Terre Haute Police investigate two possibly related shootings

Police are investigating several shootings in Terre Haute that witnesses believe may be linked together.

The first shooting incident occurred around 2:00 a.m. Sunday on Wabash Avenue.

Several shots were fired into the air outside the Blu Katt Lounge.

No injuries were reported from the initial incident.

The second shooting incident occurred this afternoon outside the Booker T. Washington Community Center that injured two.

One victim was taken to Regional Hospital, while the other was taken to Union Hospital.

Police believe neither of the two victims’ injuries are life threatening at this time.

It is unknown at this time who the shooter is and if any arrests have been made.

More information will be provided as it becomes available.

Source  http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/indiana/terre-haute-police-investigate-two-possibly-related-shootings

McDonnell Bolsters UVa Board, Keeps Dragas

Governor Bob McDonnell has put his stamp on the University of Virginia Board of Visitors, reappointing its lightning-rod Rector Helen Dragas, replacing five old board members and appointing two “senior advisors.”

“Cognizant of the need for varied and wide-ranging voices, I have appointed competent professionals to the board who come from the fields of academia, business, law and technology, and who can, while bringing different backgrounds and philosophies to the table, work well together in finding common ground and forging a shared path for Mr. Jefferson’s University,” McDonnell said in a prepared statement.

 

Newcomers include Linwood Rose, former president of James Madison University; Edward Miller, dean of the School of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University; and Victoria Harper, CFO of Gannett Company. 

Senior advisors whose role will be “to provide the board with wise counsel on an array of matters and to assist the university in solving strategic and communications challenges,” include William H. Goodwin, a Darden School graduate and the most successful entrepreneur in Richmond, as well as Leonard W. Sandridge, the university’s highly respected CFO before retiring last  year.

By any objective measure, the newcomers represent an impressive addition to the board. There are no light weights.  And they aren’t all big Republican donors.

Regarding the controversial Dragas, McDonnell said, “Ms. Dragas’s serious critique of the challenges facing the university is a voice that must be heard, and can help, in ensuring UVa remains one of the world’s foremost institutions of higher learning.”

Just as I was disappointed to see the lack of transparency and communication surrounding the request for the resignation of the first female president of UVa, I am also concerned that the first female rector seemed to become the sole target of recent criticism. While there is no doubt that the board made several mistakes in its actions, which it has publicly admitted, this is not a time for recrimination. It’s a time for reconciliation. I have been heartened by recent statements made by president [Teresa] Sullivan, the Board of Visitors and by the faculty senate chair about their ability to work with the rector.

Yesterday I opined that, given the animosity she had engendered, Dragas probably would have to go. I questioned whether McDonnell had the guts to reappoint her. But I do agree with the governor’s s decision to keep her. As I wrote when the controversy first began, “Dragas gets it.” Higher education in America is facing an existential crisis. The university needs strong leaders and a bold vision. McDonnell has assembled a powerful team to lead the university forward.

Source  http://www.baconsrebellion.com/2012/06/mcdonnell-pumps-up-uva-board-keeps-dragas.html

Tickets On Sale for February UFC Japan Card

In Japan and planning to attend the UFC's return to the Land of the Rising Sun? Get your credit card ready.

Tickets for UFC Japan go on sale today through UFC Mobile. On Tuesday, fans in Japan can get tickets through WOWOW and Nikkan Sports. WOWOW is a subscription-based Japanese broadcasting company; Nikkan Sports is a daily sports newspaper with a circulation of nearly 2 million.

Tickets will range in price from 5,800 Japanese Yen to ¥100,000. Current exchange rates between the Yen and U.S. Dollar (1/0.0128) make those tickets priced from just under $75 to nearly $1,300. The pricing breakdown is similar to major U.S. UFC pay-per-view shows.

Tickets for the general public will be made available starting Dec. 10 through Lawson Tickets, E-Plus and Kyodo Promotion. UFC Japan, as the card is being billed (UFC 144 in the numbered event system), will take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, just north of Tokyo. The arena has hosted some of the biggest events in MMA history and was the home for many Pride Fighting Championship events.

The UFC on Monday announced the full fight card for UFC Japan with a press conference in Tokyo that featured many of the card's biggest names. Headlining the event will be a lightweight title fight between champion Frankie Edgar and top contender Ben Henderson. The co-main event will feature a name plenty familiar to Japanese MMA fans – Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, who was a Pride star for many years before coming to the UFC. Jackson will fight Ryan Bader in the co-main event six years to the day from his last fight in Japan.

Also appearing at the press conference alongside UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC international managing director Marshall Zelaznik and UFC Asia managing director Mark Fischer were Japanese star Yoshihiro Akiyama and Jake Shields, who meet in a welterweight bout on the main card; Mark Hunt and Cheick Kongo; Joe Lauzon and Anthony Pettis; and Japanese fighters Yushin Okami, Takanori Gomi, Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto, Hatsu Hioki, Takeya Mizugaki and Riki Fukuda, all of whom have fights on the card. The card features seven Japanese fighters, though only Akiyama will appear on the main card.

"Japan is the spiritual home of martial arts," Fertitta said in a release from the UFC. "The world has learned from the Japanese many aspects of how to compete in hand-to-hand combat with respect and honor. But Japan also has a proud history of modern mixed martial arts and I am excited to bring the Ultimate Fighting Championship back here ..."

The UFC last held a show in Japan in December 2000, prior to its purchase by Zuffa. Due to the time difference between Tokyo and the United States, the pay-per-view is scheduled to air live in the U.S. at 8 p.m. Eastern on Feb. 25. There is a 14-hour time difference between Tokyo and the Eastern time zone in the U.S.

Source http://www.heavy.com/mma/mma-news/2011/11/tickets-on-sale-for-february-ufc-japan-card/

Ishikawa fined by Japanese Tour despite earthquake relief fundraising efforts

Ryo Ishikawa's efforts to raise money for the Japanese earthquake relief fund may have been hit after he was fined £16,500 by the Japanese Tour for pulling out of two tournaments.

Japan's golfing superstar is giving his entire earnings for 2011 to the fund, which was set up after the huge quake and tsunami devastated the east coast of the country earlier this year. Ishikawa will also add a further £750 for every birdie he makes this season.

The Japan Golf Tour Organisation took a dim view of the 19-year-old's decision to withdraw from the Kansai Open in August and last week's Toshin tournament, which he missed for the second year running, citing a sore shoulder.

The JGTO handed him the first such fines for three years on the men's tour as punishment.

'Rules are rules,' the tour's executive director Andy Yamanaka said. 'They are put in place to protect the tournaments. They are not rules only for Ryo.'

Yamanaka insisted the Japanese tour would not make any special concessions to Ishikawa's enormous celebrity in Japan, where his grinning face looks down from giant billboards and appears frequently on TV commercials.

'Yes he's a superstar but he is also one of 200 (JGTO) members and everyone plays under one set of rules. You should not change rules for one person.'

JGTO chairman Tadashi Koizumi said the organisation would 'get tough' next year to tighten the rules and prevent players suddenly pulling out of tournaments.

'We want the players to support the Japanese tournaments,' said Yamanaka. 'They can't just pay money and take time off, so we want to amend the rulebook.

'Even if Ishikawa goes off and plays on the American PGA Tour he will still have to abide by our rules.'

Ishikawa apologised and produced a doctor's note.

'My left shoulder felt like it was about to dislocate,' Japan's brightest hope for a future men's major champion told Nikkan Sports.

'The doctor told me if I played on, it would develop into chronic inflammation so I made the tough decision to withdraw.

'Last year I was playing in Europe so had to pull out. It's bad timing.'

Source http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/golf/article-2037290/Ryo-Ishikawa-fined-Japanese-Tour-despite-earthquake-fund-raising-efforts.html

'Frog king' Kitajima leaps injury hurdle

Japan's Kosuke Kitajima is determined to overcome an injury-plagued build-up to the world championships as he steps up his quest for a third straight golden double at next year's Olympics.

For the Japanese breaststroke superstar, the Shanghai worlds will not just be a vital pre-Olympic test but also a chance to restore his reputation in China, tarnished by a poor showing in November's Asian Games.

The red-hot favourite in Guangzhou, the 28-year-old finished a disappointing fourth in both the 50m and 100m before pulling out of the 200m citing nagging pain in his shoulder and joints.

It was in sharp contrast to his dominant showing at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he was labelled "Frog King" after retaining the 100m and 200m titles he won four years earlier in Athens.

"I feel I won't be satisfied just by winning," said Kitajima, who saw his world marks shattered when he sat out the 2009 world championships in Rome. "Records or medals. Both will be important after all."

Los Angeles-based Kitajima struggled against rising domestic rivals in April in his battle to qualify for both the 100m and 200m in Shanghai.

He won the 100m at the national trials and in the 200m he finished second to Asian Games champion Naoya Tomita, although it was a painful ordeal as he tore his left adductor muscle early in the race.

"The injury may have something to do with my age but I want to believe I am stronger than ever when it comes to my feeling and my heart," said the straight-talking son of a Tokyo butcher.

"Various kinds of experience make me stronger," he said, adding he has fully recovered and ready to add to his three gold, three silver and four bronze world championships medals since 2001.

Kitajima attributed his positive thinking to his laid-back training regime under American coach David Salo at the University of Southern California since June 2009.

Still remembered for his screams and exclamation "cho-kimochi-ii (I feel super good)" that accompanied his first Olympic double in Athens, the swimmer said he had been freed from pressure.

"We ride balance balls in the water. Sometimes we go to the beach together," Kitajima recently told Japanese media in Los Angeles. "It was a fresh surprise to find there is such a fun kind of swimming."

He attended the 2009 worlds as a TV commentator during his 15-month post-Olympics layoff and could only look on as Australia's Brenton Rickard broke his 100m record and Christian Sprenger lowered his mark in the 200m.

Kitajima said he was raring to beat the Australians and break the world marks they set in the era of high-tech swimming suits.

"I want to hear people say, 'What were those high-speed swimsuits after all?' Then, I'll say, 'Give me a break. Now you know the power of human beings,'" he told the Nikkan Sports daily.

Source http://www.supersport.com/aquatics/international-news/news/110721/Frog_king_Kitajima_leaps_injury_hurdle

Nintendo Japan constructing new $184 Million office building

News publication Nikkan has reported that Nintendo Japan will be investing 16 Billion Yen (roughly $184.4 Million AUD) into a new research and development facility located in Kyoto with their main office. Expected to be a massive 40,582 square meters in size, the new office is being built on a golf course which Nintendo has now bought out.

There will be six floors along with a basement level making the building 41 metres in height. There will be a meeting room located on the first floor with a cafeteria at the top so staff can take in the beautiful view on their lunch breaks.

Currently Nintendo has their research and development team scattered around Kyoto in various offices and buildings, this new office will allow the entire team to work under the one roof and thus improve the overall efficiency, productivity and communication. The new building will house up to 1,500 employees with construction to begin in January next year, Nintendo hopes to have the structure up and running by the end of 2013.


Source http://www.aussie-nintendo.com/news/nintendo-japan-building-new-184-million-office

Toshiba jumps on report chosen by Apple for small LCDs, Sharp

Shares of Toshiba Corp jumped 4 percent on Wednesday after a newspaper report that Apple Inc would invest in its production of small smartphone-use displays, dropping Sharp from the running for that business in Japan.

Shares of Sharp tumbled as much as 2.7 percent on the Nikkan Kogyo report but regaining ground after Sharp issued a statement saying the article was inaccurate and demanding the newspaper withdraw it. Nikkan Kogyo declined to comment.

Nikkan Kogyo said Apple had been in negotiations with both Toshiba and Sharp about investing 100 billion yen ($1.2 billion) each in production lines for small LCD displays to be used in an upcoming version of its popular iPhone.

Apple decided to focus its investments in Japan in one company and chose Toshiba, the newspaper said.

The decision, which follows Japan's March 11 earthquake and tsunami, reflects Apple's desire to diversify its risk of having too much investment in one country, the newspaper said.

Source http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/136204/20110419/toshiba-jumps-on-report-chosen-by-apple-for-small-lcds-sharp.htm