This former sewing machine factory has shaped Wittenberg's skyline since 1929 with its distinctive clock tower which was initially under the name Singer and later under the Veritas brand The industrial structure retains most of its original architectural features although the clock's internal workings have been replaced the  clock itself is controlled via radio by the Braunschweig Institute of Physics The clock tower can be seen from a considerable distance This bellfry was once said to be the Devil’s lair—or perhaps the home of a mischievous gnome This legendary clock tower has dominated Kathmandu’s skyline since it was built in 1894 you never know which face is telling the truth This 25-foot tall clock tower commemorates the start of one of America's foremost shopping districts and the end of the historic Palm Beach Pier This was once the largest four-sided clock in the world (yes The clock tower is a prominent landmark in the bustling commercial hub in the heart of Jodhpur showcasing intricate architecture and cultural significance A precursor to Taro Okamoto’s iconic Tower of the Sun Your request has been blocked by our security system due to potential security concerns Please contact us for assistance As an elementary school teacher for 27 years Joshua Wittenberger has seen plenty of educational programs promising to improve student literacy through game-based learning "A lot of programs that focused heavily on the educational part usually take the fun out of it and then those that put in a lot of fun unfortunately miss the education piece of it," Wittenberger said the fourth-grade Newaygo Public Schools teacher agreed to partake in an eight-week pilot program with Michigan Virtual that gave his students access to an interactive reading game built around a central structure that players must protect and level up to progress Wittenberger's kids in the northwest Michigan district loved the game which is designed to build students’ reading comprehension skills Students got to play about 15-20 minutes a day last fall in their reading and writing class The game's hook is a combination of colorful, animated graphics, playful music and a narrator asking kids to use strategies to build "the strongest and coolest" dwelling they can Players can get resources for the dwelling or house by answering questions A streak of five correct answers wins players awards It's one of several tools that schools across Michigan are turning to in a bid to address the state's literacy crisis dig it out of the bottom 10 rankings in national elementary student reading assessments and try to stop a slide in state reading scores Wittenberger was surprised how much learning material he could insert into the Dreamscape game — adverbs verbs — and how much his students were motivated to play "In this same amount of time that they do a (paper) worksheet I can double or triple the amount of questions and exposure to the learning that I would otherwise," Wittenberger said "The range of assignments are quite huge." Educators monitor resultsBut did the game help his students become better readers and improve reading comprehension Wittenberger saw growth in student reading levels in 22 of his 23 fourth-grade students That growth ranged from one month's worth to a full school year and seven months' worth And according to a recently released study of the pilot program 42% of the elementary students who consistently engaged in the game achieved reading gains equivalent to three or more months of growth in the eight weeks The study was performed by the nonprofit Michigan Virtual an organization that offers online learning and professional development for students and educators in Michigan an education technology company based in Nova Scotia The Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association recruited the teachers to try it out The pilot was conducted in six Michigan school districts with 300 elementary students and 13 teachers It assessed the effectiveness of Shoelace's two games on literacy in classrooms in Howell Public Schools in Livingston County Comstock Park Public Schools in Kent County Ludington Area School District in Mason County Joseph County and Newaygo Public Schools in west Michigan Teachers were asked to have their students play for a minimum of 30 minutes each week for eight weeks students must correctly answer reading comprehension questions that cover more than 100 different reading skills Each are assigned a grade and difficulty level The questions may be delivered with a short reading passage About 58.7% of students engaged in the 30-minute weekly gameplay 91% participated for at least five weeks and 99.7% engaged with the platform at least once Nearly 77% of teachers self-reported improvements in student confidence vocabulary and an overall enjoyment of reading Michigan Virtual is providing teachers with Shoelace access for two years and a $150 stipend upon completing the pilot Officials at Michigan Virtual said engagement in the pilot was high More than half the students answered over 300 game questions and more than 80% were still playing more than two months after the pilot ended "School districts across the state should explore innovative models like this that engage youth in game-based learning as a proven strategy for working towards boosting literacy outcomes,” said Ken Dirkin senior director of the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute More Michigan schools are exploring such tools after reading comprehension testing results have lagged those from around the country results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress — known as the Nation's Report Card — showed the average reading score of fourth graders in Michigan ranked 44th among the 50 states The results of the 2024 Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress showed that 39.6% of third-graders statewide passed the state's English language arts (ELA) test superintendent of Newaygo Public Schools and a former elementary principal and teacher said he signed up for the pilot because the way students engage with learning has evolved Young learners are surrounded by technology instant access to information and digital experiences That means meeting students where they are rather than forcing them into traditional models While the classes in the Michigan Virtual study ranged from grades 2 through 5 the students’ initial placement test results show their actual literacy abilities covered a level equivalent to the start of grade 1 to about halfway through grade 6 with an average reading level of grade 2 but our kids are in different spaces and we can't have a one-size-fits-all," Gilpin said "So when I learned of the pilot opportunity this is not necessarily teaching kids how to read This is really going to try to grow the comprehension aspect and we're trying to get more engagement.'" Michigan has spent hundreds of millions of dollars addressing the literacy crisis in the last decade School districts have turned to hiring more staff in elementary buildings where literacy coaches tutors and specialized teachers work with classes small groups and individual students to help increase reading skills and comprehension High quality teaching mattersThe first level of reading intervention with students is quality classroom instruction by a teacher language and literature at Wayne State University's College of Education "And really good classroom instruction comes from really good teachers who engage in professional development and keep up to date with it," Roberts said "It's supporting our teachers to have access to all of the new information The idea that one solution can fix a massive challenge such as literacy is misguided, Roberts said. Reading is complex and contains numerous facets, according to the Science of Reading, research from different fields that explains how individuals learn how to read and best practices for reading instruction. "If you're following a script or a curriculum, there's is going be kids who don't follow that in line or you teach the lesson to the whole class and three of them need more support. And you have to have professional knowledge to be able to do that," Roberts said. Melissa Graeser, the research development manager at Michigan Virtual, said schools in the pilot have the game for free for two years. That means teachers have the flexibility to use the program as much or as little as they want. The program has produced some promising results, Graeser said. But what future it has depends on school districts and whether they want to use it as a tool, she said. "There's always going to be new educational trends, technology tools, all that good stuff, so we try to embrace it and figure out: What is the place it has in Michigan K-12? Where does it belong? What do people think? What do they like?" Graeser said. "By offering opportunities like these low-risk pilots, we're hoping that at least people are feeling a little bit more informed before making those decisions," she said. "We try to be just the connector." The town is holding its breath in the knowledge that there are known weaknesses in the town’s flood defences Wittenberge was in the process of reinforcing or building new dykes around the town These were to be built up to around 8 metres But thanks to the work of the authorities and volunteers makeshift dykes have helped to shore up existing flood defences like the Bavarian town of Passau that suffered so badly earlier this month Wittenberge is situated on the north-eastern bank of the Elbe and also at the point where the rivers Stepenitz and Karthane join the Elbe In fact much of the town’s appeal for visitors is its close proximity to the rivers and the town likes to promote itself the gateway to the Elbe River valley Wittenberge has seen record levels of the Elbe in the last few days but flood waters remain a threat The Elbe reached a record high of more than 7.70 metres in the last 2 days which is about 50cm higher than the floods in 2002 Volunteers have been helping with building up flood defences (one report says at a rate of 140,000 to 165,000 bags per day) to shore up dykes in the area The concern now is that the dykes and makeshift sandbag flood defences hold out The record high flood water is putting huge pressure on the dykes And there are known to be weak points in some of the dykes was in the process of building up or updating its flood defences with plans to get some dykes as high as 8 metres understands just what a break in the vulnerable dykes would mean for the town: it’s not only the old parts of Wittenberge that would be flooded… Eventually it would reach all of Wittenberge – that’s why it’s so important that everyone lends a hand The flood defence operation in Wittenberge appears to be extremely well organised and volunteers have come from far and wide to help out A special flood operations center in the city coordinates flood protection measures: Getting sand and sandbags organizing transport and deciding on where to put them The unit in Wittenberge is based at the volunteer fire company’s building German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the headquarters on Monday (10.06.2013 – video report below) much of the flood chaos in Germany has been in Bavaria but Wittenberge is just across the state border from Saxony-Anhalt and lies in the German state of Brandenburg and the state which surrounds the German capital Wittenberge is often confused with the similarly named town of Wittenberg (full name Lutherstadt Wittenberg) in Saxony-Anhalt Source: DW Images: DW; DLR Richard Davies is the founder of floodlist.com and reports on flooding news Cookies | Privacy | Contacts © Copyright 2025 FloodList Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Mary Evelyn “Ebbie” Wittenberger Higgins passed away on Saturday 2023 at the age of 92.  Loving and devoted wife of the late Christ Raymond Higgins.  Daughter of the late Jules Wittenberger from Hoboken New Jersey and Mary Hollier Wittenberger from Opelousas Louisiana.  Loving mother of Julie Higgins Selleck Higgins (Pamalyn) and Olivia Higgins Kisner.  Devoted Grandmother of Elizabeth Higgins Scott (Ned) Taylor Higgins Smith (Daniel) and Julian C Kisner (Courtney).  Great Grandmother of Savannanh and Gavin Smith Hudson and Henry Scott and Grant and Jane Kisner.  Sister of the late Lois Wittenberger Babst (the late Murphy) and Gloria Wittenberger Hales.  Sister-In-Law of Sylvia T Jeanne Higgins (the late James) and the late Jay and Gayle Higgins and Louis O Higgins.  Ebbie is also survived by several nieces and nephews.  She was born and raised in New Orleans and she was currently a resident of Mandeville She was married to Christ Raymond Higgins from 1952 until his death in 1989.  She graduated from Sacred Heart on Canal Street in New Orleans and from University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL Ebbie was a teacher in the Archdiocese of New Orleans Schools and was also a retired teacher in Orleans Parish Schools.  Family and friends are invited to attend the Visitation at MOTHE FUNERAL HOME 2023 from 9AM until 11AM.  A Funeral Mass will be held at the funeral home on Thursday at 11AM.  Interment will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Gretna Louisiana.  Family and friends may offer condolences at mothefunerals.com Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times Houses lining the cobbled streets were boarded up "},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" It might have been the set for a disaster film But the town in the former East Germany is a monument to Germany’s growing population crisis Since reunification of east and west more than two decades ago Wittenberge’s population has fallen by almost half "},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" “Most of my friends have moved away to places like Hamburg “If this continues there will be no one left but the elderly Our community will disappear.” "},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" Part of the problem is the lack of jobs outside the big German"},"children":[]},{"name":"paywall","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" cities Just as worrying is the failure of Germany’s expensive “parent pay” policy despite encouraging women to work and have children has failed to lift one of Europe’s lowest birth rates "},"children":[]}]}]},{"name":"paywall","children":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" "}}]},{"name":"ad","children":[]},{"name":"image","attributes":{"id":"0a7ae015-d091-4b69-9367-04a6ba094dc7","display":"secondary","caption":"Towns such as Wittenberge are tough for Angela Merkel\n (Gerald Sagorski)","title":"Towns such as Wittenberge are tough for Angela Merkel","credits":null,"url":"https://www.thetimes.com/imageserver/image/%2Fmethode%2Fsundaytimes%2Fprodmigration%2Fweb%2Fbin%2F0a7ae015-d091-4b69-9367-04a6ba094dc7.jpg?crop=580%2C387%2C0%2C0","ratio":"580:387","relativeHorizontalOffset":null,"relativeVerticalOffset":null,"relativeWidth":null,"relativeHeight":null},"children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" In the town hall Her son has left and is not planning to return home I want him back but I understand that he is doing what’s best for him,” Neumann said “This is turning into a solitary place.” "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" In the old days Wittenberge had three big factories employing thousands of workers sounded nostalgic as he listed the town’s attractions before reunification wool and vegetable oil.” "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" The machines have long fallen silent where factories and farms have been abandoned wolves and lynxes have returned for the first time in a century "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" Something has gone horribly wrong: billions in regional development subsidies helped to build a near-perfect infrastructure in the east But they failed to create jobs — or incentives for having more children "}}]},{"name":"inlineAd1","children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" As she campaigns for re-election next month knows that the decline of a population that is ageing is perhaps an even bigger challenge to Germany than the eurozone crisis Yet she and other politicians prefer not to dwell on the gloomy prognosis "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" “There really isn’t that much that politicians can do about it,” said Steffen Kröhnert “The phenomenon is irreversible,” he added Germany will lose over 30% of its population and this will have devastating effects on the social and healthcare systems as well as on the economy as a whole.” "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" At the German Institute for Economic Research “There is a lot to be done to get more women into work,” he said “But in 20 to 30 years we will simply have too few people left it would still not be enough to pay for pensions and healthcare and sustain growth.” "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" Germany has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe Spaniards and Italians fleeing joblessness at home has helped plug the gap for the German economy says that “it will make no difference in the long run” "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" Birg who has issued many dire warnings about a “ticking demographic timebomb” said that in just over two decades there would be nine pensioners for every 10 people in work "}}]},{"name":"inlineAd2","children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" “The economic crisis will be amplified by the population decline and the worst effects will be extremely unfair to those who have worked all of their lives but will have no pensions to live off when they retire in a couple of decades,” he said “This could well lead to revolution-like turmoil and social unrest.” "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" Local authorities have been bending over backwards to encourage young people to stay and have children some are advertising their regions as “retirement paradises” in the hope of attracting pensioners from crowded countries such as Holland "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" Consultants hired by the Bavarian authorities one of the most prosperous parts of the country concluded that the best strategy was to end funding for rural areas in favour of the big urban centres Yet experts predict that this could be the future "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" As for Mamerow she is lucky to have found work experience in an office She hopes that a proper job will soon be available "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" “I am very attached to my family and I would like to be able to start my own family here,” she said with a smile Like so many of my friends.” "}}]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":200})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" NOTHING stirred in the pretty town of Wittenberge last Thursday afternoon Wittenberge"}}]}]},"image":null,"__typename":"TextByline"},"ROOT_QUERY":{"article({\"id\":\"1626cedc-7af0-4e7a-bf7a-b3f256bd0496\"})":{"type":"id","generated":false,"id":"Article:1626cedc-7af0-4e7a-bf7a-b3f256bd0496","typename":"Article"}}};Ghost towns haunt Merkel as poll loomsAn ageing population and an exodus of youth pose a threat bigger than the euro crisisBojan Pancevski The Sunday Times NOTHING stirred in the pretty town of Wittenberge last Thursday afternoon It might have been the set for a disaster film “Most of my friends have moved away to places like Hamburg Part of the problem is the lack of jobs outside the big German cities Something has gone horribly wrong: billions in regional development subsidies helped to build a near-perfect infrastructure in the east As she campaigns for re-election next month “There really isn’t that much that politicians can do about it,” said Steffen Kröhnert At the German Institute for Economic Research it would still not be enough to pay for pensions and healthcare and sustain growth.” Germany has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe “The economic crisis will be amplified by the population decline and the worst effects will be extremely unfair to those who have worked all of their lives but will have no pensions to live off when they retire in a couple of decades,” he said “This could well lead to revolution-like turmoil and social unrest.” Local authorities have been bending over backwards to encourage young people to stay and have children Consultants hired by the Bavarian authorities “I am very attached to my family and I would like to be able to start my own family here,” she said with a smile DestinationsEuropeMore from Europe10 of the best places to visit in GermanyMay 06 2025 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Russland führt einen Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine Der Überfall der palästinensischen Terrororganisation Hamas im Oktober 2023 auf Israel hat in der Region wieder die Gewalt entfacht Diese wird wie die Hisbollah im Libanon vom Iran unterstützt Die Christlich Demokratische Union (CDU) ist eine konservative Partei in Deutschland Sie vertritt eine wertorientierte Politik mit Schwerpunkten wie Wirtschaft Ihre Schwesterpartei ist die CSU aus Bayern Wirtschaftlich und militärisch gehören die Vereinigten Staaten zu den mächtigsten Ländern der Erde mit großem Einfluss auf das aktuelle Weltgeschehen Das Coronavirus hat Deutschland und die Welt geprägt Was weiß die Forschung mittlerweile über das Virus Und wurden die politische Maßnahmen während der Pandemie genug aufgearbeitet Europa und der Welt bei deutschlandfunk.de Die Europäische Union ist ein wirtschaftlicher und politischer Verbund aus 27 Staaten in Europa Ursprünglich als Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft gegründet Der Klimawandel ist das große Thema der Gegenwart - er prägt das Jahrhundert Die Wissenschaft ist sich einig: Gelingt es nicht kommen schon in den kommenden beiden Jahrzehnten große Risiken auf die Menschheit zu Hier die wichtigsten Beiträge und Podcasts zum Thema Bundespräsident Steinmeier hat den verstorbenen Theologen und DDR-Bürgerrechtler Friedrich Schorlemmer als "mutigen und aufrechten Streiter für Freiheit und Demokratie" gewürdigt ohne Menschen wie ihn wäre die friedliche Revolution vor 35 Jahren nicht möglich gewesen Bestens informiert mit den wichtigsten Nachrichten aus Deutschland und der Welt Der Link wurde in die Zwischenablage kopiert Die Linie RE8 ist noch bis zum Fahrplanwechsel Ende 2025 zweigeteilt Im nördlichen Teil verbindet die Linie den Flughafen BER mit Wismar – mit Fahrt durch Hauptstadt über die Berliner Stadtbahn Unterwegs werden dabei unter anderem Nauen Von Berlin aus sind die Ostsee sowie die Landeshauptstadt Mecklenburg-Vorpommerns direkt erreichbar.  Im südlichen Teil fährt die Linie vom Berliner Hbf durch den Nord-Süd-Tunnel nach Elsterwerda und Finsterwalde (Niederlausitz) Unterwegs werden dabei unter anderem die Stationen Blankenfelde (Teltow-Fläming) Die Züge fahren von hier über Doberlug-Kirchhain nach Elsterwerda oder zur Hauptverkehrszeit auch im Wechsel in Richtung Finsterwalde (Niederlausitz) Im nördlichen Teil fährt die Linie zwischen dem Flughafen BER und Wittenberge stündlich Der Abschnitt zwischen Wittenberge und Wismar wird alle zwei Stunden bedient.  Im südlichen Teil fährt die Linie wochentags zu den Hauptverkehrszeiten stündlich zwischen Berlin und Luckau-Uckro Die beiden Äste nach Finsterwalde und Elsterwerda werden dann jeweils zweistündlich angebunden Zu den restlichen Zeiten und am Wochenende gilt der Stundentakt zwischen Berlin und Baruth (Mark) Elsterwerda wird wie gewohnt im Zweistundentakt angebunden die Fahrten nach Finsterwalde (Niederlausitz) verkehren am Wochenende nicht Diese Linie wird ab 02.08.2025 bis 30.04.2026 von der Generalsanierung Hamburger Bahn betroffen sein und es wird hier zu Änderungen kommen – Informationen dazu gibt es auf einer Sonderseite Fahrplan RE8 Nord Fahrplan RE8 Süd Baustellen und Störungen Wie steht diese Linie im Ranking aller Linien dar? Unser Presse-Newsletter informiert Sie regelmäßig zu aktuellen Entwicklungen rund um unser VBBLand ImpressumDatenschutzSitemapKontaktBeförderungsbedingungenTeilnahmebedingungen BarrierefreiheitserklärungBarriere melden © 2025 VBB (KATU) — Walk in to OK Barber Shop on Salem's State Street and you feel like you're in Mike Wittenberger's living room his love of the New York Yankees and 120 years of the shop's history fills every inch of the walls Mike and his friends are taking a new photo to add to the collection It's one they can only take on May 29th is the same one in an old photograph hanging right next to it Mike is pretty positive the photograph was taken in 1924 in the same shop," says customer Rick Nelson it would have been history a long time ago," says Mike a hand mirror and the wooden waiting chairs are the same ones in that 100-year-old photo "How that managed to stay here or the mirror I have no idea," says Mike Mike doesn't care too much for history I never gave it two seconds thought this picture was 100 years old This stuff in here I see and it's just here I never had thought about it," says Mike There's nobody that's been doing it longer," says Rick Mike has been cutting hair at OK Barber Shop for over 60 years."I think I'm probably the oldest guy still working in downtown Salem I can't think of any business around that anybody is still there that was there in 1963," says Mike Mike bought the barber shop in 1978 from his dad who bought it in 1954."When I went to work here there was four of us who worked here and since I took it over I got it beat down to just one," says Mike "I always wait for Mike if at all possible but he is very good," says longtime customer Wally Belt "Every person's got a different spot in their head that will stick up if it gets cut too short He knows where they're at," says Rick Rick still drives down to Salem for haircuts from Mike "I travel 50 miles each way to get here and to get my hair cut "Somebody will come in here and they'll find me laying back here," says Mike after he says his sons turned down the opportunity to buy the barber shop from him "Probably after I'm gone it won't be here anymore," says Mike it's not the 100-year-old memorabilia gathering dust on the shelf the one-of-a-kind photographs framed on the wall It's the people and the memories they represent Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight As is customary with the quarterly military affairs dinners chief of staff of First Army Division West at Fort Cavazos after giving him a hat from the school district COPPERAS COVE — In a congenial gathering Thursday the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce along with the City of Copperas Cove and others hosted First Army Division West chief of staff Col The quarterly get-together included a steak dinner for the crowd of about 80 and a chance for the Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee to show their appreciation to leaders at Fort Cavazos Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content janak@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7551 Email notifications are only sent once a day there are no recent results for popular commented articles Nedlewerkes is a full service cross stitch and embroidery shop located in Copperas Cove We have been in business for 2 and a half years and counting Please come see us for all your needlework needs. We have over 1,000 patterns in stock so you are sure to find whatever yo… Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Sign up to receive a daily list of Obituary notifications Signup today for the Harker Heights Herald Would you like to receive sports news from all the schools we cover Would you like to receive news about the Copperas Cove Bulldawgs Would you like to receive news about the Belton Tigers Would you like to receive news about the Ellison Eagles Would you like to receive news about the Florence Buffaloes Would you like to receive news about the Gatesville Hornets Would you like to receive news about the Harker Heights knights Would you like to receive news about the Killeen Kangaroos Would you like to receive news about the Lampasas Badger Would you like to receive news about the Lometa Hornets Would you like to receive news about the Midway Panthers Would you like to receive news about the Salado Eagles Would you like to receive news about the Shoemaker Grey Wolves Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker RAVENNA — A city man who allegedly raped and molested an underage boy between six and eight years ago has been indicted on multiple sexual assault charges The alleged rapist also is no stranger to the courtroom: He spent time in prison in the late 1990s and early 2000s for his role in a 1997 murder according to court records and newspaper articles from the time was indicted last week by a Portage County grand jury on charges of rape a first-degree felony with a repeat violent offender specification; three counts of gross sexual imposition and two counts of corrupting another with drugs Booked Friday into the Portage County jail he was arraigned Monday in Portage County Common Pleas Judge Becky Doherty's courtroom Bond information was not immediately available in court records According to court records and his indictment Whittenberger's alleged offenses occurred for at least two years between November 2010 and November 2012 The charges were brought following an investigation by the Ravenna Police Department the drug offenses allegedly occurred between January 2017 and up until March 17 Whittenberger gave a 15-year-old victim marijuana during that time frame The repeat violent offender specification on the rape charge alleges that Wittenberger committed the offense as a result of his conviction 20 years ago for aggravated burglary murder of 50-year-old Carole Howd of Palmyra broke into Howd’s Corbett Road residence that night and beat Howd to death with a tire iron as she slept in her own bed then a 19-year-old Kent State University student waited in Michael Jenkins’ car.Whittenberger received a 10-year prison sentence A three-judge panel sentenced Douglas Jenkins to life in prison without parole while Michael Jenkins got life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years Michael Jenkins' first parole hearing is in January 2023 according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections Reporter Dave O'Brien can be reached at 330-298-1128 The Local Europe ABVästmannagatan 43113 25 StockholmSweden Germany’s most famous UFO sighting occurred back in the 16th century over Nuremberg The work by printer and publisher Hans Glaser shows a supposed battle between UFOs on April 4th Glaser produced the woodcut and an accompanying description ten days later which is preserved at the Central Library in Zurich It shows and describes objects in the sky at dawn and talks of a “very frightful spectacle” in which Glaser claims the objects “fight one another.” a video uploaded to the woodcuts' modern day equivalent shows three UFOs in the night sky over eastern Germany on September 18th last year Three UFOs were filmed over Wittenberge, Brandenburg on a camera reportedly using night vision. The video has had more than 200,000 hits, but one UFO expert told the Huffington Post at the time that the video was likely a fake A UFO sighting over Greifswald near Rostock eastern Germany on August 24th 1990 has become known as the Greifswald Lights Photos were reportedly taken at around 8.30pm of seven shapes in the sky Radio station Hessische Rundfunk reported on April 10th last year of a UFO which puzzled German Air Traffic Control (DFS) The object was shaped like a torso and was spotted flying over the countryside outside Frankfurt A spokeswoman for DFS said: "It is an unknown flying object which we can’t identify," the radio station reported READ MORE: UFO disrupts travel at Bremen airport Please log in here to leave a comment. Pastor Steven Anderson has now been officially banned by Botswana and will be deported The drama began with claims that he assaulted Tony Benn whilst members of the Botswana Humanist Society protested outside Benn says he went to the American evangelist’s new church in Gaborone to “listen quietly” and “try to understand his thinking” and insisted that he was not part of the small group of protestors the pastor apparently became angry and demanded to know if he is a homosexual or a Christian allegedly manhandling and throwing Benn off the premises “I made the big mistake of saying I’m not a heterosexual and I’m not a homosexual In the end I told him I am asexual and felt that it was quite rude of him to ask an old man in public about his sexual preference,” Benn told Mambaonline “I was pushed across the car park forcefully [by two men] I was not hurt by the pushing but onlookers were concerned that I was going to be pushed into a ditch by Anderson’s bodyguards “After being pushed outside I argued with [Anderson] saying that probably Paul and Jesus were asexual so what’s the big deal and why does he consider it to be a perversion He accused me of having AIDS and continued to call me a reprobate…” Benn later went back to the church to fetch his hat A television crew arrived and interviewed Benn outside “Anderson was behind me shouting that I had an AIDS filled mouth…” he said “People should be careful because of his temper I think he needs mental health counselling and help Perhaps it’s the stress of constant media intrusion into his life and always being on the stage.” Benn has reported the incident to the police and said that he is planning to press charges of assault against the pastor Protesters outside Anderson’s church in Gaborone Anderson admitted to the incident in a YouTube video describing Benn (who actually identifies as heterosexual) as an “old homo” who “tried to keep pushing his way into the service.” Anderson said that,” I had to keep grabbing the guy and dragging him out… Obviously we have our right to our private property so we had every right to drag this guy out of there repeatedly.” On Tuesday Anderson continued to express his support for the execution of gay people and adulterers in a radio interview on Gabzfm “How can I let homosexuals into my church when you know they are child molesters,” Anderson said “They rape and violate children,” he ranted While the interview was underway it was reported that immigration officials arrived in the studio Anderson and his photographer Paul Wittenberger were whisked away in a car and taken to the Immigration Department According to a Facebook post by the local Mmegi newspaper Wittenberger was later released by the immigration authorities but Anderson remained in detention the Botswana Government confirmed in a tweet: “Pastor #StevenAnderson a #USA citizen has been declared a Prohibited Immigrant and as such is being deported from #Botswana” Anderson has already been banned by the UK and South African governments for his hate speech who started the campaign against Anderson in South Africa welcomed the news of his imminent deportation “Today we are vindicated as another country says no to hate Let this be a warning to other Christian colonialists We have laws and people who deserve respect I am very happy that this hate-monger has been thrown out of Africa.” He added: “This is another wonderful day for LGBTI people and we trust this is the start of change throughout the rest of Africa.” Pastor #StevenAnderson, a #USA citizen has been declared a Prohibited Immigrant and as such is being deported from #Botswana — Botswana Government (@BWGovernment) September 20, 2016 What a disgusting creature this Anderson is It’s very good that Steven Anderson has been banned from Botswana as well He preaches HATRED for fellow human beings and that is unacceptable “People should be careful because of his temper Perhaps it’s the stress of constant media intrusion into his life and always being on the stage.” More likely to be because he is a hate-filled bigot I love how Benn appeared to be so calm in his interactions with this bigot To clarify Thomas… Tom Benn told us that while he told Anderson that he is asexual Here is the guys from poisoning the well taking the rise out of the bigoted prick . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJHi14DFrXM I need a link to the Botswana Humanist Society Please! very urgent. email me at africa@iheyo.org Pastor aanderson needs Jesus cos the Jesus i know would embrace Benn and so many millions outthere ANDERSON U A SHAME TO THE GOSPEL OF JESUS THE CHRIST Pastor Anderson ia a shame to rhe gospel of Jesus I flew to africa and all I got was deported In my experience with homophobia it is usually the biggest closet homos that end up being gay themselves… Wow but this guy definitely needs to go for some anger management classes I am very proud of the governments of South Africa and Botswana The steps taken by the Government of Botswana are in keeping with International Law and Human Rights issues around the world No man is above the law – Only Jesus Christ himself is I am proud of South Africa and Botswana for keeping our & your citizens safe Steve Anderson – cant you see that you are not welcome I am the old man who was insulted and assaulted by Pastor Anderson and his buddyguards in his so-called church in Tlokweng I would like to make it clear that I’m heterosexual and do not have AIDS Pastor asked me if I’m a homosexual in his church because I disagreed with his soterology in a friendly discussion before church started I said no and I also told him I was not a heterosexual since he had no right to a sensible answer to his silly and insulting question I was going to go on to tell him that my sexual behaviour is none of his business and in Botswana it is quite rude to talk about sex with older people I was going to tell him that in Church on Sundays I’m an asexual and dont ‘think about sex in church He then called me a homosesexual and a fag which I objected to and then he and others pushed me out of church I have all of this on film which is on the Botswana Humanist Society Facebook page I traveled to the church on a combi with one of Anderson new converts so we phoned Anderson for directions again Anderson even offered us a lift but we declined I was not a protester at all at the start and just wanted to quietly and politely listen to and befriend Anderson After being insulted and pushed out of church and across a car park I repeatedly went back to the church before and after the service to try to gain access I told Anderson that the car park is a public place so he and his buddyguards have no right to push anyone though the car park I claimed that since I was invited to church by himself and he has the freedom of speech I should also have the freedom of listening to him I told Anderson repeatedly that I was not a homosexual and that Anderson had unfairly excommunicated me from church for no reason Anderson said I was too ugly ever to be allowed in his church I told Anderson I shall keep on visiting his church and entering every Sunday and Wednesday evening until Anderson apologises in public for calling me a homosexual I wanted to assert my right to enter his church since a church service is a public gathering and is not private affair Anderson’s missionaries were angry with me and accused me of inviting the TV crew I told then I didn’t invite TV and did not know who did After the service during interviews by the TV crew I again tried to enter the church as I felt it was my right as I had been invited to the church personally by Anderson Again the insults and shoving happened in front of the TV camera I do not know if Anderson went to the Police to complain that I trespassed in the church I and the protesters did not disrupt the church service itself some distance from the church and outside of the car park Actually I visited another church service in same building and was pleasantly welcomed and accepted I think only about 14 people attended Andersons service and most of those were foreign Missionaries and a young Mostwana lady called Elsie who was Andersons PR expert I told Anderson that one day he will be an old man and become an asexual and will stop making children ( he has 9) I told Anderson that probably Jesus and Paul in the bible were also asexual and nothing was written about them being sexually active in the bible so why does Anderson consider asexuality to be a terrible perversion of reprobates and an abomination and filthy I did try to apologise to Anderson for anything thing I had said which may have offended him and make him lose his temper and suggested that he apologise to me in front of the TV I suggested we shake hands and forget the matter After the service I went to the Police Station nearby in Tlokweng to show the Police the video I had made of the pushing and insults by Anderson to open a case against Anderson and two others Missionaries They told me that in Botswana the pushing is considered to be assault I intended to also to take the matter to Chief Gaborone in Tlokweng to get the matter resolved by having Anderson flogged or lashed in the local court called a Kgotla Batswana have previously lashed a white man who caused trouble This is part of the history of colourblind Botswana Insulting an older person in Botswana is not considered to be Botho I visited a lawyer the following day to initiate a defamation case against Pastor Anderson for calling me a fag and homosexual and having AIDS According to Anderson”s philosophy all homosexuals are child molesters and rapists On the Radio the following day Anderson again justified the assault because the old man was a filthy homosexual Anderson could have used this occasion to apologise to the old man My main concern now is that Anderson has a church website for the Botswana church which requests online donations for a church which is not a legal entity The church has not been registered in Botswana and no attempt has been made to register the church Anderson is therefore a fraudster in USA by requesting the donations for the church The Police in USA should therefore investigate and prosecute this fraud I also think it should be an offence in Botswana and elsewhere for a church to try to soulwin minor children who are under 18 without parental consent Children need to be protected from cults like Anderson’s If anybody has any questions or wants clarification good people and haters of hate speech everywhere in the world need to fight together to make sure this evil cult called Faithful Word Baptist Church and its bogus Pastor and bogus Missionaries are not allowed to enter their countries The Government of Botswana and Police at Tlokweng Police station must be praised for the great work they have done in getting this dangerous bunch of thugs removed from Botswana I do hope one day Anderson and his missionaries humane Christians and learn to interpret the bible properly or even better become Humanists and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" content creator and would-be novelist who's passionate about equality Do you appreciate the work that MambaOnline does in reporting on LGBTIQ news and issues Your support and show of appreciation can make all the difference in keeping our platform online Is mpox something that you are concerned about View Results BURSASGXHomeBy KUALA LUMPUR: IOI Corp Bhd is expanding its downstream operation into Europe.  IOI Corp announced yesterday that it intended to acquire Cremer Oleo GmbH & Co KG’s oleochemical products business in Germany for €89.4 million (RM432.24 million) cash which will be done via its indirect subsidiary Alstersee 217 VV GmbH entails the plantation giant’s taking over of two oleochemical business’ production facilities located at Arthur-Imhausen-Strasse (Witten plant) and Zur Hafenspitze (Wittenberge plant) in Germany respectively.  offer an annual processing capacity of about 39,200 tonnes.  “We are not too surprised by this news as IOI Corp had indicated its intention to expand its downstream business,” said CIMB’s plantation analyst Ivy Ng in a note to clients yesterday.  “We believe the deal is positive in the long term as it will allow IOI Corp to move up the value chain to more specialised oleochemical manufacturing expand its oleochemical capacity and widen its distribution network in Europe,” she added.  Ng estimated that the acquisition will allow IOI Corp to expand its oleochemical capacity by 5% to 759,200 tonnes IOI Corp’s two oleochemical plants in Penang and Johor have a combined capacity of 720,000 tonnes “The acquisition will also expand its oleochemical footprint in Europe,” she said adding this was not the first foray for IOI Corp in Europe as it owns refinery and specialty fats facilities in Rotterdam Analysts also said IOI Corp’s net gearing will increase upon completion of the deal the deal could raise the group’s gearing to 0.96 times while MIDF Research projected IOI Corp’s net gearing to rise to 1.05 times.  Analysts are unable to ascertain the fairness of the acquisition price as there were no similar transactions in the past The most comparable deal was the Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd’s (KLK) acquisition of KLK Emmerich GmbH in 2010 according to MIDF Research’s analyst Alan Lim IOI Corp’s valuation stood at €2,281 per tonne while KLK’s was valued at €403 per tonne IOI Corp is in the specialised segment that [is] fetching higher margin,” said Lim adding this could explain why the acquisition price is higher.  RHB Research analyst Hoe Lee Leng is of the view that the acquisition is quite expensive in light of the current market condition.  “But IOI Corp explained that the deal was done below the net book value of the assets of €90.3 million which the group deemed to be fair,” she added.  Hoe said the acquisition would allow IOI Corp to tap into a  new market but was unable to ascertain the profitability of the business at this juncture pending more details from the company’s management Ng expects the deal to have a material impact on near-term earnings IOI Corp’s (fundamental: 1.05; valuation: 0.5) share price has been drifting lower since July last year falling from the peak of RM5.20 to a recent low of RM3.85 It closed 12 sen or 3.08% higher at RM4.02 yesterday giving it a market capitalisation of RM25.34 billion This article first appeared in digitaledge Daily one of the city’s top tourist spots and a major transport hub the beach club carries you away to a tropical island Sipping a Caribbean-themed cocktail while lounging on wooden deck under a palm tree you might even forget that you’re in the middle of the city until you glance across the water to watch the passing ships and remember that Hamburg is one of Europe’s biggest ports Pauli Piers with Elbe river and harbor docks in Hamburg Hamburg harbour | © Eivaisla/Shutterstock The peaceful Hans-Leip-Ufer For a little more peace and quiet make your way downriver to the white sand beach at the Hans-Leip-Ufer While many pass it by when doing the walk from the Elbstrand to Blankenese it’s well worth stopping and taking some time to explore the area A special attraction is the Alter Schwede – the Old Swede – a 217-tonne rock that was carried here from Southern Sweden during an ice age some 400,000 years ago Further downriver lies one of the city’s most charming neighborhoods today it’s one of Hamburg’s most affluent districts Making your way downhill along the famous district of stairs passing by historic captains’ houses and modern villas you’ll reach a sandy beach with a laid-back atmosphere reminiscent of a Mediterranean holiday walk to the charming red-and-white lighthouse that’s built on the water Germany | © Patrycia Schweiss/Shutterstock The wild Falkensteiner Ufer If you want to feel like you’ve truly left the city behind the beach at Falkensteiner Ufer is the place to go The tranquil parks and hilly riverside lead down to a sandy shore and gorgeous views across the Elbe with no large crowds and not a single beach club in sight Some even say that the atmosphere here is reminiscent of the Frisian Islands A little further downriver lies Wittenbergen beach defined by a scenic red-and-white lighthouse jutting out above the treetops this is a more rural beach compared to those closer to the city center you have perfect views of the Neßsand island; created in the 1940s by excavating sand from the river although the general public are not allowed access Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $800 on our unique trips See privacy policy Wittenbergener Ufer | © Thorsten Schier/Shutterstock The maritime Schulauer Strand Just outside of the city borders you’ll find the idyllic Schulauer beach. This location is perhaps best known for the Willkomm-Höft – a unique welcoming point for ships arriving at the port of Hamburg The vessels are welcomed with a recording of their country’s national anthem and a greeting in their language whereas visitors on the mainland can find out interesting facts about the passing ships thanks to the captains providing information over loudspeakers Enjoy your time on Hamburg’s gorgeous urban beaches but keep in mind that The proximity to the sea means there are strong currents during the tides that are further reinforced by the shipping traffic This branded content article was published as part of a commercial campaign that has now ended See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Autumn Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in November See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in July See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Summer See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in September See & Do The Best Weekend Trips From Heidelberg Design The Most Beautiful Churches in Berlin Art 10 Masterpieces You Can Only See in Munich See & Do Germany's Most Beautiful Abbeys and Monasteries See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in October Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in December See & Do A Guide to River Cruises in Germany: What to Know US: +1 (678) 967 4965 | UK: +44 (0)1630 35000 tripssupport@theculturetrip.com © Copyright 2025 The Culture Trip Ltd