SHEPHERDSTOWN - After enrolling in a musical entrepreneurship class at the beginning of this semester at Shepherd University, four friends found themselves growing excited about their final project - creating a business plan for a hypothetical musical group. As they worked together toward this final goal, they realized that they wanted to take it a step further than their teacher, Kurtis Adams, interim dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and director of jazz studies, had required. The students decided to actually create the musical group that their business plan was developed for between themselves. They then decided to end the semester with a performance or two as the new quartet, Unstrung. On Nov. 12, Unstrung performed together during Shepherd's Small Ensembles Recital in the Frank Center. They then performed a full-length concert this past Saturday on McMurran Hall's lawn. "In the class on entrepreneurship, we talked about how, with a performance degree, getting gigs is really hard when you're right out of college. Dr. Adams, which was the professor for the class, talked about how he came together with other musicians and made groups with them and recorded with them, and they made money off of coming together after finding that they couldn't get gigs on their own," said instrumental performance major Gabby Tedeschi, whose concentration is in clarinet. "That's was a big driving force behind our decision to form our own group." Although the quartet has no set plans for future performances, they hope to perform together again after graduation at venues around the D.C. metropolitan area. "We're all seniors in college right now, and we're all finishing up our performance degrees right now, so we probably will take a break from performing together next semester," Tedeschi said, mentioning two of the quartet's members will be performing their senior recitals in the spring semester. "But we definitely want to someday meet up again and perform together." Unstrung's saxophonist, Emily Ellmore, is double majoring in music performance and composition. She was particularly instrumental to the group's success, as she used her composition skills to arrange quartets for trumpet, clarinet, harp and saxophone out of two works by Joseph Haydn and Charles Ives, which were originally written for string quartets. "We wanted to specifically do string quartet music, because of our name, 'Unstrung,'" Ellmore said, as the group chuckled in response. While one of the instruments in the quartet does technically have strings, instrumental performance major Charity Meyer said her harp is not strung in the same way as the typical stringed instrument. "The harp's way of being strung is so entirely different from the way that violin or cello are strung," Meyer said. "That definitely made it a bit of a challenge for Emily." As the quartet smiled with joy at the completion of their concert, they expressed their delight in having been able to turn their final project into a reality. "Although this was for a class, it felt like we were doing this, because we wanted to, more than anything else," said instrumental performance major Levi Parker, whose concentration is in trumpet. "There was a lot of work that went into this, outside of the regular class expectations, but it was all worth it, to be able to do this together."PS5 Sales Still Trending 8% Ahead of the PS4 in USA
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The right knee injury that cornerback Jaire Alexander has been dealing with over the past three weeks -- and the one that forced him out of his return last Sunday after only 10 snaps - could see him sit out more time, but the Green Bay Packers cornerback doesn't expect his season is over. Alexander told The Athletic on Thursday that he sustained a torn PCL when he hobbled off the field on the final defensive play of the Oct. 28 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars . Alexander sat out the next game, a Week 9 loss to the Detroit Lions . He returned to practice after the Week 10 bye and went into last week's game against the Chicago Bears expecting to play on a limited rep count but dropped out before halftime. Editor's Picks Latest NFL Week 12 buzz: What we're hearing on Daniel Jones' benching, GM candidates and playoff races 2d Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler 49ers TE Kittle vows to play Sunday vs. Packers 1d Nick Wagoner "I stayed here the whole bye week trying to hopefully come back and make an impact for the team," Alexander told The Athletic. "It was a game-time decision at that, so we didn't know ... until, you know, few minutes before the game if I would play or not." Alexander, a two-time All Pro, did not say what a reasonable timetable for his return. "I just need more than 21 days of non-contact," he said. "It just needed more time because to take three weeks off and not do much, that still wasn't enough." Earlier this season, he sat out Weeks 4 and 5 games because of groin and quadriceps injuries. Since the start of the 2021 season, when he appeared in only four regular-season games because of a shoulder injury, he has played in only 34 of a possible 61 games -- or 56%. All but one of the 27 games he sat out was because of injury; he served a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team in 2023. Second-year pro Carrington Valentine probably would start Sunday against the 49ers if Alexander can't play. Alexander did not practice Wednesday or Thursday this week.Chandigarh: Directorate of Enforcement (ED) wing in Gurgaon claimed to have seized moveable and immovable assets following searches at 14 locations in the case of Rs 500 crore fraud perpetrated on homebuyers by a Gurugram-based builder. The agency carried out search and seizure at various places linked to Orris Infrastructure and its directors Vijay Gupta, Amit Gupta and others, as well as Three C Shelters and its promoters Nirmal Singh Upptal, Vidhur Bhardwaj and others. The searches yielded incriminating documents related to diversion, layering of funds, property and other asset details of the entities as well as laptops and hard drives. Documents were also recovered from lockers in the office of Orris Infrastructure. Fixed deposits (FDs) and bank guarantees (BGs) amounting to Rs 31.22 crore in the name of Orris group were frozen and seized. Bank accounts and lockers belonging to promoters were frozen and four cars including a Mercedes, Porsche and BMW were seized from the residence of one of the directors/promoters of Orris Group. ED’s Gurugram action follows its investigation after registration of two FIRs in the case by the economic offences wing (EOW) of Delhi Police in 2017. The prosecuting agency had recently filed the chargesheet against the two companies and their promoters about cheating, criminal breach of trust and fraud. Orris Infrastructure and Three C Shelters entered a collaboration agreement to develop a residential group housing society named Greenpolis at Sector 89, Gurugram, Haryana, over about 47 acres owned by Orris Group, whereas the development rights for the residential society were granted to Three C Shelters. It is alleged that two entities hatched a criminal conspiracy and siphoned off the hard earned money of the homebuyers by not completing the project within the stipulated time and did not handover the residential units to homebuyers and investors. We also published the following articles recently Three Bihar IPS officers promoted, two given new roles Three Bihar-cadre IPS officers were promoted, while two others received new responsibilities. Sudhanshu Kumar was relieved of his additional charge, Anusuya Ransingh Sahu was promoted to IG of civil defence, and Vivek Kumar moved to DIG of CID. Mohammad Faroguddin was promoted to DIG of homeguard and fire services, with Mrityunjay Kumar Choudhary transferred to Vigilance Investigation Bureau. State-wide I-T searches on builder group on suspicion of tax evasion About 170 income tax officials conducted a search on three interconnected real estate firms across 34 sites in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, and Morbi. The investigation targets a Mehsana-based developer for suspected tax evasion involving silent partners with political ties. The search aims to uncover documents and financial records, with operations likely to continue for 2-3 days. Hyundai Motor Group partners with IIT Madras, two other IITs Hyundai Motor Group has partnered with IITs Madras, Delhi, and Bombay to drive advancements in batteries and electrification tailored to the Indian market. A Hyundai Centre of Excellence will be set up at IIT Delhi, with a $7 million investment over five years. The collaboration will also involve software, hydrogen fuel cells, and EV ecosystem development.
Walmart is launching a new safety initiative where associates wear body cameras. It’s not clear how many of Walmart’s stores have the recording devices , but some locations now have signs at entry points warning shoppers that it has “body-worn cameras in-use,” according to witnesses and photos posted online, CNBC.com reported. A shopper shared a photo with CNBC least of a Walmart associate in a store in Denton , Texas checking receipts wearing a yellow-and-black body camera earlier this month. Walmart, the largest nongovernmental employer in the U.S., said they are testing the technology after smaller retailers started trying body cameras at their own stores as a way to deter theft. Walmart employee shares firm response to customer who refused to scan her own items at self checkout Heartbroken family blames Walmart for 9-year-old's death after metal cart incident and years of seizures “While we don’t talk about the specifics of our security measures, we are always looking at new and innovative technology used across the retail industry,” a Walmart spokesperson told CNBC. “This is a pilot we are testing in one market, and we will evaluate the results before making any longer-term decisions.” While body cameras are commonly advertised as a way to prevent shoplifting, Walmart says they intend to use the technology for worker safety. In a document titled “Providing great customer service while creating a safer environment,” staff are instructed on how to use the devices. It instructs employees to “record an event if an interaction with a customer is escalating” and to not wear the devices in employee break areas and bathrooms. After an incident occurs, staffers are told, they are to discuss it with another team member, who can help them log the event in the “ethics and compliance app,” according to the document. This comes during the busy holiday shopping season when interactions with customers that can be more tense and hostile than usual. "There’s too much harassment that goes on throughout the year, but especially during the holiday season ... it’s even worse,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. “Everyone is stressed out. If they can’t find the item they’re looking for, they get upset and whom do they blame? They blame the shop worker.” Bianca Agustin, the co-executive director of United for Respect, a workers organization for Walmart and Amazon staffers, said deescalation training could be more beneficial that body cameras. “There’s a claim that the body cams are going to promote deescalation just organically. We don’t think that’s true,” said Agustin. “You see a lot of violence against workers already at the self-checkout kiosks when they even are attempting to [deter theft] ... there’s a potential that this might hurt that [deterrence] ... it also could provoke people.” Plus, “there’s already cameras in stores,” said Agustin. One retailer that has found success with body cameras is TJX Companies. Earlier this year, the discount department store said it had started using body cameras in its stores, which include its TJ Maxx, Marshall’s and HomeGoods banners. On a call with analysts after the company reported fiscal first-quarter earnings in May, finance chief John Joseph Klinger said the devices had been effective in reducing shrink, or lost inventory. “One of the things that we’ve added — we started to do last year, late towards the year, wear body cameras on our [loss prevention] associates,” said Klinger. “And when somebody comes in, it’s sort of — it’s almost like a deescalation where people are less likely to do something when they’re being videotaped. So we definitely feel that that’s playing a role also.” In a statement, a TJX spokesperson said the loss prevention associates who have body cameras have gone through “thorough training on how to use the cameras effectively in their roles.” “Video footage is only shared upon request by law enforcement or in response to a subpoena. Body cameras are just one of the many ways that we work to support a safe store environment. This includes a variety of policies, trainings, and procedures,” the spokesperson said. “We hope that these body cameras will help us de-escalate incidents, deter crime, and demonstrate to our Associates and customers that we take safety in our stores seriously.” DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter.
Conor McGregor’s name and likeness to be dropped from Irish whiskey brand he foundedThe city’s disgraced ex-buildings commissioner is striking out again. Months after admitting he couldn’t afford a lawyer in his political bribery case, Eric Ulrich desperately auctioned off his beloved 1958 Mickey Mantle baseball card. But all he collected was $55 — minus a 10% donation to St. Jude’s Research Hospital and $14 in fees — leaving him with about enough cash to buy a hot dog and beer at Yankee Stadium. He put his beaten-up, 66-year-old Topps All-Star Card #487 on eBay two months after he asked a Manhattan Supreme Court judge to appoint him a taxpayer-funded attorney. “This is a rare 1958 Topps trading card featuring baseball legend Mickey Mantle in his All Star uniform,” Ulrich trumpeted on the auction page. “The card is well-preserved and is a great addition to any collection. It is ungraded, but its value is undeniable.” Mint condition versions of the card, which features the Mick on a red background with white stars, have gone for as much as $9,900 at auction, but experts said Ulrich’s collectible was not ready for the majors. “It has ... two print roller lines, one right across the face, which is a major detriment to the eye appeal, and a more faint one across its knees,” Jacob Salter, a buyer at Bleecker Trading in Manhattan, told The Post after reviewing the auction images. “We’d expect that card to go between $50 and $70, based on historical sales.” Critics relished the news that the Queens pol is now auctioning off mementos amid mounting legal fees, having previously turned to hawking insurance policies to pay his bills. “Eric Ulrich is just striking out like his entire political career,” said Gavin Mario Wax, president of the New York Young Republicans Club. “Being forced to sell baseball cards is a fitting end to [his] corrupt, contemptible blight on the Republican Party.” One Queens political insider suggested Ulrich likely earned more from the auction than sales of a children’s book he self-published in September 2023, which imagined dogs serving as judges and jurors and a chameleon as a city council member. “It’s still $55 more than he made from his book sales,” the person quipped. Later that month, the Manhattan DA’s office indicted Ulrich on 16 felony corruption charges, alleging he traded political favors as far back as his City Council days for $150,000 in cash and gifts, including a bespoke suit and Mets season tickets. The former Buildings honcho was subsequently slapped with a $150 million civil suit in September by Runway Towing, which alleged Ulrich took bribes from a rival company’s owner, who was also indicted last year. Runway claims that in exchange for the gifts, Ulrich pressured the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to axe its lucrative city contracts and operating license. Ulrich, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, insisted the auction had “nothing” to do with his financial straits and motivated solely by a desire to support St. Jude’s. “During the holiday season, we can all find ways to give to charities that help those in need,” he said. “I have other collectible items that I may auction off in the future and absolutely will be donating some of the funds received to a worthy cause.”
The chief technology officer at Foot Locker, Butler brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across all areas of technology to the Board NORFOLK, Va. , Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- PRA Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRAA), a global leader in acquiring and collecting nonperforming loans, announced today that Adrian Butler has been elected as an independent director of the company, effective January 1, 2025 . Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
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MALAGA, Spain (AP) — No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner won matches in singles and doubles to lead defending champion Italy to a 2-1 comeback victory over Argentina on Thursday, earning a return trip to the Davis Cup semifinals. “I’m here trying to do the best I can in the singles,” Sinner said. “If they put me on the court in doubles, I’ll also try my best.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
The chief technology officer at Foot Locker, Butler brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across all areas of technology to the Board NORFOLK, Va. , Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- PRA Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRAA), a global leader in acquiring and collecting nonperforming loans, announced today that Adrian Butler has been elected as an independent director of the company, effective January 1, 2025 . Butler is the chief technology officer (CTO) of Foot Locker, Inc., a leading global footwear and apparel retailer with approximately 2,450 retail stores in 26 countries across North America , Europe , Asia , Australia and New Zealand , and a licensed store presence in the Middle East and Asia . As Foot Locker's CTO, Butler is responsible for driving technology strategy, innovation and delivery across their digital, data and analytics, supply chain/merchandising and omni-channel experiences. Prior to this role, he was chief information officer at Casey's General Stores, Inc., and senior vice president of information technology and chief information officer at Dine Brands Global, Inc., the parent company of Applebee's and IHOP restaurants. He also served as vice president in the technology services division at Target Corporation. In addition to serving on boards such as Potbelly Corporation and Grambling University Foundation, his alma mater, Butler is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including Los Angeles Business Journal's CIO of the Year, CIO Magazine's CIO 100, Computerworld's Premier 100 IT Leaders, Board Prospects' 50 Military Veteran Board Members Making a Difference and the 500 Most Powerful Business Leaders in Dallas-Fort Worth . "We are thrilled to welcome Adrian to the Board," said Steve Fredrickson, PRA Group Board chairman. "Adrian is an experienced public company board member and business leader with demonstrated success driving technology innovations to transform large global organizations across multiple industries after serving as captain in the United States Air Force. His business and technology insights and expertise will be invaluable to the Board and management as we continue to advance our IT strategy and preparedness in support of initiatives that drive profitable growth." "I am honored to join the talented Board at PRA Group as a strategic business partner and contribute my experience to support its continued growth and success around the globe," said Butler. About PRA Group As a global leader in acquiring and collecting nonperforming loans, PRA Group, Inc. returns capital to banks and other creditors to help expand financial services for consumers in the Americas, Europe and Australia . With thousands of employees worldwide, PRA Group companies collaborate with customers to help them resolve their debt. For more information, please visit www.pragroup.com . News Media Contact: Elizabeth Kersey Senior Vice President, Communications and Public Policy (757) 641-0558 Elizabeth.Kersey@PRAGroup.com Investor Contact: Najim Mostamand , CFA Vice President, Investor Relations (757) 431-7913 IR@PRAGroup.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/adrian-butler-elected-to-pra-group-board-of-directors-302334284.html SOURCE PRA Group, Inc.S.Korea political upheaval shows global democracy's fragility - and resilienceAAL triumphs at the World Energy Supply Chain Awards 2024
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