Shoplift suspects ram deputy’s vehicleTwo suspects on the run after allegedly committing a strong-armed robbery and attempted theft at one Winter Haven, Florida, Walmart were caught by Winter Haven police officers and Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) deputies Tuesday.
 According to PCSO reports, 17-year-old Kyra Ploof, of Apopka, and 21-year-old Jamal White, of Orlando, were arrested and face numerous charges, including allegations of retail theft and battery, and battery at another Walmart store. The agency received a call before 3 p.m. Tuesday from the Walmart located at 7450 Cypress Gardens Blvd. in reference to two suspects who were caught shoplifting by the loss prevention team.The Sheriff’s Office reported that according to Walmart personnel, White and Ploof tried to steal hoverboards, but were caught by anti-theft devices. After this, they allegedly then went to the electronics section, taking four streaming video devices. To conceal the stolen goods, reports say they perused the sporting goods section for a backpack.
When they tried to leave the store via the garden center, loss prevention personnel and four managers attempted to confront them. Ploof ran out to the parking lot, according to deputies, and White shoved one manager in the chest and struck another one.Ploof brought a grey Nissan Altima around and allegedly yelled to White, who ran to the car and got in, according to reports. A PCSO patrol deputy spotted the vehicle leaving the parking lot. Reports say the deputy tried to stop the car, but instead, the vehicle fled, causing a crash on U.S. 27 in the intersection, striking two other vehicles.
 No injuries were reported in this accident, according to the Sheriff’s Office.- Sponsor – The suspects allegedly did not stop and continued to flee, making a U-turn on U.S. 27. The PCSO said the duo then headed westbound on Cypress Gardens Boulevard, “purposely hitting the deputy’s patrol car,” according to the Sheriff’s Office release. The deputy pursued the vehicle and stopped the car with a PIT maneuver. Both suspects were taken into custody without further incident, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
   [Source: The Ledger]Fraudster from old job steals from new jobAn Idaho Falls woman convicted of forgery has now pleaded guilty to larceny after she stole over $2,000 from her employer. Sierra Paige Snarr, 23, admitted to her supervisors that she stole money from Wells Fargo on 17th Street and Holmes Avenue on Dec. 1, 2016, according to court documents obtained by EastIdahoNews.com.Snarr was confronted with the fact that her cash drawer had significant sums of money missing since she started working at the bank in October 2016. Snarr told police she would take the money directly from the cash drawer and replace it with money from stolen cash deposits. She said she would take money deposited by The Dollar Tree because they made more than one deposit a day and it would make it more difficult for her to be detected.Wells Fargo terminated Snarr and bank managers told police they lost at least $2,500 as of result of Snarr’s criminal activity. According to court records, Snarr was convicted in April 2017 for forgery after committing credit card fraud at The Roadway Inn, her previous employer. She is also facing a burglary charge for an incident in February 2017.   [Source: East Idaho News]Retail recovery continues momentumThe “retail renaissance” continued its momentum this Thanksgiving Weekend, according to a new report from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) which found that an estimated 151 million people visited a mall or shopping center over the weekend. As consumers hunt for the best deals of the season, ICSC’s Thanksgiving Weekend Consumer Survey found that physical retail remains the hub of holiday shopping.ICSC found that 49 percent of shoppers spent more than in 2017, and 30 percent spent the same as last year. Gift-buying claimed the largest share of this spending, with shoppers spending an average of $227.70 on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. The shopping is not expected to stop on Black Friday, as adults surveyed planned to spend $189.90 on the Saturday and Sunday after the big day.“Black Friday kicked the holiday shopping season into high gear, driven by positive consumer sentiment and great deals from retailers,” said Tom McGee, President and CEO of the International Council of Shopping Centers. “More shoppers visited their local mall or shopping center this year than last year, proving again that this holiday season is going to be strong and that consumers want to spend money on gifts for family and friends.”Omnichannel retailers, those with a physical and online presence, were overwhelmingly the preferred destination for holiday shoppers, capturing 88 percent of spending on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, demonstrating once again that having multiple options for consumers to take advantage of is a winning strategy.   [Source: BusinessWire]One jewelry store robber caught; one got awayState Police have made an arrest and had been searching for a second suspect in a jewelry store robbery. Police say as many as four suspects in two vehicles may have been involved in the heist. It all started around 9 p.m. Monday at the Jared jewelry store in Millcreek, Michigan. Police say two men used hammers to smash multiple glass cases and made off with a large amount of jewelry in excess of $200,000.Witnesses gave police a description of the getaway car – a red van stolen out of Detroit – seen speeding away. A few minutes later, State Police started a chase along I-90. It ended when the suspects crashed the mini-van along the interstate near East Springfield; no other cars were involved. Both people inside jumped out of the van.Police arrested one suspect, who has since been identified as Roderick D. Brown, 19, of Detroit. The other robber took off into the woods. Brown admitted to police that he and another man were responsible for the crime as he was taken to the hospital to be checked out for injuries from the crash, according to the criminal complaint.   [Source: Erie News Now]Shoplifter bites LP associateA Tallahassee woman is facing multiple charges for biting a loss prevention associate and stealing more than $1,000 worth of merchandise from a local Belk store. Taylor Cullifer, 26, was arrested by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office on Monday. When officers arrived on scene, they talked with the loss prevention associate (LPA), who identified Cullifer as the suspect.The LPA showed deputies video surveillance of Cullifer putting several items in her purse, and the video surveillance also showed Cullifer taking hangers off of the items and placing the items in her purse. When the LPA asked Cullifer to come with him into custody, she began to resist and bit his hand as he was trying to arrest her. He told deputies that she had to be carried to the loss prevention office and was “kicking, biting, and resisting.”According to police documents, Cullifer’s purses contained several items of clothing and two watches that had not been paid for, totaling more than $1,000.  Earlier that day, Cullifer was issued a trespass warning by LCSO from the entire Tallahassee mall property, which included Belk’s.   [Source: WTXL27 News]LP associate pepper-sprayedA Wilmington, Delaware, woman was charged with assault and robbery on Wednesday, after police say she pepper-sprayed a loss prevention associate (LPA) who saw her put merchandise in her bag. Sharnagia Watson, 23, was at the Christiana Mall Macy’s department store with another woman around 5:40 p.m., Master Cpl. Michael Austin of Delaware State Police said.She tried to hide merchandise in a bag and leave the store without paying, but an LPA noticed. When the LP associate confronted Watson, she sprayed him with pepper spray, Austin said. He still managed to hold Watson until Christiana Mall police arrived, but the woman she was at the store with ran away. Watson was arrested and charged with second-degree robbery, second-degree assault, third-degree conspiracy, and shoplifting. She was released on an $11,000 unsecured bond.   [Source: Delaware Online] Stay UpdatedGet critical information for loss prevention professionals, security and retail management delivered right to your inbox.  Sign up now read more

(Missourinet) A proposed constitutional amendment requiring that Missouri’s conservation sales tax be renewed by voters every six years will be heard by a House committee in Jefferson City on Monday evening.State Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on February 28, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel of House Communications)The House Conservation and Natural Resources Committee will hear testimony Monday at 7 from State Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, who’s the bill sponsor.Committee chairman State Rep. Tim Remole, R-Excello, tells Missourinet he expects a standing-room only audience on Monday evening. Moon is also expecting a big turnout, telling Missourinet a group called the “Missouri Hunting and Working Dog Alliance” plans to support the bill Monday.Under Representative Moon’s measure, which is House joint resolution 18, Missourians would cast ballots on the measure in November 2020.The conservation sales tax was first approved by Missouri voters in November 1976, and it hasn’t been voted on since.Moon’s proposed constitutional amendment, upon voter approval, would require the conservation sales tax to be approved by voters in 2020 and every six years thereafter.Former State Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown, filed similar legislation in 2018. That bill died.The conservation sales tax is a separate tax from the one-tenth-of-one percent parks, soil and water sales tax that was created through a constitutional amendment. That tax was first approved by Missouri voters in 1984, and was earmarked specifically for the state park system and efforts to stop soil erosion.Missouri voters have re-approved it four times: in 1988, 1996, 2006 and in 2016. read more

It may sound like a bird-brained idea, but scientists have trained pigeons to spot cancer in images of biopsied tissue. Individually, the avian analysts can’t quite match the accuracy of professional pathologists. But as a flock, they did as well as trained humans, according to a new study appearing this week in PLOS ONE.Cancer diagnosis often begins as a visual challenge: Does this lumpy spot in a mammogram image justify a biopsy? And do cells in biopsy slides look malignant or benign? Training doctors and medical technicians to tell the difference is expensive and time-consuming, and computers aren’t yet up to the task. To see whether a different type of trainee could do better, a team led by Richard Levenson, a pathologist and technologist at the University of California, Davis, and Edward Wasserman, a psychologist at the University of Iowa, in Iowa City, turned to pigeons.In spite of their limited intellect, the bobble-headed birds have certain advantages. They have excellent visual systems, similar to, if not better than, a human’s. They sense five different colors as opposed to our three, and they don’t “fill in” the gaps like we do when expected shapes are missing.Sign up for our daily newsletterGet more great content like this delivered right to you!Country *AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia, Plurinational State ofBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, The Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D’IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Republic ofIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinianPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRWANDASaint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweI also wish to receive emails from AAAS/Science and Science advertisers, including information on products, services and special offers which may include but are not limited to news, careers information & upcoming events.Required fields are included by an asterisk(*)However, training animals to do a sophisticated task is tricky. Animals can pick up on unintentional cues from their trainers and other humans that may help them correctly solve problems. For example, a famous 20th century horse named Clever Hans was purportedly able to do simple arithmetic, but was later shown to be observing the reactions of his human audience. And although animals can perform extremely well on tasks that are confined to limited circumstances, overtraining on one set of materials can lead to total inaccuracy when the same information is conveyed slightly differently.To avoid the Clever Hans effect, researchers had 16 pigeons do all their learning once per day in a box with a computer screen without humans visible. Previously diagnosed histopathology slides from biopsies of breast tissue appeared on a computer touchscreen along with a yellow and a blue button. If the birds correctly identified cancer, they were automatically rewarded by the computer with a food pellet. If they were wrong, they got nothing. The computer not only randomized the order of images from benign or malignant tissue, but also whether yellow or blue signified “cancer” for any particular bird, to make sure the color itself didn’t introduce bias. And to ensure they weren’t just memorizing the slides, the birds were challenged with images of the same tissue with different magnifications and color.Pigeons might not be ready to become certified pathologists, but a few birds in the lab might be worth a technician or two. The pigeons learned in only a matter of hours to do better than random at distinguishing cancerous from noncancerous cells. And over the course of just 1 month, their accuracy rose as high as 80% — good, but not as good as human experts. Far more impressive was the wisdom of the flock. By showing the same images to different birds and combining their guesses, the accuracy rose to 99%, on par with trained human experts and far more reliable than a computer doing automatic image analysis.The study is “solid and ambitious,” says Aldo Badano, a physicist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Silver Spring, Maryland. But he cautions that the birds are far from being useful for medicine. Just like humans, they were less accurate in diagnosing images that looked different because of changes in color and compression. And, just like humans, Badano says the pigeons might be susceptible to false-positive features. To test that, the birds must be trained on sets of images from benign tumors that appear to be malignant. He also points out that the birds probably can’t be trained to take the clinical context into account in their decisions, which humans do easily. “More research is needed,” he says.If the challenges can be overcome, will cancer diagnosis in the future involve giant server farms of birds pecking away at images? “I doubt it,” Levenson says. “I suspect that computers will get there first.” read more

Get away from the hustle bustle of daily life this month, and prepare to be pampered at the region’s best spas and wellness centres. From relaxing Swedish massages that soothe tired muscles to herbal oils trickling down your back at Ayurvedic centres, and from rigorous workouts to sessions on healing,Get away from the hustle bustle of daily life this month, and prepare to be pampered at the region’s best spas and wellness centres. From relaxing Swedish massages that soothe tired muscles to herbal oils trickling down your back at Ayurvedic centres, and from rigorous workouts to sessions on healing with music, Punjab’s wellness centres have varied options to keep your body and mind in good health.Hotel Cabbana Spa and AyurvedaThis spa offers a wide range of beauty treatments- and there’s also reflexology and shiatsu, which work on the body’s acupressure points to balance the body’s energy. Set in lush, sprawling 17 acre premises, the Cabbana Spa is the one-stop-shop in the state for a complete spa experience. With a selection of treatment rooms, friendly staff and a variety of options for massage therapies, Cabbana is bound to leave you spoilt for choice. The services offered here include a beauty salon, a health bar and an outdoor Jacuzzi for your postmassage relaxation needs.Highly skilled therapists and personal trainers offer bespoke therapies and health programmes. Choose from therapies like marma abhyanga, deep tissue sport massage and Indian head massage. While marma abhyanaga therapy stimulates the energy centres of the body with synchronised strokes; deep tissue massage is customised according to your needs and it promises to relax sore muscles and it is sepcially recommended for sportsmen. The bestseller, however, is the Indian head massage that improves blood circulation to hair follicles, which helps stimulate hair growth.We recommend: Indian head message and marma abhyanga.Expert touch: All therapists are trained in-house for a few months before they go onboard.Where: Phagwara-Jalandhar Highway, NH-1.Cost: Rs 5,500- 9,500.Tel: 01824 505060; hotelcabbana.comUSP: Experienced masseurs, beauty booster, energiser packages and health programmes.-Puja RainaadvertisementSpa at IstaA sense of peace fills the air as soon as you enter Ista. From the white uniforms of the staff to ample natural light and lots of greenery, everything at the Spa at Ista is perfect, making for a calm and tranquil environment. Spread across the first floor of the hotel, it offers a bouquet of Ayurvedic as well as international treatments apart from yoga and meditation sessions.Inspired and created by IHHR Hospitality Private Limited (the group behind the world renowned Ananda in the Himalayas), the Spa at Ista is recreating its magic in the bustling city of Amritsar. The gorgeously carved stone motifs make the space look extremely rich and beautiful as well. Before any treatment starts, the feet of the client are washed and then an aarti is performed. This is followed by mantra chanting by the masseurs. This ritual is believed to calm the senses. When at Ista, the Shirodhara treatment is a must try. Three litres of lukewarm ghee are poured in an even stream on your forehead, which is followed by steam and a hot shower. This helps you reach a blissful and meditative state. Other favourites here are aromatherapy and crystal therapy. Choose from invigorating, detoxifying or spice-blended oils, which are applied using lymphatic and pressure point massage techniques for aromatherapy. The crystal therapy works on your chakras (centres along the spine) to achieve equilibrium and balance.We recommend: Shirodhara, aromatherapy, facials and crystal therapy.Expert touch: All the masseurs are trained at The Ananda Spa Institute, Hyderabad.Where: Ista Hotel, GT Road Amritsar. Cost: Rs 1,500 onward.Tel: 0183 2708888; istahotels.comUSP: Treatments offered in a luxurious setting with the added draw of welltrained therapists.-Ekta MarwahaQuan SpaHead to Quan Spa if you’re looking for a customised spa treatment that can enhance both your wellness and beauty quotients. Located just three kilometres from the city centre, Quan Spa offers its guests an oasis of healing and rejuvenation. A Chinese word meaning “the source of pure water”, Quan draws on the restorative properties of water and natural products sourced from sea minerals.The stress starts melting away as soon as you step out of the elevator and walk into the aroma oils-infused spa section. One can either indulge in the specially-crafted Ayurvedic treatments like abhyanga, shirodhara and spice bundle or try out Oriental and European deep tissue massages. A unique concept here are the “Quan journeys” that use theraputic oils which provide relief to your sore muscles. Or you can also indulge in the ‘indoceane journey’, which is a three-step relaxation treatment. Another highlight is their mer and sens ritual, which helps you unwind with aroma therapy oil blends. If you’re interested in experiencing the effects of the ancient herbs and timeless treatments, then try the kumkumadi therapy.We recommend: Saffron facials and vichy shower.Expert touch: All therapists are trained in-house by experts from reputed spa academies.Where: JW Marriott, Sector35, Chandigarh. Cost: Rs 1,500 onwards.Tel: 0172 3955677; marriott.comUSP: The ‘Quan journeys’ that use theraputic oils to provide a body renewal experience.-Monita SharmaadvertisementStrands Salon and Spa Treatments take a whole new dimension when they are being administered at this fast growing spa chain in India. The biggest selling point here is the vast variety of treatments on offer.Strands, in association with L’oreal and Matrix, offers a vast number of skin, hair, spa and beauty treatments by trained experts from L’oreal, Matrix, Aroma Treasure, Krylon and H2O. Take your pick from 11 types of body massages apart from a variety of body scrubs and packs. Some of the more popular packages here include the Bali discovery tour (Balinese massages), Chocolate Spa and the Wine Spa. Be sure to try the volcanic earth clay, which is a refreshing body mask treatment. It is great for those with tanned skin and other common skin problems. Your body will be re-mineralised, detoxified and energised with the application of the clay mask.Their facials are also popular and can help resolve problems like pigmentation, ageing, and wrinkles. They also have specialised masseuses for acute cervical and back problems.We recommend: Virtual earth clay ritual.Expert touch: All therapists are diploma holders and trained from reputed spa academies.Where: SCO 421-22, Sector 35-C, Chandigarh. Tel 0172 4248006; SCO 233, Sector 20, Panchkula.Cost: Rs 1,000- 5,000.Tel: 0769 6707742; strands.inUSP: One of the few spas to have special masseuses for acute cervical and back problems.-Puja RainaCleopatra Day SpaWhat started as a hotel spa in 2003 has become a chain that spreads beyond the Tricity to Jalandhar, Mumbai and recently, Delhi. Cleopatra Day Spa, housed in Hotel Bella Vista wants to take the concept of spa to a new level.Done up in earthy colours with Buddha motifs all around, the music, ambience and mild aroma of lemongrass is instantly soothing. As you choose your spa treatment, the experts analyse your skin to tell you about your skin texture and the kind of products required to keep it healthy. Agarwal personally monitors the treatments and often gives a tip or two to suggest the right diet for you. The highlight here is the one-and-a-half hour body polish ritual that opens the pores and breathes life into your skin, giving it a perfect sheen. Brides-to-be can indulge at their outlet in Sector 44, Chandigarh which is a three floor Bridal Spa. The bangles hanging from the ceilings and colourful duppattas running from one end of the spa to the other set a creative wedding ambience.We recommend: Body polish ritual and facials.Expert touch: The staff is trained at Cleopatra’s academy in Jalandhar.Where: Hotel Bella Vista Sm-8, City Centre, Scetor 5, Panchkula.Cost: Rs 1,500 onward.Tel: 0172 506 4848; cleopatradayspa.comUSP: Personalised treatments followed by a skin mapping session and a dedicated Bridal Spa.-Ekta MarwahaadvertisementForest Spa, Kikar LodgeA two hour bone-cracking drive from Chandigarh takes you to a beautiful private forest reserve that makes the journey worth the effort. The Kikar Lodge, spread over 1,800 acres allows you to pamper yourself at the fully functional Ayurvedic spa that is being run in conjunction with Kairali. Be sure to try their hotseller, akhada malish-a traditional oil malish given by a masseur from a local akhada. No fancy and fragrant oils are used for this massage. In fact, pungent mustard oil is used because of its therapeutic properties. “The idea behind introducing this in the spa menu was to promote Punjabi culture,” says Amrinder Singh Chopra, CEO, The Kikar Lodge. After your massage, there is the steam room to look forward to; from here you can enjoy a panoramic view of the property through huge glass windows.We recommend: The akhada malish.Expert touch: The spa has two trained Ayurvedic practitioners from south India along with a traditional Punjabi malishwala.Where: Village Kangar, Nurpur Bedi District Ropar. Cost: Rs 300 to Rs 1,500.Tel: 01887 252218; thekikarlodge.comUSP: One of the best destination spas that offer soothing treatments amidst lush green forests.-Ekta MarwahaPuneet’s Dance and Fitness HubWhen you walk into Puneet’s Dance and Fitness Hub, you will find the usual dance or exercise forms missing. Don’t be surprised if you see a yoga class being conducted on hip hop beats. That’s Yogahop for you. Puneet Jewandah, the owner of the hub whose passion lies in dance aims to offer dance workouts that are designed to alleviate the tedium of exercise and combine fun tunes with common asanas. She herself experienced her first Yogahop class at Asia Fitness Convention 2010 in Bangkok. While Yogahop promises to heal muscles and increase your heart rate, this is not the only innovative workout that Puneet has in store for you. There’s bhangra aerobics too. The lively, foot-tapping rhythms of Punjabi folk find a place in her dance and fitness regimen.Quality is something Jewandah doesn’t compromise on. Therefore, she doesn’t enroll more than 15 students in each class. Hailing from an army background, Jewandah was among the few Indians who performed at the closing ceremony of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006.We recommend: Bhangra aerobics.Expert touch: Jewandah is a certified teacher and fitness expert from New York. The other instructors are trained by her.Where: 34C, Chandigarh; puneetshub.comCost: Rs 2,000 onward.USP: The only fitness centre to offer bhangra aerobics, Zumba, power yoga and Bollywood dancing.-Ekta MarwahaMoksha Himalaya SpaBefore the summer heat takes its toll on you, head out for a weekend of complete relaxation away from the dirt and grime of the city at the Moksha Himalaya Spa in Parwanoo, just an hour away from Chandigarh. The 62-suite wellness sanctuary is well equipped with yoga and meditation rooms where guests can practice under expert supervision.The main draw here though, is their luxurious spa. Set in the lush Shivalik valley, at the base of the Himalayas, this spa offers elaborate rituals that are a great way to detox your body as well as provide muscular relief and relaxation. Try the three-hour Moksha signature journey in which local garden herbs are used to massage your body, followed by a bath in tea blends and a deep tissue massage with hot herbal ball compress. Other highlights include outdoor heated infinity lap pools, infrared sauna, Ayurvedic treatments rooms, a trendy nail bar, hair salon, and Thai massage stations.We recommend: Moksha Signature Journey.Expert touch: Experienced therapists, all trained by renowned spa academies.Where: Moksha Himalaya Spa Resort, Parwanoo. Cost: Rs 5,000 onward.Tel: 086790 32340; mokshaspa.comUSP: A luxurious spa experience in a beautiful, private sanctuary of wellness in Shivalik valley.Burn GymBarely two years old, Burn Gym has revolutionised the concept of gymming in Punjab. Spread over 7,500 square feet, it is not just the largest gym in Panchkula but also the biggest in the Tricity.Brainchild of Pankaj Kasrija, the health and fitness club provides state-of-the-art gym and spa equipment for the region’s wellness enthusiasts. The selling point here is the idea that created a health club where all sorts of services could be availed of under one roof. With people working out to the tunes of Punjabi pop music, the energy levels inside the gym are quite high. From yoga and pilates to kick boxing and abs workouts- you name it and you can get it here. What’s unique is their concept of Burn Olympics- a holiday package or spa voucher given to the person who loses the maximum weight.The gym has more than 12 trainers who are always ready to assist you. A nutritionist is there to suggest the appropriate diet chart for you. For those who want to snack on titbits while working out can feast on protein shakes and low-calorie sandwiches at Abdiets cafe, a tiny health cart, right outside the gym area.We recommend: The personal training sessions, which chart a holistic wellness plan.Expert touch: All certified health trainers are hired by the gym. Their spa boasts of 12 fully trained masseurs.Where: Sector 11, Panchkula.Cost: Annual membership is priced between Rs16,000-Rs 23,000.Tel: 09780612000; burngym.inUSP: One of the few gyms with a health cafe that offers protein shakes and low-cal dishes.-Ekta MarwahaHeadmastersThis spa is proof that true luxury isn’t always damaging to your wallet. Spread over a whopping 20,000 square feet across four levels, Headmasters is one of Asia’s largest salon-cum-spas. With simple but chic interiors and plenty of natural light, the ambience soothes you instantly.From the plethora of massages offered, Cloud 9 is particularly recommended. A 60 minute full body massage followed by fifteen minutes on the hot floating water bed, it surely sets your worries floating away. Follow this with a steam and hot shower, and you are rejuvenated for the day.And while you pamper yourself in their most luxurious rooms, your children can spend time at a special salon created for them. They can either go for a cool haircut, attend a story telling session or hang out in the play area with seats designed as rockets and fighter planes.We recommend: Cloud 9 therapy.Expert touch: Each therapist is trained in-house.At: Sector 8 C, Madhya Marg, Chandigarh. Cost: Rs 1,500-15,000.Tel: 9988880327.USP: Free organic juices, tea and coffee and other refreshing drinks at the juice bar in the spa.-Ekta MarwahaSeven Seas Spa “The Seven Seas spa” brings together, Ayurveda, Oriental therapies, mineral exquisites from the dead sea and various western spa therapies. The spa follows the traditional massage therapies and is completely a no-machine zone.Their in-house experts are friendly and helpful; they recommend treatments and give post massage consultation as well. Before undergoing any spa treatment, the customer undergoes a clinical check-up, where their medical history is examined and the most suitable treatment is recommended. In addition to the spa, they also have a well-equipped Oxygym. The elaborate set-up here offers several fitness facilities-a multispeciality gym, a poolside spa, an aqua pool plus a variety of other services ensuring that there is something for everyone. Well-equipped with the latest fitness equipments, Oxygym offers all kinds of cardio and advanced weight training facilities under expert supervision.We recommend: Shirodhara.Expert touch: All therapists are diploma or degree holders and also undergo in-house training.Where: Hotel Mountview, Sector 10, Chandigarh. Cost: Oxygym Membership for Rs 32,000; Treatments for Rs 1,000 onward.Tel: 0172 4670640-41.USP: Green surroundings; a spa and a swimming pool along with the gym provide an edge.-Monita Sharma read more

RaftingThough the rafting industry is booming in Uttarakhand and Rishikesh is the rafting capital of India, professionals are finding it hard to hone their skills due to the lack of certificate courses.Bringing hope, some international agencies have evinced interest to train youths. Currently, in the absence of proper courses in rafting, many youths opt for a mountaineering course from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM).Acting as a provider of guides to the industry is Sirasu village. It is now known as the village of guides, has 50 youths working as river guides.The village recently added another feather in its cap by giving India its first certified instructor from the America-based Rescue 3 International Institute. Bhupendra Rana (32) recently returned to Rishikesh after completing the course from the California-based institute.Speaking about his training, Rana said: “The monthlong course in the US was extensive and focused on air, ground and water rescue. Now, I will conduct a course on River Rescue Certificate in the Alak-By Raju Gusain in Dehradun nanda from February 3-5.””Due to lack of knowledge, river guides here fail to act properly in crises. I will share my knowledge with fellow guides to improve their technique,” he added.The state government has long been planning to set up an adventure sports institute in Tehri to impart training on rescue operations and crises management but there is little idea about when the plan will materialise. President of the Indian Association of Professional Rafting Outfitters (IAPRO) Kiran Bhatt Todaria said, ” We have been constantly urging the government to set up an institute.”advertisement read more

At a press conference Tuesday in Wichita Falls, Texas, House Armed Services Chairman Mac Thornberry (R) said he agreed with the Trump administration’s decision not to request a round of base closures as part of its fiscal 2019 budget proposal, reported the Times Record News. He and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis agree DOD hasn’t made a successful case for a new round. “But I’ll say we will always look for ways to help the military be more efficient and get more value for the taxpayer dollars,” Thornberry said. … The Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex at Robins AFB will gain 400 jobs by 2021 as it takes on depot maintenance for C-130 transport aircraft flown by the Navy and Marine Corps that now is performed at the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill AFB, Utah. The new activity will begin moving to Middle Georgia in June as the Ogden center makes room for a growing workload on F-35 fighter jets, reports the Macon Telegraph. … The Texas Military Value Revolving Loan Fund would be a more valuable source of funding for defense communities if the process for approving applications were quicker, Juan Antonio Flores, executive vice president of government affairs for the Port of San Antonio, testified at hearing the state House of Representatives’ Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee held in Abilene last week. A municipality can wait up to six months after applying to receiving a loan, Flores said. A proposal to speed up the process came up during the last legislative session but did not advance, reported the Abilene Reporter-News.Air Force photo by Jamal Sutter Dan Cohen AUTHOR read more

The High Court on Wednesday granted conditional bail to three BASIC Bank officials, including its deputy managing director Fazlus Sobhan, in a number of cases filed over loan scam.Fazlus Sobhan was granted bail in four cases while BASIC Bank’s Gulshan branch manager Shiper Ahmed and another bank official Mohammad Selim got bail in two cases.A HC bench of justice Enayetur Rahim and justice Shahidul Karim granted the bail.As per bail conditions, the three bank officials will have to surrender their passports to the court and cannot go abroad without court’s permission.In September 2015, the ACC filed 54 cases against 56 people, including the bank officials.According to an inquiry of Bangladesh Bank, about Tk 45 billion was swindled out of the BASIC Bank during the six years’ tenure of Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachhu as its chairman. read more

Melanie Townsend Diggs (left), manager of the Enoch Pratt Library Pennsylvania Avenue Branch, with Carla D. Hayden, CEO Enoch Pratt Free Library. (AFRO/Photo by Kamau High)When the riots began in Baltimore on April 27 following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody, Melanie Townsend Diggs, manager of the Enoch Pratt Library branch at the epicenter of events at Pennsylvania and North avenues, was working in the library. As the crowds began to form outside there were about 20 people in the library.“My memory goes back to the young people who were here that evening. I told them, ‘Stay together. Don’t go in that direction of everything that is going on. Go around. If you have to take the long way home, take it today,’” she said.Diggs made her comments as part of a ceremony at the library on June 1 announcing the recipients of 23 grants from the United Way of Central Maryland. The Enoch Pratt Library Pennsylvania Avenue Branch will get $25,000 to expand their summer programming for children as well as provide food for those children.Other organizations receiving funds include the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, the Center for Urban Families and Camp Farthest Out.One of those organizations is Fusion Partnerships’ Power Inside Community Trauma Initiative. Jacqueline Robarge, its director, said their grant would be used to counsel members of the community.“When folks have been harmed they have symptoms of distress. There are social conditions that can cause this such as poverty, racism, violence or even hearing about violence. We give people a safe space to talk about it,” she said. “You can’t expect people to go out and look for a job if they’re depressed or frightened.”The full list of grant recipients from the United Way of Central Maryland is:Beloved Community Services Corporation, $25,000 to support and expand their Male Mentoring Program at Union Baptist ChurchBig Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Chesapeake, $25,000 to support mentoring matches for youth in at-risk communities in Baltimore CityBon Secours Community Works, $25,000 to expand services for youth and young adults, including summer employment, parent trainings, and re-entry programming for young ex-offendersCamp Farthest Out, $25,000 to support Camp Empowerment 2015 summer programming for youth ages 6-12Camp Farthest Out, $23,000 to support the Booker T. Washington Middle School for the Arts’ summer arts and literacy programming for middle school studentsCenter for Urban Families, $25,000 to support their Workforce Development, Baltimore Community Healing & Civic Engagement Pilot programChild First Authority, $21,000 to support summer academic and cultural enrichment programming for students at John E. Howard Elementary SchoolComprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc., $6,000 to support emergency transportation needs of residents living in the affected neighborhoodsDruid Heights Community Development Corporation, $20,000 to support youth empowerment programming at the Druid Heights Community CenterEnoch Pratt Free Library, $25,000 to expand summer programming for children at the Pennsylvania Avenue BranchFlight 1 Carriers, $25,000 to support their weekly distributions of fresh produce and meats, personal care products, and housing supplies to seniors in zip codes 21215, 21216 and 21217Fusion Partnerships’ Power Inside Community Trauma Initiative, $20,000 to expand their existing trauma interventions in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhoodGirl Scouts of Central Maryland, $25,000 to support summer enrichment programming for middle school girls from communities impacted by the recent civil unrest in Baltimore CityGoodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, $25,000 to support job and resource fair events in West Baltimore designed to connect with the residents of zip codes 21215, 21216 and 21217Job Opportunities Task Force, $25,000 to support their Project JumpStart Program, a job-training program for Baltimore residents with a high school diploma or GEDMaryland Food Bank, $10,000 to support their food relief efforts in zip codes 21215, 21216 and 21217Maryland New Directions, $25,000 to support their Youth Job Readiness Program for individuals under 25 years of ageMiddle Grades Partnership, $23,000 to support summer programming for middle school students from Mt. Royal Elementary/Middle SchoolParks & People Foundation, $25,000 to support youth programmingReading Partners, $23,000 to support their one-on-one literacy tutoring program expansion into Matthew A. Henson Elementary SchoolThe Salvation Army of Central Maryland, $10,000 to support their FeedMore Mobile Feeding Program that provides hot, healthy meals, as well as toiletries, to the affected areas of Baltimore CityYMCA of Central Maryland, $25,000 to support the Druid Hill Summer Enrichment Program for children and youth ages 5-13YouthWorks, $30,000 to support the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Employment Development youth summer jobs program read more