How Will Google's New Privacy Policy Affect You? [Google]

If you were hanging around the internet yesterday afternoon, you probably noticed some hubbub around Google's new, unified Terms of Service Agreement. But what's it actually going to mean for you? Well, this: More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/m9VbfvFjJGA/how-will-googles-new-privacy-policy-affect-you

nba lockout news gifts for mom gifts for mom pepper spray storage auctions storage auctions les miles

PFT: Colts to name Pagano as coach

randy_lerner105_786247c-1AP

Last week, long-time Browns beat writer Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain Dealer inadvertently posted an unflattering message about Browns owner Randy Lerner on Twitter.

?He is a pathetic figure, the most irrelevant billionaire in the world,? Grossi said.? The tweet was later deleted.

As it turns out, Lerner may remain sufficiently relevant to influence the work assignments at the Cleveland Plain Dealer.? According to CleveScene.com, Grossi has been removed from the beat.

Last week, the newspaper addressed the issue at its website, Cleveland.com:? ?Last night, Plain Dealer Browns beat reporter Tony Grossi made an inadvertent, inappropriate post to Twitter concerning Browns owner Randy Lerner.? Grossi has reached out to Lerner to apologize.? The Plain Dealer also apologizes.?

Grossi also addressed the situation in a video podcast:? ?Last night there was a comment attributed to me on my Twitter account.? It was inadvertent, it was inappropriate, and I do apologize for it.? I?ve reached out to Randy Lerner to apologize to him for it and we?ll just leave it at that. It was inappropriate and not meant to be tweeted, but it was inappropriate nonetheless.?

Though no one has explained specifically how it happened that the tweet was posted on Grossi?s page, it appears this is the latest example of someone not understanding how to properly use the ?direct message? function.? Grossi apparently intended to express his opinion privately to one of his Twitter followers, but he accidentally posted it onto his primary Twitter profile, which can be viewed publicly.

And while we know nothing about any other issues or circumstances between Grossi and his bosses, the reaction seems more than a little harsh.? Though the not-intended-for-publication message raises potential questions about Grossi?s objectivity when it comes to Lerner, it?s not as if Lerner is actively involved in the management of the team.? In many respects, Lerner is an absentee landlord, with little or no interest in doing the things that so many other NFL owners love to do.

But while Lerner takes a hands-off approach to the Browns, he has shown a willingness to respond to indignities with aggressive action.? In 2008, the Browns ended a preseason partnership with WOIO-TV after the station broadcast a portion of a 911 call made by Lerner?s sister when her daughter drowned.

?The recent coverage of the Lerner family tragedy is but the latest, albeit the most shocking and insensitive example of this destructive behavior,? Browns vice president Michael Keenan wrote in a letter to WOIO terminating the contract for ?irresponsible journalism.?

It?s currently unknown whether Lerner or the Browns requested, suggested, or demanded that Grossi be reassigned.? Regardless of how this all came to be, Grossi?s only wrongdoing, in our view, was his failure to properly navigate the Twitter application on his smartphone.

Besides, the substance of Grossi?s comments don?t come off to us as objectively offensive or inappropriate.? He referred to Lerner as ?pathetic? and called Lerner an ?irrelevant billionaire.?? (I?ve been called much worse than an ?irrelevant billionaire,? and I aspire to be much less.)

If it turns out that Lerner indeed pushed the Plain Dealer to dump Grossi from the beat for his accidental expression of a private opinion he?s entitled to have, it definitely will be evidence, in our opinion, of a pathetic act by the billionaire owner of a largely irrelevant team.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/25/source-pagano-to-coach-colts/related

ufc135 ufc135 dolphin tale dolphin tale crock pot recipes crock pot recipes bob ward

World stocks up as Apple result lifts tech shares (AP)

BANGKOK ? World stocks rose Wednesday as investors stayed calm in the face of a possible debt default by Greece to search for good deals in technology shares boosted by stunning results from Apple Inc.

Benchmark crude rose to nearly $99 per barrel while the dollar rose against the yen but fell against the euro.

European shares followed their Asian counterparts higher. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.4 percent to 5,774.31. Germany's DAX climbed 0.5 percent to 6,448.33 and France's CAC-40 added 0.4 percent at 3,334.50.

After a session of slight losses Tuesday, Wall Street appeared headed for a higher opening. Dow Jones industrial futures rose 0.1 percent to 12,644 while S&P 500 futures added 0.2 percent to 1,314.40.

Asian stocks posted solid gains. The Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo rose 1.1 percent to close at 8,883.69. South Korea's Kospi gained 0.1 percent to 1,952.23 and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 1.1 percent to 4,271.30. Markets in Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan remained closed for Chinese New Year.

Japan's powerhouse export sector got a lift from a moderation in the yen's strength even as the country reported its first annual trade deficit since 1980. A strong yen, which hit multiple historic highs last year against the dollar, shrinks the value of overseas earnings when repatriated and makes Japanese products less competitive.

Honda Motor Corp. surged 3.8 percent. Mitsubishi Motor Corp. jumped 4.4 percent and Sony Corp. added 4.8 percent. Tire-maker Bridgestone Corp. added 4.2 percent.

Technology stocks were elevated after Apple Inc. reported earnings that sailed past analyst estimates. Apple said late Tuesday said it sold 37 million iPhones in the last three months of 2011, vastly exceeding estimates and propelling the company to record quarterly results.

That stellar performance reverberated throughout the global tech industry. South Korea's LG Electronics Inc., which ranks No. 2 globally in flat screen televisions, jumped 4.1 percent. Hynix Semiconductor Inc., the world's second-largest memory chip maker, added 1.9 percent.

In Australia, shares in Lynas Corp. Ltd. soared 5.1 percent after the company said it had secured the funding necessary to complete construction and start-up at its rare earths processing plant in Malaysia.

Stan Shamu of IG Markets in Melbourne said the gains in Asia suggested that investors were paying less attention to Greece, which is struggling to reach a deal with creditors to prevent a chaotic default on its massive debts. A default could trigger a financial crisis in Europe and likely beyond.

Greece is trying to get its creditors to swap Greek government bonds for new ones that have half the face value. Greece faces an important bond repayment deadline in March.

"To a large extent, traders are thinking that people are going to lose money either way in this deal, so it's now about how we can move on," Shamu said. Markets "are thinking more long-term. Encouraging data out of the U.S. has been good for sentiment. We also have China, which has been managing its economy very well."

Benchmark oil for March delivery rose 8 cents to $99.03 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 63 cents to end at $98.95 per barrel on the Nymex on Tuesday.

In currency trading, the euro rose to $1.3031 from $1.3021 late Tuesday in New York. The dollar rose to 77.98 yen from 77.73 yen.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_bi_ge/world_markets

psn down rem typhoon dwts elimination kelly thomas international day of peace michaele salahi

Understanding causes of obesity in Aboriginal children

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 24-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Noreen Willows
noreen.willows@ualberta.ca
Canadian Science Publishing (NRC Research Press)

Ottawa, Ontario To fully understand the causes of the obesity epidemic in Aboriginal children requires an understanding of the unique social and historical factors that shape the Aboriginal community. A review article published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism emphasizes that early childhood obesity prevention efforts should begin focusing with the parents before and during pregnancy and on breastfeeding initiatives and nutrition in the early childhood development stages.

"There needs to be a focus on improving the risk factors such as income and education" says Noreen Willows, one of the authors of the study. "Additionally, there needs to be a focus on embracing the cultural practices in terms of language and pride in the Aboriginal culture to influence health behaviours and outcomes".

Numerous environments at different times of childhood drive the risk of childhood obesity: the in utero environment, which influences birth weight, growth patterns and disease risk; the family environment, in which the child is raised and nurtured; and the larger surrounding environments encompassing policy, community, and cultural and societal factors.

There is no one fix to the obesity epidemic in Aboriginal children. Strategies for weight management in this population need to focus at changing all influential factors at each level of the child's environment, and the members of the community need to have an active role in pursuing this goal.

###

The study entitled "A socioecological framework to understand weight-related issues in Aboriginal children in Canada" was published in the February issue of APNM. www.nrcresearchpress.com/apnm

For more information contact:

Corresponding author: Noreen Willows (e-mail: noreen.willows@ualberta.ca)

Full Reference: Willows, N.D, Hanley, A.J.G., Delormier, T. 2012. A socioecological framework to understand weight-related issues in Aboriginal children in Canada. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 37(1) 1-13. doi:10.1139/H11-128 [Available Open Access on the www.nrcresearchpress.com website.]

About the Publisher

NRC Research Press, the publishing arm of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) since 1929, transitioned in September 2010 from NRC and the Federal Government of Canada into an independent not-for-profit organization operating under the new name Canadian Science Publishing. Canadian Science Publishing (which continues to operate under the brand NRC Research Press) is the foremost scientific publisher in Canada and one of the most advanced electronic publishing services in the world. With over 50 highly skilled experts and an editorial team comprising some of the world's leading researchers, NRC Research Press communicates scientific discoveries to more than 175 countries.

Disclaimer

Canadian Science Publishing operates under the brand NRC Research Press but is not affiliated with the National Research Council Canada. Papers published by Canadian Science Publishing are peer-reviewed by experts in their field. The views of the authors in no way reflect the opinions of Canadian Science Publishing or the National Research Council of Canada. Requests for commentary about the contents of any study should be directed to the authors.

PLEASE CITE Canadian Science Publishing (operating under the brand NRC Research Press), AND OUR WEBSITE, http://nrcresearchpress.com, AS THE SOURCE OF THE FOLLOWING ITEM. IF PUBLISHING ONLINE, PLEASE CARRY A HYPERLINK TO http://nrcresearchpress.com/action/showNews?filter=recent


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 24-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Noreen Willows
noreen.willows@ualberta.ca
Canadian Science Publishing (NRC Research Press)

Ottawa, Ontario To fully understand the causes of the obesity epidemic in Aboriginal children requires an understanding of the unique social and historical factors that shape the Aboriginal community. A review article published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism emphasizes that early childhood obesity prevention efforts should begin focusing with the parents before and during pregnancy and on breastfeeding initiatives and nutrition in the early childhood development stages.

"There needs to be a focus on improving the risk factors such as income and education" says Noreen Willows, one of the authors of the study. "Additionally, there needs to be a focus on embracing the cultural practices in terms of language and pride in the Aboriginal culture to influence health behaviours and outcomes".

Numerous environments at different times of childhood drive the risk of childhood obesity: the in utero environment, which influences birth weight, growth patterns and disease risk; the family environment, in which the child is raised and nurtured; and the larger surrounding environments encompassing policy, community, and cultural and societal factors.

There is no one fix to the obesity epidemic in Aboriginal children. Strategies for weight management in this population need to focus at changing all influential factors at each level of the child's environment, and the members of the community need to have an active role in pursuing this goal.

###

The study entitled "A socioecological framework to understand weight-related issues in Aboriginal children in Canada" was published in the February issue of APNM. www.nrcresearchpress.com/apnm

For more information contact:

Corresponding author: Noreen Willows (e-mail: noreen.willows@ualberta.ca)

Full Reference: Willows, N.D, Hanley, A.J.G., Delormier, T. 2012. A socioecological framework to understand weight-related issues in Aboriginal children in Canada. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 37(1) 1-13. doi:10.1139/H11-128 [Available Open Access on the www.nrcresearchpress.com website.]

About the Publisher

NRC Research Press, the publishing arm of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) since 1929, transitioned in September 2010 from NRC and the Federal Government of Canada into an independent not-for-profit organization operating under the new name Canadian Science Publishing. Canadian Science Publishing (which continues to operate under the brand NRC Research Press) is the foremost scientific publisher in Canada and one of the most advanced electronic publishing services in the world. With over 50 highly skilled experts and an editorial team comprising some of the world's leading researchers, NRC Research Press communicates scientific discoveries to more than 175 countries.

Disclaimer

Canadian Science Publishing operates under the brand NRC Research Press but is not affiliated with the National Research Council Canada. Papers published by Canadian Science Publishing are peer-reviewed by experts in their field. The views of the authors in no way reflect the opinions of Canadian Science Publishing or the National Research Council of Canada. Requests for commentary about the contents of any study should be directed to the authors.

PLEASE CITE Canadian Science Publishing (operating under the brand NRC Research Press), AND OUR WEBSITE, http://nrcresearchpress.com, AS THE SOURCE OF THE FOLLOWING ITEM. IF PUBLISHING ONLINE, PLEASE CARRY A HYPERLINK TO http://nrcresearchpress.com/action/showNews?filter=recent


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/csp-uco012412.php

katamari roatan bobby fischer the lion king john cabot john cabot safety razor

Croats vote in EU membership referendum (AP)

ZAGREB, Croatia ? Croatians are voting in a nationwide referendum on whether to join the debt-stricken European Union.

The Sunday vote is a test of how much the 27-nation bloc has lost its luster with its troubled economies and bickering leaders.

A pre-vote survey suggests that between 56 and 60 percent of those who take part will answer "yes" to the question: "Do you support the membership of the Republic of Croatia in the European Union?"

Those who support the EU say the Balkan country's troubled economy could only profit from entering the bloc's wider markets. Opponents say Croatia has nothing to gain by entering and will only lose its sovereignty and national identity.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_re_eu/eu_croatia_eu_referendum

us news and world report college rankings us news and world report college rankings dishnetwork bill monroe nike pro combat nike pro combat gardasil

Shan Sethna teaches avalanche awareness to make backcountry skiing safer

A growing numbers of skiers in Colorado want to try backcountry skiing, away from the groomed and patrolled trails. Shan Sethna's classes help newcomers learn about avalanche dangers.

The wind howls and the temperature plummets to hypothermic levels. Despite the frigid conditions, Shan Sethna is digging a pit in the snow.

Skip to next paragraph

"This is a Quality 2 shear," he says, while demonstrating tests that determine the stability of the snowpack.

It is a subzero sunny day at 12,000 feet on a ridge at the popular Colorado backcountry recreation destination Berthoud Pass. Mr. Sethna is taking time from skiing his favorite runs to investigate snow conditions. Gauging the snowpack helps backcountry skiers make decisions to avoid triggering an avalanche, a life-preserving skill that many take years to hone.

Sethna, executive director and founding member of the nonprofit Friends of Berthoud Pass, spends most of his time promoting safe backcountry snow recreation. More than 1,200 people attend FOBP's 10 yearly classroom avalanche presentations, and enrollment for their on-snow field days fills up quickly.

Sethna caught the skiing bug as a third-grader in Italy (his father was a United Nations diplomat). After returning stateside he night skied in New Jersey and went on weekend trips to New York's Catskill Mountains. A circuitous route brought him to Denver, where he now runs a media consulting firm.

While he could be just one of the throng of ski enthusiasts in Colorado, Sethna's nature is to volunteer and rally others.

Berthoud Pass, an hour's drive from Denver, attracts flocks of "off piste" skiers and snowboarders who "earn their turns" by propelling themselves up slopes without ski lifts.

For years a ski area operated on Berthoud Pass, but financial woes prompted its closure. The chairlifts were removed in 2003.

It is also one of the most avalanche-prone locations in Colorado, Sethna says.

In the past decade an average of 11 skiers and snowboarders per year died in avalanches across the United States, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Colorado bears the unfortunate distinction of more avalanche fatalities than any other state.

That Berthoud Pass is close to Denver is both a blessing and a curse. "There are not very many places where you can kill yourself in an avalanche an hour from your bed," Sethna says. He recalls meeting people hiking up the pass without the proper gear. He would say to them, "Hey, people die here. It's serious."

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/wWQZH3rRd0g/Shan-Sethna-teaches-avalanche-awareness-to-make-backcountry-skiing-safer

john galliano afi elk elk mol obama speech elizabeth taylor

Croatia votes to join EU in 2013, despite crisis (Reuters)

ZAGREB (Reuters) ? Croatia voted on Sunday to join the European Union next year, shrugging off concerns over the economic turmoil in the bloc and fears that membership will compromise its hard-won sovereignty.

Provided all 27 member states ratify its accession, the Adriatic state will enter the EU on July 1, 2013, more than two decades after breaking away from socialist Yugoslavia and fighting a 1991-95 war to secure independence.

It will become the second former Yugoslav republic to join the EU, following Slovenia in 2004.

Sixty-six percent ticked "Yes" in the referendum, the state electoral commission said with almost all votes counted.

"This is a historic moment, and could be a turning point in our history," Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic told reporters.

Turnout, however, was low, at 44 percent of eligible voters, well below the resounding votes of many former communist countries that joined in 2004 and 2007.

That figure appeared to reflect widespread uncertainty among Croats over what membership will really mean.

But the result suggested the EU had not completely lost its appeal in the struggling western Balkans despite the debt crisis that is threatening the single currency.

Many Croats hope accession will mark a clear break with the region's recent past of war and nationalism, and help its weak economy through EU funds and full access to the bloc's common market.

The slow pace of reform in the rest of the western Balkans, and waning enthusiasm within the EU for further enlargement, mean other countries in Croatia's neighborhood - such as Serbia, Bosnia and Albania - will wait years before they too can join. Tiny Montenegro on the Adriatic coast is next in line.

"GREAT RELIEF"

"I feel great relief, for me, for my children," said bank worker Jasna Maric, 43. "Only fifteen years ago, we were still killing each other here, so this was a strategic decision."

Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic, though visibly delighted, sounded a note of caution:

"With this, we leave behind political instability, but the rest will depend on our ability and creativity," Pusic said. "Our chances will be better, but no one will do the job for us."

Croatia saw strong growth in the past decade on the back of foreign lending and waves of tourists to its Adriatic coast, but its economy has been hit hard by the global economic crisis.

It will have to work hard to make its public finances sustainable before it is allowed to join the euro zone, which analysts say is unlikely in the next five years.

Its gross domestic product per capita is 61 percent of the EU average.

Analysts and government officials had warned that rejection of EU accession on Sunday would have hit the country's credit rating, deterred investors and further dampened any prospect of a quick economic recovery.

The "No" camp expressed bitter disappointment, and argued the referendum did not truly reflect the will of the people because of the low turnout.

"This result is against the interests of the Croatian people," said Zeljko Sacic, a war veteran and leading Euro-skeptic.

"This is the end of Croatia's freedom. The EU is falling apart and the Croatian man will be worse off than today."

(Reporting by Zoran Radosavljevic and Igor Ilic; Editing by Matt Robinson)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120122/wl_nm/us_croatia_eu_referendum

music awards 2011 jill biden jill biden al mvp ama awards 2011 ama awards 2011 uekman

Hat trick

updated 2:17 p.m. ET Jan. 21, 2012

LONDON - Clint Dempsey became the first American to score a hat trick in England's Premier League, helping Fulham rally from a halftime deficit to rout Newcastle 5-2 Saturday.

Dempsey put Fulham ahead 2-1 in the 59th minute with his 50th goal for the Cottagers, bundling in from 3 yards after Bobby Zamora's shot rebounded off goalkeeper Tim Krul.

He got his second in the 65th, slotting in a right-footed from 10 yards from Zamora's pass on a counterattack. Dempsey completed the scoring from Zamora's looping through pass in the 89th, splitting two defenders, heading the ball down to himself and taking two touches before a right-footed shot from 12 yards.

"We never found our rhythm in the first half but we began to get into their penalty area in the second half," Dempsey said. "Luckily the ball kept going in. We never took our foot off the gas and we took our chances."

Dempsey, a 28-year-old from Nacogdoches, Texas, has a career-best 15 goals this season, including nine in the Premier League. He had scored his first hat trick in England on Jan. 7 against Charlton in the third round of the FA Cup.

Fulham acquired him from Major League Soccer's New England Revolution in January 2007. On Friday, he was voted the U.S. Soccer Federation's male athlete for 2011, the second time he won the honor.

"Clint Dempsey is our top scorer," Fulham manager Martin Jol said. "He is doing what he does best. Clint scores goals."

Danny Murphy and Zamora converted penalty kicks for Fulham. Danny Guthrie put Newcastle ahead in the first half, and Hatem Ben Arfa cut the deficit to 4-2 in the 85th.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


advertisement

More news
Man City, Man United win

??Manchester City scored a dramatic 3-2 victory over Tottenham on Sunday, leaving Manchester United its only likely rival for the Premier League title.

Hat trick

Clint Dempsey became the first American to score a hat trick in England's Premier League, helping Fulham rally from a halftime deficit to rout Newcastle 5-2 Saturday.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46083051/ns/sports-soccer/

tigers rangers nlcs nlcs josh beckett 999 plan the village

3 killed in Arkansas, including Huckabee relative (AP)

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. ? Three people, including a distant cousin of former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, have died in a homicide and kidnapping case in Arkansas, police said Monday.

Arkadelphia Police dispatcher Dusty Welch told The Associated Press that Donald Hux killed his ex-wife, Amy Huckabee, before he was fatally shot by law enforcement officers in the southern part of the state. Amy Huckabee's current husband, Sandy Huckabee, was found dead Sunday at the couple's home in Arkadelphia, which is about 70 miles southwest of Little Rock.

Sandy Huckabee's father was the first cousin of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's father.

Authorities said Hux, 36, abducted Amy Huckabee and their three children in Arkadelphia and then drove about 80 miles to El Dorado in Union County. He dropped the children off somewhere there, and they weren't hurt, according to the local sheriff's office.

Meanwhile, police in Arkadelphia learned about the situation and went to the Huckabee home to do a welfare check. They found Sandy Huckabee's body inside and issued a warrant for Hux's arrest on capital murder, kidnapping and other charges.

About 9 p.m. on Sunday, Hux's father, Marvin Hux, called authorities and said his Buick Rendezvous had been stolen, Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said. Shortly after that call, the missing SUV turned up on a rural road outside El Dorado.

"There was an exchange of gunfire between local law enforcement with Donald Hux," Sadler said.

He said Amy Huckabee was there, but he wouldn't say how she or Hux died. He specifically would not confirm Arkadelphia police's statement that Hux killed his ex-wife, saying that investigators were working to figure out who died first.

Hux was released Thursday from a jail in Louisiana, where he had been serving time for a solicitation of prostitution charge in Caddo Parish.

A man who answered a phone number listed for Hux said, "There's no comment to be made right now."

___

Follow Jeannie Nuss at http://twitter.com/jeannienuss

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_re_us/us_huckabee_relative_killed

rhodes scholar cranberry sauce recipe mls cup amas 2011 black friday elliot elliot

Reno fire that claimed 29 homes is contained

Rain and snow helped firefighters surround a brush fire that destroyed 29 homes and forced thousands to flee near Reno, leading officials to declare the blaze contained early Saturday and lift all remaining evacuations.

Fueled by hurricane force winds, the blaze burned nearly 3,200 acres with flames as high as 40 feet. The break in the weather for firefighters arrived with calmer winds on Friday, allowing crews to gain the upper hand on a blaze Gov. Brian Sandoval described as "horrendous."

"There is nothing left in some of those places except for the chimneys and fireplaces," he said in a tour of the area Friday.

The next challenge for emergency workers may be a storm in the Sierra Nevada, which for many brings welcome snow and rain amid one of the Reno's driest winters in more than a century but could create headaches for officials who fear its potential for causing flooding in burned areas.

Authorities say an "extremely remorseful" elderly man admitted to accidentally starting the fire Thursday when he improperly discarded fireplace ashes at his home south of town.

Investigators already had tracked the origin of the fire that raged south of Reno to a location in East Lake on the north end of the Washoe Valley, where the man lives about 20 miles south of downtown Reno.

"He came forward on his own accord," Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez said. "He has given statements to our investigators as well as law enforcement officers. He is extremely remorseful."

Washoe County Sheriff Mike Haley said a formal case file will be forwarded to the district attorney next week for consideration of charges.

In addition to the potential for facing jail time on arson charges, the man could also be ordered to pay the cost of fighting the fire, which already totals $690,000.

Washoe County Manager Katy Simon said she expects the final bill to run into the millions of dollars.

The blaze started shortly after noon Thursday and, fueled by the wind, mushroomed to more than 6 square miles before firefighters stopped its surge toward Reno.

  1. Only on msnbc.com

    1. After drone hit on al-Qaida planner, is Zawahiri next?
    2. Syria's capital delivers show of support for Assad
    3. 'Miracle' baby born from single frozen sperm
    4. China braces for Year of the Dragon travel rush
    5. Should couples share passwords?
    6. 1,137 dogs rescued from Chinese dinner table
    7. Poker players sue over online cheating scheme

The strong, erratic winds caused major challenges for crews evacuating residents, Sierra Front spokesman Mark Regan said. "In a matter of seconds, the wind would shift," he said.

The sheriff confirmed that the body of June Hargis, 93, was found in the fire's aftermath, but her cause of death has not been established, so it's not known if it was fire related.

Jeannie Watts, the woman's 70-year-old daughter, told KRNV-TV that Hargis' grandson telephoned her to tell her to evacuate but she didn't get out in time.

Fire officials said Thursday's fire was "almost a carbon copy" of a blaze that destroyed 30 homes in Reno during similar summer-like conditions in mid-November.

"There was fire in front of me, fire beside me, fire behind me. It was everywhere," said Connie Cryer, who was relieved to learn Friday that her home survived the flames. "I don't know how more didn't burn up. It was terrible, all the wind and the smoke."

She had seen wildfires before, but nothing on this scale.

State Forester Pete Anderson said he has not seen such hazardous fire conditions in winter in his 43 years in Nevada. Reno had no precipitation in December. The last time that happened was 1883.

An inch of snow Monday ended the longest recorded dry spell in Reno history, a 56-day stretch that prompted Anderson to issue an unusual warning about wildfire threats in a fire season that has stretched well past the usual endpoint of November.

Kit Bailey, U.S. Forest Service fire chief at nearby Lake Tahoe, said conditions are so dry that even a forecast calling for rain and snow might not take the Reno-Tahoe area out of fire danger.

"The scary thing is a few days of drying after this storm cycle and we could be back into fire season again," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Scott Sonner in Reno, Michelle Rindels in Las Vegas and Sandra Chereb in Carson City contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46083729/ns/us_news-life/

roasted pumpkin seeds roasted pumpkin seeds pumpkin seed recipe mark madoff disturbia nick diaz michael myers