Beauty and The Beads

STARKE, Fla. — A Florida man convicted of killing an Ohio woman and her two teenage daughters in June 1989 as the victims returned from a dream vacation to Disney World has been executed.

Oba Chandler, 65, was administered a lethal injection and pronounced dead at 4:25 pm Tuesday at the Florida State Prison.

In 1994, Chandler was convicted of killing Joan Rogers, 36, and her daughters Christe and Michelle, from the small farming community of Willshire, Ohio.

The three were vacationing in Florida when they asked Chandler for directions. Authorities said Chandler lured them aboard his boat, tied concrete blocks to ropes around their necks and dumped their bodies in Tampa Bay.

For his last meal, Chandler requested two salami sandwiches on white bread, one peanut butter sandwich on white bread and iced tea.

Chandler had been on death row for 17 years.

His death warrant was the second Gov. Rick Scott has signed since taking office.

Readmore: Local, Segregated, Harlingen Humane Society, A Dog Named Champ, Multi Colored Pit Bull, Shelters Board President Pat Turman White, Harlingen Police, Jose Gonzales, Punching his Pet, 500 Block of West Polk, Euthanized, Animal Cruelty Charge, 5000 Dollar Bond, Harlingen, Cameron County, Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Segregated from all the other animals at the Harlingen Humane Society is a dog named Champ. 

The multi-colored Pit Bull is at the center of an animal cruelty case.

He is scared, the Shelters Board President Pat Turman-White said. 

Hes behind bars… And he has no idea what happened… Last thing he knows is that he was beaten and drug in here and put behind bars.

Harlingen police arrested the dogs owner over the weekend.

Jose Gonzales is accused of punching his pet.

Police were called to the 500 block of West Polk after the suspect’s neighbors alerted authorities to the alleged beating.

The dog reportedly made a loud yelp sound.

An animals cry for help is usually either ignored or never heard in cases of animal abuse, according to the shelters board president.

No one wants to rat out their neighbor, she said.  I think a lot of people are just afraid to get involved.

Abused animals arent typically adopted out to the general public because of the treatment theyve been subjected to. 

The same goes for Pit Bulls because of the dangerous nature of the breed. 

That means Champ already has two strikes against him. 

Itll be up to a judge to decide what happens next.

If in about 10 days a judge rules Champ cannot be returned to his owner and the shelter has trouble adopting him out then he will more than likely be euthanized, according to Pat.

As with most animals sent to the shelter, the clock is ticking.

Jose Gonzales facing a state jail felony for the animal cruelty charge.

He was given a $5,000 bond.

Bonney Brown cradles the 10-year-old furball known as Alley, the indifferent look on the cats face striking a sharp contrast with Browns big, beaming smile.

As executive director of the Nevada Humane Society, Brown has hugged her fair share of pets. Since the downturn, however, many pet owners could use a hug themselves.

I remember one incident where this family comes in, and theyre living out of their car, Brown said. A little girl comes out with a gerbil in a glass cage and she starts crying as she gives up the gerbil and several other pets. Then they ask, If we get back on our feet, can we come back and adopt them again? Its just very sad.

With many people losing their jobs and their homes from the downturn, the human crisis is turning into one for animals as well.

Animal Services is seeing fewer dogs being redeemed, Brown said. Meanwhile, the Humane Society is seeing more pets being given up for adoption.

Alley, a grey short-hair cat that looks like a Russian blue, was surrendered because of financial difficulties. Noah, a gray-and-white cat raised by the same family, was also given up.

Reasons cited by owners include food costs, which can be high for cats because of the high protein content of their food, Brown said. Big dogs also are susceptible to being surrendered due to their high food intake. Such needs have put a strain on the Human Societys pet food assistance program, which is being overwhelmed by requests, Brown said.

Sometimes, even people who can still afford food expenses are forced to surrender their pets. Prior to the downturn, the Humane Society usually saw one injured pet a week. These days, its three or more.

This year has been the worst for us in terms of the number of sick animals that are coming into the shelter, Brown said. Giving up a pet for treatment is really hard, and you see a lot of people crying. In some cases, they wait too long because they cant afford the treatment and hope the pet gets better. So the pet is very, very sick by the time theyre brought in, and its too late. Its just heartbreaking to see how devastated these people are.

Because of its own limited resources, the Humane Society cant help every pet owner who needs assistance with pet food or treatment. Nevertheless, it encourages pet owners to call its free animal help desk for advice at 775-856-2000, extension 200. In some cases, the Humane Society may be able to refer pet owners to other organizations or resources in the community.

Many people regard their pets as family members, so its really tough for them to give up their animal friends, Brown said. If someone loses their job or loses their home, losing their pet on top of that can be a very devastating experience. I wish that I could say its getting better. Unfortunately, you cant help everybody.

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov 04, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
As part of ongoing surveillance, Fitch Ratings takes the following
rating action on Commerce City, CO:

–$30.9 million outstanding certificates of participation (COPs or
certificates), series 2006 affirmed at ‘A+’.

In addition, Fitch assigns an implied unlimited tax general obligation
rating of ‘AA-’

The Rating Outlook is Stable.

KEY RATING DRIVERS

Essentiality of Leased Assets: The leased assets are essential to the
operations of the city.

Sound Financial Management: Prudent financial management has typically
maintained solid reserves despite budgetary pressures stemming from
economic uncertainty.

High Debt Burden: Overall debt ratios are very high and direct debt is
amortized very slowly. Credit concerns regarding the high debt burden
are moderated somewhat by the city’s lack of additional borrowing needs.

Sales Tax Dependence: The city relies heavily on sales tax revenue which
is vulnerable to declines in consumer consumption and general economic
conditions.

Tax Base Concentration: The city’s top 10 taxpayers comprise a high 28%
of the total tax base. The single largest taxpayer, Suncor Energy,
accounts for 17.5% of the tax base.

Broad Economy: Although the local unemployment levels are very high, the
city is favorably located within the Denver metropolitan area, offering
broader employment and recreational opportunities and prospects for
long-term growth.

SECURITY

The certificates are secured by lease rental payments made by the city
to the Commerce City Finance Authority for use and occupancy of a civic
center, which includes city hall and city offices, as well as the police
department, municipal court, and city council chambers. Lease rental
payments are payable from any legally available funds of the city
appropriated by city council for such purpose.

CREDIT PROFILE

The city is heavily dependent on volatile sales tax revenues, which
typically comprise a little over 70% of the general fund revenue.
However, the city has typically maintained solid reserve levels which
offset to a degree credit concerns regarding this revenue concentration.

After an operating surplus in 2009, 2010 results were bolstered by one
time sales tax settlement collections totaling about $20 million from
three distinct taxpayers. The ending unreserved general fund balance
grew to 77% of spending from 33% in 2009. The 2011 operating budget is
balanced. The city plans to reduce reserves through 2012 for one time
capital projects ($9.3 million) and to make a loan to the Urban Renewal
Authority ($4 million). Assuming balanced operations during those two
years, the city’s fund balance at about $22.6 million at the close of
2012 is projected to remain well within the city’s formal fund balance
policy to maintain general fund reserves at about 27% of spending.

The city’s overall debt burden remains very high at nearly $11,000 per
capita and 12.2% of market value. Debt levels primarily reflect
obligations of overlapping taxing units including the City of Commerce
City Northern Infrastructure General Improvement District (the
district). This district, a special taxing unit and blended component
unit of the city, has over $90 million in outstanding voter-authorized
general obligation bonds. The city’s debt amortizes very slowly with
less than 20% maturing in the next 10 years and includes the $30.9
million COPs and nearly $60 million in sales tax bonds. Fitch notes that
credit risk tied to the city’s debt profile is somewhat moderated by the
lack of additional borrowing plans.

Located in Adams County immediately northeast of Denver and west of the
Denver International Airport, the city is highly industrialized and has
a population of nearly 46,000. Leading employers in the city include
UPS, FedEx, United Food Service, and Suncor Energy. Wealth levels as
measured by per capita money income lag the state average by a
considerable margin and unemployment is typically above average. Due to
a concentration of construction job losses, the city’s unemployment rate
remains very high at 14.1% in August 2011, compared with the state’s
8.3% and national 9.1% during the same period. Economic growth during
the last decade capitalized on the city’s aggressive land annexation and
land-use policies that opened up a host of development opportunities
generally not available within the metro area. Following rapid growth in
the middle of the last decade, permit activity has declined
dramatically. The city’s market value fell by nearly 5% in 2009 and
posted a modest 1% increase in 2010.

Additional information is available at ‘
www.fitchratings.com ‘.
The ratings above were solicited by, or on behalf of, the issuer, and
therefore, Fitch has been compensated for the provision of the ratings.

In addition to the sources of information identified in Fitch’s
Tax-Supported Rating Criteria, this action was additionally informed by
information from Creditscope, University Financial Associates,
S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, IHS Global Insight.

Applicable Criteria and Related Research:

–’Tax-Supported Rating Criteria’, dated Aug. 15, 2011;

–’U.S. Local Government Tax-Supported Rating Criteria’, dated Aug. 15,
2011.

Applicable Criteria and Related Research:

Tax-Supported Rating Criteria

http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=648898

U.S. Local Government Tax-Supported Rating Criteria

http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=648842

ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND
DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING
THIS LINK:
HTTP://FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS .
IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE
AVAILABLE ON THE AGENCY’S PUBLIC WEBSITE ‘
WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM ‘.
PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS
SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCH’S CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS
OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES
AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE ‘CODE OF CONDUCT’ SECTION OF
THIS SITE.

SOURCE: Fitch Ratings

Fitch Ratings
Primary Analyst
Gabriela Gutierrez
Director
+1-512-215-3731
Fitch Inc.
111 Congress Ave. Suite 2010
Austin, TX 78701
or
Secondary Analyst
Matt Dustin
Analyst
+1-512-215-3727
or
Committee Chairperson
Amy Laskey
Managing Director
+1-212-908-0568
or
Media Relations
Sandro Scenga
+1-212-908-0278
sandro.scenga@fitchratings.com

Copyright Business Wire 2011

CLEMSON

FROM THE GATORADE baths to the selection of music during pre-practice stretching exercises to an attention-grabbing, passionate head coach, a common theme appears to run through the Clemson football program.

This team is having Fun. Yes, with a capital F.

Join documentarian Nathan Kensinger for a discussion about urban exploration and street history at Union Docs in Williamsburg on Nov. 20.

Urban Science Adventure: Conduct your own backyard bird foraging experiment

By DNLee|

November 15, 2011
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