| Drugs chief: I quit after ministers failed me
Although Pearson announced his resignation earlier this year, few expected him to deliver such a devastating verdict on progress in the drugs war. His post as SCDEA director-general is unlikely to be filled for months. Pearson took up the job in March 2004 and he was not due to step down until 2010. He is credited with turning around the fortunes of the SCDEA, which seized Class A drugs worth more than £60m in the past 18 months. Explaining his reasons for stepping down in an exclusive interview with Scotland on Sunday, Pearson said: "The agency has never been fully staffed and I would say, on average, is about 10% down on what it should be. "One of the problems is that some of the forces find it difficult to release staff to us because the pressures, at force level, encourage forces to keep them there.
Online Poll
I would be very interested in hearing some of the problems that are causing our state police to have to work under conditions most people would find difficult if not impossible. There are so many rules and so many people you have to be responsible to, it just doesn't seem fair...and when they ask for a little understanding, it seems that everyone thinks being a police officer means you somehow become less than human. I am finding in my research that there is far more occupational stress than stress that is felt through critical incidents. Is that true, and what would it take to make the job easier, not only for the officers, but also for the administration, I am sincerely interested in learning more.
Posted by: JC on Sep 2, 2007 at 09:41 PM Any word from the result of the nvestigation in the reason for suicide of Marlo Gonzales?.
End of the road for Japan's taxi smokers
Japan's salarymen once considered it their inalienable right to enjoy a quick puff in the back of a taxi on the way to a meeting. Their wives, too, saw nothing wrong with cycling through the rain, umbrella raised and children perched on tiny seats at the front and back and bags of shopping dangling from the handlebars. But they are being forced to change their ways after the introduction of a smoking ban in many of Japan's taxis this week and, later this year, a planned clampdown on multitasking cyclists. On Monday, Tokyo became the latest of several cities to ban smoking in taxis as Japan made a belated attempt to ride the wave of tobacco intolerance sweeping other developed countries. Smoking is now banned in 52,000 vehicles belonging to Tokyo's two biggest taxi associations, with a further 3,000 other unaffiliated cars, which have so far escaped the ban, expected to follow in the coming months.
Busy Man: With Funeral Homes and Much More, Kenny Purcell Has His ...
Kenny Purcell comes from hard-working stock. Although he's the name behind Purcell Funeral Homes, that's not all he's involved in. In what little spare time the funeral services businesses in West Southern Pines, Laurinburg and Raeford afford him, Purcell and his family operate a limousine service, an insurance agency, fitness centers and an assisted-living facility. That workload keeps him running from before sunrise to well after sunset, but he's used to it. "I fill my day every day," he says. "At some point, we'll probably downsize, maybe the fitness centers and the assisted living facility. The businesses are going well, but we stay pretty busy all day, although the funeral business isn't as profitable as it used to be. We don't depend on it. The Lord and I get up and going by 3 in the morning and finally finish my day at about 9 or 10 at night." His busy pace is a family tradition.
BENDTNER: TAYLOR TACKLE NOT MALICIOUS
But given what happened you can't say it was anything other than a red card. "Eduardo is a strong character and good person. He's done really well at Arsenal and I hope he will be back as quickly as possible." While Bendtner applauded the decision by referee Mike Dean to show Taylor a straight red, he claims the official ultimately cost Arsenal two priceless points. Dean awarded a penalty against Gael Clichy, even through the Gunners defender won the ball from Stuart Parnaby, which James McFadden rifled home in the 91st minute. With Manchester United blitzing Newcastle 5-1 later the same day, Arsenal's lead at the Premier League summit has been cut to three points. But Bendtner, who replaced Eduardo, has sought to rally Arsenal as they struggle through a crucial period of the season by reminding them they remain in control of the title race.
Sow and grow with pots and modules
What's more, these are substantial flowerpots that are nice enough to use indoors. The finish resembles textured Bakelite, they are resistant to freeze/thaw cycles and last up to five years, so can be reused. Available in a choice of colours and three sizes, from 69p to £3.49. From selected stockists; telephone for details. Plants en masse .
Ulanoff: Facebook's Death Spiral Has Begun
In other instances, Facebook will create an infinite loop of friendliness where there really isn't any. I've had a couple of "pokes" on my page for ages. Someone poked me, I poked them back, and that should be the end of it. But the initial poke remains on my page, so I'm never sure if this is a new poke or a remnant. It's also hard to delete things like mail, so old messages stick around as if they're fresh. Everything seems more active than it really is. If all of this doesn't concern Facebook fans, it should. Any site that needs to resort to creating the illusion of life is clearly heading to a place where this is none. Copyright © 2008 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff Davis Media Inc.
Crime journal
Lee County deputies arrested Joshua Andrew McKie, 22, on Tuesday evening and recovered some of the stolen money, authorities said. A man claiming to have a gun robbed the SunTrust at about 9:15 Tuesday morning. A nearby school, Forest Ridge Elementary, went on lockdown. Deputies later identified the robber as McKie, who was most recently living in Hernando, and issued a warrant for his arrest. Citrus County investigators also learned that McKie planned to move to the Fort Myers area and tipped off Lee County authorities of where he might be. Deputies found him in that neighborhood, the Sheriff's Office said. Citrus County officials plan to move McKie back to the Citrus County Detention Facility in Lecanto on the charge of armed bank robbery. CLEARWATER Hearing delayed in Bollea case A pretrial hearing for Nick Bollea was delayed Tuesday morning until Feb.
Tom Stienstra
Below a footbridge, hundreds of sandpipers hopped around the mudflats. To the right, along a slough edged by pickleweed, cordgrass and more wetlands, a giant egret and snowy egret also poked around for food. These are what we call "the usual suspects" at Bothin Marsh, because you can almost always count on spotting them. Yet over the course of a year, they are joined by hundreds of other species of birds (490 have been independently verified). That is why repeat visits here can be like watching a great movie over and over, where you know what to expect, yet can pick up something new every time. I've seen avocets, black-crowned night herons, great blue herons, black phoebes, curlews, grebes and many species of ducks, gulls, sparrows, finches and hawks. Bothin Marsh is an expansive wetland with a gorgeous, flat trail for walks, hikes or bike rides, located along the bay with easy access from Sausalito, right along Highway 101 next to Richardson Bay in Marin County.
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