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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Hokies rally to topple No. 1 Duke

Hokies rally to topple No. 1 Duke
By Jimmy Robertson
February 27, 2011
Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, Va. - 9,84712T
(1) Duke312960
Virginia Tech 333164
High Points: 18 - Jeff Allen
High Rebounds: 15 - Jeff Allen
Box Score: View
Game Audio: Listen
Photo Gallery: View
BLACKSBURG – Jeff Allen scored 18 points and 15 rebounds, and Virginia Tech ended the game with a 17-7 run to stun No. 1 Duke 64-60 in an ACC game on Saturday night in front of a packed audience at Cassell Coliseum.
The win marked Tech’s fourth over a No. 1 team in school history – three since joining the ACC. Tech moved to 19-8 overall, 9-5 in the ACC, and the Hokies have now won 15 of their past 19 games. Duke, which saw its seven-game winning streak snapped, fell to 26-3, 12-2.
The day may go down as the greatest in Tech basketball history. On Saturday morning, ESPN’s College GameDay came to Blacksburg for the first time and broadcast from Cassell Coliseum in front of more than 3,100 students.
Then the basketball team polished off the day by rallying in the final seven minutes to beat the Blue Devils. Following the game, Tech fans stormed the floor, much as they did in the 2007 victory over then-No.1 North Carolina.
“It was a great day for Virginia Tech, not just Virginia Tech basketball,” said Tech coach Seth Greenberg, who recorded his fourth career victory over a No. 1 team – three while at Tech. “It was a two-hour infomercial on our university, and people saw the best of Virginia Tech. This evening, it was one of those magical moments. There’s no doubt about it.”
"It feels great,” Tech guard Malcolm Delaney said. “We’ve beaten No. 1 before, but beating No. 1 at home, with College GameDay here … this is probably the biggest game in our school history.”
“The feeling is unbelievable,” Tech guard Erick Green said. “I can’t explain it. I’ve got so much going through my mind now and so much excitement going through me … it’s just a dream come true. To pick off No. 1 Duke, I just can’t explain it right now.”
Things looked bleak for the Hokies, who scored just two baskets in an eight-minute span in the second half and found themselves trailing 53-47 after two free throws by Duke’s Kyle Singler with 7:44 remaining in the game.
But Tech dominated the game the rest of the way. An Allen 3-pointer with 6:30 to go started the Hokies’ game-ending run. Terrell Bell’s 3-pointer with 4:40 remaining tied the game at 55, and his two free throws with 4:19 left gave the Hokies a 57-55 lead. Allen added another basket with 2:39 to go to give Tech a 59-55 bulge.
Singler’s basket cut the Tech lead to two with 2:27 left, but Tech answered when Delaney connected on arguably the biggest basket of the game. Without a 3-pointer to this point, he buried a 3 from the right wing with 2:01 remaining to push Tech’s lead back to five, 62-57.
“I promised them I was going to get them one,” Delaney said. “I couldn’t hit a shot. I was still confident. I’ve had plenty of chances to ice games. The Purdue game, I could have won the game. I went to the line at Boston College and missed. Today, I couldn’t let it happen. I wanted to hit one shot and I was confident with that one.”
The Blue Devils then cut the lead to three, 62-59, on a steal and dunk by Mason Plumlee, and sliced it to two on a free throw by Plumlee with 23.2 seconds left. Duke then fouled Allen with 21.8 seconds remaining, and Allen made the second of two free throws to give Tech a 63-60 lead.
Duke called a timeout with 12.7 seconds left, but the Blue Devils couldn’t get a shot off against Tech’s defense. Seth Curry ended up turning the ball over, and Duke fouled Allen again with 1.6 ticks to go. Allen made one free throw to account for the final margin.
The game turned into a nightmare for Curry, whose parents are Tech graduates and whose father, Dell, is arguably the best player in Tech history. Seth Curry did not score and fouled out, playing just 15 minutes.
Allen paced five players in double figures, connecting on 7-of-18 from the floor, including both 3-point attempts. It marked his 15th double-double of the season and the 43rd of his career.
Bell and Green added 12 points each for Tech, while Delaney and Victor Davila finished with 11. Davila grabbed 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.
Singler, who made just 6 of 19 from the floor, paced the Blue Devils with 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Nolan Smith added 18 rebounds. Duke shot just 39.7 percent from the floor and got out-rebounded by the smaller Hokies 44-38
“Congratulations to their seniors,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “They’ve led their team to a really big win and they’ve led them to a really good season. I’ll say it again – they’re good. They’re really good. I’m not ashamed of what’s happened. We lost to a really good team.”
The Hokies now get ready for Senior Night on Tuesday night at Cassell Coliseum. Tech will take on BC, with the tip-off slated for 9 p.m.

For updates on Virginia Tech men's basketball, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_MBBall).
For updates on the Hokies, follow Jimmy Robertson on Twitter (@jrobIHS).
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Saturday, February 26, 2011

Toyota Announces Two Voluntary Recalls and Amends Potential Floor Mat Interference Recall Announced in 2009

Toyota Announces Two Voluntary Recalls and Amends Potential Floor Mat Interference Recall Announced in 2009

 
Driver’s Side Floor Carpet Plastic Pad Modification on Lexus GS
Driver’s Side Floor Carpet Cover Replacement on Lexus RX and Toyota Highlander
Models Added to the Potential Floor Mat Interference with Accelerator Pedal Recall 
 
TORRANCE, Calif., February 24, 2011 -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today announced that it will conduct a voluntary safety recall of approximately 20,000 2006 and early 2007 Model Year GS 300 and GS 350 All-Wheel Drive vehicles to modify the shape of the plastic pad embedded in the driver’s side floor carpet.  In the event that the floor carpet around the accelerator pedal is not properly replaced in the correct position after a service operation, there is a possibility that the plastic pad embedded into the floor carpet may interfere with the operation of the accelerator pedal.  If this occurs, the accelerator pedal may become temporarily stuck in a partially depressed position rather than returning to the idle position.  
 
Owners of the involved GS 300 and GS 350 All-Wheel Drive vehicles will receive a notification by first class mail beginning in early March 2011.  
 
Toyota will also voluntarily recall approximately 372,000 2004 through 2006 and early 2007 RX 330, RX 350, and RX 400h vehicles, and approximately 397,000 2004 through 2006 Highlander and Highlander HV vehicles to replace the driver’s side floor carpet cover and its two retention clips.  If the forward retention clip used to secure the floor carpet cover, which is located in front of the center console, is not installed properly, the cover may lean toward the accelerator pedal and interfere with the accelerator pedal arm.  If this occurs, the accelerator pedal may become temporarily stuck in a partially depressed position rather than returning to the idle position.  
 
Owners of the involved RX and Highlander vehicles will receive an interim notification by first class mail beginning in the near future, explaining how to inspect for this condition or that they may contact their local dealer to perform the inspection. Owners will receive a second notification once the replacement covers are available. 
 
Separately, Toyota has amended its recall from November 2009, adding three models to address the potential for unsecured or incompatible floor mat entrapment of the accelerator pedal.  The models added include:  
 
• Approximately 603,000 2003 through 2009 4Runner
• Approximately 17,000 2008 through 2011 Lexus LX 570; and
• Approximately 761,000 2006 through 2010 RAV4  
 
Owners of the involved 4Runner, LX 570, and RAV4 vehicles will receive an interim notification by first class mail beginning in the near future, informing them of the condition.  Owners will receive a second notification once the recall preparations are complete.  
 
Toyota and Lexus dealers will implement the newly announced and amended recall remedies at no charge to the vehicle owners.  
 
Detailed information and answers to questions are available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall or www.lexus.com/recall and the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-25 LEXUS or 1-800-255-3987.
 
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Safety and Quality Initiatives:
 
 
 
 
 
 
2006-07 Lexus GS 300/GS 350 Driver's Side Floor Carpet Plastic Pad Voluntary Recall, 2004-2007 Lexus RX/2004-2006 Toyota Highlander Driver’s Side Floor Carpet Cover Voluntary Recall, Model Expansion of Potential Floor Mat Interference with Accelerator Pedal Recall:
 
 
 
2006-2007 Lexus GS 300/350, 2006-2009 IS 250 and 2006-2008 IS 350 Fuel Pressure Sensor Voluntary Recall:
 
 
 
 
2011 Toyota Sienna Voluntary Recall:
 
 
 
 
Brake Master Cylinder Recall:
  
 
  
 
2005-2008 Toyota Corolla/Corolla Matrix Voluntary Recall:
 
 
 
 
2000-2004 Toyota Avalon Voluntary Recall:
 
 
 
 
2003-2007 Lexus LX 470 Voluntary Recall:
 
  
 
2006-2008 Lexus IS 350/2007-2008 Lexus GS 350, GS 450h, LS 460, LS 460 L/2008 Lexus GS 460, LS 600h L Voluntary Recall:
 
 
 
 
2010 Lexus HS 250h Voluntary Recall:
 
 
 
  
2009-2010 Lexus LS 460 and LS 600h L Voluntary Recall:
 
 
 
 
 
 
2003 Toyota Sequoia Voluntary Recall:
 
 
 
 
 
2010 Lexus GX 460 Voluntary Recall:
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
1998-2010 Toyota Sienna Voluntary Recall:
 
 
 
  
  
Congressional Hearings:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2010 Tacoma Voluntary Recall:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2010 Prius/2010 Lexus HS 250h/Camry Voluntary Recalls:
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sticking Accelerator Pedal Recall:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Toyota's Statement on NHTSA Penalty Announcement (April 5, 2010/Updated April 6, 2010)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Toyota Update (Feb. 2, 2010) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Toyota Temporarily Suspends Sale of Selected Vehicles (Jan. 26, 2010/Updated Jan. 28, 2010)
 
 
 
Potential Floor Mat Interference with the Accelerator Pedal in Certain Toyota and Lexus Vehicles:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

NHTSA report (Nov. 2, 2009)
 
Toyota owner letter (Nov. 2, 2009)
 
 
 
 
 
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NOTE TO CONSUMERS: We’ve received a number of comments and questions about the floor mat issue and understand the safety concerns. We want to be responsive, but the Toyota USA Newsroom is not intended as a place for consumer complaints, or detailed information about any vehicle features, specs or capabilities. These types of concerns are best handled by our Customer Experience Center where they will be routed to the appropriate customer service representative for Toyota, Scion or Lexus. You can reach our customer service representatives by calling 1-800-331-4331. Prefer to email or chat? Simply access our website email or live chat links for Toyota, Scion or Lexus.
    
Media Web site: www.toyotanewsroom.com
Public Web site: http://www.toyota.com and http://www.lexus.com
 
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Ford recalls 144,000 F-150 trucks due to airbag problems

Ford recalls 144,000 F-150 trucks due to airbag problems

The recall of the 2005 and 2006 model Ford F-150 pickup trucks is due to inadvertent airbag deployment. There have been no deaths, but injuries have been reported.

By Jerry Hirsch, Los Angeles Times
February 24, 2011

 Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday that it would recall 144,000 F-150 pickup trucks because front-seat airbags could inflate without the vehicle being involved in a collision.
The recall involves trucks built at Ford's now-closed Norfolk, Va., factory from November 2004 to June 2005 and sold in the 2005 and 2006 model years. The automaker said it was aware of 238 incidents of inadvertent airbag deployment in the trucks, causing 77 injuries but no deaths.
"That includes cases that were confirmed to be related to the defect and other cases that were ambiguous and could not be ruled out being related to the issue," said Wesley Sherwood III, a Ford spokesman.
Federal safety regulators are reviewing Ford's recall plans and looking into whether it will fix enough vehicles with the potential for unexpected airbag deployment.
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The F-Series is the bestselling truck in America and last year was the nation's top-selling vehicle of any type.
Ford said the inadvertent deployments that had been reported were preceded by the illumination of a dashboard warning lamp indicating that the restraint system should be serviced.
Ford said that in most instances the airbag went off within the first few seconds after the engine was started. However, there were some reports that indicated that the vehicle was on a public roadway when the deployment occurred, and Ford said it knew of one customer who jumped from the vehicle after an unexpected deployment that occurred in a driveway.
The automaker said most of the trucks that have the problem were built during the first shift of Norfolk production from November 2004 through June 2005. Trucks built at factories in Dearborn, Mich., and in Kansas City, Mo., had much smaller rates of unexpected airbag deployment.
Ford said that during the truck assembly, a "wire located in the steering wheel could have been improperly positioned so that it may chafe, expose bare copper and create the potential for a short-circuit that would illuminate the warning lamp. If not serviced, and unique circumstances occur, an inadvertent driver frontal airbag deployment may occur."
Federal safety regulators had wanted Ford to recall 1.3 million of the trucks, a wider range that included vehicles from the 2004 through 2006 model years. Officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said they were looking at Ford's data to determine whether it captures enough vehicles to solve the problem. About 135,000 of the trucks were sold in the U.S. and an additional 9,000 were sold in Canada.
Sherwood said Ford decided it could correct the problem with a limited recall.
"We have analyzed the data and the majority of complaints involved the vehicles from the Norfolk plant from just the first shift during that time period that we mentioned," he said.
Ford will notify owners in early March and ask them to bring their vehicles to their local dealer for replacement of the wiring harness. This repair takes about half of a day.
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Why are we still dependent upon foreign oil?

At 54 years of age, I have seen over the years every Washington politician talk about the U.S. needs to find new energy sources. But here we are in 2011 facing high gas prices again. Have you not wondered why we have no new affordable energy sources. I feel that every politician in Washington owns some type of oil stock because if I could afford I would. Can it be that the greed of those in control have left us in this dilemma. Is it not amazing that the oil companies raise their prices on gas that has been in the tanks at the gas stations knowing that the gas already in the those tanks was purchased at a lower price? Again we are held hostage by the oil companies and by a government that stands to make a lot of money on these higher prices. How do those who make minimum wage make it. Their check goes in the car so they can get to work. I know some will say use public transportation but that is not available to all. There is no longer a middle class sector in America. I do not fault anyone for making money or a profit but quit screwing Americans over your greed. Just like the Obamacare plan, if you wanted Americans to have insurance then provide us with you golden parachute plan that costs you zero. Be fair but I guess you would have to look that up to know what it means. 
Fortunately there is coming a day when those who have chosen to accept Jesus as their Savior will not have to worry about all of this. You know the Bible has told us that there will be wars and rumors of wars.
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US imposes sanctions on Libya in wake of crackdown

US imposes sanctions on Libya in wake of crackdown

Helene Cooper and Mark Landler, The New York Times, Updated: February 26, 2011 09:31 IST

Washington:  The United States closed its embassy in Tripoli on Friday and imposed unilateral sanctions against Libya, including the freezing of billions in government assets, as the Obama administration made its most aggressive move against Col. Muammar el-Gaddafi since his security forces opened fire on protesters.


Just minutes after a charter flight left Tripoli carrying the last Americans who wanted to leave Libya, officials markedly toughened the administration's words and actions against Colonel Gaddafi, announcing that high-ranking Libyan officials who supported or participated in his violent crackdown would also see their assets frozen and might, along with Colonel Gaddafi, be subject to war crimes prosecution.

"It's clear that Colonel Gaddafi has lost the confidence of his people," said the White House press secretary, Jay Carney, in a briefing that was delayed to allow the plane to take off because the Americans feared that the Libyan leader might harm the passengers. "His legitimacy has been reduced to zero."

On Friday night, President Obama issued a formal executive order freezing the American-held assets of Colonel Gaddafi, his children and family, and senior members of the Libyan government.

With Colonel Gaddafi killing more of his people every day in a desperate bid to remain in power, it was not clear that these actions would do much to mitigate the worsening crisis. Sanctions, for instance, take time to put in place, and every other option comes with its own set of complications. Colonel Gaddafi, increasingly erratic, has seemed to shrug off outside pressure, becoming even more bizarre -- with charges that protesters are on drugs -- in the face of the world's scorn. And unlike with Egypt and Bahrain, close American allies that also erupted into crisis, the United States has few contacts deep inside the Libyan government, and little personal sway with its leadership.

Libya and the United States resumed full diplomatic relations only in 2008; before that it was regarded as an outlaw state. In fact, even as he was announcing that the Obama administration was cutting off military to military cooperation with the Libyan Army, Mr. Carney noted that such cooperation was "limited" -- a stark contrast to the deep ties that the Pentagon has cultivated with other Arab armies.

The tougher American response came nine days into the Libyan crisis and six days after Colonel Gaddafi's security forces first opened fire on protesters at a funeral in Benghazi, plunging Libya into something close to civil war and igniting worldwide condemnation. In the days after, the Obama administration repeatedly called for an end to the violence, but avoided criticizing Colonel Gaddafi by name -- a cautious policy that brought criticism from the president's Republican rivals.

Countering those criticisms, administration officials said they feared a hostage crisis, which tied President Obama's hands until American citizens, diplomats and their families were evacuated from Libya. A ferry with 167 Americans left Tripoli on Friday afternoon, having been delayed for two days by 15- to 18-foot waves in the Mediterranean, and a charter plane with additional Americans left Friday night. The embassy, Mr. Carney said, "has been shuttered."

European leaders have been more aggressive. President Nicolas Sarkozy of France has called on Colonel Gaddafi to resign, a step that Mr. Obama has yet to take. But American allies and the United Nations also moved to isolate Libya diplomatically. A senior United Nations official said that the world should intervene to stop the bloodshed in Libya, and France and Britain called on the international organization to approve an arms embargo and sanctions. NATO said it was ready to help evacuate refugees.

In Geneva, the normally passive United Nations Human Rights Council voted unanimously on Friday to suspend Libya's membership, but not before a junior delegate of the Libyan mission announced that he and his colleagues had resigned after deciding to side with the Libyan people. The gesture drew a standing ovation and a handshake from the United States ambassador, Eileen Donahoe.

Administration officials said that getting the people around Colonel Gaddafi to abandon him is a key part of the American and international strategy to isolate him. Administration officials say they are supporting a British proposal to try to bring before a war crimes tribunal Colonel Gaddafi and those who support or enable his violent crackdown.

"It's hard to do, but the point is to encourage the remaining supporters of Gaddafi to peel off," said Robert Malley, the Middle East and North Africa program director at the International Crisis Group. "If you want to accelerate his demise, you send the message that those who do not participate in the violence might not be prosecuted for their association with the regime."

American officials are also discussing a no-flight zone over Libya to prevent Colonel Gaddafi from using military aircraft against demonstrators. But such a move would have to be coordinated with NATO, and would require a Security Council resolution, diplomats said. Arab governments might object on sovereignty grounds.

Administration officials have avoided public discussion of additional military options. When asked whether the United States was considering using its military assets in the region -- including a marine amphibious ship in the Red Sea -- to support the rebellion in Libya, Mr. Carney said, "We are not taking any options off the table in the future." But administration officials said there were no immediate plans to intervene militarily.

The administration's measures appeared to satisfy human-rights groups. Analysts said they wanted more details about the sanctions, but they were encouraged by signs that the United States would support the effort to have Colonel Gaddafi referred to the International Criminal Court on war-crimes charges, as well as by a special NATO meeting.

"Even if people aren't explicitly talking about no-fly zones, the fact that NATO met today suggests there is more on people's minds than diplomacy," said Tom Malinowski, the director of the Washington office of Human Rights Watch. "I sense military contingencies are on the table."

One complication that could speed up consideration of any military action would be evidence that Colonel Gaddafi was prepared to use his remaining stockpile of mustard gas.

The American sanctions will also include travel bans against Colonel Gaddafi and senior members of his government, and the freezing of assets, including a move to freeze all American-controlled portions of Libya's sovereign wealth fund, administration officials said. Sanctions, once they go into effect, could have an impact on oil-rich Libya. According to an American diplomatic cable obtained by WikiLeaks, a senior Libyan official told American diplomats in January 2010 that the Libyan Investment Authority, which manages the country's oil revenue, had $32 billion in cash, and that several American banks managed up to $500 million in each of those funds. Administration officials said they planned to go after that money as part of the punitive sanctions.

"The government of Libya has claimed that it holds as much as $130 billion in reserves and its sovereign wealth fund reportedly holds more than $70 billion in foreign assets," an Obama administration official said. The official said that "while we are aware of certain assets owned by the Libyan government in the U.S., there are likely additional funds that we are not aware of."

Analysts said that going after the assets of Colonel Gaddafi's aides would probably be more effective than going after those held by the leader himself, given that he is engaged in an all-or-nothing defence of his rule.

A more draconian approach, suggested Danielle Pletka, an expert on sanctions at the American Enterprise Institute, would be to impose a trade embargo on Libya, excepting only food and other humanitarian aid.

The United Nations Security Council will discuss a proposal backed by France and Britain for multilateral sanctions, including an arms embargo and financial sanctions. But no definitive move was expected until next week. Italy, which is not in the Security Council and has deep investments in Libya, said Friday that it also backed sanctions.
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Libyan regime 'arming civilians' (UKPA) – 1 hour ago

Libyan regime 'arming civilians'
(UKPA) – 1 hour ago
Embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is arming civilian supporters in order to quash dissents in Tripoli with checkpoints and roving patrols, the capital's residents have claimed.
The reports came a day after protesters demanding Colonel Gaddafi's removal were fired upon by pro-regime militiamen to stop the first significant anti-government marches in days in the city.
The Libyan leader, speaking from the ramparts of a historic Tripoli fort, told supporters to prepare to defend the nation as he faced the biggest challenge to his 42-year rule, with rebels having seized control of about half of the country's coastline.
"At the suitable time, we will open the arms depot so all Libyans and tribes become armed, so that Libya becomes red with fire," Col Gaddafi said.
The international community stepped up its response to the bloodshed, while foreigners were evacuated from the chaos-riven North African nation.
The UN Security Council plans to meet for a second day to consider an arms embargo against the Libyan government and a travel ban and asset freeze against Col Gaddafi, his relatives and key members of his government.
US president Barack Obama signed an executive order on Friday freezing assets held by the Libyan leader and four of his children in the US. The Treasury Department said the sanctions against Col Gaddafi, three of his sons and a daughter also apply to the Libyan government.
In Tripoli, most residents remained in their homes, terrified of bands of armed men running checkpoints and patrolling the city.
A 40-year-old business owner said he had seen one pro-Gaddafi supporter enter one of the regime's Revolutionary Committee headquarters and leave with arms.
He said the regime is offering a car and money to any supporters bringing three people with them to join the effort.
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Friday, February 25, 2011

BREAKING NEWS: 11-year-old Amish girl's body found

BREAKING NEWS: 11-year-old Amish girl's body found

By Sun Staff   
Friday, February 25 2011
Levi Yoder, 30, uncle of the 11-year-old girl, told the Sun about 9:45 a.m. that the body of the girl had been found about 600 yards from where the buggy was washed off into a swollen creek off Roscoe Road in southern Graves County. The body was found near where at least two others were found shortly after midnight.
 
 
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