NYC, world ring in 2012, bid adieu to a tough year (AP)

NEW YORK ? Revelers erupted in cheers amid a confetti-filled celebration in New York's Times Square to welcome in the new year, part of star-studded festivities and glittering fireworks displays around the world to usher in 2012.

From New Zealand to New York, the world eagerly welcomed a new year Sunday and hoped for a better future, saying goodbye to a year of hurricanes, tsunamis and economic turmoil that many would rather forget.

In New York, hundreds of thousands gathered at the crossroads of the world to witness a crystal ball with more than 30,000 lights that descended at midnight. Lady Gaga and Mayor Michael Bloomberg led the crowd in the final-minute countdown of the famed crystal-paneled ball drop.

Matheus Campos, a law student from Brazil, threw both arms in the air as the new year began in Times Square.

"It's awesome," he said.

Revelers in Australia, Asia, Europe and the South Pacific island nation of Samoa, which jumped across the international dateline to be first to celebrate, welcomed 2012 with booming pyrotechnic displays. Fireworks soared and sparked over Moscow's Red Square, crowds on Paris' Champs-Elysees boulevard popped Champagne corks at midnight.

But many approached the new year with more relief than joy, as people battered by weather disasters, joblessness and economic uncertainty hoped the stroke of midnight would change their fortunes.

"It was a pretty tough year, but God was looking after us and I know 2012 has got to be better," said Kyralee Scott, 16, of Jackson, N.J., whose father spent most of the year out of work.

Some New York revelers, wearing party hats and "2012" glasses, began camping out Saturday morning, even as workers readied bags stuffed with hundreds of balloons and technicians put colored filters on klieg lights. The crowds cheered as workers lit the crystal-paneled ball that drops at midnight Saturday and put it through a test run, 400 feet above the street. The sphere, now decorated with 3,000 Waterford crystal triangles, has been dropping to mark the new year since 1907, long before television made it a U.S. tradition.

In Times Square, hundreds of thousands people crammed into spectator pens ringed by barricades, enjoying surprisingly warm weather for the Northeast. The National Weather Service said it was about 49 degrees in nearby Central Park ? about 10 degrees warmer than the normal high temperature.

As the country prepared for the celebration, glum wasn't on the agenda for many, even those who had a sour year.

"We're hoping the next year will be better," said Becky Martin, a former elementary school teacher who drove from Rockford, Ill., to Times Square after spending a fruitless year trying to find a job. "We're starting off optimistic and hoping it lasts."

Many expressed cautious hope that better times were ahead after a year in which Japan was ravaged by an earthquake and tsunami, hurricanes wreaked havoc across the country and a debt crisis devastated Europe's economy.

"Everybody's suffering. That's why it's so beautiful to be here celebrating something with everybody," said Lisa Nicol, 47, of Melbourne, Australia.

For all of the holiday's bittersweet potential, New York City always treats it like a big party ? albeit one that now takes place under the watchful eye of a massive security force, including more than 1,500 police officers.

Dick Clark, who suffered a stroke in 2004, put in a few brief appearances mentioning that he has hosted his namesake New Year's Eve celebration for years, but said "tonight, it's better than ever." Clark, looking cheerful but struggling with his speech, introduced a performance by Lady Gaga and also assisted in the countdown. The show, hosted by Ryan Seacrest also featured a performance by Justin Bieber.

Natalie Tolli, a 13-year-old from Yonkers, said "it was the best time I ever had, especially seeing Justin Bieber in his red hat."

The father, George Tolli, said he and his wife and three daughters and son waited since 2 p.m. to get their place.

"It was a pleasant surprise, very controlled," he said. "In my 51 years, I've never been here for New Year's. But I did it for the kids. And it was worth it."

In Las Vegas, fireworks were launched from eight rooftops at midnight. Police earlier shut down a four-mile section of the Strip to vehicle traffic, letting revelers party in the street. Casino nightclubs touted pricey, exclusive bashes hosted by celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Fergie, and fireworks were expected to shoot from the rooftops of eight of the city's most famous casinos.

Authorities reported only minor hiccups, including an ash tray canister fire on the 15th floor of the Paris Las Vegas hotel casino and an intermittent power outage at Bellagio in the afternoon that led to casino officials closing its buffet.

The Bellagio outage also affected a bank of slot machines and some guest rooms, but the problem was fixed before 8 p.m., allowing all gambling, planned nightclub parties and shows to go forward as expected.

Thousands of New Year's celebrants turned out in Salt Lake City for a variety of events organized by the Downtown Alliance, while in Seattle crowds were treated to a fireworks display that included barrages from the top of the city's iconic Space Needle.

A typically busy New Year's Eve in Los Angeles became even busier as police and fire crews remained on alert for more arson attacks, after dozens of deliberately set car fire hit the city in the early morning hours of Friday and Saturday. Four suspicious car fires were reported Saturday evening.

Atlanta welcomed thousands to its downtown, where a giant peach dropped at midnight. Fireworks were to be launched from the top of the Space Needle in Seattle; in Houston, tens of thousands were celebrating at a party with country singer Delbert McClinton.

In summer temperatures at Key West, Fla., three separate midnight drops took place. A giant facsimile of a conch shell was lowered at Sloppy Joe's Bar, Ernest Hemingway's favorite watering hole when he lived in Key West. At the Schooner Wharf Bar, the bar owner dressed as a pirate wench and dropped down from a mast of a tall sailing ship. And at the Bourbon Street Pub complex, a drag queen named Sushi descended in a glittering 6-foot red women's high heel.

The town of Eastport, Maine, lowers an 8-foot-long wooden sardine from a downtown building at midnight, in celebration of its sardine canning and fishing history.

In San Francisco, revelers were lining the waterfront for the annual fireworks show. Though the city's fickle weather and persistent fog can never be counted on to cooperate, forecasters say the skies above the city should be clear overnight.

The first worldwide celebrations started in the island nation of Samoa, which hopped across the international date line at midnight on Thursday, skipping Friday and moving instantly to Saturday.

Samoa and the neighboring nation of Tokelau lie near the dateline that zigzags vertically through the Pacific Ocean; both sets of islands decided to realign themselves this year from the Americas side of the line to the Asia side to be more in tune with key trading partners.

In Sydney, more than 1.5 million people watched the shimmering pyrotechnic display designed around the theme "Time to Dream." In London, some 250,000 people gathered to listen to Big Ben chime at the stroke of midnight.

World leaders evoked 2011's struggles in their New Year's messages with some ambivalence.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned Europe's crisis is not finished and "that 2012 will be the year full of risks, but also of possibilities."

Pope Benedict XVI marked the end of 2011 with prayers of thanks and said humanity awaits the new year with apprehension but also with hope for a better future.

"We prepare to cross the threshold of 2012, remembering that the Lord watches over us and takes care of us," Benedict said. "In him this evening we want to entrust the entire world. We put into his hands the tragedies of this world of ours, and we also offer him the hopes for a better future."

In Brazil, heavy rains didn't halt parties as upward of 2 million people gathered on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro and nearly as many on a main avenue in Sao Paulo, South America's biggest city. Massive fireworks displays and top music acts graced stages across the nation.

Brazil has seen healthy economic growth in recent years, as the country prepares to host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. Growth, however, has stalled in recent months, and Brazilian leaders are trying to stimulate the economy in the new year.

"This was a good year for Brazil and I think things are only getting better, it feels like we're making big advances," said Fabiana dos Santos Silva, an 18-year-old student who gathered with hundreds of thousands of others on a main avenue in Sao Paulo.

Several people preparing to celebrate the holiday in the U.S. told the AP that they would usher in the New Year hoping the Congress would become a more cooperative place. Some talked about their hopes for the presidential election. Others said they hoped to hold on to their job, or find a new one to replace one they'd lost.

An Associated Press-GfK poll conducted Dec. 8-12 found that 62 percent of Americans are optimistic that the nation's fortunes will improve in 2012, and 78 percent hopeful that their own family will have a better year. Most wrote off 2011 as a dud.

Debbie Hart, 50, of Perry, Ga., called herself the "perpetual optimist" who believes each year will be better than the one before.

"I married a farmer. `Wait until next year. Next year will be better.' That's what I've been hearing for 30 years," said Hart. "I have faith."

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Chris Hawley and David B. Caruso in New York, Oskar Garcia in Las Vegas, Bruce Shipkowski in Jackson, N.J., Dorie Turner in Atlanta, Greg Keller in Paris, Harold Heckle in Madrid, Kristen Gelineau in Sydney, Ray Lilley in Wellington, New Zealand, Frances D'Emilio in Vatican City, Meera Selva in London, Bradley Brooks in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Jack Chang in Mexico City and Melissa Eddy in Berlin.

.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weather/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120101/ap_on_re_us/new_year_s_eve

seattle seahawks grammy nominations philadelphia eagles vince young vince young john carter trans siberian orchestra

Department of Insurance names new division heads for Market ...

December 30, 2011

Department of Insurance names new division heads for Market Regulation, Consumer Protection

Jefferson City, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Insurance has appointed two veteran insurance regulators to division director positions:

Matt Barton, Consumer Affairs Division - Barton has worked at the Department of Insurance since 2005, serving as public information officer, manager of the Licensing Section and as a regulatory projects manager, where he led successful implementation of technology to make numerous areas of the agency more effective and efficient.

Barton's division, Consumer Affairs, is responsible for handling consumer complaints against insurance companies and agents. Thanks to the division's efforts, consumers who filed complaints against their insurance companies have received more than $40 million in additional payments since 2009.

In his role as the department's regulatory project manager, Barton also had leadership roles on committees through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). He previously chaired the State-Based-Systems product steering committee and currently serves on the Producer Licensing Working Group and the International Regulatory Cooperation Working Group.

Before coming to the Department of Insurance, Barton managed securities licensing in the Missouri Secretary of State's office. He has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Lincoln University in Jefferson City.

Angela Nelson, Market Regulation Division - Nelson has worked at the department since 2002, and for the past two and a half years directed the Consumer Affairs Division. As division director, she led the department's recovery efforts on behalf of victims of the May 22 Joplin tornado. Her division's efforts helped secure an additional $3 million in claims payments for consumers who filed complaints related to the tornado. Statewide recoveries for Missouri consumers in 2011 currently stand at $18 million, a record amount for Missouri.

Prior to joining the Department of Insurance, Nelson was a licensed insurance agent with a State Farm agency in Holts Summit, Mo.

In addition to an extensive insurance background, Nelson graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree and an MBA from William Woods University. She currently serves as Chair of the NAIC Transparency and Readability of Consumer Information Working Group. She also serves on the:

  • Operation Efficiencies Working Group
  • Consumer Information Subgroup
  • Limited Medical Benefit Plan Working Group
  • Medigap PPACA Subgroup
  • Earthquake Study Group
  • Risk Retention Working Group
  • NAIC/IAIABC Joint Working Group

Nelson takes over the Market Regulation Division, which:

  • Examines the records of insurance companies suspected of violating Missouri insurance laws, through Market Conduct exams.;
  • Reviews insurance policies and rates for compliance with Missouri insurance laws; and
  • Tracks industry trends and generates annual reports on topics including medical malpractice insurance, consumer complaints and market share data for various lines of insurance, under the direction of a full-time statistician.

"Both Angela Nelson and Matt Barton have served as invaluable members of our department's leadership team," said John M. Huff, director of the Missouri Department of Insurance. "As veteran insurance regulators, they will provide outstanding direction for these two divisions, which are key to ensuring consumers are treated fairly and encouraging a competitive insurance marketplace in Missouri."

?

About the Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions & Professional Registration

The Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration (DIFP) is responsible for consumer protection through the regulation of financial industries and professionals. The department's seven divisions work to enforce state regulations both efficiently and effectively while encouraging a competitive environment for industries and professions to ensure consumers have access to quality products.

###

Source: http://difp.mo.gov/news/2011/Department_of_Insurance_names_new_division_heads_for_Market_Regulation_Consumer_Protection

big daddy role models lsu game lsu game animal house big ten championship game big ten championship game

Sports Roundup: Copeland?s 30 powers Trojans

The Barre-Montpelier Times Argus
You are a few steps away from local news and content
?
To access the Times Argus and Rutland Herald and New England Business Journals, please log in or register using one of the options below
Registered Users New Users

Log In Now


E-mail address:
Password:
?Remember my password

????
Forgot your password?

Create An Account

?

Already a print subscriber?

? Register your print subscription for online access
?

Subscribe or Buy Day Passes

? Get a day pass for $1 or less, or buy a subscription package here

If you received a promotional code, please enter it here and click "Submit".

Promotional Code:?

If you believe you've reached this message in error, please contact us at 802-479-4040 or 800-649-0285 or circulation@timesargus.com.

To find out more about what we offer, please go to: VT Newshound

    Verisign Contact us

    Email: circulation@timesargus.com
    Phone: 802-479-4040 or 800-649-0285
    Customer Service hours are Monday - Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m EST. Saturday and Sunday hours are from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

    Contact our Help Desk | Privacy Policy & Subscriber Agreement | Frequently Asked Questions | Vacation Hold | Report a Missed Delivery | Online Classifieds - Jobs, Cars, Homes

    Source: http://www.timesargus.com/article/20111230/SPORTS02/712309940/1004/SPORTS

    st nicholas st nicholas mindy mccready mindy mccready cliff harris cliff harris josh turner

    thenokian9blog: We like your style! RT @Rog007: I just voted for N9 in Nokia Community Awards 2011. Your vote http://t.co/YmzSgkib

    • Passer la navigation
    • Twitter sur votre mobile ? Cliquez ici m.twitter.com!
    • Passer cette ?tape
    • Connexion
    Loader Twitter.com
    • Connexion
    We like your style! RT @Rog007: I just voted for N9 in Nokia Community Awards 2011. Your vote nokia.ly/sqphPF thenokian9blog

    The Nokia N9 Blog

    Pied de page

    Source:

    matt barnes hcm extremely loud and incredibly close mary tyler moore loretta lynn golden state warriors gene kelly

    Va. agency objects to "Moonshiners" portrayal

    (AP) ? Virginia alcohol regulators say the Discovery Channel's "Moonshiners" television show is misleading viewers into thinking the state is tolerating illegal booze manufacturing and that it wouldn't have participated if they knew how the episodes would turn out.

    The television series is about people who brew their own moonshine and local authorities' efforts to track them down. The show includes actual western Virginia residents and state agents.

    Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control spokeswoman Kathleen Shaw told The Associated Press in an email Thursday that viewers have asked why the state is allowing a crime to take place. Shaw said the show is a dramatization, and no illegal liquor is actually being produced.

    "If illegal activity was actually taking place, the Virginia ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement would have taken action," Shaw wrote.

    Earlier Thursday, the department issued a statement saying it would not have participated in the filming had they known how the show would've turned out.

    "Virginia ABC agreed to participate in an informative piece that documents the history of moonshine and moonshine investigations in Virginia. Virginia ABC did not participate nor was aware of the false depiction of moonshine manufacturing, distribution and/or transportation in the filming, and would not have participated in the 'documentary' had it known of this portrayal," the statement said.

    Shaw said the Discovery Channel had been asked to add a disclaimer "but the request was overlooked."

    Messages left with a show publicist Thursday were not immediately returned.

    Among other things, a Nov. 30 news release announcing the show's premiere says that "Viewers will witness practices rarely, if ever, seen on television including the sacred rite of passage for a moonshiner ? firing up the still for the first time."

    The release does not specify whether parts of the show are dramatized.

    __

    Online: Moonshiners website http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/moonshiners/

    Brock Vergakis can be reached at www.twitter.com/BrockVergakis

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2011-12-29-Moonshiners-Virginia/id-cd238433756e47d28b3f64daf3b58842

    bo jackson ibogaine michigan football michigan football weather houston weather houston small business saturday

    The Best Christmas Gadget I Ever Received [Past Perfect]

    When I was a kid, I'm not sure how old, I got a little red Panasonic RQ-44A cassette player for Christmas. I learned about design, music, and even audio engineering on it. I still kind of miss it. More »


    Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/e6uLALMYlQE/the-best-christmas-gadget-i-ever-received

    black friday ads 2011 black friday ads 2011 pacquiao vs marquez pacquiao vs marquez junior dos santos junior dos santos evelyn lauder