NY Worker Accused of Stealing Artifacts

A long-time state archivist was accused on Monday of stealing hundreds of historic artifacts and documents from the New York State Library, including two Davy Crockett Almanacs, and selling some on eBay.

Daniel Lorello, 54, an archives and records management specialist in the state Education Department since 1979, was arraigned Monday on charges of grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and scheme to defraud.

He was released on his own recognizance and placed on administrative leave from his $71,732-a-year job with the department, which runs the state library. Lorello made no comment as he left court and a message left on his answering …

City Has To Grab The Opportunities Now

Richard Davis, senior relationship manager of Lloyds TSB,Plymouth, addresses the state of the city at the end of 2002 PLYMOUTHis a city whose time has come but only if we grab the opportunitiesnow available to us.

Lets get the bad news out of the way first. It's been reallydisappointing to see such quality employers in the manufacturingsector such as Stafford Miller, Acheson Colloids and Paper Convertingdeciding to close their Plymouth operations while others are slimmingdown.

Although the news that a medical company from Surrey is relocatingto the old JDS Uniphase building creating some 100 jobs is verywelcome, realistically there are unlikely to be as many …

"Lenten gifts"

The writer, from Winnipeg, dedicates this poem to Doreen Snyder of Waterloo, Ontario, who died on the first Sunday of Lent, March 1. Leona said she was working on the last part of the poem when she heard of Doreen's death. "I will miss sharing grandmothering with her," commented Leona, whose son is married to Doreen's daughter.

I

except for three wise men bringing gifts of gold myrrh and frankincense (strange gifts for an infant child) he tended to be the giver not the receiver

always, people pressing and pushing and shoving around him with outstretched hands reaching and touching and wanting so much: bread and fish and water turned into wine and healing and wisdom …

EU pushes for bloc-wide kidnap alert

A European Union official called on justice ministers of the 27 member nations Tuesday to agree on plans for a bloc-wide early warning system to report missing children.

Under the EU alert network plan drafted last year, based on the U.S. "Amber Alert" system, policing authorities would work to make their national networks more compatible to improve cross-border searches.

Police and justice officials could use a hot line system to raise a public alarm when a child is believed to have been taken to another country in the bloc. Television, radio and highway signs can be used to announce names or show pictures of missing children.

The only …

Verizon says iPhone challenger goes on sale Nov. 6

Verizon Wireless will start selling its answer to the iPhone _ the Droid _ for $200 next week as the company taps into the growing appetite for smart phones that go far beyond making calls.

The Droid could help Verizon retain its status as the nation's largest wireless carrier and contribute to a turnaround of its manufacturer, Motorola Inc., which hasn't produced a hit since the wildly popular Razr phone in 2005.

The new device also could give a boost to Google Inc., which used the Droid to unveil new mapping software that could challenge standalone navigational devices, sending GPS gadget maker Garmin Ltd.'s stock plunging.

Verizon revealed …

Overhauled Indians remain optimistic

The Cleveland Indians have undergone a huge turnover in the lasttwo years.

That might be good or it might be bad, depending on whether thenew faces and personalities mesh.

"If your premise is to try to have a championship-caliber clubevery year, you'd like to have some stability," general manager JohnHart said. "It's important. I like it. But I can't demand that theplayers all stay here."Manager Mike Hargrove said comparing the 1996 team, withdeparted stars Albert Belle and Kenny Lofton, to the 1997 team is"like comparing apples and oranges. The personality of this team isdefinitely a lot better than last year's."This one is a much more media-friendly team. …

Latest developments in Arab world's unrest

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SYRIA

Syria sends troop reinforcements to two Damascus suburbs that have witnessed anti-government protests as authorities round up dozens in the capital. Activists expect protests to escalate during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins next week. The moves by security forces appear to be an attempt to prevent wide-scale demonstrations when Muslims being the month of fasting from dawn to dusk.

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LIBYA

The part of Libya under Moammar Gadhafi's control is wracked by shortages in fuel, food and cash despite a veneer of normalcy, according to a U.N. fact-finding mission. The United Nations says its weeklong mission to the country identified a lack …