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The Latest: Police search for man who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO, new photos of suspect released
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The man accused of killing a security guard inside a central Edmonton apartment building last week has an extensive criminal history of violent crimes dating back more than a decade. Harshandeep Singh, 20, who had been on the job only three days, was gunned down early Dec. 6 while patrolling a building in the Central McDougall neighbourhood. Surveillance videos circulating online appear to show the moments leading up the shooting: a man in a yellow security jacket is shoved into a stairwell, then shot in the back. Evan Chase Rain, 30, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in Singh's killing alongside Judith Saulteaux, who is facing the same charge. Court records show Rain has a violent history. Parole documents obtained by CBC detail Rain's troubled history and track his movements through the federal corrections system following his conviction on a string of charges related to an altercation with Edmonton police in June 2019. The documents detail some of Rain's previous crimes and paint a picture of a repeat offender with a propensity for violence. Rain's previous crimes include kidnapping, assault and carrying a sawed-off shotgun during a high-speed chase with police. The parole board found that Rain lived a life of crime, with his deep-seated addictions fuelling a string of violent and impulsive acts. "You have a lengthy and versatile criminal history involving weapons, violence, property, substance abuse, and breach of trust offences most often committed while under the influence of either drugs and or alcohol," parole board member Marilyn Kenny wrote in a decision dated April 2023. "You have shown you are willing to use violence with and without weapons." According to the documents, Rain was on court-imposed conditions in June 2019 when he led officers and a police helicopter in a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle. Following his arrest, officers discovered a bag loaded with a sawed-off shotgun, ammunition and methamphetamine. Rain pleaded guilty and was handed a sentence of more than three years and two months, and a lifetime prohibition banning him from owning firearms. As Rain served federal time for the police chase, he picked up additional charges for assaulting fellow inmates, and for an attempted carjacking. In January 2021, he punched another inmate in the face while the other man was using a prison phone, breaking the man's nose. In February 2021, he punched another inmate in the head and stabbed him with a prison-made blade five times in the back and arms. The man escaped the attack without major injury. Rain's adult criminal history began in 2012 and includes previous convictions for drugs, failing to comply with court orders, impaired driving and uttering threats. The documents detail how Rain kidnapped a woman in July 2018. He put her in the trunk of a vehicle after using zip ties and tape to constrain her. The woman escaped when Rain was stopped at a car wash in Wetaskiwin, Alta. Parole officials noted that Rain appeared unwilling to accept responsibility for his crimes or participate in programs aimed at rehabilitation. "You demonstrate a pattern of propensity for violence since 2010, to deal with interpersonal issues and many are impulsive in nature," parole board officials wrote. "[Your record] speaks to your inability to control your anger." Singh, from India, was a student at Edmonton's NorQuest College. He had only been on the job three days before he was killed. (Gagandeep Singh Ghuman/GoFundme) Rain, who is Indigenous, had a chaotic and dysfunctional upbringing, according to parole board officials. His childhood was marred by generational trauma, all forms of abuse and addiction in the home, the parole board found. His childhood trauma left him struggling with addictions and anti-social behaviour and drew him into a criminal lifestyle. Rain began abusing hard drugs and alcohol at a young age. He became involved with street gangs as a teen and began trafficking drugs at 16, the parole board found. At the time of his arrest in 2019, he was using meth and fentanyl daily. He reported having little contact with his two children and having grown violent with his partner. Rain claimed that his time with street gangs was over but continued to show affiliation tattoos and was caught attempting to recruit other offenders during his time in maximum security. During his time in the federal correctional system, his release into the community was repeatedly revoked. He was first released in March 2022 but was caught using meth at his halfway house, drugs he had bought while out attending a narcotics treatment meeting. In December 2022, warrants were again issued for Rain's arrest after he snuck out from his court-imposed halfway house past curfew and fled to Saskatchewan. He was arrested weeks later while attempting to steal a stolen vehicle. Officers had located Rain standing near a vehicle in the ditch. He and an accomplice, both armed, were attempting to carjack a passing driver, according to the parole board documents. "Your last release lasted a few days before you made the choice to go unlawfully at large, use drugs and incur further charges," Kenny wrote. "You had a condition that required you to reside at a community residential facility or correctional facility given you are a high-risk high needs offender with a significant history of offending that includes violence and weapons. "You have yet to mitigate the risk you pose in society by completing programs or gaining stability and credibility in the community." In its most recent decision, the parole board expressed its concern over the risk Rain could pose to the community. However, due to the legislation surrounding statutory release for federal offenders, the board said it had little choice but to release him — albeit on strict conditions. "According to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, you will be released again on statutory release, subject to supervision, until the expiration of your sentence according to law," board member Marilyn Kenny told Rain in the April 6, 2023, decision. Rain was released on a series of conditions, including that he live in a designated halfway house, that he not consume alcohol or drugs, and that he avoid interacting with criminals. Rain repeatedly blamed his circumstances in Edmonton for bringing him back to a life of crime, saying that "any other release destination would be better" and that he "wanted a fresh start" somewhere outside Alberta, the documents said. "You are an untreated violent offender," parole board officials wrote in 2022. "You are a maximum security offender with low reintegration potential and a high risk to public safety." Court records show the 30-year-old Saulteaux also has an extensive criminal history with convictions for aggravated assault, robbery and possession of a weapon dangerous to the public. Rain and Saulteaux remain in custody awaiting their next court appearance in January. Singh's death has raised questions about the kind of training he received and the safety of Alberta's private security guard sector. A family spokesperson said Singh, a student from India enrolled at Edmonton's NorQuest College, had only been on the job three days before he was shot. A series of community memorials have been held in Singh's honour. A funeral, including an honour guard ceremony, is planned in Edmonton for Sunday.Salah se siente bien en Liverpool a pesar del estancamiento contractual, afirma Slot
After a thrilling double-overtime win over Fresno State, California Baptist makes the nearly 2,500-mile trip to Orlando to face Central Florida on Sunday. The Lancers (5-3) capped their time at the Acrisure Holiday Invitational in Palm Springs, Calif., with an 86-81 victory over the Bulldogs on Wednesday. That followed a last-second, 79-77 loss to SMU the day before. Dominique Daniels Jr. played 45 minutes against Fresno State and led California Baptist with 29 points. He paces the Lancers with 20.3 points per game, while Kendal Coleman averages 15.1 points and is shooting 59.7 percent form the floor. However, coach Rick Croy's team has struggled from 3-point range, shooting just 30.7 percent entering its first true road game this season. UCF (5-2) is coming off of an 84-76 win over Milwaukee last Wednesday despite being outrebounded 41-31. The Knights were helped by the heroics of senior guard Darius Johnson, who had 28 points as he shot a career-best 8-for-10 from beyond the arc. "Darius was terrific," UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. "He's so comfortable in his leadership role now, he's leading our team and running the show, and our new players are becoming more comfortable playing with him. He's been a rock for us this season, and you love to see it out of a senior point guard." "I had an extraordinary night shooting the ball from three," Johnson said. "I rarely think that would happen again, but it's great. I know my teammates are going to have nights like that as well." Johnson is among the nation's leaders in minutes per game (36.6) and is shooting a team-high 50 percent from 3-point range (23 of 46). He, along with his fellow guard Jordan Ivy-Curry, are each averaging 16.9 points to lead UCF. The Knights opened the season with an impressive win over Texas A&M, now No. 20 in the AP poll, but lost both games at last weekend's Greenbrier Tip-Off, including a triple-overtime defeat against LSU on Sunday. UCF has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2018-19. This will be the first meeting between the Knights and the Lancers, who will each have time off afterwards. UCF won't play until Dec. 8 against Tarleton State, while California Baptist is idle until its Dec. 11 game at San Diego State. --Field Level MediaBayern Munich fans protest against PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi
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NEW YORK -- A ransomware attack that hit a major software provider last week caused disruptions for a handful of companies over recent days, from Starbucks to U.K. grocery giant Morrisons. Blue Yonder, which provides supply chain technology to a range of brands worldwide, said that it experienced disruptions to services it manages for customers on Thursday, which the third-party software supplier determined to be "the result of a ransomware incident.” Some systems went offline, impacting clients using Blue Yonder's software. A spokesperson for Starbucks, for example, said that the chain's ability to manage barista schedules and track hours was disrupted — meaning store leaders across North America are currently being instructed to use manual workarounds. Starbucks maintained that the outage is not impacting how customers are served and that ensuring workers get paid for all hours worked is a top priority. While the company continues to work towards full recovery, the spokesperson added that Starbucks was able to process payroll again as of Tuesday morning. Two of the U.K.'s biggest grocers, Morrisons and Sainsbury's, were also affected — with both telling CNN over the weekend that they had turned to contingency plans to keep operations flowing. A spokesperson for Morrisons confirmed to The Associated Press that the outage “impacted our warehouse management systems for fresh and produce” and that it was continuing to operate on back up systems Tuesday. Sainsbury's, meanwhile, said Tuesday that its service was restored. Blue Yonder declined to disclose how many of its customers were impacted by the hack. In a statement sent to the AP, a spokesperson maintained that it had notified “relevant customers” and would continue to communicate as needed. The spokesperson also maintained that recovery efforts were still underway — noting that Blue Yonder "has been working diligently together with external cybersecurity firms to make progress,” including the implementation of several defensive and forensic protocols. Blue Yonder's website touts an extensive global roster of customers — including Gap, Ford and Walgreens. Walgreens and Gap were not impacted following the ransomware attack, spokespeople for the companies said. Ford shared that it was investigating whether the incident affected its operations earlier this week, but had no further updates when reached Tuesday. Blue Yonder, based in Arizona, is a subsidiary of Japan’s Panasonic Corp. Panasonic acquired the supply chain software firm in September 2021.The masked gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” a law enforcement official said Thursday. The gunman is still at large and a manhunt is underway. Here's the latest: Water bottle and protein bar wrapper may hold clues to the shooter’s identity Just minutes before the shooting, the suspect was seen on surveillance footage purchasing the two items from a nearby Starbucks. Both the water bottle and protein bar wrapper were later recovered from a trash can in the vicinity of the killing, according to a police spokesperson. They’ve been sent to the city’s medical examiner for expedited fingerprint testing. Tips about the shooting, many unfounded, are pouring in through a police hotline As the suspect remained at large Thursday afternoon, New York police were sorting through a growing number of leads coming in through a public hotline. Many have been unfounded, including a tip from a commuter who claimed to have spotted the shooter on a Long Island Rail Road train Wednesday evening. Police searched the train, but found no sign of the gunman. Members of the public have also provided police with several different names of people who bear a resemblance to the gunman — though they have yet to confirm the shooter’s identity. NYPD spokesperson Carlos Nieves urged anyone with information to contact the department “even if it seems trivial.” “We ask you to call the tip line because that little piece of information could be the missing piece of the puzzle that ties everything together,” he said. Anger and vitriol against health insurers filled social media in the wake of Thompson’s killing Users’ reactions — and in many cases jokes — populated comment sections teeming with frustration toward health insurers broadly and UnitedHealthcare in particular. “I would be happy to help look for the shooter but vision isn’t covered under my healthcare plan,” one comment read on Instagram. “Thoughts and prior authorizations!” wrote another user. Police searched Upper West Side hostel seen in new images Images released by police of a person they say is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting match the lobby of the HI New York City hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Both feature a black-and-white checkered floor and a distinctive bench in the shape of a semicircle. Matheus Taranto, a guest at the hostel who’s visiting from Brazil, says he saw police at the lodging Wednesday evening. He said an officer wouldn’t let him access a bathroom where he wanted to brush his teeth. “I asked why, he was like, no, nothing happened,” said Taranto, 24. He didn’t connect the dots with the shooting until later. Police in Minnesota say they believe bomb threat against Thompson’s home was a hoax In Minnesota, police in the Minneapolis suburb of Maple Grove, where Thompson lived, said Thursday they believe a bomb threat on Wednesday night was a hoax. Maple Grove police put out a statement Thursday saying a “suspected swatting investigation” was underway. The department said it received a report of a bomb threat directed at two addresses around 7 p.m. CT Wednesday. The Minneapolis Bomb Squad and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office assisted, but investigators found no suspicions devices or other items. “The case is considered an active investigation, while the incident appears to be a hoax. No further comments will be made at this time,” the police statement said. Police reports provided to The Associated Press by the department show that officers made contact with family members at one of the homes and were told they had seen nothing suspicious and had received no direct threats. In Minnesota, authorities investigate reported bomb threat against Brian Thompson’s home Back in Thompson’s home state of Minnesota, authorities were investigating a bomb threat that reportedly was made against his home Wednesday night, after his death. It was first reported by TMZ. City Prosecutor Andrew Draper confirmed to The Associated Press via email Thursday that he received an email Wednesday night “regarding a bomb threat. I reported it to the Maple Grove Police Department and do not have any additional information.” Maple Grove police officials did not immediately respond to requests for details Thursday. Local ATF spokesperson Ashlee Sherrill said: “ATF was made aware of the incident in Maple Grove last night, but no ATF resources were deployed. We are unable to confirm any further details.” A local FBI spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for information on the FBI’s involvement in the investigation. Words on ammunition were written in marker, AP source says The words emblazoned on the ammunition used in the shooting – “deny,” “defend” and “depose” – were written in permanent marker, according to a law enforcement official. The official wasn’t authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. — Jake Offenhartz What’s known about the search As of Thursday morning, police were still searching for the shooter. They released new photos of a person they said is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting. The images match the lobby of the HI New York City hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, including its black-and-white checkered floor and a distinctive bench in the shape of a semi-circle. An employee at the hostel said police had visited but declined to provide further information. Danielle Brumfitt, a spokesperson for the lodging, said in an emailed statement that they are cooperating with the NYPD but can’t comment due to the active investigation. According to the official who spoke to AP about the ammunition messaging, investigators are running DNA and fingerprint analysis on items found near the shooting, including a water bottle, that they believe the suspect may have discarded. Additionally, they’re looking into whether the suspect had pre-positioned a bike as part of an escape plan. What is the criticism of insurers? Doctors and patients have become particularly frustrated with prior authorizations, which are requirements that an insurer approve surgery or care before it happens. UnitedHealthcare was named in an October report detailing how the insurer’s prior authorization denial rate for some Medicare Advantage patients has surged in recent years. The report from the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations also named rivals Humana and CVS. Insurers say tactics like prior authorization are needed to limit unnecessary care and help control spiraling medical costs. Frustrations extend beyond the coverage of care. Expensive breakthrough medications to slow Alzheimer’s disease or help with obesity are frequently not covered or have coverage limits. How do Americans feel about insurers? In the U.S. health care system, patients get coverage through a mix of private insurers such as UnitedHealthcare and government-funded programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. That can prove particularly frustrating for doctors and patients because coverage often varies by insurer. Polls reflect those frustrations with the U.S. health care system in general and insurance companies in particular. About two-thirds of Americans said health insurance companies deserve “a lot of blame” for high health care costs, according to a KFF poll conducted in February . Thompson’s wife said her husband had received previous threats Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he told her “there were some people that had been threatening him.” She didn’t have details but suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage. Eric Werner, the police chief in the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received any reports of threats against the executive. Words on ammo in CEO shooting echo common phrase on insurer tactics: Delay, deny, defend A message left at the scene of an insurance executive’s fatal shooting — “deny,” “defend” and “depose” — echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims. The three words were emblazoned on the ammunition a masked gunman used to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson , a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Thursday. They’re similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend” — the way some attorneys describe how insurers deny services and payment, and the title of a 2010 book that was highly critical of the industry. Police haven’t officially commented on the wording or any connection between them and the common phrase. But Thompson’s shooting and the messages on the ammunition have sparked outrage on social media and elsewhere, reflecting a deepening frustration Americans have over the cost and complexity of getting care. ▶ Read more about the messaging left behind by the shooter New photos released by the NYPD The New York Police Department released photos Thursday morning, asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the individual pictured. Police say the person is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. UnitedHealthcare’s history of claim denials A Senate panel has been investigating how frequently three major insurers, including UnitedHealthcare, deny care to patients who are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. It has also investigated the use of artificial intelligence in deny those claims. Medicare Advantage is the private version of Medicare, which provides health insurance to millions of older Americans. The Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee’s report released earlier this year found that as UnitedHealthcare relied more on its automated system to review claims denials increased for post-acute treatment, which includes nursing home or rehabilitation care. The insurer denied nearly a quarter of claims, a rate that doubled over just a two-year period from 2020 to 2022. What’s known about the suspected shooter? Joseph Kenny, the NYPD chief of detectives, says the shooter wore a black face mask, black-and-white sneakers and a distinctive gray backpack. He arrived outside the hotel about five minutes before UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson did, then waited and ignored other pedestrians before he approached Thompson from behind. After the assailant began to fire, his 9 mm pistol jammed but he quickly fixed it and kept firing, Kenny said, another sign of the shooter’s professionalism. “From watching the video, it does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,” Kenny said. Hunt for the shooting suspect brought New York police to at least two hostels Thursday morning The hostels were on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and police were following a tip that the suspect may have stayed at one of the residences, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. The official requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the ongoing search. According to an employee of Kama Central Park, two detectives arrived at the hostel at 7 a.m. Thursday with a photo of the shooter and asked staff if they recognized the man. They did not, the employee said, and the detectives left soon after. An employee at the nearby HI New York City hostel also confirmed that police had visited the location Thursday, but declined to provide further information. — Jake Offenhartz New York Mayor Adams says he’s ‘never seen a silencer before’ New York Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday the shooter used a silencer — something he’d never encountered in his 22 years as a police officer. “In all of my years in law enforcement I have never seen a silencer before,” Adams, a retired NYPD captain, said in an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “And so that was really something that was shocking to us all.” Deny,’ ‘defend’ and ‘depose’: Ammunition used in CEO’s killing had writing on it, AP source says The masked gunman used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” a law enforcement official said Thursday. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. The words on the ammunition may have been a reference to strategies insurance companies use to try to avoid paying claims. Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny had said earlier. — Mike Balsamo, Jake Offenhartz and Michael R. Sisak Just getting up to speed? Start here The chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation’s largest insurers, was killed Wednesday in midtown Manhattan in what police described as a targeted attack by a shooter outside a hotel where the company was holding a conference. ▶ Read more about the key things to know about the fatal attackBy Steve Holland and Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has signed a memorandum of understanding with the White House that will allow Trump to formally begin his transition to power, his incoming chief of staff said on Tuesday, after weeks of delays. The move will allow Trump's team to coordinate directly with federal agencies and access documents. The unusual delay in signing the agreement after the Nov. 5 election had raised concerns among some critics about potential hiccups in government operations or conflicts of interest. "This engagement allows our intended Cabinet nominees to begin critical preparations, including the deployment of landing teams to every department and agency, and complete the orderly transition of power," Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff, said in a statement. Trump, a Republican, will take office on Jan. 20. His team had rejected entreaties from Democratic President Joe Biden's administration to quickly sign a memorandum of understanding and had objected to some elements of a traditional transition agreement, according to the White House. Under the agreement signed on Tuesday, Trump's team avoided signing a government ethics pledge, saying it has its own ethics plan that will "meet the requirements for personnel to seamlessly move into the Trump administration." The separate ethics pledge was later posted to the General Services Administration's website. It included promises that transition team members will avoid conflicts of interests, will safeguard classified information and will disqualify themselves from involvement in any matter if they have engaged in lobbying on the issue in the previous 12 months. However, it did not include a pledge that Trump would avoid conflicts of interest or that he hold only "non-conflicting assets," promises in the more standard agreement signed by Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate. Trump has a stake valued at $3.76 billion in Trump Media & Technology Group, which runs his Truth Social platform, as well as stakes in a cryptocurrency business, real estate properties and several foreign deals. The family real estate company, now run largely by Trump's son Eric, owns a portfolio of hotels, golf courses, resorts and New York City office space, retail operations and condominiums. The Trump pledge also did not include a promise to protect whistleblowers on his transition team, a promise in the Harris pledge. SECURITY CLEARANCES Separately, the Trump transition team has not entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Justice to allow the FBI to conduct background checks of nominees, and it has not sent the FBI the names of prospective national security personnel who would have access to classified information. A White House official said while a Justice Department agreement has not been signed, progress has been made toward such an agreement. Circumventing background checks would buck a long-established norm in Washington, but the president has the final authority on whom he nominates and picks to conduct background checks. The transition said on Tuesday it already has existing security and information protections built in, "which means we will not require additional government and bureaucratic oversight." Trump's team also broke from tradition and did not sign an agreement with the General Services Administration that would provide the use of office space. The team said it did not want to waste taxpayer money by using government offices. White House spokesperson Saloni Sharma said the Biden administration did not agree with the Trump team's decision to forgo signing some of the usual agreements but the White House would go ahead with the transition process to avoid more delays. Trump's team said his transition will use private funding instead of government money to pay for transition costs. The team said donors to the transition will be disclosed to the public. (Reporting by Steve Holland, Nandita Bose, Heather Timmons and Eric Beech; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Deepa Babington and Sonali Paul)
Stock market today: Wall Street rises to records despite tariff talkIt’s that time of year when proposed budget numbers get floated for towns and school boards to consider, with details now being presented in workshops for the weeks ahead. That includes Londonderry, where the budget work is underway to study all things in the school district and where money can be best spent while striving to keep taxpayers and their wallets happy. Superintendent Dan Black presented his hundreds of pages outlining his fiscal 2026 budget proposal before the school board at a meeting on Nov. 26, an early look at some numbers and how money might be spent in the most fiscally responsible way possible. Black’s proposed $89,116,875 number is a responsible one, he said at the meeting. That number does not include any warrant articles that may appear on the ballot next March. How to bring full-day kindergarten to town remains a priority, officials said. In addition to kindergarten, it’s also a hope to convince voters to approve a plan that includes bringing the district’s school administrative offices to a new location so as not to have to continue to pay to lease space on Kitty Hawk Landing. Last year, a warrant article had asked voters to approve a $34.2 million project to expand Moose Hill, but failed to pass at the polls. Now updated plans for how to move forward will be proposed to voters at the polls next March, a more pared down project that could cost less. Black said the proposed numbers are less than last year, but still maintain the quality of education in Londonderry for its students. “It’s a very solid plan,” Black said at the meeting. The superintendent said he is optimistic about how voters will receive the updated Moose Hill full-day kindergarten and SAU office plan. Black said the budget numbers he put forward showed ways to find efficiency with personnel, shifting programs and staff and making sure all district goals remain intact. There have been “tough” decisions made, the superintendent added. In addition to the proposed operating budget, warrant articles could include several requests that appear every year including money to support buildings and grounds, technology, equipment, and money for vehicles/machinery. Black said he remained very hopeful voters will support the budget and the Moose Hill, full-day kindergarten plan along with a new SAU location project. “I’m planning for a positive vote,” Black said at a recent meeting. And if it didn’t pass, Black said that would be a conversation for next year’s budget process. School board officials along with administration and budget committee members will continue workshops in the weeks ahead prior to finalizing numbers by Jan. 7. Meetings to follow include a public hearing on the budget on Jan. 14; Feb. 7 is the annual Deliberative Session at Londonderry High School and voters head to the polls on March 11. ldnews@unionleader.com