Rikki Clarke scored a run-a-ball century as Warwickshire moved to the top of the County Championship by taking maximum bonus points from their rain-affected draw with Sussex at Edgbaston.
Clarke's unbeaten 110, coupled with a season's-best 81 from a resurgent Jim Troughton, took the title contenders to a declaration at 400 for eight.
Sussex then collapsed to 191 all out in less than half a day, with the New Zealand off-spinner Jeetan Patel taking five for 77. Six batsmen got into the 20s but no one fared better than Luke Wright's 36. Clarke was again at the forefront for Warwickshire with three for 19, while Patel preyed on Sussex's vulnerability in an unchanged spell of 18.1 overs, which included the wicket of Matt Prior when the England wicketkeeper clipped to mid-on.
All this added up to a near-perfect day for the barnstorming home side.
Five points for batting, three for bowling and three for a draw put themone point ahead of the overnight leaders Nottinghamshire with a game in hand.For Sussex it was a no-win situation, although they did retrieve a couple of bowling points to keep their distance from the relegation strugglers.
Warwickshire's batsmen could not have done more in making up for lost time after two full days had fallen to the weather.
Resuming at 175 for three, they added 225 in a five-runs-an-over gallop peaking with an eighth-wicket partnership of 96 in 61 balls by Clarke and Keith Barker.
The morning session held no hint of the fireworks to come as Troughton quietly went about the task of rebuilding form and confidence after a difficult season.
Having needed 10 innings to muster 50 championship runs, the Warwickshire captain got his next 50 in one go, reaching a welcome milestone with a boundary off Jimmy Anyon in the third over of the day.
Monty Panesar (four for 95) managed to interrupt Warwickshire's progress with wickets in successive balls - Darren Maddy, lbw for 21, and Tim Ambrose taken at first slip.
Warwickshire, however, are not easily knocked off course. Clarke coming in at number seven is a formidable proposition and again he saw his side through to their objective in another destructive innings.
Although Troughton was caught at slip, slashing at ball from Anyon, Clarke ploughed on, first with Chris Woakes (12) and then with Barker's 34 from 31 balls until he was well caught by Steve Magoffin at long leg.
Clarke should have gone on 71 when dropped by substitute Michael Rippon at long on off Chris Nash but the all-rounder went on to plunder 15 fours and two sixes.
It was then down to Patel to raise 400 with four balls to spare before the cut-off for bonus points.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Watford City postmaster works to keep up with pace of booming city - Grand Forks Herald
WATFORD CITY, N.D. – The post office here closes for an hour each day, but you won’t find Postmaster Jason Hirst taking a leisurely lunch.
After two longtime employees left, Hirst was forced to close the window from 12:30 to 1:30 each day just so he can get some work done.
Hirst, who has been Watford City’s postmaster for about a year, said he was not prepared for how fast he has to work all day long to keep up with the booming city.
“It never seems to slow down. When you’re not working the window, you’re helping sort mail. When you’re not helping sort mail, you’re trying to send out reports and answer e-mails,” said Hirst, 44. “It’s just crazy.”
Watford City has added 1,240 post office boxes in the past six months, including 720 that will be ready this week after the post office sacrificed some mail sorting space to make room for the new boxes.
“I don’t know if we can fit any more in this building,” Hirst said. “That’s not even close to what we need.”
Mail arrives in Watford City from Minot at 9 a.m. each day, the latest Hirst has seen at any post office he’s worked for in his 14 years with the postal service.
The mail needs to be sorted and ready for the carriers by 10:30 or 11 a.m. Two employees do the majority of that work while Hirst is the only one working the window.
Carriers have to complete their routes and load the mail truck again by 4 p.m. so it has time to stop in Arnegard and Alexander, N.D., before dropping the mail off in Williston, N.D.
“Three years ago, before the boom took off, it worked great,” Hirst said. “But we’re delivering a lot more, we’re seeing a lot more volume.”
In the past year, the Watford City post office has seen a 20 percent increase in parcels and a 120 percent increase in the volume of magazines, newspapers and large envelopes, Hirst said.
Watford City has some home delivery and Hirst is addressing how to expand it. Thousands of people who don’t have post office boxes receive mail “general delivery” and show their identification at the post office window to receive their mail.
Hirst usually works from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, sometimes later. He rarely gets a day off other than Sundays, and frequently works on federal holidays to catch up.
The postal service has excess employees nationwide, but no one can transfer to Watford City because they can’t find housing, Hirst said. As a rule, the postal service does not provide housing for employees, and wages are set nationally without the ability to adjust for areas with a higher cost of living, he said.
Hirst, formerly of Billings, Mont., applied for the Watford City job after the Montana postal district was absorbed by the Dakotas and his job was eliminated.
The plan was for his family to join him by last Christmas, but they’ve been unable to sell their home in Montana.
Hirst lives in the guest bedroom of some friends in Watford City while his wife and three youngest children live in Baker, Mont. He also has two older sons who live in Billings.
Hirst and his wife adopted the three youngest children last October after being their foster parents for 2½ years. Hirst goes home to visit them every Saturday night through Sunday afternoon.
The youngest boy, who is 3, has a hard time understanding that his dad is away at work.
“He thinks sometimes that I’m gone, I’m dead,” Hirst said. “Or he’ll say that I don’t have a dad.”
When that happens, Hirst’s wife pulls up Facebook or video chat.
“That’s been the hardest part is trying to get my family together,” Hirst said.
Hirst said his faith keeps him going, along with supportive Watford City residents who drop off homemade fudge and other goodies for him.
“Every morning I just pray and thank the good Lord I did it again. And start over again,” Hirst said.
Dalrymple is a Forum Communications Co. reporter stationed in the Oil Patch. She can be reached at adalrymple@forumcomm.com or (701) 580-6890.
Tags: oil patch, watford city, oil industry, us postal service, news, updates
Source: www.grandforksherald.com
Sussex versus Kent at Arundel Castle match update - littlehamptongazette.co.uk
As of midday today (Sunday), the outfield at Arundel Castle was very wet from the rain over the previous 72 hours, but it is draining.
In addition, many of the walkways around the ground and some of the car parking areas are, and will remain wet, and prone to becoming a bit muddy as they become more and more used on the day. Certain parts of the spectator areas may not be accessible, so supporters are asked to adhere to any closure signs, and the club recommend anyone going to the game wears suitable footwear for the conditions.
The forecast for Monday indicates a risk of further rain during the course of the day, so supporters are being asked to keep an eye on the website or ring the normal phone line at The PROBIZ County Ground (0844 264 0202) for hourly updates starting from 9:30am tomorrow.
Also, the Olympic Torch Relay passes through Arundel at around 3:30pm and the town centre will have road closures from 2pm for a couple of hours at least. Anyone attending the game should leave plenty of time for their journey, especially if coming from the West. To assist arriving spectators in this regard, car parks will be open from 11am, with gates opening at 11:45am.
Source: www.littlehamptongazette.co.uk
Sussex County to auction Homestead nursing home - NJ.com
SUSSEX COUNTY — Bidding is expected to be brisk this week when Sussex County holds two public auctions to sell the county-owned nursing home.
With bidding to start at $6 million, representatives of more than a dozen private nursing home operators have toured The Homestead nursing home in recent months with an interest in buying it, said county Administrator John Eskilson.
"Approximately 15 interested parties have come to tour the facility. How many people show up, we won’t know until the day of the auction," he said.
Eskilson declined to name the entities that have expressed an interest in purchasing The Homestead, located on Morris Turnpike in Frankford.
"We wouldn’t want to scare off any bidders," he said.
The first auction will be held at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday and includes several restrictions on the new owners, including:
— The four-story, 55,000-square-foot building must continue to operate as a nursing home for at least 15 years;
— Current Homestead employees must be allowed to interview for jobs under the new ownership:
— Current residents cannot be released or transferred to another nursing home without their consent;
— At least 65 percent of The Homestead’s 105 beds must be reserved for county residents and/or their family members for at least 10 years.
The second auction, which does not include any restrictions on the future use of the property or any provisions for residents and employees, will follow at 12 p.m. The auctions will be held at the county administration building in Newton.
The sale of The Homestead was opposed by residents and their families since the county freeholders first began exploring the idea to sell the facility last year.
Eskilson said The Homestead, with an operating budget of $10 million, lost about $500,000 last year and is expected to lose an additional $3 million this year due to reductions in Medicare and Medicaid funding. When sold, Sussex County will join a growing list of counties in New Jersey that have sold their county-run nursing homes in an effort to reduce costs.
Resident Linda Hunter-Conklin, an organizer of the Save the Homestead group, said residents feared the uncertainties that new ownership of the nursing home would bring.
"Those that know what’s going on here, they’re very, very worried. There’s like a black cloud hanging over this place," said Hunter-Conklin, who unsuccessfully petitioned the freeholders to hold a non-binding referendum this fall on the proposed sale.
Hunter-Conklin said she lost her bid for a countywide referendum despite winning support from 10 towns that passed resolutions supporting a public vote.
"We just wanted Sussex County residents to be able to use their democratic rights," she said.
Both auctions include the sale of the adjacent four-story Old Homestead building, formerly known as the Alms House, or poorhouse, which opened in 1832.
The freeholders are expected to award a bid July 26 with a closing on the two buildings scheduled Nov. 1, said Eskilson. Marcus & Millichap, a Chicago-based commercial real estate investment firm, is brokering the sale.
Related coverage:
• Sussex, Cumberland counties may join growing trend in selling county-operated nursing homes
• N.J. nursing homes to see state, federal funding cuts of $75M
• N.J. Assembly Budget Committee chairman calls proposed nursing home cuts 'a mistake'
• Advocates argue Christie's proposed Medicaid cuts will force nursing homes, adult day care closures
Source: www.nj.com
Woman killed in Eastbourne cliffs accident - BBC News
The woman fell 300ft (91m) from a spot near the Belle Tout lighthouse
A woman was killed when she accidentally stepped off an East Sussex cliff while walking with her husband.
She fell 300ft (91m) from a spot near the Belle Tout lighthouse on the clifftop near Eastbourne at about 15:00 BST on Saturday.
The woman's body was found by the Eastbourne inshore lifeboat to the west of the lighthouse.
Sussex Police have ruled out suicide or foul play, and have described her death as a "tragic accident".
At the scene
The weather on the clifftop on Saturday was very wet and squally, with visibility significantly reduced.
Today I can see people standing just half a foot away from the edge of the cliff taking photographs.
People that know the area are sighing in disbelief at the scene.
But they said fences would spoil the view.
They later took away a car, believed to belong to the couple, which had been parked at the Birling Gap cafe.
Officers said the couple, who were walking their dog at the time, were not local.
A police spokesman said: "She is believed to be a 49-year-old female not from the Sussex area.
"Her husband was present at the time of the tragic accident but the death is not being treated as suspicious and no-one has been arrested and no-one is expected to be arrested.
"The coroner will be informed."
Ken Walker, who was walking near the scene of the accident on Sunday, said: "Children could just run off the cliff. There's no notice to say don't go there. It's incredible"
Geri Silverstone, spokesman for the National Trust, said: "We have hundreds of thousands of visitors to our coastline across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and actually the incidence of this sort of tragic incident happening is thankfully very rare indeed.
"So on the whole this coastline can be enjoyed and is very safe but this is a very tragic circumstance."
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
At Wimbledon, the venue's the thing for London Olympics - Sacramento Bee
Eddie Seaward, Wimbledon's longtime groundskeeper, the man who maintains the world's most famous patch of grass, typically takes a day or two off after the men's final.
Not this year.
Not with the London Olympics looming and a 19-day turnaround to restore that hallowed perennial rye lawn to its emerald-green perfection. Just three weeks after the end of the Wimbledon tournament, the world's eyes will be back on the All England Club as Roger Federer, Serena Williams and many of the other top players ditch their whites for their national colors and compete for Olympic medals.
Tennis was among the original Olympic sports in 1896, dropped after 1924 for 64 years, and has been somewhat of an afterthought since its re-introduction at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. But this summer, the sport's profile is elevated because of the historic venue at which it is being played.
The All England Club is the only 2012 Olympic venue that was also used for the 1908 London Olympics, back when the event was spread across six months, women played in ankle-length white skirts and men in long white trousers.
And that special distinction is why Seaward and his staff want the courts to look perfect. They spent two years experimenting to come up with the best formula to spruce up the scorched patches of grass near the baselines in a few weeks rather than the usual few months. They spread pre-germinated seeds over the damaged turf, and covered the courts to create a humid greenhouse effect. The extra rainfall this month should help speed up the process, as well.
The club was founded in 1868 during a croquet craze, and lawn tennis was added in 1875. By the time the 1908 Olympics came around, lawn tennis was gaining popularity around Europe, Australia and the United States. Great Britain dominated, winning 15 of the 18 medals in indoor and outdoor events.
Now, 104 years later, Wimbledon runner-up Andy Murray is the host nation's only medal hopeful. And the athletes show far more skin. Otherwise, a lot remains unchanged at the picturesque southwest London tennis club.
Although the all-green backdrop will be replaced by more colorful Olympic signage, and fans will not be permitted to queue overnight for tickets, most of Wimbledon's traditions will remain intact. Yes, there will be strawberries and cream for sale.
"We basically turned the site over to LOCOG (London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games) the day after the men's final, but they see this as a heritage site and promised to treat it with sensitivity," Wimbledon spokesman Johnny Perkins said. "There will be different signage and colors to express the Olympic Games, but they won't be slapping things up all over the place. They respect the history here."
The same can be said of the 2012 Olympic soccer venues, which include Wembley Stadium ("The Cathedral of Football" in the words of Pele) and Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United since 1910.
Wembley, Europe's second-largest stadium with a capacity of 90,000, has hosted the FA Cup final, European Cup finals, the 1948 Olympics, 1966 World Cup final and the Live Aid concert in 1985. Old Trafford was built in 1909, heavily damaged by German air raids during World War II, and was the site of 1966 World Cup matches and the 2003 UEFA Champions League final.
Unlike the tennis competition, which includes the world's top players, the soccer tournament is for Under-23 players and each team is allowed to bring three overage players. David Beckham was left off England's roster, so the biggest stars figure to be 38-year-old Ryan Giggs and Brazil's 20-year-old Neymar, who has turned down overtures by Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona to play for Brazilian club Santos.
Without the game's best-known players, the soccer tournament's storied venues might be as big an attraction as the matches being housed there. At Wimbledon, the players and site will share equal billing. It is the first time Olympic tennis will be played at a Grand Slam site, and that will give it the cache it has been lacking.
Chris Evert was among the players who competed in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, the return of tennis after a six-decade hiatus. She said she felt "like a kid in candy store" roaming around the athletes' village and going to watch Carl Lewis, Florence Griffith-Joyner and Ben Johnson. But Evert said she felt out of place and "very uncomfortable" marching in the Opening Ceremonies.
"I almost felt like an imposter because the other athletes were looking at us tennis players as if they were saying, 'What are you doing here?' because we had our Wimbledon and U.S. Open and French and Australian, and our million dollars," she said. "These were supposedly amateur athletes who only had once chance every four years."
Evert played her match at 9 a.m. the next day, against little-known Raffaella Reggi, and "50 people showed up in the stands," said Evert, who lost. "It was the low part of my whole experience in Korea. Now, I think it's like night and day as far as where tennis is in the Olympics. Having it at Wimbledon is huge. I've never heard players talk about it as much as they are this time around."
The full allotment of tickets sold out in the first round of sales.
Patrick McEnroe coached the U.S. Olympic team in Athens. He expects the tennis at the London Games to have a completely different feel than it did at recent Olympic venues such as the Stone Mountain Tennis Center (Atlanta, 1996), Athens Olympic Tennis Center and Beijing Olympic Tennis Center.
"I think the buzz is going to be phenomenal," he said. "Wimbledon, All England Club, has been preparing for this for a long time, so I think it will be amazing. Tennis, obviously, has some of the most recognizable athlete on the planet. In Athens, it was an amazing experience, but once you got on the grounds of the venue, it felt like a regular tour event. Having it at Wimbledon will boost what it's about in a big way."
Said 2004 Wimbledon women's champion Maria Sharapova: "It will be surreal. It will be a completely different experience. I don't know what I will feel when I'm out on the court playing on grass at Wimbledon and knowing that it's not Wimbledon. It's just a unique opportunity for all of us, but I'm extremely thrilled that it's at Wimbledon. It's my favorite place to play tennis."
John Isner, the highest-ranked American man, is looking forward to his Olympic debut on the familiar grass courts.
"To have it at the Mecca of tennis, really, at Wimbledon, makes it a lot more special, in my opinion. It's really like the fifth Grand Slam this year."
Source: www.sacbee.com
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