Thursday, December 23, 2004
nbc30.com
What Happened When?
A Timeline Of Events Invovling John Rowland
May 24, 1957: John G. Rowland is born in Waterbury, Conn.
1975: Rowland graduates from Waterbury's Holy Cross High School.
1979: Rowland earns his bachelor's degree from Villanova University to become an insurance agent.
1980: At age 23, Rowland is elected to the Connecticut State Legislature.
1984: Rowland elected to the United States House of Representatives. He will serve three terms representing the Fifth Congressional District.
1990: Rowland makes unsuccessful run for governor of Connecticut.
January 1995: Rowland first takes governor's office at age 37. He will be re-elected in 1998 and 2002.
1997: Improvement projects begin on the Rowland's Bantam Lake cottage.
November 2002: Rowland defeats Democrat Bill Curry to win historic third term as governor.
June 2003: Rowland agrees to pay the State Ethics Commission nearly $9,000 to settle a complaint that he took discounted vacations at homes of a developer who did business with the state.
Dec. 2: Rowland insists that he alone paid for improvements on his house at Bantam Lake.
Dec. 12: Governor releases statement admitting for first time that some political supporters and friends helped pay for some renovations to his lakeside cottage. Says none of the people received benefit from his office or the state in exchange for their assistance.
Dec. 17: Rowland asks for forgiveness during speech at Middlesex Chamber of Commerce meeting. Wife recites parody of "Twas The Night Before Christmas."
Dec. 21: The Hartford Courant newspaper calls for Rowland’s resignation.
Jan. 6: Rowland receives federal subpoena for all documents relating to improvements at Litchfield cottage, personal investments, tax returns and all gifts.
Jan. 7: Rowland delivers apology during address delivered on television, radio. Senate President Kevin Sullivan says results of Quinnipiac University poll convince him that Rowland needs to step down.
Jan. 8: House Democrats caucus to discuss options, including impeachment. Federal agents receive governor's DMV records for transaction involving two cars, boat. Two Republican senators call for governor’s resignation.
Jan. 9: Rowland's status changes from "witness" to "subject" in federal probe.
Jan. 10: Republican Rep. Rob Simmons becomes first member of Connecticut's delegation to call on Rowland to resign, saying the governor had lost his "moral authority" to lead.
Jan. 11: Republicans in the state Senate announce they unanimously support forming a House committee to investigate whether the governor committed criminal or ethical wrongdoing in accepting gifts from politically connected friends and contractors.
Jan. 12: Six Republican lawmakers calls for Rowland's resignation. Rep. Christopher Shays, a Republican, announces that he was prepared to forgive Rowland for lying about accepting gifts from employees and a state contractor, but said it's time for him to step down.
Jan. 13: House Speaker Moira Lyons will form a committee to investigate whether Gov. John Rowland should be impeached.
Jan. 21: Quinnipiac University poll shows 68 percent of those asked believe Rowland should resign. Figure increased from 56 percent in a similar poll released two weeks earlier.
Jan. 22: House Speaker Moira Lyons and House Minority Leader Robert Ward name 10 members of the Committee of Inquiry, which will be charged with looking into the conduct of Gov. John Rowland.
Jan. 28: Federal investigators issue subpoena seeking nine years of state records relating to a wealthy friend of Rowland, Robert Matthews. Matthews has received millions of dollars in state-backed loans for manufacturing companies he owns in both New Haven and Naugatuck.
Jan. 30: Committee of Inquiry meets for first time.
Feb. 3: Federal investigators subpoena documents related to work done on the Governor's Residence. The documents are subpoenaed from the Department of Public Works, the agency that oversees the residence on Prospect Avenue at Hartford's boundary with West Hartford.
Feb. 4: Federal investigators announce that Connecticut's first lady, Patricia Rowland, has received a subpoena from federal authorities investigating alleged corruption in her husband's administration.
Feb. 8: Patty Rowland, Rowland's wife, receives a subpoena from federal authorities.
Feb. 13: The state Ethics Commission approves a reworked advisory opinion that clarifies what gifts public officials may receive and when they can be received. On the same day, a Rowland judicial nominee and former Rowland attorney testifies he had agreed to a deferred payment of the governor's legal fees.
Feb. 18: The governor's office announces it has received another federal subpoena requesting everything from Rowland's phone records to documents relating to Enron Corp.
Feb. 23: The Committee of Inquiry's chief investigator quits, less than one week after accepting the position. Bart Schwartz said he stepped down to avoid the perception of a conflict of interest. Schwartz's former law firm represents the Tomasso Group.
March 1: Lawyers representing Gov. John Rowland try to make the case that impeachment should only be pursued for clear indications of criminal wrongdoing. The argument is among several points made in a 26-page brief submitted to the Committee of Inquiry.
March 5: The attorney for the House inquiry committee says proof of criminal wrongdoing is not necessary to impeach Gov. John Rowland.
March 17: An antiques dealer who bought a condominium from Gov. John G. Rowland at above-market rates enters into a plea agreement and is cooperating in the federal corruption investigation into Rowland's administration.
April 8: A Superior Court judge dismisses challenges to subpoenas that have been issued by the legislative committee investigating Gov. John G. Rowland.
April 15: Mary Ann Hanley, Gov. John Rowland's former legal counsel, spends nearly two hours behind closed doors, answering questions for the legislative committee investigating the governor. Hanley provides the Committee of Inquiry's first deposition.
April 19: The state Freedom of Information Commission clears the way for the governor's attorneys to get copies of documents provided by a contractor cooperating in the federal corruption probe. One the same day, the Committee of Inquiry announces plans to take several people and entities to court, including the governor's former financial partner, in an effort to compel reluctant witnesses to respond to subpoenas.
April 30: The committee considering whether to seek the impeachment of Gov. John G. Rowland asks its lawyers to draft an article of impeachment. The decision was prompted when a lawyer for Rowland refused to testify before the House Select Committee of Inquiry, which has been trying to obtain the personal financial records of the governor and his wife.
May 4: House Speaker Moira Lyons gives the committee until June 30 to make a recommendation on impeachment.
May 18: Jo McKenzie, a close family friend of Gov. John Rowland who overseas the governor's residence, appears for a closed-door deposition with the committee that could recommend the governor's impeachment. Panel members also announce that they want the governor to testify June 7.
May 27: Gov. John G. Rowland files a lawsuit asking a court to block an order that he testify before a legislative committee considering his impeachment. A subsequent Quinnipiac University poll shows 88 percent of voters want Rowland to speak to the committee.
June 7: A Superior Court judge rules that Gov. John G. Rowland can testify before a legislative impeachment panel, setting the stage for a precedent-setting state Supreme Court battle.
June 8: The committee investigating Rowland opens hearings to determine whether he should be impeached for accepting gifts from friends, employees and state contractors.
June 18: The state Supreme Court rules that Rowland can be compelled to testify at impeachment hearings.
June 21: Rowland announces his resignation, effective July 1.
July 1, 2004: Gov. John G. Rowland resigns from office.
Sept. 23: Federal prosecutors announce a 15-count indictment accusing Rowland's former co-chief of staff Peter N. Ellef, his son Peter N. Ellef II and contractor William Tomasso of operating a corrupt criminal organization out of the governor's office from 1997 to 2003. Prosecutors also targeted two Tomasso companies, Tomasso Brothers Inc. and Tunxis Management, and the younger Ellef's landscaping business, LF Design LLC. Rowland was not charged in the indictment.
Dec. 23: Rowland arrives in U.S. District Court, where a source said he would plead guilty to criminal charges.
Copyright 2004 by NBC30.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
What Happened When?
A Timeline Of Events Invovling John Rowland
May 24, 1957: John G. Rowland is born in Waterbury, Conn.
1975: Rowland graduates from Waterbury's Holy Cross High School.
1979: Rowland earns his bachelor's degree from Villanova University to become an insurance agent.
1980: At age 23, Rowland is elected to the Connecticut State Legislature.
1984: Rowland elected to the United States House of Representatives. He will serve three terms representing the Fifth Congressional District.
1990: Rowland makes unsuccessful run for governor of Connecticut.
January 1995: Rowland first takes governor's office at age 37. He will be re-elected in 1998 and 2002.
1997: Improvement projects begin on the Rowland's Bantam Lake cottage.
November 2002: Rowland defeats Democrat Bill Curry to win historic third term as governor.
June 2003: Rowland agrees to pay the State Ethics Commission nearly $9,000 to settle a complaint that he took discounted vacations at homes of a developer who did business with the state.
Dec. 2: Rowland insists that he alone paid for improvements on his house at Bantam Lake.
Dec. 12: Governor releases statement admitting for first time that some political supporters and friends helped pay for some renovations to his lakeside cottage. Says none of the people received benefit from his office or the state in exchange for their assistance.
Dec. 17: Rowland asks for forgiveness during speech at Middlesex Chamber of Commerce meeting. Wife recites parody of "Twas The Night Before Christmas."
Dec. 21: The Hartford Courant newspaper calls for Rowland’s resignation.
Jan. 6: Rowland receives federal subpoena for all documents relating to improvements at Litchfield cottage, personal investments, tax returns and all gifts.
Jan. 7: Rowland delivers apology during address delivered on television, radio. Senate President Kevin Sullivan says results of Quinnipiac University poll convince him that Rowland needs to step down.
Jan. 8: House Democrats caucus to discuss options, including impeachment. Federal agents receive governor's DMV records for transaction involving two cars, boat. Two Republican senators call for governor’s resignation.
Jan. 9: Rowland's status changes from "witness" to "subject" in federal probe.
Jan. 10: Republican Rep. Rob Simmons becomes first member of Connecticut's delegation to call on Rowland to resign, saying the governor had lost his "moral authority" to lead.
Jan. 11: Republicans in the state Senate announce they unanimously support forming a House committee to investigate whether the governor committed criminal or ethical wrongdoing in accepting gifts from politically connected friends and contractors.
Jan. 12: Six Republican lawmakers calls for Rowland's resignation. Rep. Christopher Shays, a Republican, announces that he was prepared to forgive Rowland for lying about accepting gifts from employees and a state contractor, but said it's time for him to step down.
Jan. 13: House Speaker Moira Lyons will form a committee to investigate whether Gov. John Rowland should be impeached.
Jan. 21: Quinnipiac University poll shows 68 percent of those asked believe Rowland should resign. Figure increased from 56 percent in a similar poll released two weeks earlier.
Jan. 22: House Speaker Moira Lyons and House Minority Leader Robert Ward name 10 members of the Committee of Inquiry, which will be charged with looking into the conduct of Gov. John Rowland.
Jan. 28: Federal investigators issue subpoena seeking nine years of state records relating to a wealthy friend of Rowland, Robert Matthews. Matthews has received millions of dollars in state-backed loans for manufacturing companies he owns in both New Haven and Naugatuck.
Jan. 30: Committee of Inquiry meets for first time.
Feb. 3: Federal investigators subpoena documents related to work done on the Governor's Residence. The documents are subpoenaed from the Department of Public Works, the agency that oversees the residence on Prospect Avenue at Hartford's boundary with West Hartford.
Feb. 4: Federal investigators announce that Connecticut's first lady, Patricia Rowland, has received a subpoena from federal authorities investigating alleged corruption in her husband's administration.
Feb. 8: Patty Rowland, Rowland's wife, receives a subpoena from federal authorities.
Feb. 13: The state Ethics Commission approves a reworked advisory opinion that clarifies what gifts public officials may receive and when they can be received. On the same day, a Rowland judicial nominee and former Rowland attorney testifies he had agreed to a deferred payment of the governor's legal fees.
Feb. 18: The governor's office announces it has received another federal subpoena requesting everything from Rowland's phone records to documents relating to Enron Corp.
Feb. 23: The Committee of Inquiry's chief investigator quits, less than one week after accepting the position. Bart Schwartz said he stepped down to avoid the perception of a conflict of interest. Schwartz's former law firm represents the Tomasso Group.
March 1: Lawyers representing Gov. John Rowland try to make the case that impeachment should only be pursued for clear indications of criminal wrongdoing. The argument is among several points made in a 26-page brief submitted to the Committee of Inquiry.
March 5: The attorney for the House inquiry committee says proof of criminal wrongdoing is not necessary to impeach Gov. John Rowland.
March 17: An antiques dealer who bought a condominium from Gov. John G. Rowland at above-market rates enters into a plea agreement and is cooperating in the federal corruption investigation into Rowland's administration.
April 8: A Superior Court judge dismisses challenges to subpoenas that have been issued by the legislative committee investigating Gov. John G. Rowland.
April 15: Mary Ann Hanley, Gov. John Rowland's former legal counsel, spends nearly two hours behind closed doors, answering questions for the legislative committee investigating the governor. Hanley provides the Committee of Inquiry's first deposition.
April 19: The state Freedom of Information Commission clears the way for the governor's attorneys to get copies of documents provided by a contractor cooperating in the federal corruption probe. One the same day, the Committee of Inquiry announces plans to take several people and entities to court, including the governor's former financial partner, in an effort to compel reluctant witnesses to respond to subpoenas.
April 30: The committee considering whether to seek the impeachment of Gov. John G. Rowland asks its lawyers to draft an article of impeachment. The decision was prompted when a lawyer for Rowland refused to testify before the House Select Committee of Inquiry, which has been trying to obtain the personal financial records of the governor and his wife.
May 4: House Speaker Moira Lyons gives the committee until June 30 to make a recommendation on impeachment.
May 18: Jo McKenzie, a close family friend of Gov. John Rowland who overseas the governor's residence, appears for a closed-door deposition with the committee that could recommend the governor's impeachment. Panel members also announce that they want the governor to testify June 7.
May 27: Gov. John G. Rowland files a lawsuit asking a court to block an order that he testify before a legislative committee considering his impeachment. A subsequent Quinnipiac University poll shows 88 percent of voters want Rowland to speak to the committee.
June 7: A Superior Court judge rules that Gov. John G. Rowland can testify before a legislative impeachment panel, setting the stage for a precedent-setting state Supreme Court battle.
June 8: The committee investigating Rowland opens hearings to determine whether he should be impeached for accepting gifts from friends, employees and state contractors.
June 18: The state Supreme Court rules that Rowland can be compelled to testify at impeachment hearings.
June 21: Rowland announces his resignation, effective July 1.
July 1, 2004: Gov. John G. Rowland resigns from office.
Sept. 23: Federal prosecutors announce a 15-count indictment accusing Rowland's former co-chief of staff Peter N. Ellef, his son Peter N. Ellef II and contractor William Tomasso of operating a corrupt criminal organization out of the governor's office from 1997 to 2003. Prosecutors also targeted two Tomasso companies, Tomasso Brothers Inc. and Tunxis Management, and the younger Ellef's landscaping business, LF Design LLC. Rowland was not charged in the indictment.
Dec. 23: Rowland arrives in U.S. District Court, where a source said he would plead guilty to criminal charges.
Copyright 2004 by NBC30.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
News Home - Help
Snow Hampers Holiday Travel and Shopping
32 minutes ago
By NATASHA GURAL, Associated Press Writer
A sloppy storm dumped more than a year's worth of snow on parts of the Midwest and made a mess of holiday travel and last-minute Christmas shopping Thursday. At least 12 traffic deaths were blamed on the storm.
AP Photo
Reuters
Slideshow: Winter Storms Hit U.S.
Massive Winter Storm Strands Travelers(AP Video)
The heavy snowfall and icy roads stranded motorists and delayed flights ahead of a holiday weekend in which a record 62 million were expected to travel.
"I was scared, wondering about the kids. How was I going to feed them?" said Mary Craddock, a 28-year-old waitress from Hartford, Ky., who was stranded along with scores of other motorists overnight on snowy Interstate 64 in Evansville, Ind.
Her car was out of gas, and she and her two children had finished their only food — a bag of potato chips — as they waited it out. Temperatures in Evansville dipped into the teens and Wednesday's snowfall of 19.3 inches topped the city's average total winter snowfall of 14.2 inches.
The winter weather hampered efforts to wrap up holiday shopping.
Kashiba Allen was one of the few shoppers who made it to Cincinnati's nearly deserted downtown, where many stores and restaurants were shut down early Thursday. The 14-year-old girl took a bus downtown to finish her Christmas shopping.
"I wouldn't have come down if I didn't have to finish my shopping," she said. "There were cars stuck all over the roads. For the first time I sort of glad I'm too young to drive."
Ellen Tolley, spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation, the world's largest retail trade association, said sales may have stalled in areas hit with heavy snow, but the wintry weather may put others in a holiday shopping mood.
Parts of Arkansas looked forward to only the ninth white Christmas in 120 years as the storm barreled across the state, closing businesses, shuttering restaurants and snarling traffic.
In Kentucky, dozens of travelers were stranded overnight along Interstates 71 and 24. Motorists on I-24 bunked down in the lobby and hallways at the Best Western Executive Inn at Carrollton. Weary travelers were sprawled across chairs in the dining room, others curled up in corners or under stairs, using rolled-up towels as pillows.
Paducah, Ky., received 14 inches of snow, topping the yearly average of 10 inches and doubling its previous one-day record.
In Evansville, Rachel Stratton, 20, and her husband, Laromy, 21, of Olathe, Kan., were stranded with their nearly 2-year-old son, Logan, while on their way to Roanoke, Va., for Christmas, but were lucky to have a supply of granola.
"We were better off than other people," she said.
AAA is predicting this will be the busiest holiday travel season ever, in part because Christmas and New Year's Eve fall on weekends this year. AAA spokesman Mantill Williams said nearly 51 million people are traveling by car.
Four people were killed in weather-related traffic accidents in Oklahoma, three each in Ohio and Arkansas and one each in New Mexico and Texas. A 76-year-old woman in Ohio died of an apparent heart attack while shoveling snow.
___
Associated Press writers Kimberly Hefling in Evansville, Ind., Lisa Cornwell in Cincinnati and Bruce Schreiner in Louisville, Ky., contributed to this report
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December 23, 2004
Diabetes Is Gaining as a Cause of Death, City Health Data SayBy WINNIE HU
Diabetes killed an increasing number of New York City residents last year, ranking for the first time among the five leading causes of death in an annual summary of vital statistics released yesterday by the health department.
Diabetes was identified as the fourth-leading cause with 1,891 deaths in 2003, an 11 percent increase from the previous year, when the disease was ranked sixth, according to the summary. Of those deaths, 1,024 were women and 867 were men.
Health officials attributed the increase to rising levels of obesity among New Yorkers, and also to a higher risk of the disease in a population that is living longer. Diabetes was the third-leading cause of death among those between 55 and 74.
Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden warned that diabetes remained an underdiagnosed condition that had been linked to heart disease. He also said that it was more likely to affect Hispanics and blacks because of the greater incidence of obesity among those groups. "What it means is that we need to do a much better job of both preventing and treating," he said at a news briefing at City Hall.
The 67-page vital statistics survey (www.nyc.gov/html/doh/pdf/vs /2003sum.pdf) showed that the top three causes of death among city residents remained the same from the year before: Heart disease was again the leading killer, causing 23,875 deaths last year. Cancer was second with 13,826 deaths, and influenza and pneumonia was third with 2,692 deaths.
Alzheimer's disease was identified for the first time as a leading cause of death in people over age 75.
Still, there were small victories revealed by the data. H.I.V. and AIDS-related deaths slipped two places to seventh last year, accounting for 1,656 deaths, compared with 1,713 the year before. Health officials pointed out that it remained the leading killer of residents between 35 and 44.
Fewer teenagers gave birth last year, continuing a long-term national and citywide trend. But Dr. Frieden said that teenage pregnancy remained a problem, especially in the Bronx, in part because teenagers were not using condoms as often as they should. Teenage births have declined 36 percent in the city over the last decade, the survey found.
In general, the data suggested that New York remained a healthy and safe place to live, Dr. Frieden said. The total number of deaths dipped once again this year to a historic low of 59,213 deaths, compared with 59,651 in 2002.
In addition, the survey studied the aftereffects of the August 2003 blackout and debunked at least one urban myth. "People may have had fun in other ways, but there was no increase in births," Dr. Frieden said.
The study also found that six people - three men and three women - died from causes associated with the blackout. Those causes included accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, heart attack, excessive heat in the absence of air-conditioning and mechanical respirator failure.
Dr. Nathaniel Clark, a vice president with the American Diabetes Association, said the increase in diabetes-related deaths in New York City was not surprising, since the disease had become more common. He said people could reduce their risk of developing it by losing weight and exercising regularly.
"This type of wake-up call is not necessarily negative," he said. "The positive message is that we know diabetes can be controlled in those who have it, and prevented or delayed in those who are at risk for it by changes in lifestyle."
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Posted on Thu, Dec. 23, 2004
EDUCATIONAdvisors to college-bound kids receive high grades, high feesAs competition for top colleges intensifies each year, students increasingly turn to high-priced consultants for help.BY MATTHEW I. PINZURmpinzur@herald.com
Applying to college seemed so much easier when Camilo Bernal went to Florida State University in the 1970s. As he sat through a college admissions seminar last March with his teenage son, Nicholas, he realized they were in trouble.
''All these forms, all these terms that I didn't know what they meant,'' Bernal said. ``We really didn't understand the whole process.''
Like a growing number of families, the Bernals turned to the burgeoning industry of private consultants who charge hundreds or thousands of dollars to shepherd students and their families through college enrollment and make their résumés more attractive.
As more students apply for the same number of spots, the high grades and test scores that looked so impressive a decade ago are increasingly humdrum, and eager students are desperate for other ways to stand out.
The most basic consultants provide test preparation, a timeline for applications and help with finding financial aid.
The Bernals turned to The College Partnership, which charges $1,500 to $1,700 for unlimited e-mail and telephone access to its team of coaches, as well as test-preparation materials and an extensive Internet site with details on colleges and universities.
''Any question I have, they've been able to give me an answer or refer me to someone who could,'' said Nicholas, a senior in the International Baccalaureate program at Coral Reef Senior High, 10101 SW 152nd St. in Miami.
More posh consultants -- some of whom charge more than a year's tuition at the nation's most selective private colleges -- spend dozens of hours coaching students on everything from selecting classes to founding community service organizations.
''When an education consultant works with a student, she becomes a parent, a friend and a guidance counselor,'' said Judi Robinovitz, whose Palm Beach County firm is among the most sought after in Florida. ``It's like working with a personal trainer.''
She charges $3,600 and up to help students select classes, prepare for tests, choose extracurricular activities and generally smooth the path from diploma to dorm room.
THE EXTRA MILE
When a recent client expressed interest in hotel management, Robinovitz helped arrange a summer internship at one of London's top hotels, and she is now a student in Cornell's well-respected hospitality program.
''Had we not been in that mode of exploring avenues that could lead to a career for her as early as her junior year, I don't think any of this would have come to fruition,'' Robinovitz said.
In an environment where top schools routinely reject 60 percent to 70 percent of applicants, the consultants push students to use their natural abilities and interests in remarkable ways -- ways that catch the eyes of admissions officers.
''Nowadays, so many kids have the grades and test scores to be considered for the top schools that they're looking at other things,'' said Katherine Cohen, who runs IvyWise, a New York education consulting firm. ``It's the soft measure, the intangible factors, that get weighed very heavily in the process.''
One of her clients was a star student who took five advanced placement classes as a junior. But Cohen worried that her application would look too much like classmates'.
The girl was an avid writer and poet, so Cohen encouraged her to found the school's first literary magazine and enter dozens of writing contests that would publish her work. Instead of just volunteering with children at a hospital, she urged the girl to teach them to write poetry and essays and publish the work in a hospital newsletter.
When Cohen found out the girl was also writing a novel, she showed the first few chapters to her own literary agent. The girl ended up with a two-book deal for $400,000 and acceptance to Harvard.
''She had the innate ability,'' said Cohen, a former Yale admissions officer who has written two books on the subject. ``We made her stand out.''
Tuition at Harvard is $27,448. Cohen charges $33,000 for her most intensive package, which includes 100 hours of counseling over a teen's junior and senior years of high school.
Her record, though, is just as rich: 85 percent of her clients were admitted to their first-choice school, and 100 percent to one of their top two choices.
''Just because you sent your son or daughter to that great private school and they got mainly A's doesn't mean your son or daughter is going to go to Harvard,'' said Cohen, whose firm also prepares students for graduate school, prep school and even exclusive Manhattan nursery schools.
Services like hers carry a stigma, though, especially among those whose opinion matters most: college admissions directors.
''Admissions people are very uncomfortable with packaging a candidate because it makes a student into someone they're really not,'' said Edward Gillis, admissions director at the University of Miami.
As impressive as Cohen's results sound, he said most applicants are admitted to one of their top two choices anyway. ''There's no secret handshake in this business,'' he said. ``I don't think it will change where a student is admitted to college at all.''
Nonetheless, the consultant business is booming. There are probably around 1,000 full-time education consultants, according to Mark Sklarow, executive director of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, and he estimated that 7 percent of high school graduates hired one this year.
''That is a number that's probably pretty close to doubled in the last five years,'' he said. ``Our projection is it will double again in the next five.''
INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION
Unlike high school counselors, who may be responsible for advising hundreds of students, high-end consultants such as Robinovitz and Cohen usually limit themselves to a few dozen students per year.
''In the public schools, we are spread very, very thin,'' said Robert Roddy, who handles about 840 seniors and at least as many juniors and sophomores as the college advisor at Michael Krop Senior High, 1410 NE 215th St. in North Miami Beach. ``I don't have the time to give the type of personal attention that some of the students need.''
When Nicholas Bernal finished his application essay, for example, he e-mailed it to The College Partnership and received a reply with some tips on restructuring it.
''I feel that the logic behind having a counselor with regard to navigating the maze from high school to college makes a lot of sense,'' said Ed Doody, president of the for-profit partnership, based in Colorado.
His company hosts 3,600 free seminars a year, introducing parents and teens to the application process.
The meeting sold the Bernals. The program helped Nicholas boost his SAT score 120 points, and he has already been accepted to Florida State and the University of Georgia.
Younger brother Gabriel, a sophomore at Coral Reef, has already signed up.
''He's not as motivated as Nicholas because he's only in 10th grade,'' said father Camilo. ``We signed up as an investment in the future.''
© 2004 Herald.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.http://www.miami.com
international papersAttack and ReleaseThe good and bad news out of Iraq.By Michael YoungPosted Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2004, at 11:38 AM PT
The international papers Wednesday had the bad and the good from Iraq: An attack on an American military base in Mosul killed 26 people (19 of them Americans) and injured 57; two French hostages were released after more than four months in captivity. Meanwhile, a legal notice published in several papers hearkened back to the 9/11 attacks and showed that, at least in the mind of some, the Iraqi regime was involved.
The London-based Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat called the Mosul attack the "largest operation of its kind against American forces." The Ansar al-Sunna Army, in a statement on an Islamist Web site, claimed responsibility for the mortar-and-rocket barrage against a tent base, particularly a mess hall. Another London-based Arabic paper, Al-Hayat, said the attack was "a new challenge to President Bush's policies in Iraq" and reported that eyewitnesses counted two or three explosions. The situation in Mosul deteriorated rapidly after the recent battle for Fallujah, and in a further sign that U.S. forces face an escalating network of problems, Al-Hayat quoted a Sunni cleric who said that fighting in Fallujah was continuing and that insurgents had returned to the city and "reorganized the resistance." A former negotiator during the Fallujah crisis confirmed this. He added that the insurgents had only "decided to give up the city [to the Americans] in the short term to avoid its destruction and annihilation." Meanwhile, Iraqi government representatives are said to be talking with city leaders, and the Iraqi military governor of Fallujah is seeking to reintegrate former Iraqi soldiers present there into the armed forces.
Reintegration will be on the mind of the two French journalists, Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot, who were released Tuesday by the so-called Islamic Army in Iraq. (Television reports said the captors were satisfied the two were "not spies.") According to the daily Le Figaro (for whom Malbrunot writes), "[T]he conditions under which the two journalists were liberated ... remain largely murky." France's Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin didn't clarify much when he said that the happy ending was the result of "a constant, difficult, discrete endeavor." In an editorial, the paper insisted that though there was much relief, the kidnappers were still "terrorists" and "the fight against terrorism must continue." In the absence of details on the episode, the paper's expression of "pride" in the fact that "France never gave up to, nor subscribed to ... the demands (which were, in fact, obscure) of the terrorists" may be premature. Whether that confidence is justified should come out in the near future. Many still recall that as prime minister during the mid-1980s, Jacques Chirac agreed to pay a ransom to have French hostages in Lebanon released.
The United States has issued increasingly hostile warnings to Syria, from where the Iraqi insurgency is allegedly being financed and where foreign fighters are entering Iraq. On the Syrian-Iraqi border, a correspondent for the Lebanese English-language Daily Star noted that "securing the border is a near impossible task. The border police are under-funded and lack equipment and training." Although the Syrian authorities have turned the screws on domestic Islamists connected to the Iraqi insurgency (16 Sunni clerics were apparently arrested two weeks ago, and several fighters were taken into custody upon returning from Iraq), Syria has at best played a duplicitous game in Iraq. It alternatively looks the other way as its territory has been used as a transit point for foreign combatants and cracks down on groups as American pressure has increased. Earlier this week, President Bush for the first time threatened that the United States might use sanctions if Syria continued meddling in Iraq.
Sanctions are exactly what the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has in mind for a long list of defendants listed in the International Herald Tribune, USA Today, and (according to the legal notice) at least one Arabic-language publication circulated widely in the Middle East. The notice asks that the individuals and institutions appear in court within 60 days to answer to accusations of their involvement in the 9/11 attacks or suffer the consequences of a judgment by default. Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban, and the estates of the 19 hijackers are all there, but so too are some unexpected rogues whose involvement in 9/11 still remains unclear, if not improbable. This includes Saddam Hussein and the estates of his two dead sons, the former Iraqi official Taha Yassin Ramadan, Lebanon's Hizbollah, and the Palestinian Hamas group. Michael Young is opinion editor at the Daily Star newspaper in Beirut and a contributing editor at Reason magazine.Article URL: http://slate.msn.com/id/2111335/
The international papers Wednesday had the bad and the good from Iraq: An attack on an American military base in Mosul killed 26 people (19 of them Americans) and injured 57; two French hostages were released after more than four months in captivity. Meanwhile, a legal notice published in several papers hearkened back to the 9/11 attacks and showed that, at least in the mind of some, the Iraqi regime was involved.
The London-based Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat called the Mosul attack the "largest operation of its kind against American forces." The Ansar al-Sunna Army, in a statement on an Islamist Web site, claimed responsibility for the mortar-and-rocket barrage against a tent base, particularly a mess hall. Another London-based Arabic paper, Al-Hayat, said the attack was "a new challenge to President Bush's policies in Iraq" and reported that eyewitnesses counted two or three explosions. The situation in Mosul deteriorated rapidly after the recent battle for Fallujah, and in a further sign that U.S. forces face an escalating network of problems, Al-Hayat quoted a Sunni cleric who said that fighting in Fallujah was continuing and that insurgents had returned to the city and "reorganized the resistance." A former negotiator during the Fallujah crisis confirmed this. He added that the insurgents had only "decided to give up the city [to the Americans] in the short term to avoid its destruction and annihilation." Meanwhile, Iraqi government representatives are said to be talking with city leaders, and the Iraqi military governor of Fallujah is seeking to reintegrate former Iraqi soldiers present there into the armed forces.
Reintegration will be on the mind of the two French journalists, Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot, who were released Tuesday by the so-called Islamic Army in Iraq. (Television reports said the captors were satisfied the two were "not spies.") According to the daily Le Figaro (for whom Malbrunot writes), "[T]he conditions under which the two journalists were liberated ... remain largely murky." France's Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin didn't clarify much when he said that the happy ending was the result of "a constant, difficult, discrete endeavor." In an editorial, the paper insisted that though there was much relief, the kidnappers were still "terrorists" and "the fight against terrorism must continue." In the absence of details on the episode, the paper's expression of "pride" in the fact that "France never gave up to, nor subscribed to ... the demands (which were, in fact, obscure) of the terrorists" may be premature. Whether that confidence is justified should come out in the near future. Many still recall that as prime minister during the mid-1980s, Jacques Chirac agreed to pay a ransom to have French hostages in Lebanon released.
The United States has issued increasingly hostile warnings to Syria, from where the Iraqi insurgency is allegedly being financed and where foreign fighters are entering Iraq. On the Syrian-Iraqi border, a correspondent for the Lebanese English-language Daily Star noted that "securing the border is a near impossible task. The border police are under-funded and lack equipment and training." Although the Syrian authorities have turned the screws on domestic Islamists connected to the Iraqi insurgency (16 Sunni clerics were apparently arrested two weeks ago, and several fighters were taken into custody upon returning from Iraq), Syria has at best played a duplicitous game in Iraq. It alternatively looks the other way as its territory has been used as a transit point for foreign combatants and cracks down on groups as American pressure has increased. Earlier this week, President Bush for the first time threatened that the United States might use sanctions if Syria continued meddling in Iraq.
Sanctions are exactly what the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has in mind for a long list of defendants listed in the International Herald Tribune, USA Today, and (according to the legal notice) at least one Arabic-language publication circulated widely in the Middle East. The notice asks that the individuals and institutions appear in court within 60 days to answer to accusations of their involvement in the 9/11 attacks or suffer the consequences of a judgment by default. Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban, and the estates of the 19 hijackers are all there, but so too are some unexpected rogues whose involvement in 9/11 still remains unclear, if not improbable. This includes Saddam Hussein and the estates of his two dead sons, the former Iraqi official Taha Yassin Ramadan, Lebanon's Hizbollah, and the Palestinian Hamas group. Michael Young is opinion editor at the Daily Star newspaper in Beirut and a contributing editor at Reason magazine.Article URL: http://slate.msn.com/id/2111335/
today's papersSuicide SuspectedBy Eric UmanskyPosted Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004, at 12:22 AM PT
Everybody leads with the military saying a suicide bomber was responsible for the blast in Mosul. Investigators found portions of a suicide vest and an unidentified human torso. "We have had a suicide bomber apparently strap something to his body and go into a dining hall," said Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Damage from the explosion also included little holes from ball bearings, which are often packed inside suicide vests to increase destruction.
The Iraqi militant group that initially claimed responsibility for the attack said the bomber was a local resident who had worked at the base for a few months.
One former four-star general slammed the Army's reliance on contractors. "We have a terrible problem," he told the New York Times. "We have all this indigenous labor. We don't wash our dishes, cook our own food. When you bring indigenous laborers into camps, you immediately have a security problem." Halliburton, which operated the cafeteria where the bomber hit, said no Iraqis were employed inside it.
Yesterday, U.S. forces launched a big sweep in Mosul and essentially put the city in lockdown. The mayor warned residents that anybody trying to cross one of Mosul's bridges could be shot.
The papers mention in passing that a car bomb hit an Iraqi national guard checkpoint just south of Baghdad last night, killed nine and wounded 13.
The Washington Post's Josh White tags along with soldiers on raids in Samarra, where he describes a "virtual intelligence meltdown." The GIs—and White—blame guerrillas' increasing intimidation. "They all watch us and follow all of us," said one resident of the insurgents. "This is the fifth time the Americans have put snipers on the roof. Of course we are afraid. Of course we don't want to help." The soldiers are also operating without translators—they all quit after being threatened.
The NYT notices inside that seven countries, led by Canada, are preparing to monitor the Iraqis elections ... from Jordan. "We are not calling this an observation mission," said a Canadian official. "It is an assessment mission."
The Los Angeles Times, NYT, and WP all front the news from the administration rules making it easier for forest service officials to approve logging and drilling. The Post calls it the "biggest change in forest-use policies in nearly three decades" and says it includes "jettisoning some environmental protections" that have been around for 20 years. The revisions, which will cut lots of paperwork, also allow economic-development issues to get equal weight as environmental concerns. The LAT does a bit of digging and notices that three of President Bush's "elite fund-raisers" were timber execs.
The NYT teases word that the government seemingly tightened student financial aid rules, and as a result "college students in virtually every state will be required to shoulder more of the cost of their education." The Times says "at least 1.3 million" students could end up with smaller than expected Pell Grants, and the final number could be far higher: The changes are "expected to have a domino effect across almost every type of financial aid, tightening access to billions of dollars in state and institutional grants." Get to the ninth paragraph and it's a bit less End of Days: "Even with the new rules, spending on Pell Grants, which could easily surpass $12 billion this fiscal year, may continue to increase, and the ranks of recipients will probably grow as well, because so many new students are applying for aid."
The Post's lead editorial sums up the recent torture doc revelations. "Since the publication of photographs of abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison in the spring the administration's whitewashers—led by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld—have contended that the crimes were carried out by a few low-ranking reservists, that they were limited to the night shift during a few chaotic months at Abu Ghraib in 2003, that they were unrelated to the interrogation of prisoners and that no torture occurred at the Guantanamo Bay prison where hundreds of terrorism suspects are held. The new documents establish beyond any doubt that every part of this cover story is false." The headline: "WAR CRIMES."
The Wall Street Journal suggests concerns about Aleve are being overblown. One study of it was indeed just stopped. But contrary to many media reports, the seemingly observed increased risk for heart problems was so small as to be "not really" statistically significant, said the researcher who led the study. He explained the study was stopped not because of evidence of problems, but rather because patients in the study started freaking out, refusing to take their pills after hearing about problems with other pain relievers. "Kafka couldn't have written it better," he said.
The NYT fronts former Homeland Security nominee Bernie Kerik resigning from his buddy Rudy Giuliani's consulting firm. He told reporters he didn't want to be a distraction, and he didn't take questions.
Such insightful acquaintances ... "SUSPECT WANTED A BABY DESPERATELY, ACQUAINTANCES SAY"—WP.
The LAT fronts a feature on the increasing pressures Santas face. Among them: children's feet. "You got to protect your private parts," said one Santa. "I don't wear a cup or nothing; it's all in how you sit on your throne."Eric Umansky writes "Today's Papers" for Slate. He can be reached at todayspapers@hotmail.com.Article URL: http://slate.msn.com/id/2111412/
Everybody leads with the military saying a suicide bomber was responsible for the blast in Mosul. Investigators found portions of a suicide vest and an unidentified human torso. "We have had a suicide bomber apparently strap something to his body and go into a dining hall," said Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Damage from the explosion also included little holes from ball bearings, which are often packed inside suicide vests to increase destruction.
The Iraqi militant group that initially claimed responsibility for the attack said the bomber was a local resident who had worked at the base for a few months.
One former four-star general slammed the Army's reliance on contractors. "We have a terrible problem," he told the New York Times. "We have all this indigenous labor. We don't wash our dishes, cook our own food. When you bring indigenous laborers into camps, you immediately have a security problem." Halliburton, which operated the cafeteria where the bomber hit, said no Iraqis were employed inside it.
Yesterday, U.S. forces launched a big sweep in Mosul and essentially put the city in lockdown. The mayor warned residents that anybody trying to cross one of Mosul's bridges could be shot.
The papers mention in passing that a car bomb hit an Iraqi national guard checkpoint just south of Baghdad last night, killed nine and wounded 13.
The Washington Post's Josh White tags along with soldiers on raids in Samarra, where he describes a "virtual intelligence meltdown." The GIs—and White—blame guerrillas' increasing intimidation. "They all watch us and follow all of us," said one resident of the insurgents. "This is the fifth time the Americans have put snipers on the roof. Of course we are afraid. Of course we don't want to help." The soldiers are also operating without translators—they all quit after being threatened.
The NYT notices inside that seven countries, led by Canada, are preparing to monitor the Iraqis elections ... from Jordan. "We are not calling this an observation mission," said a Canadian official. "It is an assessment mission."
The Los Angeles Times, NYT, and WP all front the news from the administration rules making it easier for forest service officials to approve logging and drilling. The Post calls it the "biggest change in forest-use policies in nearly three decades" and says it includes "jettisoning some environmental protections" that have been around for 20 years. The revisions, which will cut lots of paperwork, also allow economic-development issues to get equal weight as environmental concerns. The LAT does a bit of digging and notices that three of President Bush's "elite fund-raisers" were timber execs.
The NYT teases word that the government seemingly tightened student financial aid rules, and as a result "college students in virtually every state will be required to shoulder more of the cost of their education." The Times says "at least 1.3 million" students could end up with smaller than expected Pell Grants, and the final number could be far higher: The changes are "expected to have a domino effect across almost every type of financial aid, tightening access to billions of dollars in state and institutional grants." Get to the ninth paragraph and it's a bit less End of Days: "Even with the new rules, spending on Pell Grants, which could easily surpass $12 billion this fiscal year, may continue to increase, and the ranks of recipients will probably grow as well, because so many new students are applying for aid."
The Post's lead editorial sums up the recent torture doc revelations. "Since the publication of photographs of abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison in the spring the administration's whitewashers—led by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld—have contended that the crimes were carried out by a few low-ranking reservists, that they were limited to the night shift during a few chaotic months at Abu Ghraib in 2003, that they were unrelated to the interrogation of prisoners and that no torture occurred at the Guantanamo Bay prison where hundreds of terrorism suspects are held. The new documents establish beyond any doubt that every part of this cover story is false." The headline: "WAR CRIMES."
The Wall Street Journal suggests concerns about Aleve are being overblown. One study of it was indeed just stopped. But contrary to many media reports, the seemingly observed increased risk for heart problems was so small as to be "not really" statistically significant, said the researcher who led the study. He explained the study was stopped not because of evidence of problems, but rather because patients in the study started freaking out, refusing to take their pills after hearing about problems with other pain relievers. "Kafka couldn't have written it better," he said.
The NYT fronts former Homeland Security nominee Bernie Kerik resigning from his buddy Rudy Giuliani's consulting firm. He told reporters he didn't want to be a distraction, and he didn't take questions.
Such insightful acquaintances ... "SUSPECT WANTED A BABY DESPERATELY, ACQUAINTANCES SAY"—WP.
The LAT fronts a feature on the increasing pressures Santas face. Among them: children's feet. "You got to protect your private parts," said one Santa. "I don't wear a cup or nothing; it's all in how you sit on your throne."Eric Umansky writes "Today's Papers" for Slate. He can be reached at todayspapers@hotmail.com.Article URL: http://slate.msn.com/id/2111412/
December 23, 2004
Bomber Was Likely Wearing Iraqi Uniform, Commander SaysBy THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 2:47 p.m. ET
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- The suicide bomber believed to have blown himself up in a U.S. military dining tent near Mosul this week, killing more than 20 people, was probably wearing an Iraqi military uniform, the U.S. military said Thursday.
The top U.S. general in northern Iraq acknowledged that the bomber may have gotten through the vetting process conducted by U.S. and Iraqi authorities to check the backgrounds of Iraqis joining the security services.
Lt. Col. Paul Hastings, spokesman for Task Force Olympia in Mosul, said a general officer will be flying in from headquarters in Baghdad to take over the investigation into how the devastating attack on the base near Mosul was carried out. The FBI is also participating in the probe.
``He'll initiate an investigation ...then we will be in a better position to find out what happened,'' Hastings said in a telephone interview.
The Ansar al-Sunnah Army, the military group that earlier claimed responsibility for the attack, issued a new statement reiterating that it was a suicide bombing.
``God enabled one of your martyr brothers to plunge into God's enemies inside their forts, killing and injuring hundreds,'' the group said in a statement posted on its Web site Thursday. ``We don't know how they can be so stupid that until now they have not figured out the type of the strike that hit them.''
The blast Tuesday was the deadliest single attack on a U.S. base, hitting the dining tent at lunchtime and killing 13 U.S. servicemembers, five American civilians, three Iraqi National Guard members, and one ``unidentified non-U.S. person.'' Military officials have said it's not yet known whether that final death was the suicide bomber.
``From preliminary indications of the damage it looks like the guy (the suicide bomber) was wearing an Iraqi military uniform,'' Hastings said, adding that it seemed like a ``vest-type of explosive.''
Investigators had still not determined whether the attacker was working on the base or whether he had managed to infiltrate it, Hastings said.
Members of the Iraqi interim government's fledgling security forces routinely operate with U.S. troops in operations against the insurgents. Until now, there have been no reports of serious tensions between the two.
Iraqi government officials said they knew nothing of the report that bomber may have been wearing a uniform. ``This was an American declaration, we don't know any thing about it, they did not contact us,'' said Salih Sarhan, a spokesman for the Iraqi Defense Ministry.
In an interview with CNN, Brig. Gen. Carter F. Ham -- commander of Task Force Olympia, the main U.S. force in northern Iraq -- also reported the bomber was likely wearing an Iraqi uniform and said the attacker may have gotten through the vetting process run by U.S. and Iraqi authorities.
``The vetting process I think is sound, but clearly we have now at least one instance where that was likely not satisfactory. So we have to redouble our efforts there,'' he said.
Ham said the bomber likely had help, though he did not say whether it was known if the bomber had accomplices in the camp.
``It is very difficult to conceive that this would be the act of a lone individual. It would seem to me reasonable to assume that this was a mission perhaps sometime in the planning, days perhaps,'' he said.
Amid the investigation, the military is reassessing security at bases across Iraq in light of the bomber's success in apparently slipping into the camp, entering a tent crowded with soldiers eating lunch and detonating his explosives.
The attack's apparent sophistication indicated the bomber probably had inside knowledge of the base's layout and the soldiers' schedule.
Jeremy Redmon, a reporter from the Richmond Times-Dispatch embedded with troops at the Mosul base, said Iraqis working on the base show identification to get in to the base, but once inside move with relative freedom.
At the targeted dining hall ``there was no security that I saw,'' Redmon told CNN. He said that during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan -- in October and November, when authorities had increased concern of attacks -- civilians were screened as they entered ``but that stopped after Ramadan.''
Reports earlier Thursday indicated that security had been boosted in at least several U.S. bases and other facilities following the suicide bombing.
Hastings said that armed guards were posted at the entrances and exits from dining halls and other communal areas at his base in northern Mosul.
Early Thursday, hundreds of U.S. troops, Iraqi National Guards and Kurdish militiamen were seen in the streets of Mosul moving around in Bradley Fighting vehicles. In some eastern neighborhoods they searched homes for weapons. One of the city's five bridges over the Tigris River reopened Thursday, after all were blocked off by U.S. troops a day earlier.
Iraqi National Guards manned a checkpoint near another U.S. base, the former palace of Saddam Hussein, stopping passing cars and searching them.
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'Embattled Former Conn. Governor Pleads Guilty
By Matt Apuzzo and John ChristoffersonThe Associated PressThursday, December 23, 2004; 11:30 AM
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Former Gov. John G. Rowland, driven from office by a corruption scandal, pleaded guilty Thursday to a single federal charge that carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.
After reaching a deal with prosecutors, Rowland pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to steal honest service, a felony that also carries a possible $250,000 fine.
The plea deal ends the two-year-long investigation into corruption in the administration of Rowland, who resigned July 1 after 9 1/2 years in office. Rowland's lawyer, William F. Dow III, acknowledged the former governor was "the recipient of certain gratuities."
Prosecutors told the judge that Rowland accepted $107,000 worth of vacations, work on his cottage and free flights from state contractors and others.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nora Dannahey said the single charge also involves a conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service.
U.S. District Judge Peter Dorsey advised Rowland that as a convicted felon he would not be able to vote or hold public office.
"There was an effort being made to deprive Connecticut citizens of the honest services of its officials," Dorsey said.
Federal guidelines call for a sentence of 15 to 21 months in prison, the lawyers involved said. Sentencing was set for March. In addition to the possible sentence and fine, prosecutors said he could be forced to pay more than $35,000 to the IRS in unpaid taxes and interest.
"Obviously mistakes have been made throughout the last few years, and I accept responsibility for those," Rowland told reporters after entering the plea. "But I also ask the people of this state to appreciate and understand what we have tried to do over the past 25 years in public service."
The written plea agreement does not require Rowland to testify against others.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who took office after Rowland stepped down, said she felt "deep personal disappointment."
"While we knew that this day might come, we were never really prepared for the reality of it. Today the state of Connecticut was humiliated, and I, as John Rowland's former running mate and colleague, feel personally betrayed. When I first heard the news, I felt like I was punched in the gut."
Rowland, 47, was once one of the GOP's rising young stars. He became engulfed in scandal in December 2003 when he admitted accepting renovations at his lakeside cottage -- including a hot tub and new heating system from employees and state contractors -- and lying about it. Other gifts and favors soon came to light.
Rowland resigned amid legislative hearings that threatened to lead to his impeachment. Rell will fill the remainder of his term, which expires after the November 2006 elections.
In September, Rowland's former co-chief of staff and a major state construction contractor pleaded not guilty to charges they ran a criminal organization from the governor's office, trading contracts for gold coins, expensive meals and limousine trips.
A 15-count indictment accused former co-chief of staff Peter N. Ellef, his son Peter Ellef II and contractor William Tomasso of conspiring to steer state contracts from 1997 to 2003.
For months, Rowland has insisted he never did anything in exchange for the gifts. But the drumbeat of allegations sent his approval ratings plummeting and led to demands for his resignation from both Democrats and Republicans.
Rowland received cigars, champagne, a canoe and free or discounted vacations from employees and friends -- including some with state contracts. The FBI was even looking into whether Rowland skimmed money from low-stakes poker games he hosted.
One longtime friend, a state contractor, bought the governor's Washington condominium at an inflated price through a straw buyer.
During the committee hearings, the governor's lawyers criticized the investigation, arguing that the 10-member panel never set any standards for impeachment. Rowland fought a subpoena to testify on the grounds it violated the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches. He announced his resignation days after the state Supreme Court ruled he could be compelled to appear before the committee.
The committee ended its investigation without deciding whether the governor had done anything that warranted impeachment.
© 2004 The Associated Press
By Matt Apuzzo and John ChristoffersonThe Associated PressThursday, December 23, 2004; 11:30 AM
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Former Gov. John G. Rowland, driven from office by a corruption scandal, pleaded guilty Thursday to a single federal charge that carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.
After reaching a deal with prosecutors, Rowland pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to steal honest service, a felony that also carries a possible $250,000 fine.
The plea deal ends the two-year-long investigation into corruption in the administration of Rowland, who resigned July 1 after 9 1/2 years in office. Rowland's lawyer, William F. Dow III, acknowledged the former governor was "the recipient of certain gratuities."
Prosecutors told the judge that Rowland accepted $107,000 worth of vacations, work on his cottage and free flights from state contractors and others.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nora Dannahey said the single charge also involves a conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service.
U.S. District Judge Peter Dorsey advised Rowland that as a convicted felon he would not be able to vote or hold public office.
"There was an effort being made to deprive Connecticut citizens of the honest services of its officials," Dorsey said.
Federal guidelines call for a sentence of 15 to 21 months in prison, the lawyers involved said. Sentencing was set for March. In addition to the possible sentence and fine, prosecutors said he could be forced to pay more than $35,000 to the IRS in unpaid taxes and interest.
"Obviously mistakes have been made throughout the last few years, and I accept responsibility for those," Rowland told reporters after entering the plea. "But I also ask the people of this state to appreciate and understand what we have tried to do over the past 25 years in public service."
The written plea agreement does not require Rowland to testify against others.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who took office after Rowland stepped down, said she felt "deep personal disappointment."
"While we knew that this day might come, we were never really prepared for the reality of it. Today the state of Connecticut was humiliated, and I, as John Rowland's former running mate and colleague, feel personally betrayed. When I first heard the news, I felt like I was punched in the gut."
Rowland, 47, was once one of the GOP's rising young stars. He became engulfed in scandal in December 2003 when he admitted accepting renovations at his lakeside cottage -- including a hot tub and new heating system from employees and state contractors -- and lying about it. Other gifts and favors soon came to light.
Rowland resigned amid legislative hearings that threatened to lead to his impeachment. Rell will fill the remainder of his term, which expires after the November 2006 elections.
In September, Rowland's former co-chief of staff and a major state construction contractor pleaded not guilty to charges they ran a criminal organization from the governor's office, trading contracts for gold coins, expensive meals and limousine trips.
A 15-count indictment accused former co-chief of staff Peter N. Ellef, his son Peter Ellef II and contractor William Tomasso of conspiring to steer state contracts from 1997 to 2003.
For months, Rowland has insisted he never did anything in exchange for the gifts. But the drumbeat of allegations sent his approval ratings plummeting and led to demands for his resignation from both Democrats and Republicans.
Rowland received cigars, champagne, a canoe and free or discounted vacations from employees and friends -- including some with state contracts. The FBI was even looking into whether Rowland skimmed money from low-stakes poker games he hosted.
One longtime friend, a state contractor, bought the governor's Washington condominium at an inflated price through a straw buyer.
During the committee hearings, the governor's lawyers criticized the investigation, arguing that the 10-member panel never set any standards for impeachment. Rowland fought a subpoena to testify on the grounds it violated the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches. He announced his resignation days after the state Supreme Court ruled he could be compelled to appear before the committee.
The committee ended its investigation without deciding whether the governor had done anything that warranted impeachment.
© 2004 The Associated Press
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Email this StoryDec 23, 2:29 PM (ET)By KIMBERLY HEFLING
(AP) This semi trucks sits stuck in the middle of the intersection of Indiana state highways 3 and 62 in...Full Image
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - Frigid temperatures, blasting wind and more snow than some places normally see in a year left parts of the Midwest and South paralyzed Thursday, and transformed a section of highway in southern Indiana into a parking lot.
The winter storm dumped double-digits of snow from Ohio to Wyoming, the Texas Panhandle to the Great Lakes, disrupting pre-Christmas travel. Motorists in parts of Mississippi and Tennessee were warned Thursday to stay off highways iced up from freezing rain. Hundreds of thousands lost power in Ohio.
Southern Indiana barely had time to catch its frosty breath after a snowstorm Wednesday morning when a second, heavier gust pummeled the region, shutting down Interstate 64 eastbound from Evansville to the Illinois State line.
"We're still stuck here. It's been about 13 hours," Ken Sabatini, 52, of Leawood, Kan., said Thursday morning. He, his wife and two children were traveling to Cincinnati for Christmas. "It's cold outside and we're doing our best to stay inside the car."
(AP) A woman peers out of a bus stop, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Frigid...Full ImageTemperatures fell to 12 degrees overnight, and Sabatini said some motorists had run out of gas and were sleeping in a stranded Greyhound Bus to stay warm.
"We've got some gas left, so every hour we run it for five minutes to get some warmth in the car," Sabatini said.
The Indiana National Guard was bringing stranded motorists from I-64 to hotels in Evansville or the Red Cross offices.
Gov. Joe Kernan declared a disaster emergency for portions of the state and urged a delay in Christmas travel to allow time for roads to be cleared.
The traffic snarl began when semis had trouble getting up hills and rolled back, blocking traffic, police said. A similar problem tied up traffic on a stretch of Interstate 71 in Kentucky.
(AP) Traffic on I-65 southbound between Henryville, Ind., and Sellersburg in southern Indiana was at a...Full ImageThe Wednesday snowfall at Evansville of 19.3 inches shattered the record for any single day, set Feb. 25, 1993, when 10.9 inches fell. It was also well over the normal yearly total of 14.2 inches.
Paducah, Ky., got 14 inches, more than the yearly norm of 10, and state police closed down a 13-mile stretch of the I-64 in both directions west of Louisville.
Ohio was a patchwork: up to 16 inches of snow in some places, but a combination of snow, sleet and rain in the northeastern part of the state. Electric companies serving most of the state said 310,000 homes and business were without power.
"It's very, very difficult to get crews to where the damage is. It's very treacherous," said Bryce Nickel, spokesman for Dayton Power & Light, which had 20,000 customers without power.
Heavy and snow and ice caused the roof on two sections of a warehouse in suburban Cincinnati to collapse overnight. No injuries were reported.
(AP) Semi tractor-trailers and other vehicles are stuck along I-64 in the snow early Thursday, Dec. 23,...Full ImageIn Illinois, where up to 20 inches of snow fell, forecasters warned that wind chills would reach as low as 25 below zero, and high snowdrifts created a hazardous morning commute, officials said.
Cincinnati was looking at about 20 inches before the system, with its high winds and freezing temperatures, moved on later Thursday.
Parts of Arkansas looked forward to only the ninth white Christmas in 120 years as the storm barreled across the state, closing businesses, shuttering restaurants and snarling traffic.
As arctic air surged southward into the lower Mississippi Valley, a combination of freezing rain and sleet made driving treacherous across northern Mississippi. The Highway Patrol urged motorists to suspend their travel "at least until midmorning," said agency spokesman Warren Strain. "We've had some eight hours of freezing rain," he said.
At least seven weather-related traffic deaths were reported - three in Ohio and one each in New Mexico, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. A 76-year-old woman in Ohio died of an apparent heart attack while shoveling snow.
(AP) Cars stuck in the snow drifts of the off ramps of along Interstate 64 early Thursday, Dec. 23,...Full ImageNine people received minor injuries in a series of accidents on a snowy interstate in Wyoming just north of the Colorado state line.
In Amarillo, Texas, 3.7 inches of snow fell Wednesday, more than triple the previous record for the date. Hundreds of flights were grounded and others delayed Wednesday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Workers deiced about 200 planes an hour, airport spokesman Ken Capps said.
In Cincinnati, cancellations and delays were blamed mostly on planes arriving from other storm-battered locations.
Back on the ground, those leaving the driving to others couldn't do much but take it all in stride.
Susie Brown, 32, was stuck in the Cincinnati bus terminal, waiting for a Greyhound to take her north through western Ohio, where 10 to 16 inches of snow could blanket areas west of I-71 by Thursday afternoon.
"My brother always told me that I would grow up someday to regret wanting a white Christmas," said Brown, who lives in Cincinnati, "and this year he may be right."
Massive Winter Storm Strands Travelers
•
Former Conn. Governor Pleads Guilty
•
Slaying Suspect Waives Preliminary Hearing
•
Storms Make for Dark Holidays in Trailers
•
Man Shot to Death Outside Ore. Store
•
Hawaii Puts Crime Law Question to Voters
•
Bowling Alley to Return Arafat Investment
•
Prosecutor Describes Md. Arson Suspect
•
Storms Drive Up Cost of Gift-Boxed Fruit
•
High-End Cat Burglar Gets Eight Years
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Email this StoryDec 23, 2:29 PM (ET)By KIMBERLY HEFLING
(AP) This semi trucks sits stuck in the middle of the intersection of Indiana state highways 3 and 62 in...Full Image
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - Frigid temperatures, blasting wind and more snow than some places normally see in a year left parts of the Midwest and South paralyzed Thursday, and transformed a section of highway in southern Indiana into a parking lot.
The winter storm dumped double-digits of snow from Ohio to Wyoming, the Texas Panhandle to the Great Lakes, disrupting pre-Christmas travel. Motorists in parts of Mississippi and Tennessee were warned Thursday to stay off highways iced up from freezing rain. Hundreds of thousands lost power in Ohio.
Southern Indiana barely had time to catch its frosty breath after a snowstorm Wednesday morning when a second, heavier gust pummeled the region, shutting down Interstate 64 eastbound from Evansville to the Illinois State line.
"We're still stuck here. It's been about 13 hours," Ken Sabatini, 52, of Leawood, Kan., said Thursday morning. He, his wife and two children were traveling to Cincinnati for Christmas. "It's cold outside and we're doing our best to stay inside the car."
(AP) A woman peers out of a bus stop, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Frigid...Full ImageTemperatures fell to 12 degrees overnight, and Sabatini said some motorists had run out of gas and were sleeping in a stranded Greyhound Bus to stay warm.
"We've got some gas left, so every hour we run it for five minutes to get some warmth in the car," Sabatini said.
The Indiana National Guard was bringing stranded motorists from I-64 to hotels in Evansville or the Red Cross offices.
Gov. Joe Kernan declared a disaster emergency for portions of the state and urged a delay in Christmas travel to allow time for roads to be cleared.
The traffic snarl began when semis had trouble getting up hills and rolled back, blocking traffic, police said. A similar problem tied up traffic on a stretch of Interstate 71 in Kentucky.
(AP) Traffic on I-65 southbound between Henryville, Ind., and Sellersburg in southern Indiana was at a...Full ImageThe Wednesday snowfall at Evansville of 19.3 inches shattered the record for any single day, set Feb. 25, 1993, when 10.9 inches fell. It was also well over the normal yearly total of 14.2 inches.
Paducah, Ky., got 14 inches, more than the yearly norm of 10, and state police closed down a 13-mile stretch of the I-64 in both directions west of Louisville.
Ohio was a patchwork: up to 16 inches of snow in some places, but a combination of snow, sleet and rain in the northeastern part of the state. Electric companies serving most of the state said 310,000 homes and business were without power.
"It's very, very difficult to get crews to where the damage is. It's very treacherous," said Bryce Nickel, spokesman for Dayton Power & Light, which had 20,000 customers without power.
Heavy and snow and ice caused the roof on two sections of a warehouse in suburban Cincinnati to collapse overnight. No injuries were reported.
(AP) Semi tractor-trailers and other vehicles are stuck along I-64 in the snow early Thursday, Dec. 23,...Full ImageIn Illinois, where up to 20 inches of snow fell, forecasters warned that wind chills would reach as low as 25 below zero, and high snowdrifts created a hazardous morning commute, officials said.
Cincinnati was looking at about 20 inches before the system, with its high winds and freezing temperatures, moved on later Thursday.
Parts of Arkansas looked forward to only the ninth white Christmas in 120 years as the storm barreled across the state, closing businesses, shuttering restaurants and snarling traffic.
As arctic air surged southward into the lower Mississippi Valley, a combination of freezing rain and sleet made driving treacherous across northern Mississippi. The Highway Patrol urged motorists to suspend their travel "at least until midmorning," said agency spokesman Warren Strain. "We've had some eight hours of freezing rain," he said.
At least seven weather-related traffic deaths were reported - three in Ohio and one each in New Mexico, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. A 76-year-old woman in Ohio died of an apparent heart attack while shoveling snow.
(AP) Cars stuck in the snow drifts of the off ramps of along Interstate 64 early Thursday, Dec. 23,...Full ImageNine people received minor injuries in a series of accidents on a snowy interstate in Wyoming just north of the Colorado state line.
In Amarillo, Texas, 3.7 inches of snow fell Wednesday, more than triple the previous record for the date. Hundreds of flights were grounded and others delayed Wednesday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Workers deiced about 200 planes an hour, airport spokesman Ken Capps said.
In Cincinnati, cancellations and delays were blamed mostly on planes arriving from other storm-battered locations.
Back on the ground, those leaving the driving to others couldn't do much but take it all in stride.
Susie Brown, 32, was stuck in the Cincinnati bus terminal, waiting for a Greyhound to take her north through western Ohio, where 10 to 16 inches of snow could blanket areas west of I-71 by Thursday afternoon.
"My brother always told me that I would grow up someday to regret wanting a white Christmas," said Brown, who lives in Cincinnati, "and this year he may be right."
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High-End Cat Burglar Gets Eight Years
December 23, 2004THE MILITARY
Suicide Bombing Is Now Suspected in Mosul AttackBy RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr. and ERIC SCHMITT
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 22 - A suicide attacker wearing a bomb-laden vest most likely set off the explosion at a military mess tent that killed 22 in the northern city of Mosul on Tuesday, American officials said Wednesday, raising the possibility that the bomber was an Iraqi or foreign worker employed at the base.
"At this point it looks like it was an improvised explosive device worn by an attacker," Gen. Richard B. Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Pentagon news conference.
In the hours after the explosion, which included 14 American troops and four American civilian contractors among the dead, military officials speculated that the blast was caused by a rocket.
But F.B.I. and other allied forensic experts later discovered parts of a torso and an explosives belt that they believed were from a suicide bomber, according to a senior law enforcement official in Washington.
A senior defense official in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity because the broader investigation is in progress, added that investigators found "material consistent with a backpack or suicide vest, as well as ball bearings," which bombers have used to spread the devastation of the blast.
In the hours before the news conference, soldiers from at least two battalions in Mosul riding in armored vehicles fanned out in a broad offensive sweep to hunt for insurgent and terrorist leaders, shutting down bridges over the Tigris River, searching insurgent-friendly neighborhoods and interrogating drivers at impromptu checkpoints.
The governor of Nineveh Province also appeared on Mosul television to warn residents of a crackdown, though American officials maintained that it was not related to the bombing. The governor said anyone who tried to cross the bridges over the river, which bisects the city, would face a "hard punishment" that could include being shot.
Late on Wednesday, another car bomb killed 9 Iraqis and wounded 13 others at an Iraqi forces checkpoint at the entrance to the town of Latifiya, south of Baghdad, the National Guard told Reuters. That area is among the most violent and insecure as the country prepares for elections at the end of January.
The announcement on Wednesday of the likely cause of the Mosul attack produced a new source of concern by leaving a crucial question unanswered: How was the attacker able to infiltrate a heavily guarded military base in one of the most hostile regions of Iraq?
It also raised the possibility that one of the most commonly discussed fears of American soldiers stationed at forward operating bases in Iraq had come true - that an Iraqi or other foreign worker had been able through special access, knowledge and privileges to sabotage the troops he was supposed to be serving.
Other heavily guarded compounds have been infiltrated, including the main American governmental zone in Baghdad, where suicide bombers killed five people in October. But the attack on Tuesday far exceeded the size and devastation of any previous strike on American troops within a secured compound.
"I've been expecting it," said Wayne Downing , a retired four-star Army general who headed the inquiry into the bombing at the Khobar Towers housing complex in Saudi Arabia in 1996. "They're trying to get in. We have a terrible problem. We have all this indigenous labor. We don't wash our dishes, cook our own food. When you bring indigenous laborers into camps, you immediately have a security problem."
No Iraqis are currently working at the mess tent, said Wendy Hall, a spokeswoman for Halliburton, whose KBR subsidiary operates dining halls for the military. In an e-mail message, she said that vetting for employees who worked at the site was "conducted entirely by the United States Army, and KBR security escorts them through the process."
Military officials had received intelligence that insurgents in Mosul might have been planning an attack on American troops. In late November, soldiers from the same base that was hit on Monday - Forward Operating Base Marez - detained a suspect in western Mosul carrying what military officials said appeared to be notes of a meeting where insurgents discussed a proposal for a large-scale attack on American troops.
At the news conference on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, emphasized the difficulty American troops faced defending against suicide bombers.
"Someone who's attacking can attack at any place at any time using any technique, and it is an enormous challenge to provide force protection, something that our forces worry about, work on constantly," Mr. Rumsfeld said.
The militant Sunni group that took credit for the attack, Ansar al-Sunna, said that that one of its members carried out a "martyrdom operation" against forces it described as infidels and occupiers.
The finding that the explosion was probably caused by a suicide bomber was first reported by ABC News.
Investigators say the bomb appeared to have been laced with ball bearings or similar projectiles that punctured steel appliances and other surfaces near the blast, which occurred near the serving line.
The Marez base is home to about 3,500 troops, most of them attached to the Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based in Fort Lewis, Wash.
Initially, the military had said that as many as 19 American service members and 5 others had perished in the explosion. But by Wednesday afternoon they had reduced the death toll to 14 United States troops, 4 American civilians, 3 Iraqi national guardsmen, and an unidentified person from outside the United States.
Sixty-nine people were wounded. Twenty-five of them were treated and released Tuesday, and many of the more seriously injured were sent to Landstuhl Army Medical Center in Germany.
[The military said on Thursday that the wounded being treated at Landstuhl - a total of 35 people - were all expected to survive, the Associated Press reported. The patients were suffering from a range of injuries including abdominal and shrapnel injuries, broken bones and burns.]
Senior military officials said Wednesday that the Pentagon had been examining ways to better protect soldiers at forward bases.
With dozens of bases, small and large, scattered around Iraq, and many in the center of the country where the insurgency is most active, the military is under growing pressure to extend its patrols. At the same time, it must continue to guard against infiltrators, possibly among the thousands of Iraqis who work inside the bases.
"We have been looking at force protection parameters not only for dining facilities but for other places we have our large gatherings," Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz, the ground commander in Iraq, told CNN.
Identification checks of people entering mess halls are spotty at many forward bases. But many mess halls already forbid anyone from entering with backpacks or bags.
Military officials were loath to describe the precautions in detail. "At every level of command constant assessments are made on status of force protection and what the vulnerabilities are and how to mitigate them," said Lt. Col. Daniel Baggio, a military spokesman.
Richard A. Oppel Jr. reported from Baghdad for this article, and Eric Schmitt from Washington. David Johnston contributed reporting from Washington.
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