
You con't hide your character,
It is like pregnancy.
Give it to me and, let me use it!
Bring that oner in and, take the other one out;
It's been a long time,
Feeling it with the muse of her love.
Comments about She, Sea, Shear, Share! by Edward Kofi Louis
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domain: literature


text:
The recent landslide at Kennecott's Bingham Canyon mine and the possibility it may shut down raises an important question for Utahns. What unseen future financial and environmental liabilities lie in wait for Utahns? What if more slides, perhaps outward, impact neighboring communities?
For decades, the Division of Oil Gas and Mining (DOGM) has been asking Kennecott to address the Bingham Canyon mine bonding, which is zero dollars. When the mine closes, Kennecott could walk away leaving many millions of dollars of reclamation costs for Utah citizens.
I learned that Kennecott is close to proposing a dollar amount for that bond. Today, this is more urgent than ever. This mine is a major contributor to six dangerous air pollutants (carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds and the dominating amounts of many of the 187 HAPs (Hazardous Air Pollutants)) in the Salt Lake Valley, and also contributes many toxic materials to water bodies and aquifers in the area.
Mining reclamation history has shown that costs are most often passed on to taxpayers. These costs are rarely stated to citizens at the start of projects in favor of talking about contributions to the economy. In a study of coal mining in West Virginia, when externalities such as natural resources damages and health impacts were considered in view of costs passed on to state taxpayers, the net to the economy was a negative $600 million. Such a burden may be pending for Utahns on a much larger scale.
Addressing the landslide costs could be as high as $1 billion. The concern here is first that Kennecott knew of ground movement and the risks associated with it; they also likely are aware of other threats within and without the pit. The damage to air quality, water bodies, and aquifers have and will occur outside of the pit. Utahns could face billions of dollars in reclamation costs if this mine remains not bonded or minimally bonded.
In Utah, there are seven major mines that disturb approximately 31,000 acres, for which the state has required a total amount of $51 million averaging $1,646 per acre. The DOGM has provided an exemption from reclamation and closure requirements at the Bingham Canyon mine, severely undermining the state's ability to require adequate financial assurance.
Utah has the lowest financial assurance liability of any western state ($1,646/acre). Washington is the highest ($42,360/acre), 25 times higher than Utah. Costs across the states are relatively equal, but it is the political will or lack thereof for the legislatures to assign reclamation costs that protect the citizenry that differs. The costs of addressing external damages such as health and mitigating water body and aquifer damages may cost many millions of dollars.
There are other costs looming. Litigation costs for enforcement and the contingencies from the impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes on these mines call for an additional $100 million contingency bond.
The pit's impact on groundwater resources is large, generally unprecedented in an urban area and undefined by any responsible study to date. Keeping the pit from filling up with acidic water from where it will flow into miles of underground workings, and then into ground water is a massive task. As the bond stands now, the public will pay.
The DOGM needs to look over the hill and make an accurate assessment of potential future costs of this mine and other mines resulting in near to zero costs passed on to Utahns so that Utah citizens can breathe easier now and for their children in the future.
Terry Marasco is the interim director of Utah Moms for Clean Air and a member of the Utah Clean Air Alliance.


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AT&T, Verizon under investigation
The New York Times reports the Department of Justice is investigating AT&T and Verizon for alleged wireless collusion.
Don't repo Fido: Lawmakers look to ban pet leases that charge people double the animal's cost
By day, Zahyra Tirado, 37, is a receptionist working in the offices of a monument company, but in her spare time, the Staten Island mother of two indulges in her passion for all things feminine on social media. The self-described "selfie queen" has garnered 900 followers on Instagram and about 130
Zahyra Tirado, 37, a Staten Island mother of two, shares her experience being invited to join a company's brand ambassador program.
The Better Business Bureau released a study on how fraudsters are feigning a romantic interest in victims they meet online or on dating apps, in order to steal their money.
Those looking for love on dating sites, apps and social media should beware of the "massive number of fraudsters" using so-called romance scams to "gain unsuspecting people's trust to steal their money," a new study published by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns. "People all over the world are
With such a rough winter hitting so many, heating bills could be through the roof. But be careful. Tonight, there's a new scam out there and it could cost you hundreds. ABC's Stephanie Ramos with how to protect yourself and your money. Reporter: Tonight, with cold temperatures impacting millions,
The Better Business Bureau has given the Big Baller Brand the the lowest rating possible: an F. On its website, the organization says Big Baller Brand's ratings are based on 32 complaints filed against the business, a failure to respond to 12 of those complaints, and five complaints that have still
The FBI is warning consumers to be on the lookout for phishing scams, specifically emails that contain a link to pick up undeliverable packages.


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Ghosh v Medical Council of NSW  NSWCATOD 186
In the appeal before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Tribunal), general practitioner Dr Ghosh sought to have the restriction to not practice medicine (Restriction) as imposed by the Medical Council of NSW (Council) removed.
The Restriction had been imposed in response to a number of complaints in relation to her practice and interactions with patients, staff, and colleagues, but also based on her ongoing treatment of her adolescent son (AB) who suffered from autism and had complex care needs.
Dr Ghosh had been the subject of multiple complaints prior to the current proceedings, and various issues of problematic performance based on interpersonal issues with patients, colleagues and support staff had been raised. She had also previously been required to attend a conduct interview with the Council in 2017, in relation to care provided to AB that had resulted in hospital staff making a notification to the Family and Community Services (FACS).
On 12 December 2017, a hearing under section 150 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law as it applies in NSW was conducted based on multiple complaints made about Dr Ghosh. The complaints related to multiple instances where she had been dismissive of, or aggressive to, patients. She had not changed her behaviour, or sought professional help to address the issues, following multiple instances of counselling at her workplace, and after the issues had been raised with her by the Council. There was also an ongoing concern that her care of AB was inconsistent with professional obligations as set out for example in Good Medical Conduct – A code of conduct for doctors in Australia (Code).
At the hearing, there was a concern that Dr Ghosh was suffering from a mental health impairment affecting her ability to practice. She was suspended pending a fuller assessment of her mental status.
On 12 April 2018, a further hearing considered an expert report raising the possibility that Dr Ghosh suffered from psychosis, a mood disturbance, or a psychotic disturbance. A further consultant psychiatrist (Dr Newnham) was commissioned to provide an additional report about Dr Ghosh, and a further expert report was sought from a medical advisor to the council (Dr Hutt) in relation to Dr Ghosh’s care of AB.
In the lead-up to the proceedings, Dr Ghosh filed an interlocutory application seeking that the reports of Dr Newnham and Dr Hutt be excluded from evidence, and personally attacking both of them for the reports provided in their professional capacity. Dr Ghosh also sought to refer them to the Attorney-General for prosecution for making false and misleading statements. The Tribunal found the accusations to be baseless, and took them as an indication of Dr Ghosh’s lack of understanding of the role of an expert witness, and her marked hostility towards anyone engaged in the supervisory process pertaining to her work.
Dr Ghosh’s treatment of AB
The Council was particularly concerned about Dr Ghosh prescribing medications, including anti-psychotic medications, for AB, who was at the relevant time 12 years old. AB’s medical needs were complex, and he had been seen and treated by different psychologists and psychiatrists at different times.
There had also been a report to FACS about one year previously when AB had been admitted to hospital with hip pain, diagnosed by the treating team to be caused by the relatively benign condition of transient synovitis. Dr Ghosh insisted that AB suffered from the quite serious condition of septic arthritis. She therefore prescribed antibiotics and strong pain medication, and ultimately removed him from hospital against medical advice. The treating team at the time made a report to FACS as a result.
In response, a conduct interview with Dr Ghosh had been held at the Council on 2 June 2017. No further action was taken at that time. The interview report notes that while Dr Ghosh’s actions had been driven by her concerns for AB’s health and wellbeing, she showed a poor level of insight into her role in the communication problems with the treating team, and she was advised to seek to avoid conflicts between her role as doctor and mother in future, including through finding a GP for AB, and to review the relevant obligations in relation to treating persons in a close relationship in the Code.
The tribunal proceedings raised a number of issues about Dr Ghosh’s performance in the following areas:
- broadly inappropriate conduct in relation to patients, colleagues and staff;
- treatment of AB; and
- rejection of any criticism or guidance from anyone engaged in the supervision or regulation of her professional performance.
Some potential mental health issues had been raised by the different experts who had assessed Dr Ghosh, including a provisional diagnosis of schizophrenia by Dr Newnham. Dr Newnham stated that Dr Ghosh presented with multiple persecutory belief systems relating to several areas of her life. The experts did not agree on a specific diagnosis of any psychiatric illness.
Dr Ghosh provided three reports relating to her mental health status, one of them by her then treating psychiatrist. The judgement does not provide detailed of the content of the treating psychiatrist’s report, or any findings or treatment provided. Dr Ghosh did not call any of the clinicians she had relied on for the reports as witnesses. The Tribunal preferred the findings of Dr Newnham and Dr Hutt to the extent of any inconsistency with the reports provided by Dr Ghosh.
Ultimately, the Tribunal was satisfied on the evidence that Dr Ghosh did suffer from some degree of impairment, as evidenced by her actions.
The Tribunal also accepted the expert opinion of Dr Hutt that in view of AB’s complex mental health and other medical needs, it was inappropriate for Dr Ghosh to act as his GP, as she lacked the requisite objectivity under the circumstances. This was distinguished from circumstances where medical practitioners would eg provide care for their children for a simple acute condition like a headache or influenza. In addition, it accepted that some of the medications prescribed for mental health issues (high-dose paracetamol and codeine) were highly unusual in the care of an eleven-year old child.
Without making any formal findings of unsatisfactory professional conduct or professional misconduct, the Tribunal also accepted evidence that Dr Ghosh had
- acted inappropriately aggressively towards patients;
- issued a further nine prescriptions for AB after having been advised by the Council to find a regular general practitioner to care for him; and
- made inappropriate comments about patients’ and colleagues’ ethnicity, cultural background, and class on multiple occasions.
Dr Ghosh did not indicate any intention nor evidence of actually seeking any professional support throughout the proceedings. She did not lead any evidence about how she had, or would, address the issues raised, including through seeking assessment and treatment of her potential mental health problems. She did not demonstrate any insight other than acknowledging a few limited instances of specific inappropriate conduct, such as making aggressive comments to patients, using medications prescribed for AB herself, and filing a mental health plan for AB to be able to gain relevant Medicare reimbursement when it was not appropriate for her to do so in view of their relationship, and AB’s complex mental health needs.
The appeal was dismissed with costs, with the Restriction continuing to apply.
Dr Ghosh’s performance was found to fall short of professional expectations of a GP in relation to her treatment of AB, patient communications, interaction with other medical practitioners and staff, and expressed prejudiced attitude. Her behaviour in relation to expert witnesses and anyone critical of her, including persons engaged in the regulatory supervision of her performance, was also considered relevant. Her behaviour as a whole had given rise to ten separate complaints (some including complaints by multiple separate persons) to the Council over the years. The Tribunal was satisfied on the evidence that Dr Ghosh did suffer some degree of impairment, as evidenced by her actions.
The appeal was dismissed and the condition to not practise being upheld, as there was no indication that Dr Ghosh if allowed to practice again would take steps to avoid those issues leading to further problems to avoid putting the public at risk.
While not relevant because the Restriction was not lifted, the Tribunal did agree with Dr Newnham’s recommendation that the following conditions should be imposed if allowing Dr Ghosh to practice again:
- that Dr Ghosh engage with regular care from both a GP and a psychiatrist who would be required to report to the Council; and
- that Dr Ghosh be allocated a supervisor, and not be allowed to work in solo practice.
The dismissal of the appeal was not based on a clear diagnosis of a mental illness and resulting impairment, but rather Dr Ghosh’s complete lack of insight into, and willingness to address, the issues in her performance in general, and in relation to AB’s care.
Medical practitioners should be aware of their professional obligations, including in relation to treating persons with whom they are in a close relationship, such as family members. A good rule is not to prescribe medications or authorise further specialist care without conducting a consultation in an appropriate context (e.g. in the office), and documenting the diagnosis and findings underlying the prescription in the medical record, unless unusual circumstances exist (e.g. emergency, or very minor complaint).
Medical practitioners who receive feedback from professional bodies will strengthen their position if they acknowledge the issues raised, and proactively demonstrate that they are addressing any real or perceived gaps in their skills or performance, even where no further regulatory action is taken.