text:
Wisconsin Lawyer: The FTC's Web Site Privacy and Security Rules for Every Business:

State Bar of Wisconsin

Sign In

News & Pubs Search

  • Wisconsin Lawyer

    The FTC's Web Site Privacy and Security Rules for Every Business

    Mark F. Foley

    Share This:
    Every business engaged in Internet commerce or using a Web site to collect personal information – not just those businesses subject to financial services industry regulations – must comply with the Federal Trade Commission rules governing the use and protection of personal information. Failure to comply can be very costly.

    Wisconsin LawyerWisconsin Lawyer
    Vol. 81, No. 3, March 2008

    The FTC's Web Site Privacy and Security Rules for Every Business

    Every business engaged in Internet commerce or using a Web site to collect personal information - not just those businesses subject to financial services industry regulations - must comply with Federal Trade Commission rules governing the use and protection of personal information. Failure to comply can be very costly.

    by Mark F. Foley

    The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has authority under the Federal Trade Commission Act to bring enforcement actions1 to stop unfair and deceptive acts or practices.2 Through the filing, or the threat of filing, just 20 administrative and civil complaints, the FTC has used this power to establish minimum requirements for data privacy and security practices for the online world.3 This article explores the scope and content of these rules as they affect entities engaged in Internet commerce.

    Do What You Say

    The first lesson that emerges from the FTC cases is one that seems obvious to everyone except, apparently, online data collectors: Do what you say. Anything else is unfair and deceptive.

    In its first enforcement action involving online privacy practices, the FTC issued a draft administrative complaint against GeoCities, the operator of a Web site that hosted personal home pages and provided email addresses to registered adults and children. GeoCities' "New Member Application" required users to provide personal identifying information (name, address, gender, and age) and requested additional information about user interests. Applicants were asked to select from a list of special offer topics and to designate whether they wished to receive specific products or services from individual companies.

    GeoCities' published privacy policy promised that "[w]e will not share this information with anyone without your permission…."4 In truth, GeoCities sold, rented, or disclosed the collected personal identifying information to third parties who used it for purposes not approved by the data subjects.

    GeoCities capitulated in the face of the FTC's threats and resulting bad publicity, entering into a 20-year consent decree establishing what would become a familiar pattern in FTC enforcement cases.5 GeoCities agreed not to make any misrepresentation, expressly or by implication, about its collection or use of information from or about consumers. GeoCities agreed not to collect information from children if GeoCities had actual knowledge that a parent had not given permission to provide the information. GeoCities also agreed to provide a clear and prominent notice to consumers about its practices regarding the collection and use of personal identifying information, including:

    • what information is collected;
    • its intended uses;
    • third parties to whom it will be disclosed;
    • consumers' ability to access the information; and
    • consumers' ability to remove information from GeoCities' databases.

    The decree requires this information to appear on GeoCities' home page or a page accessible from a home page hyperlink and at each location on the Web site at which personal identifying information is collected. Finally, the decree requires GeoCities to establish a procedure for obtaining express parental consent before collecting and using personal identifying information from children.

    Mark F. Foley

    Mark F. Foley, Michigan 1981, is a partner at Foley & Lardner LLP, Milwaukee, practicing in the litigation and data privacy and security practice groups. He counsels domestic, foreign, and multinational companies on domestic and international data privacy and security compliance.

    The GeoCities case establishes that it is an unfair or deceptive trade practice to mislead consumers about online data privacy practices. The case also illustrates the FTC's special sensitivity to the collection and use of information about children and establishes a standard for minimum fair information privacy principles (FIPPs).

    The FTC repeated these themes in subsequent cases. Exactly three months after the GeoCities consent decree, the FTC reached a settlement of threatened charges against Liberty Financial Companies Inc.6 Liberty created Web pages directed at children. Through this Web site, known as "The Young Investor Measure Up Survey," Liberty collected information about allowances, financial gifts, spending, work habits, college plans, and family finances. The survey stated that "all of your answers will be totally anonymous."7 The children's answers were merged with contact information for a promised newsletter and quarterly prize drawings, but no newsletter was ever created and no prizes were awarded. The FTC's core complaint, as in GeoCities, was that the Web site operator had not done what it promised to do. The resulting 20-year consent decree prohibited future misrepresentations and required Liberty's compliance with the GeoCities FIPPs.

    Similarly, the FTC sued to prevent the bankruptcy trustee of online retailer Toysmart.com from selling a customer contact list despite the company's express promise that personal information collected through its Web site "is never shared with a third party … [and] is used only to personalize your experience online."8 In fact, every FTC privacy case involves an allegation that the target company failed to do what it expressly or impliedly promised.

    Say What You Do

    A second lesson from the FTC enforcement cases is that it is not enough that a company do what it says; it also must say what it does in a clear and conspicuous way. In two related cases, Educational Research Center9 and National Research Center,10 the FTC complained about data uses that went beyond what the Web site operator had disclosed. Both entities collected information from students, representing that it would be tabulated into a report used by colleges and universities to "keep in touch with the interests and trends among today's high school students" and to "make funding available for students' post-secondary education."11 Although the information was shared with such educational institutions, it also was shared with commercial entities for marketing purposes. The FTC alleged that the failure to include complete information about how data would be used constituted an unfair and deceptive trade practice.12

    A new permutation of this "say what you do" principle appeared in Cartmanager International.13Cartmanager provided shopping cart software and related services to thousands of online retail merchants. The software generated customized shopping cart and checkout Web pages for use on merchants' Web sites. These pages resided on Cartmanager's Web site, but they were designed to look like the other pages on the merchant's site and typically displayed the merchant's name and logo. Information collected through the Cartmanager software, including customers' names, billing and shipping addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, credit card information, and merchandise ordered, was transmitted to Cartmanager, which then notified the merchant so it could fulfill the customers' orders.14

    Some of the merchants had published privacy policies promising not to share personal information with third parties. But in January 2003 Cartmanager began renting to third parties for marketing purposes consumers' personal information that it collected through shopping cart and checkout pages. The FTC alleged that this constituted an unfair and deceptive practice because Cartmanager's pages appeared to be part of the merchants' individual pages, and consumers were not notified that different privacy policies applied to information provided through the sales and checkout pages. The FTC also complained that Cartmanager failed to disclose to the merchants its intention to share such information. Although Cartmanager's software license agreement provided that "Cartmanager shall retain full ownership of all data submitted by either Merchant or Purchaser," this was "buried in the middle of the online agreement and does not explain how [Cartmanager] intends to use the information or that such use may conflict with the merchants' privacy policies."15

    Have Reasonable and Appropriate Security Practices

    A third lesson established by the FTC cases is that strong privacy practices are not enough; a business also must have security practices that are reasonable and appropriate to the nature of the data. In early 2000 the FTC filed a lawsuit against ReverseAuction.com16 alleging that the company had become an eBay user in order to obtain other people's eBay user IDs, email addresses, and feedback ratings in violation of eBay's terms and conditions of use. ReverseAuction.com then sent email to the other eBay users suggesting that their eBay membership IDs would expire if the user did not update his or her information. ReverseAuction, in a precursor to today's phishing activities, did this in order to get eBay users to provide personal identifying information to ReverseAuction, which used the data for its own purposes. Once again, the FTC demanded that the company cease the deceptive practices, divest itself of its ill-gotten information, and promise to adopt the same FIPPs expressed in GeoCities and Liberty.

    Even though no security breach was involved in ReverseAuction's unfair practices, the FTC added a requirement that the company disclose "the steps defendant has taken to ensure the security of the information collected and/or maintained at the site." This was the first indication that the FTC would require security mechanisms for Web site operators not covered by substantive legislation such as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) or the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).17

    Having already established that Web site operators had to disclose their practices, the FTC took the next logical step by adding to its list of prohibited practices the making of misleading express or implied statements about Web site security. In the Microsoft case, the FTC's complaint alleged that the company had represented "expressly or by implication, that it maintained a high level of online security by employing sufficient measures reasonable and appropriate under the circumstances to maintain and protect the privacy and confidentiality of personal information obtained from or about consumers in connection with the Passport and Passport Wallet services."18 Specifically, Microsoft had said that ".NET Passport achieves a high level of Web Security by using technologies and systems designed to prevent unauthorized access to your personal information … is protected by powerful online security technology and … is stored on secure … servers … in controlled facilities."19 The FTC complained that Microsoft did not fulfill these express promises.

    The FTC complaint about what Microsoft had failed to do creates, by implication, a list of what the FTC thinks a company must do to have adequate security policies, even when the Web site operator is not covered by specific legislative or regulatory requirements:

    "[R]espondent failed to implement and document procedures that were reasonable and appropriate to: (1) prevent possible unauthorized access to the Passport system; (2) detect possible unauthorized access to the Passport system; (3) monitor the Passport system for potential vulnerabilities; and (4) record and retain system information sufficient to perform security audits and investigations."20

    In its next administrative proceeding, Guess?, Inc.,21 the FTC revealed its thinking about the substantive contents of a reasonable and appropriate security policy. Guess? sold its clothing and accessories through various outlets, including the Web site. To make purchases on the Web site, consumers were required to use a credit or debit card and to divulge the customer's name, address, and credit or debit card number and expiration date. The company stored this information in databases that supported or were connected to the Web site. Guess.com's privacy policy said:

    "This site has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. All orders are transmitted over secure Internet connections using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption technology. All of your personal information including your credit card information and sign-in password are stored in an unreadable, encrypted format at all times. This Website and more importantly all user information, is further protected by a multi-layer firewall based security system."22

    In fact, the company did not encrypt stored data. Guess.com's software was designed to automatically present in readable text any information retrieved from or supplied to the databases.23 Thus, the databases were vulnerable to the use of a structured query language (SQL) injection string. By inserting an SQL query into the URL address bar of a standard browser, an unauthorized individual could retrieve any data held in the Web-connected databases.

    The FTC complaint alleged that to avoid violating the Federal Trade Commission Act, Web site operators collecting personal identifying information had to implement a security policy that would include procedures "reasonable and appropriate to: (1) detect reasonably foreseeable vulnerabilities of their Website and application and (2) prevent visitors to the Website from exploiting such vulnerabilities and gaining access to sensitive information."24

    Guess?'s 20-year consent decree requires adoption of a security program having:

    "[A]dministrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to Respondents' size and complexity, the nature and scope of Respondents' activities, and the sensitivity of the personal information collected from or about consumers, including:

    "A. the designation of an employee or employees to coordinate and be accountable for the information security program.

    "B. the identification of material internal and external risks to the security, confidentiality, and integrity of personal information … and assessment of the sufficiency of any safeguards in place to control these risks …

    "C. the design and implementation of reasonable safeguards to control the risks identified … and regular testing or monitoring of the effectiveness of the safeguards' key controls, systems, and procedures …

    "[and] that Respondents obtain an assessment and report from a qualified, objective, independent third-party professional, [to examine, assess, and certify] that Respondents' security program is operating with sufficient effectiveness to provide reasonable assurance that the security, confidentiality, and integrity of personal information is protected…." 25

    The FTC added in a later case that such security assessments must be completed by a person "qualified as a Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP); … a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA); a person holding Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) …, or a similarly qualified person or organization approved by the Associate Director for Enforcement."26

    In subsequent cases, the FTC expanded its definition of what constitutes reasonable and appropriate security. In Tower Records,27 the FTC took the position that companies must implement fixes for "widely known" security threats and must implement appropriate change controls to ensure that existing privacy and security practices are continued. In Cardsystems, the FTC added requirements that "(i) companies should not store sensitive information for unnecessarily long periods of time or in a vulnerable (i.e., unencrypted) format, (ii) must use strong passwords to prevent a hacker from gaining control over computers and access to personal information stored on a network, (iii) must use readily available security measures to limit access between computers on its network and with the internet; and (iv) must employ sufficient measures to detect unauthorized access to personal information or to conduct security investigations."28

    The FTC's imposition on companies of a duty to implement reasonable and appropriate information data security practices stems from the agency's work under the GLBA. Pursuant to the GLBA, the FTC and several other federal agencies overseeing the financial services industry issued identical regulations titled "Guidelines Establishing Standards for Safeguarding Consumer Information." According to these guidelines, later adopted by the FTC as its GLBA Safeguards Rule in 2002, "security is more a process than a state."29 The Department of Health and Human Services adopted the same approach in the HIPAA Security Standards for health care information.30 The FTC has taken these process oriented, fact-driven standards, which were created under industry-specific regulations, and established them as a general standard for data security.

    Training and Oversight Are Required

    In the Eli Lilly case, the FTC taught that merely having a suitable privacy policy is not sufficient; companies must take appropriate steps to implement their policies.31

    The FTC complained that Eli Lilly had inadvertently disclosed personal identifying information about users of an antidepressant drug, Prozac, by sending an email with every user's address in the "To" box. This made all the email addresses viewable by all the recipients and therefore arguably disclosed the addressees' use of the drug. The agency complained that this error had occurred as a result of inadequate training and oversight of the personnel who sent the email, and the FTC required the company to improve training and supervision. Having the right policy was not enough; the company also had to take reasonable steps to make sure the policy was properly implemented.

    Don't Change the Rules Retroactively

    The fifth lesson is that a company cannot retroactively change the rules of the privacy and security game to the detriment of consumers. In Gateway,32 the FTC objected to the "Hooked-on-Phonics" company's use of personal identifying information collected from parents in violation of previously published privacy policies. Gateway had said that it would not sell, rent, or loan personally identifiable information to any third party without receiving the customer's explicit consent.33 Those same policies informed users that the policy might change in the future, but promised that Gateway would notify consumers of such changes "on this Site or by e-mail. You will then be able to opt-out of this information usage by sending an email."34

    In April 2003, Gateway began renting personal information provided by consumers on the Gateway Learning Web site without seeking or receiving consumers' consent. On June 20, 2003, Gateway posted on its Web site a new privacy policy that contained a revised statement permitting the sharing of personal information with third parties and requiring consumers to write to Gateway to object if they wished to opt out of the new policy. Gateway later made additional changes and added "updated July 17, 2003" to its privacy policy. But Gateway took no additional steps to alert customers that it had changed its policy to permit third-party sharing of personal information without explicit consent.

    The FTC complained that the retroactive application of privacy policy changes caused or is likely to cause substantial injury to consumers. The FTC said that Gateway should have provided additional notice that its policy had materially changed and what aspects of the policy had changed.35 The resultant 20-year consent decree prohibits Gateway from applying material changes in its privacy policy to information collected before the posting and notification of the new policy, unless Gateway obtains the express affirmative (opt-in) consent of the affected consumers.36

    The High Cost of Noncompliance

    As the cases discussed above demonstrate, the FTC commonly resolves complaints by requiring a consent decree describing in detail specific steps the target company must take, subject to agency oversight, typically for a 20-year period.

    If that is not enough by itself to encourage compliance, the agency demonstrated in ChoicePoint37 just how aggressive it can be in seeking to rectify unfair and deceptive practices. ChoicePoint collected information from consumer reporting agencies and public sources, not the consumers themselves. ChoicePoint sold compilations of this information to fee-paying subscribers, qualifying certain of ChoicePoint's subsidiaries as "consumer reporting agencies" under the FCRA.38 To become a subscriber, a business had to submit an application that included information and documentation to establish that the applicant is a legitimate business with a lawful purpose for purchasing consumer data.

    In early 2005 ChoicePoint discovered that it may have disclosed the personal information of 163,000 consumers to persons who did not have a lawful purpose for acquiring the data. The information disclosed included birth dates, Social Security numbers, and, in many cases, credit reports. At least 800 cases of identity theft arose out of these disclosures.

    According to the FTC complaint, this disclosure occurred because ChoicePoint had failed to implement reasonable procedures to verify or authenticate the identities and qualifications of prospective subscribers39 and failed to monitor unauthorized activity by subscribers, even after subpoenas from law enforcement authorities alerting it to fraudulent accounts and its own experiences with a subscriber should have raised doubts about the legitimacy of the subscriber's business.40

    The FTC and ChoicePoint stipulated to entry of a civil judgment imposing what had become the FTC's standard 20-year consent decree oversight terms. The judgment also required ChoicePoint to pay a $10 million civil penalty and to deposit $5 million into a fund administered by the FTC for equitable relief, including consumer redress. The court ordered the company to adopt specific internal procedures for investigating subscribers and a comprehensive information security program, fully documented in writing. As part of this program, the company had to designate an employee to coordinate and be held accountable for the information security program; identify the material internal and external risks to security, confidentiality, and integrity of personal information that could result in unauthorized disclosures, misuse, loss, alteration, destruction, or other compromise of such information; and design and implement reasonable safeguards to control the risks through assessment and regular testing. ChoicePoint also reportedly spent $9 million in legal and technical fees as a result of the breach and FTC action and suffered significant declines in its stock price. These costs and fines should be large enough to get a business's attention.

    The nature of ChoicePoint's deficiencies also is instructive. This was not a case of a sophisticated hacker penetrating technical defenses, but plain old con artists using simple, sloppy, tricks easily detected by anyone paying attention. ChoicePoint's lapse was not so much in failing to have privacy and security policies in place but in failing to administer them in a diligent way.41

    Finally, it also is noteworthy that the FTC raised these issues and imposed these sanctions both under the FCRA regulations applicable to consumer reporting agencies and pursuant to its general powers to prohibit unfair and deceptive trade practices. That is, the agency has made clear that it believes all companies should adopt security practices like those required under financial industry regulations, even if those regulations do not specifically apply.

    The FTC's enforcement actions establish important lessons for every company collecting or using personal identifying information. While the FTC has not established specific minimum substantive content for privacy policies, it has established procedural minimums. A company must tell data subjects what information it is collecting about them and how it is going to use the information. A company must do what it says, not just in theory, but in practice. It is not enough to have a published privacy and security policy; a company also must provide appropriate training and oversight to make policy implementation a reality, and it must not apply to data a less restrictive usage policy if the data was collected under a more restrictive policy.

    The FTC cases and recently published guidelines also establish specific minimum content for security policies. Every company should:

    • know what information it has in its files and on its computers;
    • keep only the information it needs for a specific, legitimate business purpose;
    • use strong passwords and controls to prevent unauthorized access to systems, data, and communications;
    • establish technical and nontechnical methods to detect unauthorized access, use, or alteration of data;
    • record and retain system information sufficient to perform security audits and investigations;
    • store sensitive data only for so long as it is needed;
    • encrypt sensitive data when stored or transmitted;
    • establish personal responsibility for data security;
    • perform risk and vulnerability assessments and make adjustments based on the results;
    • test and monitor the effectiveness of the safeguards' key controls, systems, and procedures;
    • promptly apply industry-recognized procedures and fixes;
    • document the security system in writing;
    • use qualified, credentialed, independent third parties to assess and test its systems; and
    • develop plans for responding to security incidents if they occur.42

    Most important, the FTC has established the requirements that privacy and security policies must be based on the sensitivity of the data at issue, and that such policies and practices must evolve continually in light of the ever changing nature of the threats. That is, security is a process, not a state or destination.

    The final lesson is that all companies must be aware of these rules, not just those companies specifically subject to detailed financial services industry regulations. Failure to comply with the FTC's data privacy and security rules can lead to very costly lessons.

    1The FTC may bring suit in federal court to obtain a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction pending the commencement of an administrative proceeding. The FTC also may file an administrative complaint. See 15 U.S.C. § 53(b). In most of the FTC privacy and security matters the mere threat of a formal complaint has led to the negotiation of a consent decree with the target company. These decrees typically impose 20-year-long requirements that companies engage in particular practices, avoid specified practices, or obtain third-party oversight of their activities.

    2See 15 U.S.C. § 45(a)(2).

    3The FTC also has authority to issue privacy and security regulations under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) (see 15 U.S.C. §§ 6821-6827 and implementing regulations at 16 C.F.R. parts 313-314) and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) (see 15 U.S.C. §§ 6501-6508 and implementing regulations at 16 C.F.R. part 312). Those rules apply only to persons engaged in specific types of financial services or to Web sites that collect information from or about children, respectively. Detailed analysis of these regulations is beyond the scope of this article.

    4See In re GeoCities, Docket No. C-3850, Compl. at ¶ 12, Ex. A at 3. All the FTC complaints and consent decrees referenced in this article are available at http://www.ftc.gov.

    5Contrary to what has happened since, FTC Commissioner Orson Swindle said in his concurring statement at the time of the GeoCitiesconsent decree: "I have voted in favor of final issuance of the consent order in this matter because its provisions are appropriate to remedy the alleged violations of the law by GeoCities, Inc. However, I want to emphasize that my support for these provisions as a remedy for alleged law violations in this particular case does not necessarily mean that I would support imposing these requirements on other commercial Internet sites through either legislation or regulation."

    6In re Liberty Fin. Cos., Docket No. C-3891.

    7See In re Liberty Fin., Compl. at ¶ 4, Ex. A. at 2.

    8See FTC v. Toysmart.com L.L.C., No. .00 CV 11341 RGS, Compl. for permanent inj. and other equitable relief, at ¶ 9, Ex. 1 at 1 (D. Mass. July 7, 2000).

    9In re Educational Research Ctr. of Am., Inc., No. C-4079 (May 2003).

    10In re National Research Ctr. for College & University Admissions Inc., File No. 022 3005 (2002).

    11See In re Educational Research Ctr., Compl. at 3, Ex. A at 4.

    12Id. Compl. at 3-4.

    13In re Vision I Props. L.L.C., File No. 042 3068, Compl. (Mar. 2005),

    14Id. at 1-2.

    15Id. at 3.

    16FTC v. ReverseAuction.com Inc., stipulated consent agreement and final order, Privacy Notice VI, at F (D.D.C. 2000).

    17See 15 U.S.C. § 1681a(f). The ReverseAuction.com consent decree coincided with the FTC's publication of its proposed data security standard under the GLBA. See Standards for Safeguarding Customer Information, 67 Fed. Reg. 36,484 (May 23, 2002). The regulations eventually adopted by the FTC to implement the GLBA's data security requirements contain many of the same concepts and provisions found in the ReverseAuction.com consent decree. See 16 C.F.R. pt. 314.

    18In re Microsoft Corp., Docket No. C-4069, Compl. at 2 (Dec. 24, 2002).

    19Id. at 1-2.

    20Id. at 2.

    21See In re Guess?, Inc., Docket No. C-4091, Compl. at 2 (July 2003).

    22Id. at 2.

    23Id. at 1-2.

    24Id., agreement containing consent order, at 4.

    25See In re Guess?, Inc., Docket No. C-4091, commission decision and order, at 3-4 (July 30, 2003). The FTC made similar allegations on similar facts with similar results in another case 18 months later and again in 2006. See In re PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc., Docket No. C-4133, Compl. (undated in 2004) and commission decision and order (Mar. 4, 2005), and again in late 2005; see also In re Cardsystems Solutions Inc., File No. 052 3148, draft Compl. and consent decree (posted Jan. 2006).

    26See In re DSW Inc., Docket No. C-4157, decision and order at 4 (2006).

    27See In re MTS Inc., Docket No. C-4110, Compl. (May 2004).

    28See In re Cardsystems Solutions Inc., File No. 052-3148, Compl. at 2; see also In re DSW Inc., Docket No. C-4157, Compl. at 2. Lest anyone think that only technically challenged companies fail to satisfy these requirements, the FTC entered into a similar consent decree with a company that "sells software and related training, materials, and services that customers use [to] investigate and respond to computer breaches and other security incidents." See In re Guidance Software Inc., File No. 062 3057, Compl. and consent decree (2006).

    29See Final Report of the FTC Advisory Committee on Online Access and Security 26 (May 15, 2000), available at www.ftc.gov.

    3045 C.F.R. pt. 164.

    31In re Eli Lilly & Co., Docket No. C-4047 (May 2002).

    32See In re Gateway Learning Corp., Docket No. C-4120, Compl. (Sept. 2004).

    33Id., Compl. at 2, Ex. A at 2.

    34Id., Ex. A at 4.

    35Id., Ex. A at 5.

    36See In re Gateway Learning Corp., Docket No. C-4120, decision and order (Sept. 2003).

    37United States. v. ChoicePoint Inc., No. 06-CV-0198, Compl. (N.D. Ga. 2006).

    38See complaint, id. at 3. See also 15 U.S.C. § 1681a(f).

    39See complaint, id. at 4-5.

    40See complaint, id. at 5-7. The FTC also alleged that ChoicePoint had adopted and published various privacy principles that created the false impression it had implemented effective privacy and security practices. However, it is hard to understand how these representations were material, because they were not made to consumers, and consumers were not allowed to modify or remove their data from ChoicePoint's databases.

    41According to the FTC, ChoicePoint furnished to a purported apartment leasing subscriber, over a short period of time, consumer reports that substantially exceeded in number the total number of rental units stated in the subscriber's application. ChoicePoint continued to furnish consumer reports to a subscriber whose telephone had been disconnected, whose address was incorrect, and whose credit card number used for payment was in the name of an individual not associated with the subscriber's ChoicePoint account. The company continued to provide reports to subscribers who made multiple changes of address over a short period of time and paid ChoicePoint using commercial money orders drawn on multiple issuers. ChoicePoint also allegedly accepted untrustworthy documents as verification of application information, including documents that contained self contradictory information, documents indicating that the subscriber was suspended or inactive, documents inconsistent with an applicant's stated type of business, applications transmitted by fax from public commercial locations, applications from putatively separate businesses sent from the same fax numbers, and applications from subscribers that were linked by ChoicePoint's own internal reports to possible fraud associated with the Social Security number of another individual.

    42In its recently published guidelines, the FTC summarizes these recommendations as "1. Take stock. 2. Scale down. 3. Lock it. 4. Pitch it. 5. Plan ahead." See Protecting Personal Information: A Guide for Business (Federal Trade Commission, October 2007),available at www.ftc.gov.


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Type: response

text:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next 10

Weber Brewery

Date: 1994-07

Description: "'Gebby' Weber, with daughter Karen, hoisted an empty beer keg on his shoulder to recreate the Journal photo on the opposite page [Page 48]."

Date: 1998-05

Description: "Ruecker family members gathered when 'Buddy' (far right) received his award."

The Boddens

Date: 1987-08

Description: Ralph and Phyllis Bodden pose on their farm.

Date: 1988-06

Description: "Theresa Lady Lions Style Show."

Date: 1978-02-12

Description: "St. Peter's Ev. Lutheran Church. At a 3 o'clock Sunday afternoon, special service, Mr. & Mrs. Rudy Hoepner were honored on their 40th wedding anniversary....

Bresson Book

Date: 2004-10

Description: Shirley Widmer holds a book that features photographs by French photographer, Henri Cartier Bresson. The book was purchased for $15.00 in 1950 and then sol...

Date: 1948-04

Description: "Eunice Lamers & Mary Ann Dreymiller. Henry Heinecke farm buildings are in the background."

Date: 1991-07

Description: This group relaxed at the old Weber Brewery. Left to Right: Craig and Anita Ruffing, Les Black, Helen and Fred Bandlow, Shirley Widmer and Russ Bandlow.

Dunbar's Inn

Date: 1978-02-17

Description: "Mrs. Bruce Dunbar poses amid shelves of fine wine and liquor at Dunbar's Inn."

Date: 1997-04-30

Description: "At the fire on the opposite page [Page 26], this 3/4 full, 500 gallon propane tank exploded and was propelled 1/2 mile to this location on the Jim & Donna...

Date:  date unknown

Description: Elevated view of a parade passing by a residential block.

Date: 1980-04

Description: Shortly after their wedding at Saint Theresa Catholic Church, Eugene Bodden and his bride, Linda Johnson prepare to leave the church in a manure spreader.

Barn Fire

Date: 1987-08

Description: The Behm familiy suffers a barn fire.

Date: 2004-12

Description: Gosia Schweiger photographs former Mrs. Wisconsin, Gloria Weber, for a correspondence photography class.

Marge Coulter

Date: 1948

Description: "Marge Coulter."

Easter Egg Hunt

Date: 1999-04

Description: With Shirley Widmer looking on, Chelsey and Logan Wilz and Parker and Carly Hren count their Easter eggs.

Rita Koecher

Date: 1950-07-07

Description: "Rita Koecher, wife of Paul Koecher."

Date: 1994-04

Description: Shirley Widmer with Brenda Wilz and children, Chelsey and Logan, walking down middle of empty street.

Date: 1966-06

Description: The wedding party relaxes at the Norm and Marcella Beck home.

Date: 1984-05

Description: "Firemen were given a demonstration by a Flight For Life crew from Milwaukee."

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next 10

Have Questions?

If you didn't find the material you searched for, our Library Reference Staff can help.

Call our reference desk at 608-264-6535 or email us at:

warcinfo:
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-171-10-108.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)/CC WarcExport 1.0
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2017-09
operator: CommonCrawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for February 2017
publisher: CommonCrawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf


WARC-Truncated: length

text:
What Does a Marketing Communications Coordinator Do?

Article Details
  • Written By: Jan Fletcher
  • Edited By: Jessica Seminara
  • Last Modified Date: 06 February 2017
  • Copyright Protected:
    Conjecture Corporation
  • Print this Article
Free Widgets for your Site/Blog
Two villages in Norway and Italy have mountainside mirrors to reflect the sunlight during the winter months.   more...

February 25 ,  1570 :  Queen Elizabeth I was excommunicated.  more...

A marketing communications coordinator manages a company's marketing activities and executes marketing strategy. This job usually entails a significant level of engagement with the firm's sales department. Someone working in this position will likely create marketing campaigns and sales materials, and promote the company's goods or services to the public. The marketing communications coordinator's job is usually to ensure a cohesive and unified positioning of the company within its market niche. He or she will typically engage in a wide range of tasks, and be extensively involved in marketing project management.

Usually working under a firm's marketing director or chief executive officer (CEO), a marketing communications coordinator fleshes out and implements the marketing plan. He or she pulls all of the pieces of the marketing strategy together, making sure marketing materials are produced and distributed in an effective way. A person in this position may also produce some or all of the marketing campaigns and sales materials.

Those materials will then be used to promote the company's goods or services to the public. The marketing communications coordinator typically works very closely with the sales department. He or she may distribute sales leads, and consult with sales personnel on what themes and issues seem to resonate most strongly with customers. This information is then commonly given to the director of marketing.

A marketing communications coordinator may gather information from various channels and through meetings with management, using it to determine whether a change in marketing strategy or operations may be in order. The work of a marketing communications coordinator goes two ways: feedback is gathered from clients and potential customers, and marketing information is also dispensed. The list of potential activities that a marketing communications coordinator may perform is extensive. These may include compiling and tracking analytics on sales and marketing campaigns, or producing and distributing news and sales letters to current customers.

A professionals in this career will likely work to ensure cohesive, unified positioning of the company in its market niche. He or she will usually take the overall decisions determining a company's branding and marketing strategy and translate those into a unified portfolio of marketing and sales products. This career path will typically involve engaging in a wide range of marketing-related tasks, and will likely demand extensive work in marketing project management.

Often, he or she will attend trade shows, write newsletters, and do sales presentations. Public relations tasks may also fall to the marketing communications coordinator. People working in this position typically possess a bachelor's degree in marketing or business management.

You might also Like

Discuss this Article

Post your comments

Post Anonymously

forgot password?


text:
What is a Cash Inheritance?

Article Details
  • Written By: Malcolm Tatum
  • Edited By: Bronwyn Harris
  • Last Modified Date: 18 January 2017
  • Copyright Protected:
    Conjecture Corporation
  • Print this Article
Free Widgets for your Site/Blog
Two villages in Norway and Italy have mountainside mirrors to reflect the sunlight during the winter months.   more...

February 25 ,  1570 :  Queen Elizabeth I was excommunicated.  more...

A cash inheritance is one of several types of inheritances that may be received by a beneficiary or heir. Rather than being in the form of property or other belongings, this inheritance is in the form of cash or cash assets. Depending on the laws regarding inheritances in the jurisdiction where the cash inheritance is received, the heir may or may not be required to pay income tax on the cash, and may also be able to avoid inheritance tax obligations as well.

Since laws vary in regard to death duties and cash inheritance taxes, it is important to consult an attorney who is well-versed in current laws regarding inheritance money. Typically, an inheritance lawyer will be aware of any thresholds that may apply to the amount of the inheritance. For example, the inheritance attorney may be able to confirm that the sum of the cash inheritance is not subject to income taxes at all, and is also not subject to inheritance taxes because the total amount is below the threshold identified in currently applicable laws. At the same time, the attorney may find that the amount of the cash inheritance exceeds that threshold, and can advise the heir on what steps, if any, can be taken to avoid inheritance tax or at least minimize the amount of that tax obligation.

The status of a cash inheritance may not be the same for all relevant tax agencies. A federal agency may determine that the inheritance is not subject to either income or inheritance taxes, even though the amount must be accounted for on the annual tax return. At the same time, a state or provincial revenue agency may hold that the amount of the inheritance is subject to inheritance taxes, based on laws that apply in that more localized jurisdiction.

It is important to note that the laws applying to the inheritance of property like real estate are usually different than those that apply to a cash inheritance. There are some exceptions. For example, if the cash inheritance is in the form of some type of access to a pension, an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or Individual Savings Account (ISA), the national or state revenue agency with jurisdiction may see the inheritance more as property than cash. The aid of a qualified and competent attorney is all the more important when the nature of the cash inheritance is not clear in terms of how it is categorized by current laws.

You might also Like

Discuss this Article

Post your comments

Post Anonymously

forgot password?


text:
What is a Welding Procedure Specification?

Article Details
  • Written By: Larry Ray Palmer
  • Edited By: A. Joseph
  • Last Modified Date: 18 January 2017
  • Copyright Protected:
    Conjecture Corporation
  • Print this Article
Free Widgets for your Site/Blog
Two villages in Norway and Italy have mountainside mirrors to reflect the sunlight during the winter months.   more...

February 25 ,  1570 :  Queen Elizabeth I was excommunicated.  more...

A welding procedure specification (WPS) is an outline of the specific welding procedures and techniques that can be used with specific metals and metal alloys. Using the WPS sheet, a properly trained welder can replicate the same results every time. The specification is determined using a test weld that is recorded in the procedure qualification record (PQR). The use of these specifications is mandated by several major industrial organizations.

The welding procedure specification is a product of safety and production standards. It is used to outline what welding procedures can be used to create safe and durable welds with a given material. This outline ensures consumer safety and the uniformity of building and production codes. Prior to employment, welders are required to be tested on their understanding of the specifications of the metals and processes they will be working with, and this test is recorded in the welder qualification test record (WQTR).

A variety of information for a given metal type and the welding process that can be used with the metal is included in a welding procedure specification. In the most basic form, the specification sheet provides the procedure number and process type of the test weld, followed by the pertinent information needed to duplicate the test result. Also included in the description is other information, such as the thickness and type of metal being welded, the welding procedures and process types used for the test welds, the fuel types or electrical current used in the welding process, the use or lack of preheating, the applicable welding codes and other variables. In cases when the weld is critical to the structure, more detailed specifications — such as the assembly order of the joint, required heat treatments and arc energy limits — are provided to ensure the creation of a solid weld.

In addition to the basic information regarding the welding processes and the metals used, the welding procedure specification should also include sketches of the weld and the joint set-up process prior to welding. The production sequence might also be included if it is integral to how the weld is made. By following all of this information, any competent welder should be able to achieve the same effects as the test welder.

The WPS records the best welding practice for a given metal or alloy, but it does not cover nondestructive testing. Separate nondestructive testing processes are required. This nondestructive testing procedure is also recorded, but it generally is not included in the welding procedure specification.

You might also Like

Discuss this Article

Post your comments

Post Anonymously

forgot password?


text:
Math Translations For ECU

Understanding geometric and algebraic equations is hard enough, and now officials are translating those equations.

Tough mathematics problems are going from Arabic into English as a task force made up of dozens of teachers from as far away as Ohio to right here in Eastern Carolina have taken up this mission. In the Department of Math and Sciences Education at ECU, an international curriculum translation project is underway with the country of Jordan and the Cisco Learning Institute. The project allows volunteer instructors to add American modifications to math curriculums in Jordan and several other 3rd world countries.

The translations from the East Carolina Department of Math and Science Education will be complete within the coming weeks.


text:
!st Choice Flooring

Local News Articles

County Commission Favors Erecting Memorial in Tribute to All Local Fallen War Heroes

June 29, 2010
Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Commission has given it's blessing for a new memorial to be erected on the courthouse grounds in tribute to all local military men and women who have died in service to our country.

County Mayor Mike Foster, during Monday night's county commission meeting, said the project will require public input and community fundraisers. "We have talked about doing a memorial on the courthouse grounds. Since the Anderson boy (PFC Billy Anderson) was killed, we've had some people discuss putting up a memorial for him. But we have broadened it (idea) into maybe doing a fundraiser where the community is really involved in doing this and doing it for all wars."

"I would personally like to see us do a fundraiser where the public is involved in it and that we make it (monument) big enough to put the names of people from World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Korea, the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars and have room on there for others (in the future). Rather than having a lot of single markers or memorials for those people, it would be better to have just one for everybody."

" I think it's a good idea and everybody is for it but the design of it, where it's located, and all of that needs to be studied and worked on. Before we start seeking people to contribute to it and raising money for it, we should at least put in the minutes (of the meeting) that you (county commission) have tentatively approved it and that we start with the procedure and form committees as to how we and the public want it to look and then get the community involved because I think it means more to people if they're involved in it."

Dowelltown Woman Charged with Statutory Rape

June 28, 2010
Dwayne Page
Jessica Marie Tittle
Kenny Waymon Dyal Jr
Lisa Michelle Porterfield
Robert Tucker Treadway

The DeKalb County Sheriff's Department arrested a Dowelltown woman for statutory rape last week after she admitted to having sex with a young boy.

Sheriff Patrick Ray says 25 year old Jessica Marie Tittle of South Mill Street Dowelltown was charged on Tuesday, June 22nd after an investigation into allegations that she had sexual relations with a 15 year old boy on June 12th at her residence. Detectives interviewed Tittle last Tuesday and she admitted to the crime. Bond for Tittle was set at $5,000.

Meanwhile, in other crime news, 23 year old Kenny Waymon Dyal Jr. of Floyd Drive Smithville was arrested on Wednesday, June 23rd for theft of property under $500. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on July 1st. While on patrol last Wednesday, a deputy stopped a vehicle on Eagle Creek Road off the Cookeville Highway for weaving. The officer asked Dyal, the driver, for his license. As Dyal was retrieving his driver's license, the officer noticed that Dyal had a debit card that belonged to another person. The deputy inquired about the card and Dyal told him that it belonged to a member of his family and that another family member had given it to him to buy some items at the store. The officer contacted the family and found that Dyal did not have permission to obtain the card.

Also on Wednesday, June 23rd, the Sheriff's Department executed a search warrant at the home of 32 year old Lisa Michelle Porterfield at 4812 McMinnville Highway. Detectives obtained the search warrant after Porterfield was found to be selling the drug Dilaudid from her home. During the search, officers confiscated 35 used hypodermic needles, a crack pipe, used straw containing a white residue, rolling papers, a plastic bag containing marijuana, a Xanax pill, 6 Suboxone pills, 9 Hydrocodone pills, 3 Dilaudid pills, and $494.52 in cash. Detectives seized the money along with Porterfield's Chevy Lumina that she was allegedly using to transport the drugs. Porterfield was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a schedule II drug for resale, 2 counts of possession of a schedule III drug for resale, possession of a schedule IV drug for resale, and possession of a schedule VI drug for resale. Her bond was set at $175,000 and she will appear in court on July 1st.

On Thursday, June 24th, a deputy received a call that a man was trying to sell the drug LSD to people. After obtaining a description of the vehicle, the officer spotted it on Allen's Ferry Road. After making the traffic stop, the deputy noticed that the driver, 19 year old Robert Tucker Treadway of Peach Tree Street, Nashville, had slurred speech. The officer also detected the smell of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. After receiving consent to search the vehicle, the deputy found a bag of marijuana and a pill bottle containing sugar cubes. Treadway was charged with a first offense of driving under the influence and possession of a schedule VI drug (marijuana) for resale. Treadway's bond was set at $6,500 and he will appear in court on July 15th. The sugar cubes will be sent to the T.B.I. crime lab for analysis to determine if they contain the drug LSD.

22 year old Billy D. Ferrell of R Arnold Road Smithville was charged Thursday, June 24th with violation of an order of protection after deputies were summoned to check out a domestic call. When deputies arrived at the residence, they found Ferrell and his mother's husband in an argument. Ferrell had an order of protection against him. He was under a court order to stay away from the residence. Ferrell was taken into custody and his bond was set at $2,500. He will appear in court July 1st.

On Friday, June 25th, a deputy while on patrol on McMinnville Highway, stopped 25 year old John Bryan Pedigo for a traffic violation. Pedigo was found to be driving on a revoked license. Pedigo's license was revoked for failure to file security after an accident on January 16th in DeKalb County. Pedigo was charged with a first offense of driving on a revoked license and his bond was set at $1,500.. He will appear in court on July 14th.

Smithville, Tennessee businessman charged with felony theft

June 27, 2010
Mark Violet

A well-known Smithville jeweler was arrested Friday, after a joint investigation by the Smithville Police Department and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department into a trio of recent burglaries, involving almost $10,000 in stolen jewelry. Arrested was Mark Violet, operator of K&M Jewelry on West Broad Street, who was charged with two counts of felony theft as a result of the investigation.

The case began with the report of a burglary at a residence on White Oak Drive in Smithville, on Friday, June 18th, in which the victims reported some $2,500 in jewelry to be missing. Patrolman Matt Farmer responded to the scene and took the report from the victims. Later the same day, Patrolman Farmer was dispatched to the residence next door to the previous one on White Oak Drive, in which the homeowners stated they had been robbed of some $3,700 in jewelry, plus other miscellaneous items.

On Tuesday, June 22nd, Patrolman Scott Davis was dispatched to a residence on Ed Taft Drive, where the homeowner reported some $3,500 in jewelry, as well as additional items of value, had been taken from their home.

The case was assigned to Detective Matt Holmes of the Smithville Police Department. Holmes later contacted Detective Mike Billings and Detective Shane Martin of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, and an investigation was conducted into the burglaries, which were all similar in nature. Their investigation led them to a suspicious person who had been seen in the area of the burglaries in the days leading up to and following the break-ins. The investigation further led authorities to Violet, who when initially questioned by police, denied having any knowledge of the stolen jewelry.

Later, further questioning of the jeweler led to his alleged confession of having bought the jewelry from a person named Travis Hill, who had allegedly been the person who entered the residences and took the jewelry and other items. Hill then met Violet at an unspecified location, where the jeweler allegedly paid Hill for the stolen goods. Violet also admitted to police that he had melted and sold some of the jewelry, and was no longer in possession of it.

A search of the premises at K&M Jewelry led to the recovery of a DVD player that was actually at Violet's home and had been stolen from Wal-Mart. Upon questioning Hill, he led authorities to the location where he had disposed of much of the stolen merchandise, which was recovered and later identified by the victims.

Violet’s bond for the two counts of felony theft was set at $10,000, and he will appear in General Sessions Court on the charges, July 15th. Hill, meanwhile, was charged with three counts of aggravated burglary, three counts of felony theft and possession of a schedule II drug. He is scheduled to appear in General Sessions Court, August 5th. Additional charges could be pending in the case.

Those working on the joint investigation into the burglaries were Chief Randy Caplinger, Detective Matt Holmes, Sergeant Randy King and Patrolman David Phillips of the Smithville Police Department, along with Sheriff Patrick Ray, Detective Mike Billings and Detective Shane Martin of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.

Unemployment rate continues steady decline

June 25, 2010
Dwayne Page

DeKalb County’s unemployment rate for the month of May was an even 10 percent, down eight-tenths of a percentage point from the revised April rate of 10.8 percent.
According to Labor Force figures, DeKalb County’s work force for May was 9,600, with 8,640 persons employed, while 960 were unemployed. The May, 2010, rate was also significantly lower than that of May, 2009, when 10.6 percent of the county’s workforce was unemployed.

Tennessee’s unemployment rate for May was 10.4 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from the April rate of 10.5 percent. Unemployment rates in Tennessee decreased in 86 of the state’s 95 counties in May, increased in seven counties and stayed the same in two counties.

In Local Workforce Investment Area 7, which includes DeKalb and 11 other Upper Cumberland counties, Cannon County had the lowest jobless rate at 8.4 percent, followed by Putnam County at 9.2 percent. DeKalb County and Macon County were next in line at 10 percent each, with Smith County next at 10.5 percent. Other jobless rates in the area include the following: Overton County, 10.7 percent; Jackson County, 11.5 percent; Fentress County, 11.7 percent; Clay County, 12.3 percent; White County, 12.5 percent; Van Buren County, 12.6 percent; and Pickett County, 13.6 percent.

Meanwhile, Lincoln County registered the state's lowest county unemployment rate at 6.6 percent, down from 7.1 percent in April. Scott County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 19.8 percent, down from 20.2 percent in April, followed by Marshall County at 16.7 percent, down from 17.3 percent in April.

Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 7.7 percent, down from 8.2 percent in April. Davidson County was 8.9 percent, unchanged from the April rate. Hamilton County was at 8.6 percent, down from 9.0 in April, and Shelby County was 10.0 percent, down from 10.2 in April.

The national unemployment rate for the month of May was 9.7 percent.

Roses Assistant Manager Arrested for Theft

June 25, 2010
Dwayne Page

An assistant manager at the Roses store in Smithville was arrested on Thursday, and charged with theft, after he allegedly took money from the store.
In the latest city of Smithville crime report, Chief Randy Caplinger said Officer Matt Farmer arrested 36-year-old Ronald D. Ferrell, Jr. of 7691 Holmes Creek Road for theft over $500. Ferrell, who was employed at the Roses store on South Congress Boulevard, allegedly took money from the store without consent and with intent to deprive. Ferrell was allegedly taking items and falsely returning them to the store, then keeping the money.

Ferrell allegedly admitted to taking the money. Bond for Ferrell was set at $2,500, and he will appear in court, July 29th.

In other city crime news, K-9 Officer Bradley Tatrow arrested 32-year-old Andrew Westley Wilbert of 120 Hillside Road, Dowelltown, for tampering with evidence and criminal littering. While standing out in front of City Hall, K-9 Officer Tatrow and Trooper Dewayne Jennings observed Wilbert speaking to a subject that had pulled up at the parking area of the courthouse. Upon walking back up the courthouse steps, both officers observed Mr. Wilbert holding something in his left hand near his crotch. When he reached the top step, he looked back at the officers, turned his back and appeared to stuff something down the front of his pants. Both officers approached him and received consent to search his person. While searching Wilbert, a rubber glove filled with urine fell from his right pants leg. Both officers were aware that Wilbert was subject to take a drug test before he could leave court. Wilbert reached down, got the glove and threw it on the ground in an attempt to destroy the evidence. Bond for Wilbert was set at $7,000 and he will appear in court on the charges, July 22nd.

On June 24th, Officer David Phillips arrested 20-year-old Heather Ann Yoskovich of 1792 Holiday Haven Road for shoplifting, drug paraphernalia and public intoxication. On that date, Officer Phillips was dispatched to Kwik N Ezy in regard to a report of a shoplifter. Upon Officer Phillips arrival, he found Sergeant Randy King speaking with the suspect, Yoskovich, at the side of the vehicle that she had been traveling in. Yoskovich then spoke with Officer Phillips, who found that her speech to be slurred, and she was unsteady on her feet. Sergeant King asked the owner of the vehicle for consent to search. Inside the vehicle, the officer discovered an item allegedly taken from the store and a needle was found in Yoskovich’s purse, which was located in the vehicle. Bond for Yoskovich was set at $3,000 and she will appear in court, July 15th.

On June 18th, Corporal Travis Bryant arrested 28-year-old Tammy J Simpson of 202 Village Place for third offense of driving on a suspended license. Corporal Bryant responded to Golf Club Drive in response to a motor vehicle accident in which Simpson was driving a Dodge truck. A check of her driver’s license revealed it to be suspended for prior offenses. Simpson’s bond was set at $2,500, and she will appear in court on July 1st.

On June 20th, Sergeant Randy King arrested 25-year-old Joshua Lynn Mullican of 1290 Keltonburg Road for possession of a schedule II drug and drug paraphernalia. Sergeant King and Officer David Phillips were dispatched to Rite-Aid Pharmacy in reference to possible shoplifters and drug activity. Sergeant King spoke with the subjects and asked for identification. The subjects were found to be Joshua Mullican and another subject. Mullican was asked if he had anything in his pockets, and he stated that he didn’t. During a check of Joshua Mullican for weapons, Sergeant King felt a cylindrical object in his right pocket, which turned out to be a straw with residue in it. Mullican dropped a crushed cigarette pack on the floor that contained a small bag of a white powder substance, which tested as methamphetamine. Bond for Mullican was set at $2,500, and he will appear in court on July 15th.

On June 21st, Corporal Travis Bryant arrested 24-year-old Krista D. Mahaney of 2702 Sparta Highway for a violation of probation. She is being held without bond until her court date.

On June 22nd, K-9 Officer Bradley Tatrow arrested 37-year-old Leslie Maurice Callen of Murfreesboro for speeding. Officer Tatrow pulled over a Monte Carlo at approximately 6:30 p.m. for speeding. The driver, Callen, was clocked by radar traveling 55 miles per hour in a 40 mile per hour posted speed zone on Short Mountain Street. After verifying with Central Dispatch that Callen’s driver’s license was valid, Officer Tatrow issued him a citation for speeding. Officer Tatrow explained to Callen that by signing the citation, it was not an admission of quilt, but rather was like signing his own bond to appear in court on the cited charges. Callen refused to sign the citation, however, so Officer Tatrow again explained to Callen that by not signing the citation, he would be arrested and taken to jail for speeding. Callen still refused to sign and was arrested at that time. Callen’s bond was set at $150, and he will appear in court, July 22nd.

On June 24th, Sergeant Randy King arrested 39-year-old Jenna Sue Murphy of 625 Restview Avenue for public intoxication and possession of schedule IV drug. Sergeant King was dispatched to the intersection of Wade Street and Juniper Street in response to a call about someone being passed out on the lawn. Upon his arrival, Sergeant King found Murphy lying unconscious on the ground. Upon awaking and speaking with her, Sergeant King noticed that she was incoherent, had slurred speech and she was unsteady on her feet. Murphy was placed under arrest for public intoxication. A search of her person also revealed a white pill, believed to be a Soma, in her right front pocket. Bond for Murphy was set at $2,500, and she will appear in court, July 15th.

Meanwhile, Chief Caplinger is asking anyone with any information on the following offenses to please contact the Smithville Police Department.

On the morning of June 17th, two houses were allegedly burglarized on White Oak Drive, with some jewelry allegedly taken in both burglaries. The suspect was described as being a white male of medium height in his mid 20’s to early 30’s, with sandy blond to brownish short hair and he was seen carrying a blue backpack.

Meanwhile, on June 22nd, someone burglarized a home on Ed Taft Drive. It is believed the same person has burglarized homes on White Oak Drive.

If you have information on these or any other crimes, please contact the Smithville Police Department at 597-8210 or the Crime Tip Line at 464-6046. All information will be appreciated and kept confidential.

Alexandria Youth Airlifted After ATV Accident

June 23, 2010
Dwayne Page
Alexandria Youth being transferred from ambulance to helicopter
Toyota Corolla involved in ATV Accident

A fifteen year old Alexandria boy was airlifted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville Tuesday evening after he was injured in an ATV accident with another vehicle near his home on Lower Helton Road.

Central dispatch received the call at 6:50 p.m.

Sergeant Mark Dial of the Tennessee Highway Patrol says Robert Austin Hale was coming out of the driveway of his home on a Honda 350 four wheeler, attempting to go west on Lower Helton Road, when he pulled into the path of a westbound 1999 Toyota Corolla, driven by 48 year old Timothy James Anderson.

Sergeant Dial says the car struck the ATV and Hale was ejected. Anderson was not injured.

DeKalb EMS treated Hale and took him to the helicopter landing zone on Brush Creek Road (Highway 53) about a mile from the accident scene, to await Vanderbilt Life Flight. Hale's injuries were not believed to be life threatening.

Members of the Alexandria Police and Fire Departments were also on the scene

Graduation Ceremony Held for Leadership DeKalb Class of 2010

June 23, 2010
Suzanne Williams
Leadership DeKalb Class of 2010 (Photo by Suzanne Williams)

The Leadership DeKalb Class of 2010 graduation was held on Tuesday at the 303 North Public Square Building, Smithville. After a welcome from Leadership Director Jen Sherwood and Chamber President Tim Hintz, the invocation was given by class member Shirley Ingram. Special music for the evening was provided by James and Dorothy Hayes and class member Jackie Smith. The night's guest speakers were Leadership DeKalb Alumni Association 2009 Community Leader of the Year, Laura Stone, and the 2009 Leadership Legacy Award recipient, Judy Sandlin. Laura spoke on the topic "Helping Others” while Judy talked about “The Importance of Community Volunteerism.”

Class president Twana Green led the class overview of the year's sessions. A PowerPoint slide show assembled by class members Rita Bell and Abigail Laprad depicted each month’s speakers and activities. Leadership Director Jen Sherwood and Chamber Director Suzanne Williams presented the graduating class with plaques. Leadership Alumni President Shawn Jacobs closed with final words of encouragement to continue giving back to the community as graduates of Leadership DeKalb.

Leadership DeKalb is a 10-month program designed to bring together individuals who desire increased leadership responsibility in improving the quality of life in DeKalb County, and train these citizens with knowledge, skills and an increased awareness of opportunities so that they are involved, effective and active leaders. Each summer, applications are accepted for the next year's class. Participation is open to any who lives or works in DeKalb County and who has a desire to contribute to positive change in DeKalb County. For more information, contact Jen Sherwood at 597-4851 or the chamber office at 597-4163.

(Pictured left to right: Front row: Jen Sherwood, LD Director; Shirley Lockhart Ingram, Author; Mary Ann Smithson, Middle Tennessee Urology Specialists; Twana Green, DTC Wireless; Lori Manns, Manns Master Mechanics
Back row: Betty Turner, Artist; Kiki Brown, The Real Estate Team; Jackie Smith, State Farm Insurance; Rita Bell, Haven of Hope Counseling; Abigail C. Laprad, DCHS student/Smithville Rotary Club; Jennifer K. Butts, OIC Designs.)

Smithville Police Officer Matthew Holmes Named Investigator

June 21, 2010
Dwayne Page
Investigator Matthew Holmes

Patrolman Matthew Holmes of the Smithville Police Department has been transferred to the position of Investigator.

The aldermen Monday night approved the transfer with three voting in the affirmative. Alderman and Police Commissioner Aaron Meeks made the motion. Alderman Shawn Jacobs offered a second to the motion and Alderman Cecil Burger join them in voting in favor. Alderman W.J. (Dub) White and Alderman Steve White said they could not vote due to a personal conflict, since Holmes is married to Dub White's granddaughter who is also Steve White's niece.

Mayor Taft Hendrixson said that he, Meeks, and Police Chief Randy Caplinger held interviews Thursday or Friday last week. Three people, Patrolmen Scott Davis, Matt Farmer, and Matthew Holmes, were interviewed after the position was posted. "I think it was the consensus of the interview board that Matthew Holmes was probably the most qualified."

Holmes, age 24, joined the Smithville Police Department as a patrolman in 2007 after a brief stint with the Putnam County Sheriff's Department as a reserve officer. A graduate of DeKalb County High School, Holmes furthered his education at Motlow State Community College and Tennessee Tech University and then attended Walter State Community College where he received his police training.

In other business, the aldermen voted to have a continuing budget resolution drawn up to keep city government operating, effective July 1st until a new budget is approved for the 2010-11 fiscal year.

Copies of the proposed budget were made available to the aldermen two weeks ago. Normally a new budget is adopted by ordinance on two readings during the June meetings and is in place by July 1st.

Alderman Meeks said he believes the mayor and aldermen should have at least one or more workshop meetings to review the budget before it is considered for passage. "I believe that we should delay passing the budget and have some workshops on the budget before we pass it. That is my recommendation."

Alderman Jacobs said he agreed with Meeks. "I think there are some things we really need to address that have not been addressed in the budget. I don't know how we're going to pay for them right now but I think we have some critical needs that we need to take a look at and I would hate to see us rush into doing this with some needs. I'd like to have the department heads present with us as well, if that's appropriate as we look at the budget."

Meeks suggested that any budget workshop be delayed until after the Fiddler's Jamboree.

Mayor Hendrixson said a special meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 29th to formally adopt a continuing budget resolution, to swear into office the mayor and aldermen-elect, and for the mayor to make his appointments.

The mayor and aldermen will not meet on Monday, July 5th as had been previously advertised as a regular meeting. Since that day will be observed as part of the 4th of July weekend, no meeting will be held that night.

A few months ago, the aldermen adopted a new ordinance to better regulate groups conducting fundraisers at busy city intersections, particularly at Broad Street and Congress Boulevard. Alderman Meeks says some problems still persist. "We've had several folks have fundraisers at the Highway 56/70 intersection over the last few weeks and there have been some problems. In fact we've almost had to have a full time officer down there during those fundraisers and I don't believe that should be the responsibility of the taxpayers to have to pay for an officer to be down there full time. This past Saturday, we had two groups down there, one had a permit and were legitimate and had a right to be there. We had another group that did not have a right to be there and I believe they gave our police officers a hard time. That was not fair or right because the officers were simply obeying city regulations. If this continues to be a major problem we may have to come back and re-address this issue and do away with it altogether."

Alderman Jacobs, said he has also had some complaints. " I had heard a complaint also of people, a few weeks ago, selling things and they were literally standing in the middle of the road flagging cars down. It's very dangerous and if you're a motorist, it can be scary."

Meeks stressed that the intent of the ordinance was for safety." It was not to prevent anybody from raising funds. But if they're going to ignore the safety regulations, we may have to take a further step. If we do, we can always address that at this board."

Under the city's ordinance, non-profit organizations are limited to not more than two charitable roadblocks per year; all participants are required to wear orange or yellow vests or jackets; groups are required to show written proof that they are a legitimate non-profit 501C3 or 4 organization; solicitors are prohibited from standing in the road ( they are required to stand on the sidewalks near the intersections); solicitors must be at least 14 years of age or older to participate in the roadblocks); and a four hour per day time limit is established for any group to solicit donations at intersections. Groups are required to submit, in writing to the Chief of Police, a proposal for the specific time and place of the road block and the precautions to be implemented by the organization; and the groups must receive prior written approval by the Chief of Police to have the roadblocks.

12th annual Fiddler 5K and One Mile Fun Run set for July 3rd

June 21, 2010
Dwayne Page
Tecia Puckett Pryor
2009 Fiddler 5K and Fun Run (Photo by Bill Luton Photography)
2009 Overall Fiddler 5K Winner Christopher England

The 12th annual Fiddler 5K and One Mile Fun Run, sponsored by Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County, will be Saturday, July 3rd, the weekend of the Smithville Fiddler's Jamboree.

Race Director Tecia Puckett-Pryor says the race begins promptly at 7:00 a.m. rain or shine on Highway 56 north in front of the Family Medical Center. The race ends on Church Street. "We're excited that the 12th annual Fiddler 5K and One Mile Fun Run is Saturday, July 3rd which is the weekend of the Fiddlers Jamboree. The race starts promptly at 7:00 a.m. and we are now taking pre-registrations. We are encouraging everyone who is interested in either running the race or doing the fun run, which is a great little race for kids, to get registered."

"We are offering registration at www.active.com. You can register on-line up until June 30th and you still get the pre-registration discount if you register on-line. By paper, you can print out a form at www.fiddler5k.com but we need you to register by Monday, June 21st if you are registering by paper. That's a little bit of a change this year. We've cut the paper registration (deadline) off a little early this year because we're offering the on-line registration."

"You can also register on the day of the race but you have to pay $5.00 more if you do that and we're asking that you go ahead and bring a completed registration form with you if you have to register on race day. All these details are on our website and on the registration form which is available at www.fiddler5k.com."

If you would like a registration form and you don't have access to the Internet, you may pick up a form at the office of Tecia Puckett-Pryor, who works at Sue Puckett Jernigan's law office next to Griffin's Fruit Market on West Broad Street. Call 597-7370 for more information.

Pryor says this year's 5K will also feature some new age divisions. "We have added several new age divisions. We had so many people last year, 387 total participants, and about 250 or so of those were in the 5K, that we have decided we need more age divisions. We're going to have categories for ages nine and younger and then five year increments all the way up to age 75 plus, 10-14, 15-19, etc. That's in the male and female division for the 5K."

"We're also adding a Masters category. We always give out an overall male and female finisher in the 5K but if you are age 40 plus, you qualify for the Masters category so we're giving an overall 40 and older male and female award for the 5K."

" The Fun Run is remaining the same. We will give an overall male and female finisher award for those ages 12 and younger and the top three after that, male and female, ages 12 and younger. We're really excited about those new age divisions."

Pryor says the course is certified and R.A.C.E. Nashville will be managing timing. "We're also excited to bring on RA.C.E. Nashville to help us manage the timing. They will be there at the start and at the finish. We have gotten so big that we cannot manually do this ourselves anymore. This is a great organization out of Nashville that is going to help us with it. It's all going to be computerized so we will have the results in the computer broken down by age divisions within probably fifteen to twenty minutes of the end of the race. They will be able to print out the results very quickly for us so we're still anticipating having our awards within thirty minutes of the end of the race and definitely being out of there by nine o'clock. on Saturday morning. The director of R.A.C.E. Nashville, Jeff Langdon, is the cross country and track coach at Belmont University. This is a non-profit group and they help manage timing for a lot of races. They have many years of experience in doing this."

Pryor says the race is growing in popularity and more local people are starting to get involved. "The race course is a certified 3.1 mile course. It's a nice course. People really enjoy running in a small town. We have a lot of repeat runners so I think that says we're doing something right. We have more local people than we used to. The race has caught on and people want to get out and participate. It's just fun to be out there. It's a great event and people want to be apart of that."

36 year old Christopher England of Murray, Kentucky was the 2009 overall winner of the 5K. He completed the course in 16:51. England also holds the course record at 16:30 in 2008.

19 year old Lisa Glover of Warrington, Pennsylvania was the 2009 overall winner for females. She finished the course in 20:30.

Caroline Payne of Gainesville, Florida holds the course record for females at 20:02 in 2004.

Registration for the 5K or Fun Run is as follows:

Adults rates (over 18)
Adults Pre-Race: $20
Adults Day of Race: $25

Youth rates (18 and younger)
Youth Pre-Race: $15
Youth Day of Race: $20

Re-registration options:
Pre-register online at www.active.com until June 30th

Pre-register by mail by printing a form at www.fiddler5k.com and sending the form along with your payment to: P.O. Box 750, Smithville, Tennessee 37166. Pre-registration forms must be received in the mail by June 21st. Shirts are only guaranteed for those pre-registered by June 21st.

Race Day Check-In Times:
Pre-registered: 6:15 a.m.
Race Day Registration: 6:00 a.m.
Please bring a completed registration form with you

Awards- New Age Divisions
5K awards:
Overall and Master (40 plus) male and female finishers
Top three male and female finishers in the following age divisions:
9 and younger
75 plus

Fun Run Awards:
Overall male and female finishers age 12 and younger
Top three male and female finishers age 12 and younger

Race Perks and other information:
Pre-registered participants will receive a commemorative microfiber shirt. All participants will receive free refreshments and be eligible for door prize giveaways before the awards ceremony

The Course is certified and R.A.C.E. Nashville will be managing timing. Strollers are welcome and at the start line, should line up at the rear. No pets allowed. 5K course is open for 60 minutes.

All proceeds will benefit Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County.

Construction Progressing on Third Habitat Home in DeKalb County

June 20, 2010
Dwayne Page
Volunteers Working on Habitat Home in Smithville

Construction is progressing on the third Habitat home in DeKalb County and plans are for it to be completed and ready for the partner family to move into by late summer.

Volunteers from the Upper Helton Baptist Church and the Center Hill Brethren-in Christ Church spent the day Saturday with members of Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County working on the home, which is located on Hayes Street in Smithville.

Sharon Evans, Vice President of Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County says much of the construction work is done on Saturdays and thanks to church groups and other volunteers in the community who have donated their time this spring, the project is coming along nicely. "We are working with Upper Helton Baptist Church and Center Hill Brethren-in-Christ Church today (Saturday) putting up vinyl siding and building a stoop on the back of the home. We were going to stucco the concrete block at the bottom but the rain has prevented us from doing that but we're working away on this third home."

"Right now we are working our crews on Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. but if we found a group that wanted to work during a week day, we'd love to have a Monday or Tuesday crew to help fix things up. We've had some retired folks that have helped us. If anybody is interested in helping they can call and leave us a message at 615-215-8181. We're always looking for volunteers skilled and unskilled."

" The home is about 1,100 square feet. It has three bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms and is located on Hayes Street between College and Short Mountain Streets so you can drive by and see what we're doing. We're real excited to get this family moved into their own home and we're hoping to get them in by late summer. That's the goal. We appreciate all the help. The community has been supportive and we hope that continues."

Groundbreaking for the home was held in January and Kim McCowan and her three grandchildren joined in the brief ceremony.

McCowan said she and the children look forward to one day calling this location their home. "We're just proud to be here today. We're thankful and feel really blessed to be picked as the Habitat Partner family. Me and the girls are very grateful. McCowan's grandchildren, who will be living there with her are eight year old Haley, eleven year old Carrie, and thirteen year old Katelyn"

This is the third Habitat home in DeKalb County. The other two, completed within the last three years for the Denise Perry and Felicia Gibbs families, are located on Adams Street.

To qualify, applicants must: (1) have lived in DeKalb County for at least one year; (2) be willing to partner with Habitat to realize dreams of home ownership; (3) currently occupy inadequate or substandard housing; (4) demonstrate the ability to pay a mortgage; and (5) fall within Habitat's income guidelines.

All applications are reviewed and considered by Habitat's Family Selection Committee before a partner family is selected. The partner family then works with Habitat on construction of their home and to develop the skills necessary for successful home ownership. Construction labor is provided by Habitat volunteers, and some materials are donated by Habitat supporters, as well.

Follow Us

News Feed

WJLE Radio

2606 McMinnville Hwy
Smithville, TN 37166

Phone: 615 597-4265
FAX: 615 597-6025
Email: wjle@dtccom.net

Local News

6:30 A.M.
7:30 A.M.
8:55 A.M.
12:00 NOON
4:00 P.M.
9:45 P.M.

DTC Communications

Fiddlers Jamboree


text:
McCain: 'Half measures' won't work in Afghanistan

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - U.S. Sen. John McCain says "half
measures" in devising the nation's military policy in Afghanistan
will not get the job done.

McCain was speaking Wednesday morning at the University of
Louisville as a guest of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.

He says sufficient troop levels are needed to provide security
for the Afghan people.

McCain is a leading advocate of bolstering U.S. troop levels in
Afghanistan. He says "half measures" would be the "worst thing"
that the U.S. can do in that war-torn country.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.
powered by Disqus


text:
Winfrey one of several suitors for Clippers

LOS ANGELES (AP) - If Donald Sterling is compelled to sell the Los Angeles Clippers, the list of potential buyers will have more stars than the team's roster.

Oprah Winfrey leads the list of wealthy luminaries who announced their interest in purchasing the club shortly after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Sterling from the league for life.

Winfrey's spokesperson confirmed Wednesday she is already in discussions with record-label mogul David Geffen and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison to pool their vast resources for a bid.

They won't be alone, either. Music mogul Sean Combs tweeted his interest in going after the Clippers, and boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. wants to form a group to buy the team.

Celebrities ranging from Matt Damon to Oscar De La Hoya expressed interest in joining an ownership group.

Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.
powered by Disqus


text:
A Hollywood celebrity-backed television ad campaign that claims SUV owners are aiding terrorists riled one WorldNetDaily reader so, he created his own media campaign to counter the claim.

Pennington, N.J., resident and longtime WND fan Percy Keith said he found the ad “so astoundingly dishonest” and “egregiously stupid” he had to respond.

As WorldNetDaily reported Friday, syndicated
columnist Arianna Huffington launched the “Detroit Project,” which asks American consumers “to connect the dots and think about the effect that their gas-guzzling SUVs are having on our foreign policy.”

Hoping to set the example, Huffington says she has turned in her 13-mile-per-gallon Lincoln Navigator
SUV for a hybrid gas and electric Toyota Prius that gets 52 miles per gallon.

But she still makes her home in a 9,000-square-foot estate in the elite Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles and admitted to radio talk-show host Sean Hannity that she travels in private jets.

Movie producer Lawrence Bender, co-founded the campaign, and entertainment producers Norman Lear, Steve Bing and Larry David – who also have been criticized for conspicuous consumption of oil – joined the crusade.

The “Detroit Project” is an outgrowth of a column Huffington wrote urging Americans to get rid of their SUVs as an act of patriotism. The column reportedly sparked thousands of letters of support and checks.

In the Oct. 22, 2002, column Huffington referred to “the Bush team’s ridiculous and wildly inflammatory anti-drug ads” that suggest profits from illegal sales go to terrorists and wondered “if we might turn the tables on him by starting a little ad campaign of our own to sabotage another misguided Bush campaign: the War on Conservation.”

The television ads mimic the government’s “illegal drugs fund terrorism” ads by asserting that terrorists end up with some of the extra money needed to supply gas for fuel-hungry SUVs.

One ad begins with a girl’s voice referring to a man at a gas station: “This is George. This is the gas that George bought for his SUV.”

A map of the Middle East then appears, followed by: “These are the countries where the executives bought the oil that made the gas that George bought for his SUV.” The scene then moves to terrorists in a desert: “And these are the terrorists who get money from those countries every time George fills up his SUV.”

Another ad includes a series of statements from ordinary Americans: “I helped hijack an airplane”; “I gave money to a terrorist training camp in a foreign country”; “What if I need to go off-road?” It concludes with: “What is your SUV doing to our national security?”

Not having the millions necessary to purchase television advertising, Keith created his own “ad” in a Microsoft PowerPoint slide show “using the warped-logic balloon floated by Ms. Huffington.” (Click here to view the slide show. Click on each slide consecutively.)

“On one level, you don’t want to dignify [Huffington’s ad] by talking about it. But after thinking about it I got really torqued up. If we’re really all about fighting terrorism, why not talk about the real issue?” Keith said.

The 43-year-old computer programmer told WorldNetDaily it took him 10 hours to create the slide show, which he e-mailed to WND and a few friends hoping it would generate similar outrage.

Keith’s two-and-a-half-minute ad begins with introductions of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., and Democratic presidential hopeful Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo.

The ad then shows a picture of the vast and barren coastal plain of the National Arctic Wildlife Refuge, known as ANWR.

“This is where the United States has huge oil reserves to help Tom and Dick’s country, the United States, reduce our dependency on foreign oil sources,” reads the ad. Keith then illustrates the size of ANWR as being roughly the size of Ohio, with the portion targeted for drilling by the Bush administration demonstrated as less than a third of the total area.

“This is the bill that would allow the United States to drill for our own oil to reduce the dependency on foreign imports,” continues the slide show, referencing the Securing America’s Future Energy Act, or SAFE Act, of 2001. “An act that Tom and Dick voted down,” said the ad.

Keith’s presentation then shows the photographs from the FBI website of the 13 terrorists wanted for the Aug. 7, 1998, attacks on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the 19 hijackers whose actions claimed nearly 3,000 lives on Sept. 11.

“This is what the terrorists did to the World Trade Center with the money they got from the oil sheiks who got the vote they needed to keep us dependent on their oil from Tom and Dick,” Keith’s ad continues.

“If people who drive SUV vehicles can be accused of supporting terrorist activities because of the cars they drive, what are we to think of Tom and Dick?” the presentation concludes.

“Is Tom Daschle supporting terrorism? Of course not. Neither is Dick Gephardt. Neither are SUV owners,” Keith told WorldNetDaily. “If people want us to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, why not talk about ANWR? Why talk about SUVs?”

Keith, who does not own an SUV, said the “real kick in the pants” for him was that most SUV owners he knows are registered Democrats.

Asked what he would want to communicate to Huffington, Keith responded: “The world flows on oil. Our country flows on oil, down to the nylon hose you wear. If you want to reduce the money that goes into the pockets of the oil sheiks, look to our own resources and toward developing those instead of attacking Americans participating in a free-market economy.”

Previous story:

High-living celebs tie SUV owners to terror

Related special offer:

‘Hollywood vs. America’ – autographed!

Note: Read our discussion guidelines before commenting.


text:
- WND - http://www.wnd.com -

America's surveillance society

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul last week filibustered the confirmation of John Brennan for Central Intelligence Agency director over the fine points of drone use on American citizens.

He stood before the Senate for 13 hours to protest the fact that the government said it could under “extraordinary circumstances” strike an American citizen labeled an enemy combatant on U.S. soil. Many ridiculed him for arguing about something that will never happen.

Maybe it won’t. But in highlighting what is likely an obscure event and getting a ton of media coverage in the process, Rand, a Republican, launched what I hope is the opening salvo of a much bigger debate about the loss of civil liberties in the country.

The issue of drones, in particular, is a great place to start the discussion. Once used primarily to assist U.S. troops overseas in killing enemy fighters and to patrol the U.S. border, they are now being used to surveil U.S. citizens throughout the country. In one of the first public instances of the federal government lending drones to local law enforcement agencies, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) let the Grand Forks, N.D., police and the sheriff’s office borrow a multimillion-dollar Predator in 2011 to monitor a farmer accused of not returning cows worth $6,000 to a neighbor. If something so financially trivial prompts government into using drones, what does it say about the ubiquity of their future use?

Today, DHS is not only lending drones to local agencies but distributing grants to them so that they can buy their own without an official policy in place to guide how and when they can be used. Congress, however, has ordered the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to change airspace rules to make it easier for local police and other organizations to use them. The Electronic Frontier Foundation through a Freedom of Information Act request discovered that 358 public institutions, including 14 universities and colleges, have permits to fly them. This means that machines that can film people not accused of a crime and store the information indefinitely could soon be hovering over your home and neighborhood because the owners and/or the operators feel like it.

According to a recent report by NBC News, the FAA estimates that about 10,000 commercial drones will be flying in the U.S. by about 2020, fueling many schools to start offering training for unmanned aircraft. Who could be against jobs, right?

Before all these programs start, taxpayer dollars are spent and gazillions of images stored, shouldn’t the public and its representatives thoroughly debate the parameters of how the machines can be used? It took a unanimous decision by the Supreme Court last year to tell law enforcement they needed a warrant to track people via GPS, so it’s clear once technology is available, government officials and others will use it regardless of the ethics and constitutionality of it. I don’t know if Americans are yet prepared to become residents of London, where cameras blanket the city, and I don’t think current law adequately protects Americans from unreasonable search and seizure linked to information gathered from unmanned aircraft.

It is also scary to think of how drones dehumanize people. Information generated by them transforms individuals into data points to be analyzed by big government or big business in the same way that they do to enemy combatants. Using a weaponized video game to protect U.S. citizens is one thing, but to turn them loose on Americans, even for civilian reasons, should not be a natural progression.

Ever since Sept. 11, 2001, Americans have been told it’s necessary to sacrifice civil liberties for safety. But the vast majority of new government powers have been used not to monitor terrorists, but for traditional law enforcement. Just because technology exists does not mean it should be used. Without people like Sen. Paul questioning government, however, cradle to grave surveillance will become as American as obesity and bankrupt entitlement programs.

Concerned about surveillance drones, tanks in the streets and gun confiscation? Find out “HOW AMERICA IS BECOMING A POLICE STATE” in this shocking WND special report.


text:
In This 'Almanac,' Fiction Makes The Best Time Machine

Email a Friend

From Back to the Future to The Twilight Zone and Doctor Who, the theme of time travel is timeless on the screen and on the page. What is it about time travel that's so darn appealing?

"We all have this idea in our heads that, if only I had said this, if only I had done that — we all want to go back and do something," says Ann VanderMeer. She and her husband Jeff are the editors of the new Time Traveler's Almanac, a giant compilation of time travel stories ranging from classic to very, very modern.

VanderMeer says that while compiling the book, she was surprised to find that fictional time travelers mostly didn't want to save the world. "As we dug deeper, we found, basically, a lot of love stories."

Interview Highlights

On "science romance"

When H.G. Wells was first writing The Time Machine and War of the Worlds and all of the stories that he was writing back then, those types of stories were actually called "science romance." They were not called science fiction; that term didn't come until years later. And it really kind of struck me, yeah, that actually kind of fits in a way. When you take a look at all these stories, you think it's really about the gee-whiz, look at all these cool gadgets and all these wonderful science-fictional things. But when you come right down to it, all of these stories really are about people connecting with people and trying to understand themselves better.

On the rules of time travel writing

What's really funny is that all the rules that you think there are, got broken along the way ... and the thing that's great about that is, it doesn't really matter. The bottom line, when you're reading the stories, is you're saying to yourself, is this a good story? Was I entertained? Did I come away and go, wow? Because in the end, fiction really is the most effective time travel machine in the universe, and it always has been.

Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit