Ive got a 2007 metallic silver scorpio crde…
im upgrading from the stock jk tyre elanzos 235/70 R 16
to Bf Goodrich T/A 235/70 R 16…with white lettering..
ive already got the tyres..and im just waiting for the right alloy wheel to install them…
Since i want warranty for the alloys, that narrows the players down to NEO, since Aura shut shop…
I know that there are many good imported brands…
but ive been advised to opt for the warranted alloys..
so ive Shortlisted down to Neo’s Punch Chrome plated Alloy wheels…
all i need to do is confirm my order and it will be delivered…
sumhow im just not finding the full package hunky dory!!!!
Whats your take on this …
Any advice guys????? plz
The last time we heard about Rockstar and Team Bondi’s L.A. Noire was back in Q3 of last year, and back then, they described it as “going splendidly”. Thankfully, we’re set to hear something more concrete than
Scott Lee Cohen’s ex-girlfriend issued a scathing statement Saturday night, saying she “does not believe Cohen is fit to hold any public office, including that of lieutenant governor.”
Amanda Eneman issued the statement through well-known L.A. attorney Gloria Allred.
Allred spoke by phone with Fox Chicago News. She said Eneman’s assessment is based on “personal observations” from the year she lived with Cohen.
Eneman has accused Cohen of attacking her and holding a knife to her throat.
Those charges were dropped when she failed to show up for court.
Cohen met Eneman at a North Suburban massage parlor. She was later convicted of prostitution related to that business.
Allred has a history of high profile clients, including, most recently, one of Tiger Woods alleged mistresses.
CHICAGO — A man who prosecutors say was driving in a drug-fueled haze pleaded not guilty Friday to striking and killing a 48-year-old Rogers Park woman and severely injuring her son in late December.
Ralph Eubanks of the 1400 block of North Sedgwick was indicted Jan. 19 on one count each of first-degree murder, aggravated DUI and leaving the scene of an accident, Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin said.
He pleaded not guilty Friday and a status hearing was scheduled for March 15, Conklin said.
Eubanks is accused in the Dec. 21 crash that killed Maria Worthon.
Just a minute after officers stopped him for driving without headlights, Eubanks slammed into Worthon with his green Pontiac Grand Prix, throwing her in the air and causing her to land 100 feet from the accident at the 7000 block of N. Greenview, Assistant State’s Attorney Sara Grgurovic said during the bond hearing.
Worthon’s 6-year-old son, Jeremiah, lay in the street bleeding from his head and mouth as Eubanks, who has never had a valid driver’s license, allegedly drove off.
Jeremiah was originally hospitalized with spinal injuries, swelling of the brain, brain contusions, skull fractures, a right tibia fracture and facial fractures, Grgurovic said.
Traces of ecstasy, cannabis and a cocaine metabolite were discovered in Eubanks’ system following his arrest, Grgurovic said.
There was no alcohol in his blood.
Eubanks, a convicted felon, continued eluding police after the accident, authorities said.
When officers tried to stop him at the 6400 block of N. Newgard, he put his Grand Prix in reverse, striking parked cars, Grgurovic said.
Eubanks was caught when his car broke down and he tried to run away, Grgurovic said.
Eubanks has three prior convictions for driving on a revoked or suspended license, and has also been convicted of unlawful use of a weapon, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance.
Published Feb. 6, 2010 By Sara Schilling, Tri-City Herald
Several events are planned in the next few weeks for Black History Month — everything from a soul food celebration to a panel discussion featuring former U.S. Secretary of Energy Hazel O’Leary. Here’s a look at what’s in store:
— The Franklin County Historical Museum will have a Black History Month-themed exhibit on display throughout the month. Museum hours are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. Admission is free. The museum is at 305 N. Fourth Ave., Pasco.
— A breast cancer awareness event featuring Andrea Ivory is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday on the HUB main stage at Columbia Basin College in Pasco. Ivory is a breast cancer survivor who started the Florida Breast Health Initiative. She’ll speak at the event, which also will include performances by Curtis Nettles and Alexandra Adams. A reception will follow.
— A Soul Food Celebration is planned from noon to 5 p.m. Feb. 20 at Virgie Robinson Elementary School in Pasco. An authentic soul food dinner will be served. There also will be speakers, music and educational material. The event is being put on by The Juneteenth Community Council. The school is at 125 S. Wehe St.
— A celebration of the life William R. Wiley and the contributions of other black scientists runs from 3 to 6 p.m. Feb. 25 at Battelle Auditorium in Richland. The event will include a panel discussion featuring O’Leary, who was energy secretary from 1993-97, and Battelle scientists Wayne Martin and Novella Bridges. The Herald’s publisher, Rufus Friday, will moderate the panel. RSVP by Thursday to [email protected].
— A music and dance event will begin at 6 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Gjerde Center at CBC. The event will include performances by The Dance Class and Adams. Information about autism will also be available. A reception will follow.
Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.
In a surprise to some democrats, Mayor Richard Daley today said he would not join the call for controversial Lieutenant Governor Nominee Scott Lee Cohen to step down.
Daley called the whole Cohen situation a “constitutional dilemma,” but said neither he, nor any newspaper, nor anyone in Illinois could ask Cohen to resign just because they “don’t like him anymore.”
Daley said the people made their choice when Cohen won the nomination in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.
The mayor would not commit to saying Cohen should remain on the November ballot, but called it a very complicated issue.
Daley says he’d prefer a system where candidates for governor and lieutenant governor ran as a single ticket, much like candidates for President and Vice President do.
Launched in 2000, the BMW X5 has been a pretty strong seller for the German automaker. For 2011, BMW says that innovative news design elements and powertrain upgrades resulted in over 4,000 new parts created by BMW designers and engineers.
Design wise, the 2011 X5 gets some inspiration from the new BMW X5 M with larger intakes, short front and rear body overhangs. On the front, BMW added a distinct contoured hood, a large BMW kidney grille and dual round headlights. The new rear apron and dual exhaust pipes also add an aggressive touch to the 2011 X5.
The most important changes, however, are under the hood. Starting with the 2011 X5 xDrive35i, BMW dropped its twin-turbo 3.0L N54 (as it did with all 2011 models) and replaced it with the new N55 3.0L single twin-scroll turbocharger inline 6-cylinder. The engine is good for 300-hp, allowing a 0-60 mph sprint in 6.4 seconds when mated to the new 8-speed automatic transmission. The new 2011 X5 xDrive50i replaces the outgoing X5 xDrive48i, but is powered by the same 4.4L twin-turbo V8 making 400-hp and 450 lb-ft of torque. Also mated to the new 8-speed automatic, 0-60 mph comes in at 5.3 seconds. The 2011 BMW X5 xDrive35d goes into 2011 unchanged still making 265-hp with a huge torque output of 425 lb-ft. While providing a quite zippy 0-60 mph run in 6.9 seconds, the X5 xDrive35d manages to return an EPA estimated 19/26 mpg (city/highway). All 2011 BMW X5 models benefit from BMW’s Brake Energy Regeneration, which saves 1-2 percent fuel-consumption overtime.
For the 2011 model year, BMW has made the X5 xDrive35i available in two additional trim levels including Premium and Sports Activity. Prices for the base 2011 BMW X5 xDrive35i start at $46,675 while the Premium X5 xDrive35i and the Sports Activity X5 xDdrive35i will run you $52,475 and $54,975 respectively. The 2011 X5 xDrive50i will start at $59,275 including destination and handling charges and the diesel X5 xDrive35d will start at $52,175.
The 2011 BMW X5 will go on sale this later this spring after it debut at the 2010 New York Auto Show in April.
Hit the jump for the press release, high-res image gallery and the video.
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – February 6, 2010 6:00pm Eastern Time… This spring, BMW will write the latest chapter in the story of the world’s first Sports Activity Vehicle®, the BMW X5. Originally launched for the 2000 model year in late 1999, the BMW X5 permanently changed the automotive landscape. It proved that the driving dynamics, responsiveness, and linear control signature to every BMW could be compatible with utility, versatility, and other-roads capability. For 2011, the BMW X5 models are enhanced with new powertrains and updated design. The new BMW X5 will make its North American debut at the New York International Auto Show in April, and will go on sale at authorized BMW Centers shortly thereafter.
Innovative new design elements and powertrains are the result of over 4,000 new parts created by BMW designers and engineers for the 2011 BMW X5. Two of the X5’s powertrains will be all-new for 2011, creating the new X5 xDrive50i and X5 xDrive35i, in addition to the familiar BMW Advanced Diesel X5 xDrive35d. All models receive a design update that enhances the brilliant focus and aesthetic appearance of the X5 brand.
Fresh Design. Well-Balanced Proportions.
The body design of the 2011 BMW X5 is characterized by well-balanced proportions that accentuate the vehicle’s powerful presence and agility. A long wheelbase, short front and rear body overhangs, and large light-alloy wheels provide a visual balance between the front and rear of the vehicle. Square-shaped, carefully flared wheel arches hint at the X5’s all-wheel drive traction and other-roads capability. The body lines sweep upwards from the front and rear wheels, communicating BMW’s near-perfect 50-50 front-rear weight distribution which is so essential to the X5’s legendary driving dynamic.
The sides of the X5 are elegantly stretched though the strong horizontal lines of each side. The surface of the hood flows seamlessly into the waiseline, while the prominent, gently inclined contour line at the door handle level extends from the front wheel arches to the rear of the vehicle. These character lines symbolize power, stability, and presence.
With its distinctively contoured hood, large BMW kidney grille and dual round headlights, the new BMW X5 boasts an expressive front end that symbolizes power and presence. The newest interpretation of the X5’s look is led by the redesign of the front fascia and position of the standard foglamps. Due to an increase in the number of elements painted body color, the front end gives the impression of being lower. At the same time, the increased size of both the central and outer air intakes hint at the boosted engine output. The black trim at the bottom edge of the body is now considerably narrower. A matte-finished silver protection plate extends across the entire width of the central air intake, emphasizing the muscular features of the SAV, and accentuates the new X5’s character.
The dual round Xenon Adaptive headlights and foglamps are now situated higher and closer to the kidney grille. The X5’s new headlight fixtures emphasize high quality and sporting intentions. BMW’s signature corona rings serve as position lights and daytime driving lights.
The newly conceived rear apron matches the graphic structure of the front end, while the intricately designed surrounds of the dual exhaust pipes are painted in body color to underline the X5’s premium character. In the center, a matte-finished silver protection element emphasizes strength and durability suitable for other-roads use.
Above the rear bumper, the rear of the new X5 is divided by parallel horizontal lines. The result is an accentuation of the width, highlighting the vehicle’s athletic capabilities. The L-shaped taillight fixtures, each with two LED light banks, create the BMW-signature nighttime appearance of the rear end.
A choice of new body colors provides further visual enhancements. The metallic colors Deep Sea Blue, Platinum Grey, and Sparkling Bronze are now available for the BMW X5. Inside, the available Nevada Leather can be chosen in stunning new Oyster or Cinnamon Brown colors in addition to the familiar Sand Beige, and Black, and matte Satin Silver interior trim strips are added if the owner does not select from the available Brushed Aluminum, Dark Bamboo, Light Poplar, or Burl Walnut wood trims.
X5 xDrive50i: BMW’s Twin-Turbocharged V-8.
The new BMW X5 xDrive50i takes its place as the flagship of the X5 family, yielding 400 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 450 lb-ft of torque at 1,750 – 4,500 rpm from its twin-turbocharged 4.4 liter V-8 engine. Introduced in the BMW X6 in Spring of 2008, this all-aluminum V-8 features High Precision direct fuel injection, “reverse-flow” architecture for revolutionary responsiveness and packaging, and BMW’ s VANOS variable valve timing technology. Together, these features create what may be the perfect balance between high fuel efficiency, low emissions, and the dominant, dynamic performance expected of a BMW V-8. The 0-60 mph sprint is accomplished in 5.3 seconds (preliminary). EPA fuel efficiency figures for the X5 xDrive50i will be available closer to the on sale date. The
X5 xDrive50i starts at $59,275 including Destination & Handling.
As part of the V-8 engine’s reverse-flow architecture, the twin turbochargers are situated in the valley of the engine’s “V” and exhale separately into two catalytic converters which are located on top of the engine and exit aftward into the large stainless-steel exhaust system via downpipes on either side of the new 8-speed automatic transmission. The exhaust streams remain separated until they meet in the large muffler at the rear of the vehicle and exit through two large, trapezoidal exhaust tips.
X5 xDrive35i: BMW’s Turbocharged Inline-6 with Valvetronic.
BMW’s new X5 xDrive 35i receives a brand new inline-6 gasoline engine, internally dubbed “N55.” The new engine features the same 3.0-liter displacement and 300 horsepower output of its predecessor (the “N54”), but features a single twin-scroll turbocharger in place of the previous twin, low-mass turbocharger units. Furthermore, the new inline-6 of the X5 xDrive35i is the first BMW inline-6 to combine BMW’s revolutionary Valvetronic throttle-less intake technology, High Precision direct fuel injection, and turbocharging. The result of combining this new inline-6 with the new 8-speed automatic is an X5 with incredibly spontaneous responsiveness, exceptional power, and remarkable efficiency. The new X5 xDrive35i will perform the 0-60mph sprint in 6.4 seconds, coincidentally on the same pace as the outgoing V-8 powered
X5 xDrive48i. EPA figures will be available closer to the on sale date.
For the 2011 model year, BMW has made the X5 xDrive35i available in two additional trim levels: “Premium” and “Sports Activity.”
The essential X5 xDrive35i has an MSRP of $46,675 including Destination & Handling, and includes a popular profile of standard equipment often specified by X5 customers, including BMW’s Xenon Adaptive headlights, Rain Sensor with automatic headlight control, HD Radio, automatic climate control, foglights, 18” light alloy wheels, cruise control, and anti-theft alarm system. A Convenience Package is optional and adds the large panoramic moonroof, auto-dimming mirrors, Dark Burl Walnut, Bamboo, or Light Poplar wood interior trim, BMW Ambiance Lighting, and BMW Assist with Bluetooth. Stand alone options include rear side window shades, Navigation system with Real Time Traffic Information and Voice Command, satellite radio with 1-year subscription, and an iPod / USB adapter interface.
The X5 xDrive35i Premium has an MSRP of $52,475 including Destination & Handling and includes a boosted profile of standard equipment, such as 19” light alloy wheels, roof rails and panoramic moonroof, power adjustable steering column, iPod / USB adapter interface, and privacy glass. Best of all, it includes standard Nevada Leather. In addition, buyers of the Premium model may choose up to four packages, including the Active Ventilated Seat Package, Convenience Package, Cold Weather Package, and Technology Package. Each package includes a raft of focused features that enhance comfort and convenience, allowing buyers to better customize the X5 to personal taste. Third Row seating, which enables the X5 to accommodate up to 7 passengers, also becomes available on this model.
The X5 xDrive35i Sport Activity has an MSRP of $54,975 including Destination & Handling and includes even more standard equipment than the Premium model, such as 20” light alloy wheels, sport seats, Shadowline exterior trim, and Anthracite headliner. In addition to the packages available on the Premium model, customers may add the popular M Sport Package to the X5 xDrive35i Sport Activity model. The M Sport Package includes 20” wheels with performance tires, the Adaptive Drive system, aluminum roof rails, M door sill plates, M driver footrest, M steering wheel, M aerodynamic enhancements, and increased top speed limiter (150 mph).
New 8-speed Automatic Transmission with Steptronic.
On both new gasoline models of the X5, sending the newfound power to the standard xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive system is BMW’s new 8-speed automatic transmission with Steptronic control. The new 8-speed transmission is standard in the X5 xDrive50i and X5 xDrive35i, and raises the industry standard for compactness, efficiency, and gear selection. The new transmission weighs no more than its 6-speed predecessor, yet offers closer ratios in the lower gears for improved acceleration and two additional “tall” gears for relaxed, efficient cruising. BMW’s 8-speed automatic was introduced on the 5 Series Gran Turismo and 760Li Sedan in the fall of 2009.
Using the console-mounted e-shifter, the X5 driver chooses from three shifting programs: Drive, Drive Sport, and Manual. In Manual mode, the driver selects from the eight forward gear ratios via the + / – action of the shifter (push forward to downshift; pull back to upshift). At any speed, Neutral is easily selected via a forward push of the selector from Drive and, when at a standstill, Park is selected by depressing the “P” button atop the shifter, or by pushing the Engine Start-Stop button (doing so will also stop the engine).
BMW’s Brake Energy Regeneration system is also fitted to the gasoline X5 models. It incorporates a special deep-cycle Glass Mat battery with programmed alternator disengagement so that, most of the time, the vehicle’s battery is only charged while the vehicle is coasting or braking. Over time, the Brake Energy Regeneration system can save 1-2% on fuel consumption. Brake Energy Regeneration is another feature in BMW’s EfficientDynamics portfolio of small features and adjustments which have a cumulative effect on the efficiency-performance balance of each BMW vehicle.
X5 xDrive35d: Maintaining the Benchmark with BMW Advanced Diesel Technology.
The BMW Advanced Diesel X5 xDrive35d was introduced to the United States as a 2009 model, and despite increased competition remains the fastest, most fuel efficient diesel-powered vehicle in its class. The huge torque output of 425 lb-ft. at 1750-2250 rpm speaks for itself; X5 xDrive35d drivers will marvel at this engine’s robust response at low to medium speeds. The peak power output of 265 hp also makes an impact, as does the resulting 0-60-mph time of 6.9 seconds. It returns EPA mileage estimates of 19 mpg city and 26 highway.
For the 2011 model, BMW has made no changes to the award-winning BMW Advanced Diesel powertrain, but rather has focused efforts to ensure the X5 xDrive35d benefits from the latest design updates to the X5 family. Despite the enhancements for the new model year, MSRP for this model remains $52,175 including Destination & Handling.
BMW Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance optimizes emission management by incorporating an oxidation catalyst placed close to the engine, a diesel particulate filter housed in the same unit, and an SCR catalyst with urea injection. Apart from filtering out even the smallest particles from the flow of exhaust gases, this combination ensures effective reduction of nitric oxides (NOX) by way of a chemical reaction within the exhaust system initiated by the injection of a small dose of urea referred to as Diesel Exhaust Fluid. Into the exhaust stream. The ammonia (NH3) generated in this process within the SCR catalyst subsequently converts the nitric oxides (NO and, respectively, NO2) in the exhaust gas into environmentally compatible nitrogen (N2) and water vapor (H2O).
BMW has developed a two-tank system for DEF ensuring convenient use of this new technology with all the benefits and ease required by the customer: The amount of DEF required in each case is drawn from the active tank comprising approximately 1.6 gallons by means of a dosage pump. And since the urea solution would freeze at a temperature of 12.2o F (−11oC), this active tank, as well as the dosage pipes are heated.
Police found a woman’s body in Starved Rock State Park Saturday morning while searching the area for a person missing since Jan. 30.
Seventy-three people from 11 agencies began the search Saturday after police received information that the missing person was possibly in the area of the state park, according to a release from Sgt. Robert Frazier from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police.
The woman’s body was found on a trail below Eagle Cliff and was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:35 a.m., the release said.
Starved Rock State Park is located approximately 95 miles southwest of Chicago, near the town of La Salle, Ill., maps show.
The body has not been identified, and it is unknown at this time if the woman is the same missing person police had been searching for, Frazier said Saturday afternoon.
An autopsy will be conducted early next week, the release said.
DNR Conservation Police, Illinois State Police Crime Scene Services, and the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office are investigating, according to the release.
CHICAGO — A Chicago nursing home where mentally ill patients were found wandering off without permission, fighting with other patients and suffering verbal abuse lost a court fight Friday to remain in the Medicaid program.
With all but two of its more than 300 patients receiving Medicaid benefits, it appeared that a cutoff of the program at the Somerset Place nursing home for mentally troubled patients could close the institution.
U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow Jr. turned down a request from Somerset for a temporary restraining order barring the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from terminating the institution’s Medicaid certificate.
Dow said in his 11-page order that “it is hardly clear that it is in the patients’ best interest to remain at Somerset.”
“The secretary (of Health and Human Services) has determined that remaining at Somerset is not in the residents’ best interest,” Dow said.
Dow said Somerset had been treated fairly by federal officials.
The termination order is due to go into effect Sunday. After that, Somerset has 30 days to close down or find some other way to regain its Medicaid status.
Its lawsuit against the government remains in place and is assigned to U.S. District Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan.
He was away from the courthouse on Friday and Dow presided at the hearing in the role of emergency judge.
There was a last-minute inspection of the home Friday by officials of the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) that, had it turned out favorably for Somerset, could have allowed it to stay in the Medicaid program.
But the nursing home issued a statement afterward that suggested the outcome of the inspection was disappointing.
“We are not surprised but we are disappointed in CMS’s decision, which potentially could shut down the only home many of our residents know,” Somerset said in its statement.
“Somerset is more than a residential treatment center. It is a community. We intend to work with CMS to resolve their concerns so that our residents are not subjected to unnecessary upheaval in their lives.”
Recent government inspections showed serious conditions at the nursing home, according to court papers filed by the government.
They said residents with mental illnesses and alcohol problems had been allowed to leave without anyone checking to see if they had permission.
One resident started a fire in his room with prohibited smoking materials. Another was found smoking crack cocaine and other residents reported that he had been selling drugs within the nursing home.
There were “multiple instances of resident altercations in which one resident assaulted another or two residents fought each other,” the court papers said.
A resident with a history of “violence, homicidal ideation and extensive aggressive behavior” hit, slapped and bit others.
A resident with convictions for armed robbery, aggravated battery and attempted murder hit one resident and pushed two others in an elevator.
Some guards were verbally abusive to residents, the documents said.
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An email today from Mybarrackobama.com asked me to write a letter to my local paper and post the link below on Facebook. The email said: "An alarming new study shows that health care costs increased last year at the fastest rate in more than a half century. Health care spending rose to an estimated $2.5 trillion in 2009, or $8,047 per person — and is now projected to nearly double by 2019. If we don’t act, this growing burden will mean more lost jobs, more families pushed into bankruptcy, and more crushing debt for our nation. The conclusion is clear: This isn’t a problem we can kick down the road for another decade — or even another year. We need to pass health reform now."
Readers will note an initial lie (act of omission) that although this was an html email there was no link provided to that "alarming new study." Don’t want you folks being influenced by facts or informed about the source of the ‘study’. The second lie, discovered on actually finding the study, was that most of that additional health care spending was by the government. It was being spent on people in government health plans like Medicaid and Medicare. The government spending had been heavily influenced by government policies to spend more. It had also been influenced by the first wave of baby boomers transitioning to Medicare. read more »
ST. CHARLES — A suburban man who was injured after the gas pedal of his rented Toyota Corolla stuck and caused a crash is suing both Toyota and Hertz.
Ed Izenstark, of west suburban St. Charles, claims in a lawsuit filed Friday in Cook County Circuit Court that he was “seriously injured” after the stuck gas pedal left him unable to stop at an intersection, resulting in a crash with a third party.
His passenger in the Corolla was also injured in the crash, which occurred Dec. 26, 2009, at the intersection of 7th Street and West Main Street in St. Charles, according to the suit.
The suit seeks judgment against Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., for negligence and strict liability, alleging that the carmaker “carelessly and negligently designed, manufactured and sold” the Corolla, which the suit calls “entirely unfit for duty and unsafe for use.”
The suit also alleges Toyota is liable for “failing to discover that the vehicle at issue was dangerously defective, improperly designed and manufactured, [and] inadequately tested and inspected.”
The New Jersey-based Hertz Corporation, which claims on its Web site to be the “largest general use car rental brand in the world” was also named as a defendant in the suit.
The lawsuit seeks judgment against Hertz for negligence, alleging that it made the vehicle available for rent “knowing, or in a situation where it should have known, of problems with the Corolla at issue or the Toyota recall or future, intended recall.”
A Toyota spokeswoman told the Sun-Times Monday that 5.6 million Toyotas have been affected by two recent recalls: 2.3 million for the sticky accelerator pedal, 2.1 million for both the pedal and for improperly placed floor mats which also caused gas pedals to jam, and the rest solely for the floor mats.
The three-count suit seeks more than $150,000 in damages, in addition to costs of the suit.
2011 BMW X5 – Click above for high-res image gallery
The original BMW X5 marked Bimmer’s first entry into the then-burgeoning SUV segment, and it remains a strong seller for the company, trailing only the 3 and 5 Series. The time has now rolled around for the X5’s mid-cycle refresh, which brings two new gas engines and some mild visual updates. The lower front fascia has been reshaped with the larger outboard air intakes inspired by the X5 M. Similarly, the rear bumper is re-sculpted and both ends get more of their bodywork painted the car’s main color instead of black.
The more important changes are underhood, however, where both gasoline engines have been replaced. The base engine for the xDrive35i is now the same single turbo, 300-horsepower N55 3.0-liter inline-six finding its way into most other 2011 BMWs. Similarly, the xDrive50i gets the sweet 400-horse twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 found in the X6, 7 and 5 Series Gran Turismo. Both gas engines are paired with the new eight-speed automatic also making its way to other BMW models. The gas versions also adopt brake energy regeneration to reduce parasitic losses.
The diesel-powered xDrive35d, which only debuted just a year ago but is already accounting for about one-third of X5 sales, carries over its powertrain unchanged for 2011.
Official EPA numbers for the gas X5s won’t be available until closer to their on-sale date, which follows shortly after the X5 makes its public debut at the New York Auto Show in April.
COOK COUNTY — A Cook County woman filed a lawsuit Friday seeking $50,000 from her husband, who she claims gave her herpes.
The unnamed plaintiff claims that she never suffered from herpes prior to her relationship with the man, whom she married in 1997, but tested positive for the virus in May 2009.
The unnamed man, who denied having herpes until May 2009, “knew, or should have known, that he was infected with herpes,” and had a duty to either notify his wife or abstain from sexual activity, according to the suit filed in Cook County Circuit Court.
The suit alleges that the defendant engaged in “unprotected intimate relations” with his wife knowing he had the virus but “failed to take precautionary measure” to avoid infecting her.
The two-count suit seeks judgment against the man for negligence and willful and wanton conduct.
By IPS Correspondent ADDIS ABABA, Feb 6 (IPS) Ethiopia is building a 240-metre high dam on the Omo River that is intended to end the country's electricity shortage and supply power to neighbouring countries. Not everyone's happy.
The Gilgel Gibe III dam will hold back 14.7 million cubic metres of water. Its 1,870 MW generating capacity will be a significant boost for the Ethiopian Electric Power Company (EEPCO) which has plans to extend electricity supply within the country and export power to other countries in East Africa.
A 1.7 billion dollar contract to build the dam has been awarded to Italian multinational Salini Costruttori SPA. But the project's critics have assembled a damning dossier of problems with it.
Two environmental organisations, Friends of Lake Turkana and International Rivers, are challenging the ecological soundness of the project. They say it threatens biodiversity in the Omo River and Lake Turkana which it feeds. The basin has large populations of Nile crocodiles, hippopotamus, and over 40 different species of fish.
IR and FoLT say changes in the river's flow will also put the livelihoods of up to 200,000 people who depend on the lake for fishing, herding and irrigation at risk.
The groups have raised questions over the quality of the environmental and social impact studies completed for the project.
Gilgel Gibe III's opponents also point out that the contract to build the dam was not awarded through a competitive international tender; it was negotiated directly with Salini, in violation of Ethiopia's procurement guidelines.
Procurement
EEPCO argues that both Ethiopian and international procurement guidelines allowed Gibe III's contract to be reached without a tender process due to its size and huge financial requirements. EEPCO CEO Miheret Debebe says the project's opponents are using false allegations to try to stop the project.
However Ken Ohashi, World Bank country director for Ethiopia and Sudan, confirmed that the omission of a competitive tender means the Bank cannot loan the Ethiopian government money for the project. This does not rule out World Bank involvement entirely.
"In a situation like this, there is a possibility for us, in line with our guidelines, to help mobilise financing from the private market to finance the project by providing a guarantee to those interested in financing it," Ohashi told IPS.
"If decided, we will provide guarantee against certain types of risk of non-repayment to commercial financiers – basically 'political' rather than 'commercial' risk of repayment," he said.
Construction on Gibe III is already more than a third complete, but more money will be needed. The Ethiopian government's task of addressing concerns – environmental, social, technical and financial – in order to secure a World Bank credit guarantee has now been complicated by problems facing an earlier phase of the massive hydroelectric project.
A cautionary tale
Barely two weeks after it was formally opened on Jan. 14, the Gilgel Gibe II hydroelectric power station suffered a collapse in its main tunnel, forcing closure of the new facility while it is repaired.
Gibe II, also built by Salini, has – or had – a generating capacity of 420MW; it relied on water released from the Gilgel Gibe I dam channeled through a 26 kilometre tunnel into the Omo River valley. The terms for this project too were negotiated between the Ethiopian government and Salini without competitive bidding.
According to Italian World Bank watchdog group Campagna per la Riforma per la Banca Mondiale (CRBM), the 490 million euro contract for Gibe II (today equivalent to 670 million dollars) violated Italian and Ethiopian regulations. Italy's Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGCS) nonetheless approved the largest single aid credit it had ever granted.
This was against the advice of both Italy's finance ministry and DGCS's own internal evaluation unit. Reviewing that advice, CRBM lists the flaws: a no-bid contract, an inadequate feasibility study, the absence of funds for environmental mitigation, and an unrealistic projection for servicing the loan.
The European Investment Bank also loaned the project 50 million euros ($69 million at today's exchange rate); according to the CRBM accepting Ethiopia's argument that it faced an emergency electrical shortage in lieu of more complete preparation and procedure.
Construction ran into severe difficulties as the tunneling engineers encountered unexpected mud, sand and aquifers; the project was finally completed two years behind schedule, with the Ethiopian government – and taxpayers – picking up the cost overrun as the contract held Salini liable for any delays due to engineering failures, while these problems were due to an inadequate geological survey.
Returning to Gibe III
In 2009, a group of eight academics and consultants collaborating as the Africa Resources Working Group (ARWG) published a sharp critique of the studies done for Gibe III. The ARWG says that contrary to the findings of the environmental and social impact assessments provided by Salini and EEPCO, the downstream impacts of the dam will likely be devastating.
They predict radical reduction of water flowing into Lake Turkana; the loss of cultivation of seasonally-flooded land in the Omo River delta, and of riverine forest and woodland the length of the river, damaging biodiversity and livelihoods.
"Altogether, more than 200,000 indigenous peoples of the lowermost Omo Basin are dependent on riverside and delta recessional cultivation… This population would face massive economic losses, with widespread severe hunger, disease and loss of life occurring on a regional scale, if the Gibe III dam is completed."
The authors reject the official studies' claims that lake water levels are already dropping due to evaporation from uncontrolled flooding, or that using the dam to deliberately increase water flow in the river during the dry season will alleviate drought.
Instead, they explain their view that extensive leakage through fissures in the walls of the eventual reservoir behind the dam, as well as the planned abstraction of water for new commercial agriculture and industrial development just downstream will see water levels in Lake Turkana fall by as much as 10 metres. The ARWG also expresses concern that clay rich soil around the dam could become prone to landslides as it fills up – and to top it off: the dam site is on an active earthquake fault line.
"An accurate assessment of environmental and social processes within the lower Omo Basin indicates that completion of the Gibe III dam would produce a broad range of negative effects, some of which would be catastrophic in the tri-country region where Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya intersect."
As the World Bank's review board meets on Mar. 5th, it will have much to consider. At stake is the life of a river, the fate of 200,000 people along its banks, and the commitments to transparent and effective aid made by governments and multilateral institutions alike.
Schaumburg police are looking for two men who allegedly held a woman at gunpoint Friday and forced her to drive to an ATM to make a withdrawal.
About 3 a.m., a 53-year-old woman of Houston, TX had just parked her vehicle and was walking to a relative’s house in the 1900 block of Evening Song Court in Schaumburg, when two masked men approached her displaying a handgun, according to a release from Schaumburg Police.
The suspects took her purse and then forced her back into her vehicle, the release said.
They drove the victim to a nearby bank and made her withdraw money with her ATM card, the release said.
The suspects then drove around before finally abandoning the vehicle and releasing the victim along Barrington Road in Hoffman Estates.
The victim was not sexually assaulted but the suspects did strike her during the incident, the release said.
The victim was taken to St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates with non life-threatening injuries, the release said.
Both suspects are white males who wore dark clothing and full black face masks over their heads during the incident.
One suspect is described as 5-foot-9 and heavy set. the second suspect is described as 6-foot with a thin build, according to the release.
Anyone with information is asked to call Schaumburg Police Department Criminal Investigations Bureau at (847) 882-3534.
2011 Chevrolet Volt – Click above for high-res image gallery
Up until now, General Motors has remained deliberately vague in public about the scheduled Job 1 date for Chevrolet Volt production. Given the complexity and new technology involved in the program, the automaker’s reluctance is understandable. After all when you don’t know what the future holds or what problems will crop up, you don’t want to put a misleading date out there, years in advance.
Internal schedules, on the other hand, are something else altogether. Every program needs to have deadlines so that people know how much time and resources to allot for a given task. Those internal gantt charts have undoubtedly had the magic Volt Job 1 date on them for several years. Among the stakeholders that need to when a vehicle will launch are the dealers that have to schedule orders for inventory. Around about this time of year, automakers usually brief dealers on when the current model year vehicles will end production and new ones will start.
With less than ten months to go, GM has set November 1, 2010 as the Chevrolet Volt Job 1 date on the production start list for dealers. By September, dealerships will need to start giving GM an indication of how many Volts they want to order so that the head office can determine allocations. Interestingly, the GM chart indicates that dealers won’t know their allocations until two weeks after production starts, and won’t be able to start placing orders until then. Typically, those last two items happen about two months before production starts. The timing for the Volt production kickoff is still far enough out that those dates may yet change in the months to come.
A final item of interest is that the Cruze, which was originally slated to launch in April and subsequently pushed back to September, is listed as TBD.
NAPERVILLE — A middle school student was arrested Friday for allegedly bringing a knife to school in west suburban Naperville.
Crone Middle School staff, along with the school resource officer, were notified that a student had brought a knife to the school at 4020 111th St. on Friday, according to a Naperville police release.
The student was found and taken into custody without incident.
The student was processed at the police department and later released to the custody of a parent. Due to the student’s age, his age and name are being withheld, the release said.
No students or staff were threatened or harmed during the investigation.
The big premiere for Subaru at next month’s Geneva Motor Show will be the new Impreza VX. The all-wheel-drive specialist hasn’t yet provided any images of the car, but judging from the description in the press release, it sounds as if this Europe-only model is pretty much the Outback Sport we get here.
A unique grille, wheel arches and roof rails visually set the VX apart from standard Imprezas. Propulsion comes via a choice of 2.0-liter boxer-fours, fueled by either gasoline or diesel. The Impreza VX goes on sale in Europe this summer.
Joining the Impreza VX on the stand will be the Hybrid Tourer Concept that we first saw at Tokyo last fall, as well as the plug-in Stella. The press release is after the jump.
Dr Rajendra Pachauri embraces Jairam Ramesh, India’s environment minister, at a meeting in New Delhi Photo: MANISH SWARUP/AP
The British Government has been pouring millions of pounds into ‘climate-related’ projects all over the world.
In all the coverage lately given to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and its embattled chairman, Dr Rajendra Pachauri, one rather important part of the story has largely been missed. This is the way in which, in its obsession with climate change, different branches of the UK Government have in recent years been pouring hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money into a bewildering array of “climate-related” projects, often throwing a veil of mystery over how much is being paid, to whom and why.
To begin with a small example. Everyone has now heard of “Glaciergate”, the inclusion in the IPCC’s 2007 report of a wild claim it was recently forced to disown, that by 2035 all Himalayan glaciers will have melted. In 2001 the Department for International Development (DfID) spent £315,277 commissioning a team of British scientists to investigate this prediction. After co-opting its Indian originator, Dr Syed Hasnain, they reported in 2004 that his claim was just a scare story. Some glaciers were retreating, others were not. There was no way they could disappear in a time-span shorter than many centuries.
Three years later, however, when the IPCC produced its 2007 report, it endorsed Dr Hasnain’s claim without any mention of the careful UK-funded study which had shown it to be false. What made this particularly shocking was that in 2008 another British ministry, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced that it had paid £1,436,000 to fund all the support needed to run the same IPCC working group which, as we now know from a senior IPCC author, had included the bogus claim in its report.
