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At its core, this is about the often callous, iron-fisted hand of the federal government being slammed down on American citizens. Examples abound – from the IRS targeting 200 conservative groups, to the seizure of cars and bank accounts of innocent business owners, to heavily armed Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) agents ... |
Problems like these can become exponentially worse for people in one of the twelve western states where the federal government controls 30% (Montana), 49% (Oregon) or even 85% (Nevada and Alaska) of all the land. These government lands total 640 million acres: 28% of the entire 2.27-billion-acre United States. |
Though they are often, incorrectly called “public” lands, the “public” has no fundamental right to enter them or utilize their water and other resources. They are federal government reservations, administered and controlled by agencies that increasingly want economic, motorized and many other activities prohibited and ... |
The feds also exercise effective, often punitive control over millions of acres of state and private lands located next to or in the midst of these government fiefdoms. People living in those areas rely on the federal reserves for forage, water, timber, energy, mineral and other resources that are increasingly made off... |
However, millions of people do have valid, existing, longstanding, protected rights to these lands and their resources, in the form of “appurtenances” conveyed to them by deed or will from the first settler or miner. The forage, water rights, range improvements, easements, rights of ways, mineral rights and other prope... |
As an 1888 congressional report explained, the original idea for these lands involved use and protection: settlements, harvesting of commercial quality trees, watershed protection, and no land monopolies. Various laws allowed mining, oil drilling, ranching, farming and other activities, to supply food, energy and raw m... |
Nevertheless, “wise use” or “multiple use” is under attack, and such uses are now rare or nonexistent across many western and Alaskan government lands. Landowners who remain are barely holding on. |
Imagine the feds owning half of Ohio or Pennsylvania – and gradually, systematically closing off access, taking away water and forage rights, banning economic uses, charging higher fees for remaining rights, forcing landowners into years-long courtroom battles, and refusing to pay up when courts order them to compensat... |
The Hammonds got in trouble because they started a “backfire,” to burn combustible material, create a “fire break” and protect their home and ranch from a raging fire. They accidentally burned 139 acres of federal land before they put the fire out. Now they are serving five years in prison, even though Senior Federal J... |
They could have been charged under a 1948 law that provides for fines or jail terms up to five years for setting a fire on government lands without permission. But they were not. Instead, the Obama Justice Department charged them under the 1996 Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act – as though what they did, i... |
Why would the DOJ do that? Probably because the feds never forget or forgive. Some years earlier, the Hammonds had removed a barrier the BLM had installed to block access to water they thought was legally theirs. Turns out it was. But they had failed to fully adjudicate their rights to the water – an oversight that the... |
Why would the Hammonds just give up and go back to prison? Because the DOJ wouldn’t budge, and they could not afford the huge expense of continuing to battle a vindictive federal behemoth. So now a middle-aged mom and elderly grandmother must run their 6,000-acre ranch, pay $200,000 more in fines, and hope they can avo... |
It is absurd, outrageous and infuriating. The Obama DOJ refuses to call Fort Hood, Boston, San Bernardino and other massacres terrorism – but it labels a backfire “terrorism.” But it gets worse. |
Harney County, Oregon, where the Hammonds live, is over 6.4 million acres (over 10,000 square miles, ten times the size of Rhode Island), and 72% of it is controlled by the federal government. A 2012 wildfire in the county burned 160,000 acres! A 2015 fire in the county next door burned 800,000 acres! |
Still worse, the BLM has often lit fires in Harney County and elsewhere (often on private land) that got out of control, burned extensive private property and even killed cattle. No one can recall the feds ever compensating ranchers for their lost livestock, fences or forage. In 2013, the Forest Service started two “pr... |
To top it off, many of these fires are ultimately due to lousy management practices that restrict or prohibit tree cutting, tree thinning and insect control. That leaves vast tinderboxes of dry, rail-thin trees and brush ready to explode in superheated conflagrations that immolate wildlife and incinerate soil nutrients... |
But despite all these outrages, and not content with its already vast landholdings, the feds are trying to gain absolute control over all private lands still left in Harney County, and elsewhere. As Congressman Greg Walden noted in a January 5 speech, they are trying to drive ranchers and even joggers out of the Malheu... |
The twisted saga is reminiscent of travesties under Stalin, Mao, Castro and other dictators. And it is just one of hundreds, some of which I will profile in future articles. It’s no wonder people are frustrated and angry – and some support Ammon Bundy and other activists who took over the Malheur headquarters. History ... |
So twelve Hebdo staffers murdered by Islamist terrorists is “rational” or excusable, but occupying a federal building is intolerable. We are dealing with a festering, growing, open wound. Congress, the courts and our next president need to heal it, and address the root causes, before things get out of hand. |
No. 12 Oregon dominated No. 13 UC Irvine 73-54 in a battle of underdogs Sunday night to cap off the first week of the NCAA Tournament. |
With the win, the Ducks (25-12) advance to the Sweet 16, where they will face No. 1 seed Virginia at approximately 9:59 p.m. ET Thursday. |
Junior guard Payton Pritchard led the way for the Ducks with 18 points and seven assists. Freshman forward Louis King added 16 points while sophomore forward Kenny Wooten had a monster game around the net, contributing eight rebounds and seven blocks to go with 11 points. |
The Ducks beat No. 5 Wisconsin 72-54 in the first round on Friday. |
The Anteaters (31-6), who upset Kansas State 70-64 in the first round, were led by senior guard Robert Cartwright's 14 points. |
UC Irvine came into the game with longest active winning streak in the nation. |
The Cavaliers-Ducks battle will be second game of the night Thursday in South Region play at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The earlier game will feature No. 2 Tennessee and No. 3 Purdue at 7:29 p.m. ET. |
The boadroom at Bond Bryan's Crookes headquarters. |
If Sheffield was an architects it would be Bond Bryan. |
The firm, which is celebrating its 30th birthday this week, operates all over the world, has offices around the country, including London, and has designed a string of award-winning buildings at home and abroad. |
-Jonathan Herbert, managing director, Bond Bryan Architects. |
But bosses are perhaps most proud of the impact it has had on its home city. |
Bond Bryan has built landmark factories, flats, schools and colleges which help organisations thrive. |
It hires architecture graduates from the two universities – bolstering their reputations and attracting top class students to the city. |
And it is committed not just to keeping its headquarters in Sheffield, but investing in them. |
From left: Jonathan Herbert, Sian Tunstill, John Lee, Bruce Raw, Matt Hutton. |
The firm, based high up in Crookes, plans to relocate to the city centre after its lease is up in four years. |
Managing director Jonathan Herbert said: “Sheffield will remain our hub, our most active office. There are really talented people here and we bring the work home. |
The practice is housed in an eight-sided former congregational church on Springvale Road where 65 staff in an open plan office are working on 50 projects. |
The Royce Translational Centre for Sheffield University. |
Now, director John Lee said he felt as if Sheffield’s “time had come”. |
Graduates, who may leave university after seven years with £80,000 of debt, appreciate it too. |
An artist's impression showing the inside of Sheffield University's Heartspace development, which will connect the Mappin Building with the Central Wing. |
Sheffield’s skyline is testament to its current success, with cranes visible in every direction. |
The under-construction HSBC building on Pinstone Street is the first block in the council’s ‘Heart of the City Two’ project for offices, shops and restaurants. |
In a sign of its popularity, director Matt Hutton said they were already speaking to a developer interested in the fourth block in the scheme. |
Bond Bryan has also designed a large flats and shops complex set to stand on the junction of Ecclesall Road and Pomona Street. Work is on track to start towards the end of this year. |
And it created the University of Sheffield’s ambitious Heartspace scheme – a £20m curving glass roof connecting listed engineering buildings on Mappin Street. After months of preparation work, the structure is set to take shape from July. |
The Heartspace installation is set to start this month. |
The contract, won in a competitive bidding process, comes after the company designed more than 10 hi-tech buildings for the university’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre at Catcliffe. |
Bond Bryan Architects was founded in 1988 by Jon Bond and John Bryan. |
Turnover this year is a record £8m. |
The firm also has a strong digital department with experts in demand around the world and it is proud of its ‘masterplanning’ and consultancy work in which senior staff look at the big picture, not just a single building. |
The ‘first physical build’ of HS2. |
The Bond Bryan-designed National College of High Speed Rail in Doncaster is the first building of the £80bn scheme. |
And it won the Sheffield architects two of a clutch of awards in this its 30th year. |
It received a Yorkshire Award and a Sustainability Award from the Royal Institute of British Architects for the college. |
It also won a RIBA for its Advanced Manufacturing Building for the University of Nottingham. |
Institute for Education, Sheffield Hallam University. |
An artist's impression of a private and student flat complex planned for Ecclesall Road/Pomona Street by developer Hallminster. |
Charles Street, Sheffield Hallam University. |
National College for High Speed Rail Doncaster. |
MADISON, Wis. - My wife's parents met as graduate students at the University of Wisconsin. My mother-in-law was born and raised in Madison, her sister still lives in Wisconsin. In turn, my wife, who was born in Wisconsin but grew up in Seattle, is well-versed with the state capital. |
Once she found out I was covering Rutgers-Wisconsin on Saturday, she made an effort to find a reasonable flight and tag along. That wound up not panning out, but after she got over it (Spoiler: She's not over it), she made it very clear what the first food stop had to be once I got there. |
A beer and a bratwurst on The Terrace at Memorial Union. She was quite adamant about this, even calling a beer and a brat on the terrace in good weather as her perfect day. I took that seriously. |
Upon arrival in Milwaukee on Friday afternoon, I got on I-94 West and just under 90 minutes later, I was on campus and heading for The Terrace. Downstairs in the Union is Der Rathskellar. With the feel of a German beer hall and a menu to match, I ordered up the brat and a Spotted Cow, which is brewed locally in New Gla... |
With the order in my hand, I went out to The Terrace, which is situated on Lake Mendota. Very little seating out there, the explanation given to me being it's getting cold out, so the tables and chairs have been taken away. Fair enough, but Friday was pristine. A perfectly chilled 48 degrees, sun and no wind. Middle Am... |
She nailed it. The brat had a good snap to it, Spotted Cow lived up to the expectations, the view was excellent, and the serenity out there on a Friday afternoon was a bonus. |
While we're here, shout-out the two Rutgers athletic department officials who said Spotted Cow was a must. They know who they are. |
A few hours and some cheese curds later, an executive decision was made. The men's basketball team had an exhibition on Friday night against UW-Oshkosh, which is ranked preseason No. 2 in Division III after advancing to last season's national championship game. |
Aside from that bit of intrigue, I'd never seen the Kohl Center, Badgers senior Ethan Happ might be the best player in the Big Ten, and the secondary market was basically giving tickets away. That was $9 well spent. Some takeaways are below. |
The Kohl Center is beautiful, with overhanging balconies and excellent sightlines for fans. Despite being built 20 years ago, the building looks and feels modern. |
You know you're doing something right when you draw 6,000 fans on a football Friday night for a game that doesn't count. |
The bars within short walking distance to Kohl were mobbed. A very good football weekend atmosphere around campus, which couldn't be said for all road trips this fall. Looking at you, Kansas and Maryland. |
I saw a kid near Kohl riding an orange Vespa, with a Patagonia jacket, Birkenstock sandals, and wool socks. I'm still trying to make sense of the whole thing. |
As I sit here writing this late Friday night, I'm giving at least lukewarm consideration to more cheese curds, which would be a bad choice even without it being 9:30 p.m. already. |
I'll go ahead and blame my wife and her family for that food thought. These Madisonians are a bad influence on me. |
Q-My late husband left me with 500 shares of Tucker Corp., purchased in 1947. Is this stock of any value or worthless? |
This failed manufacturer of an innovative rear-engine car, despite its financial shortcomings, provided an interesting story line for the Francis Ford Coppola film, ''Tucker: A Man and His Dream,'' which starred Jeff Bridges. |
Tucker, a Delaware corporation based in Chicago, quickly fell on hard times and went bankrupt in 1949. Its corporate charter was forfeited in early 1952, said Robert Fisher, vice president with the New York-based R.M. Smythe & Co. stock-search firm. |
Q-I bought Kellogg Co. stock about two years ago when the price was dipping and I`ve been very happy with it. Is it time to buy more shares? |
A-You may be making the right move once again. |
It was smart to buy shares of cereal giant Kellogg Co. (around $101 a share, New York Stock Exchange) when it had a down year in 1989, because it`s a premier company that has improved its earnings, said Roger Spencer, analyst with PaineWebber Inc. |
Q-Is there any hope for small specialty retailers such as Pier 1 Imports, when even the big companies aren`t making any money? Should I stay away from this stock? |
A-Pier 1 Imports (around $9, NYSE), the import specialty-store chain, is one of the few retailers to post good earnings in the dismal economic environment, said Dennis Telzrow, analyst with Eppler, Guerin & Turner Inc. |
Furthermore, he believes the company`s earnings will be even better once the economic picture improves. |
''I highly recommend shares of Pier 1, for it is attractively priced in light of its earnings potential,'' said Telzrow, who says this company does not disappoint investors very often. |
''The company remains methodical in its site openings, and its buyers continue to stock its stores with unique import items at reasonable prices.'' Q-What are your thoughts on my 100 shares of Kerr-McGee in light of the fact that it is involved in so many industries affected by recession? Should I get out while the goi... |
A-Hold on to your shares of Kerr-McGee (around $43, NYSE), the petroleum, chemical and coal firm, for it has more positives than negatives, said Stephen Smith, analyst with Bear, Stearns & Co. |
The company has attractive production prospects in its oil and gas division. It also has less-than-average debt versus many industry competitors, due in part to selling off less-profitable divisions at just the right times. On the negative side, there are worries about when its chemical earnings are going to bottom out... |
Q-I found some old stock certificates that I had appraised at $4,000 as collectibles, but worthless as investments. Do I have to claim this money on my return? |
A-The $4,000 must be reported as income, to the extent it exceeds the price on the date of purchase or date you inherited them, said Barbara Pope, tax partner with Price Waterhouse. |
Q-In searching for high-yielding alternatives to certificates of deposit, I`ve come across a stock called Global Yield Fund on the New York Stock Exchange. The dividend looks good. What can you tell me about it? |
A-Global Yield Fund (around $8, NYSE), a closed-end mutual fund investing in non-U.S. debt securities, looks like a good investment, said Richard Wholey of Chicago-based Wayne Hummer & Co. |
The majority of its assets are in foreign government obligations with maturities of less than three years, its goal that of beating the yields of U.S. debt instruments. |
''The 9 percent rate of return on this fund`s dividend is attractive and seems to more than adequately compensate for the small amount of currency risk,'' said Wholey, who believes the high quality and short-term nature of the fund means little default or interest-rate risk. |
Q-I was advised that Moore Medical Corp. was a good buy. I`d appreciate your opinion on the stock. |
A-Don`t buy until better results are achieved by Moore Medical Corp. |
(around $4, American Stock Exchange), national distributor of brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and surgical supplies, said Sharon Conway, based in Chicago with A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc. |
The company has been battling to improve sales and earnings by boosting selling prices and announcing layoffs, but it`s too early to tell how this will offset anticipated lower sales. A recent proxy fight against management was unsuccessful. |
''Moore Medical has been disappointing so far this year, and I`d hold off buying until we see some improvement,'' said Conway. |
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