compact excavators have been designed here The site in Belley became part of Volvo CE in 1995 and today employs 400 people across four different functions: manufacturing We have a Demonstration Center where customers and visitors can try out our machines Contact josephine.salvatore@volvo.com for more information Explore available Volvo jobs and apply today Find information which is more specific to your own location and get in touch with your local Volvo dealer We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money The family of Julia (Belley) Stocker created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories © 2025 Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center Made with love by funeralOne EmailEmma (left) and Belley Barrett reads from their new book “Sister Detective,” at the public library in Hadley (Jill Kaufman/NEPM)On a late afternoon in Hadley a small crowd of kids and their grown-ups are in the children's room at the public library listening to sixth grader Emma Barrett and Belley Barrett The two sisters illustrated and wrote the Chinese and English story dressed as matching sleuths in houndstooth capes and caps Belley and I are little detectives who solve cases when we are not busy doing schoolwork,” Emma read in English “我們的愛好是當個小偵探， 在課余閑暇解決棘手案件,” Belley read in Chinese The tale is about two sisters (who the authors named after themselves) hired to find the thief who stole all the strawberry ice cream bars from the Neverending Ice Cream Store Strawberry ice cream covers some of the prints,” read Emma “德怡拿出她的放大鏡。發現少許草莓冰淇淋覆蓋在一些印記上,” read Belley "Sister Detectives" is a book in English and Chinese and the girls attend the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley the book came out of a desire for bilingual children's books in both languages She couldn’t find them during the pandemic so she encouraged her young daughters to write one “This was a three-year project,” Barrett told the group “It actually started in 2020 when … Emma and Belley had spent a lot of time in the basement Emma had recently written an essay about a couple of sister detectives a bilingual book written and illustrated by children — her children The book became a multi-generational production who translates for patients at Baystate Hospital in Springfield “It's really powerful that my mom was able to be involved and then she was very excited to help translate the book," Barrett said One of just a handful of Chinese students in her grade But her parents made sure to speak Chinese to their kids from early on “My parents inspired me to continue learning Chinese and to be proud of my culture “maybe because they took me back to Taiwan." Barrett and her husband took their own kids to Taiwan and their daughters had no problem speaking with relatives like to feel they belong in American and Chinese culture,” Barrett said "Sister Detectives." It's a mystery for children (Jill Kaufman/NEPM)Two versions of "Sister Detectives" were printed each with a different type of Chinese characters the book's publisher and owner of Haley's Books in Athol “The simplified version is what is used in now and Taiwan still prefers the traditional Chinese,” Gagliardi explained and a way for readers who don’t speak Chinese to find their way “A third line of transliteration [is at the bottom] which is how to pronounce the Chinese words and that is called Pinyin,” Gagliardi said Each page also has an illustration of the sisters in action That part took took the girls about a year listen as Emma and Belley Barrett read from their new book “Sister Detectives.” (Jill Kaufman/NEPM) (Jill Kaufman/NEPM)At the reading in Hadley someone (a grown up) asked the girls what it was like to work together sometimes our mom would have to settle the argument and make the decision,” Emma said One thing Emma and Belley agreed on was the book’s genre “I think mysteries are really interesting because sometimes plain books do get a little bit boring," Emma said Their first book has a dedication in that sprit "For little detectives everywhere.給世上每一個 小小偵探.gěi shìshàng měi yīgè xiǎoxiǎo zhēntàn" This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by New England Public Media french designer gilles belley has created ‘ROOMS’ a furniture system that reconsiders the relationship between household appliances and the built environment the collection is composed of three different pieces: AREA each furniture system has a way to program space adjustable to the constraints of the spatial organization of the habitat the piece of furniture groups functions that are usually spread over several spaces  BLOCK condenses several spaces within a single room the piece of furniture groups functions that are usually spread over several spaces bringing them together in a single arrangement around a central structuring core dedicated to storage BLOCK is configured as an ad hoc living space enclosing storage units with or without doors BLOCK uses industrial techniques of cutting and assembling panels to shape prefabricated modules which function either independently or with other to define space the various modules form a block within a single room AREA defines a semi-enclosed space inside a room AREA defines a semi-enclosed space inside a room this ‘space in parentheses’ becomes the ideal place for doing something else: withdrawing from company to read AREA lends itself to different arrangements depending on the form of its base its freestanding presence with regard to the building or if it’s being leaned against one or several walls AREA lends itself to different arrangements WALL breaks up space into several sub-spaces WALL breaks up space into several sub-spaces enabling varied activities or functions to be present simultaneously it is composed of vertical modules that form a partition with several folds the modules are milled with slots that carry the consoles which are in turn supports for fixing tablettes or plateaux onto the partition face the assemblage of these components rigidifies the entire installation WALL is composed of vertical modules that form a partition with several folds a Y-shaped structural fork defines the directions faced by the folds designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style John’s enrolled the largest freshman class at any Catholic college or university in the nation Many of the 3,248 entering students have already distinguished themselves academically including the young men and women featured below who graduated as high school valedictorians The Kalani High School graduate also was intrigued by the chance to discover a “new” part of the world “New York City was at the top of my list,” she recalled Amy is pursuing her degree in the respected College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at St she enjoys exploring the artistic and cultural treasures of the Big Apple She also takes comfort in knowing that “there are so many caring professors who are eager to help me out.” John’s Catholic and Vincentian focus on assisting those in need As a sophomore at Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville she went on a service retreat at a Life Teen camp in Covecrest she helped rebuild homes for struggling families Jennifer has taken part in the Midnight Run program “the more you immerse yourself in the life of the community.” A longtime interest in service convinced her to enroll in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences “Looking out for someone’s health is an important way to help others,” she said She also has assisted others by participating in the University’s service programs she volunteers her time at the nearby Queens Public Library “You can always find someone who needs you,” she said Scarly graduated as a valedictorian from Aquinas High School in the Bronx she volunteered for food drives and visited the elderly She also served as a youth leader at the Church of St Scarly plans to join her classmates for her first service “plunge” this February “could have offered me experiences that also allow me to help transform the lives of others.” Brandon also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and at Ronald McDonald House which provides temporary lodging for families of children battling cancer “I love the environment here,” said the business major “serving others meant a great deal to me.” She maintains that commitment at St As a student in the Physician Assistant program which she finds “extremely challenging.” Yet she also appreciates the “extra dimension” that St John’s Catholic and Vincentian mission brings to her education the service activities—they’ve already affected me,” she said St. John’s University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, actual or potential parental, family, or marital status, pregnancy and related conditions, disability, or age in its programs and activities. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, [email protected] has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies personal trainer Rob Belley will drive to Killington throw a spear at a target and leap over a flaming pile of logs And he’ll be bringing some of his customers along with him an “American Gladiators”-esque obstacle course and running race started in 2009 that has since spread to 21 states and 10 countries The Spartan Race is a part of a larger group of obstacle course races – or OCRs – that include events like Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash “I’ve seen some really fit people get into these events After running his first Spartan Race in 2009 Belley saw an opportunity to refocus his personal fitness business around training for intense events It was a risky financial proposition: Many of his customers just weren’t interested in more than getting a basic workout “I knew I could lose a lot of clients because things were progressively going to get harder,” he said and as OCRs have gained public awareness – with national brands like Reebok jumping on board and an NBC series possibly in the works – so has local interest in his business regularly trains 30 people to compete in intense endurance challenges Belley also offers more “typical” fitness services like semi-private and youth athlete training which he says still accounts for a large portion of his business Belley charges $131 per month for Spartan training and $50 per session for semi-private training much of which went straight back into the business The decision to be in the business of fitness wasn’t difficult for Belley Since he was 14 years old he possessed an intense curiosity about personal health enough to earn the attention of his teachers at East Bridgewater High School who had him help create lesson plans around nutrition ”My anatomy teacher would come over and look at my lunch every day and ask He carried that interest through his studies at Bridgewater State University He spent several years working for Boston Sports Club but Belley always had an itch to start his own business which can sometimes be frustratingly trend-driven because of the competitive nature and the community that has developed around it he sees it as an activity that he can work into a sustainable business model “People that have stuck with us are the ones that get it “Some people have that extra gear in them.” Dan Schneider may be reached at dschneider@ledger.com your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt A group of leftist parties in the French National Assembly has proposed a public tribute to the country’s first black deputy The Democratic and Republican Left group (GDR) a collective made up of representatives of the French Communist Party and left-wing parties based in Overseas France after a racist incident which occurred during a legislative session last week was written by communist MP André Chassaigne on behalf of the group Gregoire de Fournas, a member of the far-right National Rally party, was heard shouting “return to Africa” during a question from black lawmaker a member of the leftist France Unbowed party had been grilling the government on the issue of 234 migrants stranded at sea De Fournas claimed the remark had been aimed at the migrants trying to reach Europe by boat but later apologised to Mr Bilongo for any “misunderstanding” caused by his comments Mr Bilongo wrote: "To everyone reading this I call you to stand against the poison that is racism." the far-right MP has been given a 15-day ban from the National Assembly and he will lose half of his parliamentary allowance for two months Mr Chassaigne called for the National Assembly to go further in its fight against racism “The racist character of the remarks made [on Thursday] deeply shocked us and pushed us to engage in a real reflection that goes beyond the initial and necessary responses [to the incident]” wrote Mr Chassaigne Jean-Baptiste Belley was elected during the French Revolution as the MP for Saint-Domingue he took part in the Haitian Slave Revolt to demand the emancipation of slaves before being elected in 1793 to the French parliament of the revolution An active spokesman for the rights of black people when the parliament decided unanimously to abolish slavery DOVER — Grace Catarius was on her way to Olde Madbury Lane Apartments to join her friends for a swim was heading west on Knox Marsh Road in a red 2013 Ford Fiesta and took a left into Olde Madbury Lane But police said she didn't yield to an oncoming 2017 Jeep Wrangler and his girlfriend was waiting for Catarius of Hampton to arrive when he heard the sound of a car crash a short distance away I heard it and started running as soon as I heard it," said 29-year-old Fowler he didn't know that Catarius was involved in the crash The smoke didn't allow him to see who was inside Fowler broke the window with his hand and then unlocked the car from the inside "she was in the passenger-side upside down," Fowler said He tried yelling to her but didn't get a response and Fowler believed she was having a seizure and I wasn't leaving her in the car," he said Fowler said he yelled for help as he pulled her out of the car quickly came to his aid and helped Fowler carry Catarius Fowler said there was a person who identified herself as a nurse who yelled at him not to move her concerned that she could be further injured from the movement "She was coming out regardless," he said of Catarius Soon after they moved the driver to safety "the whole thing went into flames," Fowler said of the Ford Fiesta Brianna Belley and her boyfriend live across the street from the accident site and heard the crash and subsequent shouts for help from Fowler Belley and her boyfriend then stopped cars from traveling by while they waited for first responders Dover Fire and Rescue personnel soon arrived to tend to Catarius while others extinguished the fire Brad Gould said Catarius was transported with Portsmouth Regional Hospital with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries PRH spokesperson Lynn Robbins said Monday afternoon Catarius was listed in fair condition Gould said the Jeep Wrangler operated by 45-year-old Marc Holden of Madbury Both vehicles sustained substantial damage Another adult and two children were also in the Jeep No one from that vehicle was transported due to injury ‘nootan’, made by french designer gilles belley is a range of sockets switches and plinth which reveal the electric landscape only the shadow of these electrical equipments is highlighted by a faint light a naturally colored reflection on the wall which remind us of the available energy and of the invisible network that runs through the home the nuance of the reflection shows the electricity two levels of glow indicate if the plugged appliance is ‘on’ or ‘off’ editorial director of the french intramuros magazine design à vivre: maison et objet 2010 in paris gilles belley is also the winner of the ‘bourse agora’ 2009 for his project: ‘the organic factory: agromaterials’ the biennial award enables young design professionals active in france to realise a personal which strategies can we come up with to consume less here a a few ‘ micro-infrastructures’ to encourage new behaviors ‘le fabrique vegetale’ research project image © designboom ‘inflorescence’ used as bath aroma it combines the beauty of the geometry of the flower buds of the muscari flowers with the olfatic experience of the intense antibacterial and aromatic oils image © designboom ‘inflorescence’ ‘rameau’ marble and plant stem fragrance diffuser it is used as a whip in the water for rapid and intense perfume dissemination its base contains seed with fertilizer made of agromaterials ‘plaine’ organic fertilizer made of agromaterials when watering water slides of the ‘plaine’ to moisten the lower strata the micro exhibition image © designboom microclimats close and up to lamp ‘microclimats’ image © designboom fan ‘microclimats’ display furniture ‘ last memories’,  memories of the shoah image © designboom display furniture image © designboom ‘last memories’ display furniture shown in the maison et objet 2010 exhibition by photographer jacques gavard image © designboom the other 9 designers of the show are : 5.5 designers philippe starck has challenged the designers with the question ‘what is missing and the designers presented an initial reaction through a five minute video – which the starting point for another exhibition in june 2010 as part of paris’ designer’s days the new intramuros magazine #146 : there is a nice gilles belley article and he is also on the cover … PEMBROKE – Rob Belley and Adam Klaucke recently finished the 66-hour long death race endurance competition and did anything else that was asked of them for literally days how does someone train for something like that “I don’t think it can be learned,” said Belley Belley is someone who has had a lifetime of motivation The 35-year old said when he was 14-years old he was diagnosed with a heart condition and told he couldn’t do any vigorous activity he was getting ready for basketball season but quickly had to limit his actions to jump shots on his own Belley said he began ignoring the doctor’s orders and continuously increased his workouts “At first I would get panicked about my condition,” he said He said when he was 15-years old he was bench-pressing 185 pounds until one day he realized he was benching 250 “I’m always finding a way to push the envelope,” he said Belley has the opportunity to be one of a handful of people to complete all death race events in a year cycle He will be participating in the team event later this month although he is not competing in the team death race Klaucke said he got into endurance events for a much different reason Klaucke said he was looking for a way to lose some weight while competing in Spartan endurance race events and eventually this summer’s death race with Belley Klaucke said he has a tendency to jump into things headfirst “I take things that are supposed to be fun and ruin them.” Belley describes their hikes and challenges during competition as fun and Klaucke said he’s never competed in an event that didn’t make him ask himself Belley and Klaucke said they were both contemplating some different events Belley will be participating in the team death race and Klaucke will be running the Vermont Beast World Championship Spartan Event Mark Burridge may be contacted at mburridge@wickedlocal.com "Beyond Borders: Global Africa," up through Nov casts a spotlight on the unexpected cosmopolitanism of African art sometimes thought -- falsely -- to have been provincial and isolated.  The show at the University of Michigan Museum of Art, two and a half years in the making demonstrates the considerable influence the rest of the world had on African artists as well as the impact the African diaspora had on art elsewhere.  Associate Curator of African Art Laura De Becker who organized this handsome show drawn largely from private collections wanted to remind visitors that Picasso and other Cubists weren't the only artists to pull on African precedents.  "I wanted to show that's only one moment in the long history of encounter exchange and the passing back and forth of influences," De Becker said "I wanted to show African artists drawing from European and American sources -- and vice-versa." "Beyond Borders" bears some resemblance to "Through African Eyes: The European in African Art 1500 to Present," the 2010 Detroit Institute of Arts exhibition that De Becker says was a big inspiration This cross-cultural hybridization is on full display with the magnificent portrait that greets the visitor on entering the exhibition the 2014 "Jean-Baptiste Belley" by the Senegalese-born Omar Victor Diop.  The work is a play on Anne-Louis Girodet's 1797 portrait of Belley who was sold into slavery as a small child but ultimately rose to prominence in the French army and became a spokesman for people of color in the French Republic.  Dressed in full 18th-century military splendor Diop has inserted his likeness for Belley.  "What Diop is trying to do is find dignified stories of migration," De Becker said rather than the more-common tales of exploitation and suffering "He wanted to show how important some of these people became in the countries they landed in."  Diop is resting one arm on a soccer ball atop a table -- a knowing reference to the role Africans play in professional European soccer and the racist taunts that have become an unfortunate part of the game in recent years.  Chéri Samba's "Hommage aux Anciens Créatures (A Tribute to Earlier Artists)" plays with both representation and cultural appropriation.  the artist -- dapper in red blazer and dark glasses -- sits at a table regarding a half-dozen historical sculptures by unknown artists all of which originated in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo The artist found the small pieces in a Swiss museum and was reportedly "astonished" to discover the collector in question had never visited Africa With "Hommage," the artist confronts the reality that the best collections of historical African art are "That’s why I called the exhibition 'Beyond Borders,' De Becker said "I wanted to use the show to talk about how borders Thinning dense forests is one of the best ways to reduce catastrophic wildfires but that creates the problem of what to do with the removed material A bill in Congress would make it easier to turn forest waste into renewable energy by burning it in a biomass generator WASHINGTON – Coconino County Supervisor Art Babbott urged senators Wednesday to pass a bill that would let limbs and trees left over from forest maintenance be burned for renewable energy testifying before a Senate Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee said the lack of a market for forest waste has been a bottleneck choking efforts to clear national forests of undergrowth and halt the growth of catastrophic wildfires we can’t use the same strategies that used to work because they don’t work anymore,” said Babbott who punctuated his remarks by noting that he had received notice during his testimony of another wildfire breaking out in the county But a coalition of environmental groups blasted the bill as “a false solution in search of a problem,” and one that would “only intensify wildland fires and exacerbate the climate and biodiversity crisis.” The coalition includes the Sierra Club the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Western Environmental Law Center “Forest biomass burning is not a climate solution and should not be considered a distributed renewable energy resource,” said the letter that was submitted for the hearing “When we burn forest biomass for bioenergy the climate impacts last for decades to centuries.” The hearing comes during a year in which Arizona has seen a sharp increase in wildfires with 2,375 blazes as of Monday that had burned more than 955,000 acres so far this year a spokeswoman with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management And that pales in comparison to states like California, where 9,279 fires have burned almost 4.2 million acres and led to 31 deaths this year according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection unless action is taken to manage overgrowth of forests on public lands “If we do not have strategies to deal with the tens of millions of tons of biomass and fuel loads on these Forest Service lands we will not reduce the threats of catastrophic fire and the subsequent ecological sterilization of millions of acres of public land,” Babbott said during his testimony Babbott said the bill “recognizes that unless we deal with the reality that the majority of timber in Arizona’s forests have negative to no value forest industry cannot play their pivotal role.” Clearing denser parts of the forest prevents wildfires from getting out of hand – one of the goals of the Four Forests Restoration Initiative, or 4FRI, of which Babbott is chairman But he said in his written testimony that effort has only been able to clear 14,000 acres of its goal of 300,000 acres in part because of a lack of a market for the forest waste collected loggers have cleared six times as much forest near Snowflake because there is a biomass generator there that can burn the wood to generate electricity “Biomass energy plays a significant role in the success rate of forest restoration in Arizona,” Babbott said adding that it is the only viable option if the state hopes to reach its goal of clearing 30,000 to 50,000 acres per year The coalition said in its letter that there are better solutions than collecting “The Senate should focus on legislation that will protect homes rather than solutions that will only negatively impact the environment animal habitat and not solve the wildland fire issue,” the letter said No one at the hearing testified against the measure, with Forest Service Deputy Chief Chris French saying it has “great potential” as a renewable energy source, even though he said it needs a few technical changes before it is approved French also said the service supports another McSally bill heard Wednesday, one of about a dozen bills the subcommittee took up at the hearing. The Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument Boundary Adjustment Act would transfer 97 acres from the Forest Service to the National Park Service which would be able to operate on the land without first getting Forest Service approval That would “remove a significant bureaucratic compliance burden” for both agencies Babbott said that while some have argued details about the biomass bill the subcommittee needs to look at the big picture and approve the measure to move the conversation forward “We must make progress on the biomass question if we are to make progress on reducing the threat of catastrophic fire in our communities,” Babbott said MacKenzie Belley expects to graduate in May 2021 with a degree in journalism with a focus on broadcast production who previously worked for Arizona PBS and as a reporter for Cronkite News in Washington Cronkite News is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University Staff members are listed here Learn more about what we do and how to find our content on our broadcast Find out how your news organization can use Cronkite News content Sign up for daily headlines [email protected] Creative Commons Privacy statement Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker from Montana shown with the tip of a stitching needle Gem exploration may become cheaper and easier thanks to work taking place in Memorial’s Faculty of Science Researchers in the faculty’s Department of Earth Sciences developed a new method of analyzing fine-grained sediment Philippe Belley says the current approach of exploring for sapphire and ruby deposits involves taking large sediment samples to look for gems of potential economic value which limits exploration to a more local scale “We’ve established a method that can be used to make meaningful comparisons between corundum — the mineral called sapphire or ruby when of gem-quality — found in sediments around the world which will lead to a better of understanding of gem deposits,” he said A recent paper published in the Canadian Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology reveals that in one sapphire deposit in Montana corundum is far more abundant at small grain sizes (the size of a grain of sand) than in coarser grains of potential economic interest These abundant small grains would be easier to detect in general heavy mineral surveys and could be used to understand the distribution of corundum over large areas Belley says most coloured gemstone deposits are found by chance His lab is developing methods that can be applied on a regional scale particularly in areas that are not historically known to produce gemstones exploration capabilities are currently limited to a more local scale and are usually employed in regions with known deposits “Our goal is to develop tools that will be incorporated into existing surveying efforts by federal and provincial geological surveys which add little cost and could lead to discoveries of new gem-producing regions in Canada and abroad.” Belley says there is more work to do in order to develop functional exploration tools explorers could use to hunt down ruby and sapphire deposits but his lab is advancing towards this goal is currently studying the trace element and oxygen isotope composition of tiny corundum grains found in surface sediments from sites across Canada in order to identify potential source rocks Belley says the grains give the researchers a first glimpse into corundum-bearing environments in parts of Canada that have never been examined for ruby and sapphire deposits Belley also says they also indicate whether or not the physical properties of the corundum grains exclude gem potential it is one of the most efficient approaches for detecting the presence of corundum at regional scale,” he said The grains were provided by the Geological Survey of Canada undergraduate honours student Emma Mercer is comparing pink corundum found in a coastal rock exposure near Hopedale Labrador — an occurrence discovered by Indigenous prospector Edmund Saunders — to grains found in surface sediments more than 27 kilometres away by Heather Campbell a Newfoundland and Labrador Geological Survey geologist “These occurrences suggest that potential ruby-forming environments are widespread in the Hopedale area but there are as of yet no clear indications for the presence of larger Kelly Foss is a communications advisor with the Faculty of Medicine. She can be reached at kfoss@mun.ca Tariffs at the table: how trade policies are impacting Canadian food banks Janet Morrison as next president and vice-chancellor participant and entrepreneur's revenues grow by 500 per cent A pot of $299,000 will help 15 Memorial international graduate students commercialize their sustainable tech research Revised institutional Indigenous research policy approved by board Teaching and Learning Conference celebrating history and focusing on the future After Louise Belley-Schnarr's 2007 diagnosis with metastatic melanoma she parted with one piece of clothing from her closet each day Her outlook remained bleak after her tumors grew back despite surgical removal and interferon therapy her oncologist sent her to the University of California She was among the first patients to take a pill targeting melanoma that is spread by a genetic mutation Belley-Schnarr would compulsively feel the marblesized tumor under her left arm "She would touch that tumor 100 times a day," recalled her husband It didn't take a lot of close observation to realize what was happening travels internationally and displays no signs of cancer was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last year was one of the authors of a study in the New England Journal of Medicine about the improved life expectancies for patients who respond to the medication "They call it medicated remission," Belley-Schnarr said most of whom eventually die because the cancer finds a way to work around the drug Ribas is also a paid consultant for Genentech "I wouldn't call her terminal right now because we have had no evidence of melanoma for the last 2 1/2 years," he said Melanoma is a particularly deadly cancer because it's so difficult to treat Skin cells are designed to keep growing in spite of any damage "They're very resistant to chemotherapy because these are the cells that have to overcome toxins and be able to survive," he said is among roughly half of advanced melanoma patients who have a gene mutation called BRAF V600E that allows the cancer to spread 53 percent in the published study experienced tumor shrinkage of more than 30 percent The drug works by turning off the cancer's growth signal The median life expectancy for melanoma that has spread is six to 10 months she was diagnosed in November 2007 and began taking Zelboraf in June 2009 She said she lived longer than the average before the medication because her tumors were slower growing than most melanomas said Medicare and private insurance cover the drug She said a typical sixmonth course of treatment costs $61,000 requires preapproval for coverage and charges a co-pay of $126 Belley-Schnarr has learned to live as if every day could be her last but also with renewing optimism about her future "I am more confident than I was a year ago," she said "I don't know that I will ever think this is the longterm solution for me I'm hoping this pill is going to work for me forever He mentioned the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and National Media Commission (NMC) as strong pillars of the country’s democracy which needed to operate without any political interference in their constitutionally-stipulated functions would enable those institutions to address the accountability deficits of the state as they would function without looking up to politicians for funding He was speaking at a public lecture on ‘Three Decades of Constitutionalism in Ghana’s Fourth Republic: Reflections on the Performance of the Independent Constitutional Bodies,’ in Ho last week Friday organised by the Department of Governance Studies of EPUC to mark Constitutional Day was attended by students of the university and members of the public He said the various democratic institutions when financially independent under the proposed democracy fund would hold political officer holders accountable because they would need no favours from them Dr Belley pointed out that the office of the Auditor-General also required financial independence to perform their duties effectively other institutions of governance such as the Bank of Ghana which might not be expressly listed as independent bodies required a high degree of autonomy to execute their respective constitutional mandates was necessary to guard them against unrestrained executive interference The governance studies lecturer also called for responsible media practice to protect the democratic institutions to promote human rights and fight corruption Our newsletter gives you access to a curated selection of the most important stories daily Connect With Us : 0242202447 | 0551484843 | 0266361755 | 059 199 7513 | Ortis breached national security laws and leaked sensitive information to organized crime figures When the FBI swooped in and arrested Canadian businessman Vincent Ramos in 2018 it was supposed to be a good-news story for the RCMP The Phantom Secure CEO’s ability to sell encrypted phones to criminals had been a lingering source of embarrassment for Canadian law enforcement on the world stage But any joy in the moment quickly drained away when former RCMP staff sergeant Guy Belley logged on to Ramos’s computer and found confidential RCMP documents That discovery would kick off a months-long investigation into Cameron Ortis a man once celebrated as a rising star within the RCMP who now awaits sentencing after being found guilty of leaking special operational information last week Belley told Ortis’s trial that the discovery of the documents in Ramos’s possession left him “totally shocked.” According to testimony heard by the jury over the past two months investigators were stunned when they raided Ortis’s bachelor apartment in Ottawa’s ByWard Market neighbourhood in 2019 they found an encrypted USB drive that carried a trove of internal documents siphoned from a secret government computer network along with classified documents sent to police targets So how did the biggest police force in the country fail to see this coming An internal RCMP document offers some clues the RCMP conducted a security review that suggested the former intelligence official was able to float above suspicion “Having gained the explicit trust of his superiors he was allowed the latitude to function with minimal supervision or oversight,” the RCMP security review team wrote in its June 2020 report obtained by CBC News through an access to information request “The level of trust and confidence Ortis garnered [distracted] his supervisors from being able to see common Insider Threat warning signs that surfaced well in advance of Ortis’s arrest Having gained the explicit trust of his superiors he was allowed the latitude to function with minimal supervision or oversight.” The report lists six “disconcerting warning signs” and behaviours that should have been reported to the chief security officer (CSO) They were largely redacted from the report provided to CBC News The report said that at least one person in the RCMP tried to flag Ortis’s “persistent or unusual interest in or attempts to gain access to sensitive information assets or facilities,” but the report said there was “no evidence” to suggest that concern made it to the chief security officer’s desk said there was significant reluctance to report concerns about Ortis within the RCMP and some “individuals had concerns about reprisals if they reported.” The security review, also shared with the Canadian Press calls for a culture shift within the RCMP to prevent future breaches of this magnitude “The question [of] whether this was a security failure or the malicious actions of a single individual that used his position of trust and his expertise in his area of specialization said the RCMP acknowledges its role in the incident let’s admit that and find ways to make the organization better and keep moving forward,” he said “Security may not have been at the forefront of what we’re doing and things can happen and people can relax a little bit.” who came into his position after Ortis’s arrest said the RCMP’s employees are better trained now on detecting insider threats — the term used for employees who use their authorized access or understanding of an organization to cause harm The force also launched a security event reporting tool at the end of last year that allows RCMP staff to flag concerns anonymously “The reality is the organization is made up of humans and humans can make mistakes to the point that we’re in a much healthier place with this,” he said “But it requires us to remain vigilant moving forward Ortis was found guilty of all six charges against him including four counts under the Security of Information Act The men he’s convicted of communicating with were on the RCMP’s radar when Ortis was arrested Ortis was found guilty of sharing information with Ramos Police suspected Henareh and Ashraf of being agents of an international money-laundering network with ties to terrorists The 51-year-old was also convicted of trying to leak information to Farzam Mehdizadeh One RCMP witness told Ortis’s trial he believes Mehdizadeh worked with “the most important money launderers in the world.” Ortis claimed he was actually working on a secret mission from a foreign agency He said the plan was to lure criminals to an encrypted email service to allow authorities to collect intelligence about them Ortis said he sent the information to police targets in order to prove his “bona fides.” Ortis’s job put him near the heart of Canadian intelligence After he was recruited by Mounties at a security and intelligence studies conference Ortis’s career as a civilian member of the force soared when he was put in charge of a new unit within RCMP national security During Ortis’s short time running the operations research unit he had access not only to RCMP operations but to intelligence gathered by Canada’s spy agencies and allies abroad The purpose of the OR unit was to brief senior decision-makers within the RCMP on threats and opportunities in ways that wouldn’t expose top-secret information in open court Ortis had access to Canada’s Top Secret Network (CTSN) a highly classified network used for information-sharing within Canadian law enforcement and the Five Eyes intelligence alliance The jury heard from multiple RCMP witnesses that top-secret information had to be handled carefully by Mounties — and was never supposed to be taken to RCMP employees’ personal residences According to evidence presented at Ortis’s 2019 bail hearing police discovered 488 highly classified documents on his home devices Much of his trial focused on documents found on an encrypted USB device investigators concluded they had been printed mostly on weekends and holidays when fewer colleagues would have been in the office to see Ortis at work the RCMP’s policies on physical security largely operated on trust “The RCMP culture operates under the presumption that everyone granted internal access remains trustworthy,” said the report “Physical access to RCMP’s secure zones and sensitive systems and information risks compromise if the trusted person has or develops malicious intent.” Much of the report’s findings on physical security were redacted Beaulac said he couldn’t comment on the changes the RCMP has made to physical security since Ortis’s arrest He did say that peripheral devices — such as USB drives — can no longer be used on the RCMP’s high-security systems The RCMP culture operates under the presumption that everyone granted internal access remains trustworthy.” internal access remains trustworthy.” The review also pointed to long-standing issues regarding the RCMP’s information technology security “Unlike the majority of other government departments and agencies security awareness training is not mandatory at the RCMP The security review team was unable to determine the rationale for this clear gap,” the report said Beaulac said security awareness training is now mandatory and is taught on a regular basis “We’re trusted with a lot of information and we have to make sure we’re doing things to the best of our abilities to protect that information and use it properly,” he said Departmental security has been tightened since the Ortis incident No longer scattered across multiple sections the departmental security program is now a standalone unit that reports directly to a deputy commissioner The report’s authors made 43 recommendations some of which were redacted in the copy obtained by CBC News The committee called on the RCMP to establish a new policy centre on insider threats consult with the Department of Justice on how to conduct random physical security checks and limit the number of zones in RCMP buildings with access to classified networks and printing locations “The vast majority of employees of the RCMP are dedicated and loyal but we can no longer trust without regularly verifying,” says the report either prevent this from happening [or] allow the RCMP to be able to catch these malicious actors earlier.” Beaulac said by the end of this fiscal year the RCMP will have completed 80 per cent of the report’s recommendations “We could easily build a cement bunker in the ground and lock it up we have to be able to function as a police service we have to be able to achieve our mandate,” he said And it’s finding that balance between the two pieces of having a really strong secure security posture Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said he has been assured by the head of the RCMP that the national police force has learned from “a difficult circumstance.” “I have total confidence that the RCMP is very much on top of what needs to be done to minimize the risk of these obviously very serious incidents,” he said on Parliament Hill earlier this week As a consequence of the alleged breach of sensitive information entrusted to the RCMP valued and critical partners may feel the need to alter RCMP access to their sensitive material.” feel the need to alter RCMP access to their The security review shows that in the wake of Ortis’s arrest the RCMP was deeply concerned about the effect on its relationship with its allies — and the risk of being cut off from critical information “If the RCMP is unable to demonstrate that the organization is mitigating the risks of a similar breach occurring in the future in meaningful and fulsome ways it may be unable to maintain the confidence of these partners,” the report reads Beaulac said the RCMP still has access to allies’ intelligence “We’ve worked with our partners to be able to maintain our accreditations maintain their confidence or ability to secure and handle the information properly,” he said LeBlanc said he hasn’t heard concerns from Canada’s Five Eyes partners since the verdict “Nobody has raised this as an issue and the RCMP and CSIS have confirmed to me that we continue to work very collaboratively with the Five Eyes partners,” he told reporters on Tuesday The report also suggests the costly fallout from the Ortis matter — “several million dollars” spent on criminal and administrative investigations and various internal reviews — could affect the RCMP’s mandate for years to come “In the context of the RCMP financially struggling to meet the core-policing needs of its mandate redirecting the limited resources to address the fall-out of the Ortis incident will have an impact on other organizational priorities,” says the report The RCMP can expect to face such expenses again “due to the emergence of malicious actors in the future until the RCMP addresses the underlying gaps,” said the report Beaulac said the force is making “great strides” to ensure a case of this magnitude never happens again “We’re in a better position than we were before,” he said The Crown says it will seek a “severe” sentence of 20 years or more Defence lawyer Mark Ertel said an innocent man has been sent to jail and he plans to appeal Ortis’s true motivation for his actions remains a mystery Maybe,” offered Crown prosecutor Judy Kliewer in her closing arguments Ortis testified that he never betrayed the RCMP or Canada and was acting to protect his fellow citizens It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem When Philippe Belley came to the University of British Columbia to study how gemstones form he didn’t think he would need to learn how to protect himself from polar bears But when some of those precious stones are buried in the Canadian Arctic on Baffin Island where the world’s largest land predator also roams sometimes you roll the dice in the name of science “We spotted four polar bears but luckily there were no close encounters,” said Belley a recent PhD graduate of the department of earth “But we did learn a lot about how some unique gems are formed which will change the way people look for them.” Belley and UBC mineralogist Lee Groat have published the first scientific study of cobalt-blue spinel in Canada a mineral that is largely unknown to the general public but produces rare gems that are coveted by collectors and connoisseurs worldwide Spinel comes in a variety of colours ranging from red and pink to violet and blue and the fine gemstones are prized for their intense natural colour and high transparency “There’s considerable interest in cobalt-blue spinel for gems and jewelry,” said Belley “There are few stones that match its intense blue colour.” Even small stones with good transparency and fine cobalt-blue colour can sell for about ten times the price of a comparable sapphire But supply is an issue and even production from the most significant source “Exploration for coloured gemstones is generally difficult due to challenging terrain or thick vegetation in major gem-producing areas like the Himalayas and Vietnam Most new deposits are found by accident,” said Belley “But there’s excellent rock exposure on Baffin Island which facilitates exploration and the use of more advanced techniques like imaging using drones or satellites.” The researchers analyzed fourteen occurrences of spinel on Baffin Island including two occurrences of cobalt-blue spinel “It’s a simple recipe but you need to combine the right proportions of chemical ingredients,” said Belley spinel formed 1.8 billion years ago from sedimentary deposits of dolomitic marls and dolomite-bearing limestones These sedimentary rocks metamorphosed at temperatures of about 800 C under immense pressure Belley and Groat found that the magic ingredient that produces the distinct blue colour – cobalt – was only present in high-enough concentrations to produce gem quality stones in small “We found that cobalt was added at some point during sediment deposition or up to early metamorphism,” said Groat “Previous work on other deposits suggested that cobalt was transported during high temperature metamorphism so our results change the way in which people would explore for cobalt-blue spinel deposits.” Baffin Island spinel contains up to 500 parts-per-million of cobalt which gives it a vivid blue colour that is comparable to the best sources worldwide While accessing the area for scientific study was extremely challenging and involved long boat rides through thick fog in the Hudson Strait scouting for polar bears and a lengthy permit process to protect the ecologically sensitive environment the geology of Baffin Island has been a veritable gem field of scientific discovery for the researchers The team has also analyzed Beluga sapphires which were used in the Queen’s sapphire jubilee brooch and an occurrence of lapis lazuli “Baffin Island is geologically similar to the Himalayas where some of the world’s finest gems have been found,” said Belley “Canada hasn’t been widely recognized as a source for fine coloured gemstones but our research suggests that we have all the right ingredients.” Sachintha WickramasingheUBC Media Relations Tel: 604-822-4549Email: sachi.wickramasinghe@ubc.ca Looking for a new story idea?Check out our latest News Tips the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change tabled Bill C-69 which has three main thrusts that will have significant impact.  The three areas include: (i) repeal of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (2012) and its replacement by the new Impact Assessment Act; (ii) creation of the Canadian Energy Regulator to replace the National Energy Board; and (iii) amendments to the Navigation Protection Act including a change in its title to the Canadian Navigable Waters Act The changes are likely to come into force in the spring of 2019 The federal government is revising its entire impact assessment process The Impact Assessment Agency will be responsible for performing impact assessments and  the scope of an assessment will be broadened to cover The bill includes a broadened scope of legislative oversight by requiring that the impacts a project may have on any Indigenous group and on the rights of Indigenous peoples be taken into account This addition also includes express recognition of the rights of Indigenous peoples and is a codification of the Crown’s constitutional duty to consult them Another significant proposed change is the addition of a preparatory phase for the project assessment The agency will have 180 days to provide a notice of an assessment process and publish the results of consultation on the initial description of the project The proposed Impact Assessment Act will include a revised list of designated projects to be established by regulation Some examples of projects likely to be included on the new list are: The CER will be responsible for regulating pipelines developing energy resources and marketing energy will be responsible for overseeing federal interprovincial and international energy projects the CER will also have the power to regulate offshore renewable energy projects The bill is aimed at modernizing the NEB by: (i) increasing the independence of the CER; (ii) ensuring greater foreseeability and rapidity in decision-making; (iii) enhancing safety and environmental protection; (iv) ensuring a more inclusive process; and (v) promoting increased participation of Indigenous communities Here are some examples of the measures proposed: • separation between the decision-making function of the CER and its administrative function; • the CER will assess non-designated projects and the process will take 300 days rather than 450 days; • the minister will have the power to make a conclusive non-appealable decision on export licences; • at least one member of the board of directors and one of the CER’s commissioners must be a member of a First Nation • take into account any adverse effect a project may have on rights of Indigenous peoples apart from the change in title to the Canadian Navigable Waters Act is the reconfiguration of certain powers of the minister of transport and the institution of new procedures for constructing works in there will be three types of works involving navigable waters: (i) major works the construction of which will require the approval of the minister of transport (ii) works listed in a schedule to the statute for which approval will also be required; and (iii) other works which are subject to a public notice process.  Julie Belley Perron and Kateri Vincent are partners with Langlois lawyers in Montreal.  A lecturer of Governance Studies at the Evangelical Presbyterian University College (EPUC) in Ho has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to use proactive preventive diplomacy to address the prevailing political situation in Niger In an interview with Graphic Online in Ho on Sunday (Aug 13) he said that the proposed military intervention by ECOWAS was likely to fuel the crisis in that country Dr Belley cited the growing support the military junta in Niger was enjoying from the masses and said neutral and sustained results-oriented strategic conflict management measures were required to deal with the state of affairs in Niger The lecturer also called for the strengthening of the capacity of African states to settle electoral disputes at national regional and continental levels through the enactment of laws and setting up of mechanisms for independent adjudication of such disputes to ensure political stability Dr Belley further called for a halt to tenure extensions by political leaders and said the protocol of the Community Court of Justice of ECOWAS should be modified to allow for judicial intervention in all electoral matters “ECOWAS must muster the political will to hold member states accountable to their treaty obligations in addition to combating corruption in public life to build confidence in state institutions and create the conditions for instability,” he added The lecturer further highlighted the need for ECOWAS to find ways of building and strengthening constitutional democratic norms and economies to eradicate poverty among the populace to ensure stability the deadline for the military junta that overthrew Niger's government has passed leaving neighbouring countries and Western allies of Niger in an uncertain situation The country's military was asked by ECOWAS member states to stand down and reinstate ousted president Mohamed Bazoum by last Sunday Social Enterprise Ghana in collaboration with British Council has launched the SE Ghana Social Thursday Celebration to explore opportunities and access to funding by Women’s Social Entrepreneurs to aid in business growth and acceleration had key experts speaking on debt and equity financing and financial and legal compliance to provide in-depth information on how to access financing essential to invest in SMEs that are ready to scale up especially women,” said Abraham Mensah-Belley Although over 50% of Social Enterprises are women-led and contribute significantly to Ghana’s economic growth and one of the factors hindering these businesses to thrive the Social Thursday celebration is designed to look at various finance options for women entrepreneurs such as Debt and available financing and support to structure their businesses to be able to pass the strict requirements of funders The Social Thursday celebration dived into issues of debt products available in Ghana and how to access them; equity products available in Ghana and how to access them; and what social enterprises need to do to comply with all laws and access all government benefits Capacity building programs such as Access to Finance Accelerator have introduced thirty- six (36) women-led social enterprises to an 8-weeks of business coaching Social Enterprise Ghana and the British Council continue to support exchanges and policy dialogues that seek to support social entrepreneurs especially led and managed by women Theme:” Enabling women founders to access appropriate financing – Deep dives with experts” CitiNewsroom.com is Ghana's leading news website that delivers high quality innovative alternative news that challenges the status quo © 2024 All Rights Reserved Citi Newsroom.