See plans for the first buildings at Liberty Center

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LIBERTY TWP.

As construction kicks into high gear on the mega retail complex Liberty Center, the township is fielding multiple building plans rushing in for the Dillards department store, apartments, hotel and other buildings to open at the site.

Applications for the zoning certificates give a first look at some of the proposed storefronts never seen before, such as Dillards.

Other renderings have been shown before, but the zoning records contain more detail than previously provided, such as drawings for AC Hotels by Marriott. Developer Steiner + Associates has also previously shown views of what the whole center and its buildings will look like with grassy common areas.

We are transitioning from that phase where there is a lot of dirt work and were going to start seeing the buildings coming vertical, which is when it really gets exciting, Justin Leyda, senior development executive for Steiner, told Butler County Commissioners the last week of August.

Construction on infrastructure such as sewer and water systems, and parking garages has already started at the site.

Following a key subdivision approval granted by Butler County Commissioners on Aug. 28, a flurry of construction activity is expected to begin. The final plat approval (contingent on the developer obtaining a surety bond) will allow Columbus-based Steiner to divide the land into up to 23 lots and sell property to the hotel operator, anchor retailers, and other partners, according to Butler County Development Director David Fehr.

In turn, that means those companies will likely begin construction on their buildings soon pending zoning approval from Liberty Twp.

Also, the developer or a subcontractor will have to apply to the county for building permits for each building constructed, and multiple permits will be issued per building, according to the county development department.

Liberty Center is the name of the approximately $350 million shopping, office, residential and dining complex under construction now in Liberty Twp. at the intersection of Ohio 129, Interstate 75 and Liberty Way. Described as the Easton of Cincinnati, and one of the biggest development deals in Butler County history, anchor tenants announced so far for Liberty Center are Dillards department store, dinner-and-movie theater CineBistro, and most recently Dicks Sporting Goods. Other named tenants include pizza restaurant Pies & Pints and AC Hotels by Marriott.

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See plans for the first buildings at Liberty Center

Liberty Diversified International Promotes Larry Newell to Vice President, Paper Manufacturing

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Liberty Diversified International Promotes Larry Newell to Vice President, Paper Manufacturing

Larry Newell

Sept. 3, 2014 - Liberty Diversified International (LDI) announced that Larry Newell has been promoted to Vice President, Paper Manufacturing.

As part of his duties in paper manufacturing and sourcing, Newell will continue to serve as general manager of LDIs Liberty Paper mill in Becker, Minnesota. The mill manufactures 100 percent recycled papers for packaging from more than 400 million pounds of old corrugated containers each year.

Our paper business has steadily grown under Larrys leadership, and this promotion reflects our continued commitment to lead our industry in paper production from recycled material, said Dan Zdon, LDI President and Chief Operating Officer.

Newell, a 20-year veteran of LDI, spearheaded the 2012 design and construction of a $15 million water pre-treatment project at the Becker facility.

Newell is a member of the Technical Association of the Paper and Pulp Industry (TAPPI) and the Paper Industry Management Association (PIMA). He serves on the Advisory Council board of directors for the University of Minnesotas Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering.

Liberty Diversified International is a privately-held family of businesses, which include paper and packaging; furnishings and organization products for the office; building and architectural products; and precision machining. To learn more, please visit: http://www.libertydiversified.com.

SOURCE: Liberty Diversified International

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Liberty Diversified International Promotes Larry Newell to Vice President, Paper Manufacturing

Sean Haugh Libertarian for US Senate 2014 – About that Debate – Video

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Sean Haugh Libertarian for US Senate 2014 - About that Debate
Howdy! This one #39;s unscripted, just my thoughts on that debate tonight that did not include me. If you want to know what I think while the debate is going on, follow my glorious Campaign Manager...

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Sean Haugh Libertarian for US Senate 2014 - About that Debate - Video

Welcome to: Sea Lions at Carrington Point – Santa Rosa – Channel Islands National Park – Video

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Welcome to: Sea Lions at Carrington Point - Santa Rosa - Channel Islands National Park
Sea lions are among the four main species of pinnipeds that are found in Channel Islands National Park. In this video enjoy a colony of sea lions near Carrington Point in Santa Rosa Island.

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Five Italian Islands the de Blasios Should Have Picked Over Pricey Capri

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Under-the-radar spots for summering.

The mayor shouldnt have gone to Capri this summer.

Thats not just because it made de Blasio absent during one of the biggest challenges of his young tenure so far the death of Eric Garner its because Capri, while beautiful, is also expensive, touristic, and, worst of all, as glitzy as you can get. The mere name smacks of wealth and privilege bad PR, even at the best of times for a mayor who ran on an anti-Bloombergian platform of equity. Italy boasts plenty of other islands that would have been a better bet for the mayor. Yes, the photos of their spectacular scenery and crystal-clear water would still have made New Yorkers jealous, but most of his constituents likely wouldnt recognize their names. Here are five places I would have sent de Blasio instead. (Mr. Mayor, next time, call me!)

IschiaThe largest island in the Bay of Naples, Ischia is like Capris slightly less glamorous sister. Like the other islands on this list, Ischia is hardly unknown to Italians. (Or to Germans. As with most of the worlds seemingly off-the-beaten-path spots, the Germans are already there.) It is, however, off the radar for much of the international jet-set crowd. You come here for the stunning scenery and the beaches, not the Michelin-starred restaurants and "Page Six"clubs. Ischias under-the-radar feel is surprising, though, given its beauty. Picture a place thats lush, green, and dotted with wildflowers. Top it with a ridiculously large, labyrinthine castle (the Castello Aragonese, with origins that date back to the ancient Greek fortress of 474 B.C.E.). Pop in thermal pools, world-famous gardens, and whitewashed resort towns where vacationing Italians stroll on evening passeggiate or nibble on the flaky sfogliatelle pastries of nearby Naples, or Ischias particular specialty, cooked coniglio (that would be rabbit).

ProcidaAt one and a half square miles, Procida (pro-CHEE-dah), located just 40 minutes from Naples by hydrofoil, is the smallest island in the Bay of Naples. Its also, in some ways, the loveliest. Because its been a settlement for fishermen for so long (today, some 11,000 residents live here year-round), it doesnt have as much lush, open space as Ischia or Capri. What Procida lacks in greenery, however, it makes up for with its local legends, gorgeous views, and pastel villages all of which feel like working fishermens villages, not resort towns, since, of course, thats what they are. Old men gather in the little piazzas here at dusk for a smoke and a chat; local kids (and day-tripping families from nearby Naples) splash in the water. No surprise that the island was used as the setting for the film Il Postino.

Dont miss a visit to Terra Murata, the citadel-village that was walled off to protect against ongoing incursions by Saracenic pirates in the 16th century, and its Benedictine abbey. This abbey happens to be the site of a local miracle: When Procida was besieged by pirates on May 8, 1535, an image of St. Michael the Archangel was said to appear in the sky, sword drawn. The pirates fled, an event celebrated with a procession every year on May 8. The weeks leading up to Good Friday, meanwhile, see locals working hard on their larger-than-life, handmade floats of wood, cloth, and papier-mch, each showing a different scene from the Passion; called the misteri (mysteries), these floats are destroyed when the procession ends.

PonzaWhen Romes wealthy (or their friends) need a weekend escape and dont have time to get to Capri, this is where they come its a good 70 miles further north (and closer to Rome) than the Bay of Naples. Not that you have to be a millionaire to get here. Plenty of ferries run from Formia or Anzio (each an hours train ride south of Rome) directly to the island, with the fastest taking 70 minutes, and accommodation as with all of these islands includes many more apartment and house rentals and B&Bs than full-blown, five-star resorts.

Measuring less than three square miles (compare that to Ischias whopping 18), Ponza is tiny. But dont let its size fool you. This is an island where myth dwarfs the actual place: Legend has it that Odysseus was seduced and kept here by the sorceress Circe, whose cliffside cave you can still see, while the island itself got its name from Pontius Pilate, whose family was said to have a house here.

Ponza today is a lovely, tranquil island scattered with a handful of pastel-colored villages, its edges bordered with dramatic cliffs, hidden coves, and, of course, that bright-blue water. Renting a little outboard boat and toodling around the coastline is popular, especially since many of the tiny beaches arent particularly accessible with even a tiny Smart unless you dont mind parking at the top and taking steep, winding paths down (and then back up) the 500 foot cliffs to the sea.

PanareaPanarea is the Capri of the Aeolian islands, an arc of eight isles just to the north of Messina; on a map, they look like the pebbles being kicked up by the boot as it tries to give Sicily the old heave-ho. At just over one square mile and home to fewer than 300 residents year-round, Panarea is super-tiny. Its also super-chic; if de Blasio were hoping for an exclusive feel that wouldnt come with all the bad PR of a name as recognizable as Capri, this would be the spot. Its handful of exclusive clubs have given it the reputation of being the top Aeolian island for nightlife, so it's no surprise that Panarea swells with visitors the vast majority of them well-heeled Italians come July and, especially, August. But dont worry, Mr. Mayor: The tiny, waterfront village, with its couple of clubs, is so small, even all of the visitors start to recognize one another after a single night; if Chiara and Dante insist on going out on the town, Panarea is as safe as it gets.

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Five Italian Islands the de Blasios Should Have Picked Over Pricey Capri

Conde Nast Traveller reveals the 10 most stunning islands in the world

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By Catherine Eade for MailOnline

Published: 02:54 EST, 4 September 2014 | Updated: 10:26 EST, 4 September 2014

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What do you love about travel? Which is your favourite country in the world? And of all the islands in the world, which is the most beautiful?

Some seem like paradise on earth with white sand and shimmering turquoise waters. Some still have vast areas that are practically deserted while others hum with the life of residents and year-round tourists. All are beautiful in their own way.

It's a hard task but the readers of Cond Nast Traveller have managed to pick their favourites and the results show the Balearic Islands have relinquished the top spot to make way forThe Maldives - last year's third placed destination.

This group of around 1,200 small coral islands in the Indian ocean achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1965, and The Maldives has long been seen as one of the most romantic destinations in the world.

Remaining steadfastly at number two are the Greek Islands of the Aegean Sea. The ideal climate, safe waters and small distances between ports and coasts have made the Greek islands extremely popular amongst travellers.

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Conde Nast Traveller reveals the 10 most stunning islands in the world

Extinctions During Human Era Worse Than Thought

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David Orenstein, Brown University

The gravity of the worlds current extinction rate becomes clearer upon knowing what it was before people came along. A new estimate finds that species die off as much as 1,000 times more frequently nowadays than they used to. Thats 10 times worse than the old estimate of 100 times.

Its hard to comprehend how bad the current rate of species extinction around the world has become without knowing what it was before people came along. The newest estimate is that the pre-human rate was 10 times lower than scientists had thought, which means that the current level is 10 times worse.

Extinctions are about 1,000 times more frequent now than in the 60 million years before people came along. The explanation from lead author Jurriaan de Vos, a Brown University postdoctoral researcher, senior author Stuart Pimm, a Duke University professor, and their team appears online in the journal Conservation Biology.

This reinforces the urgency to conserve what is left and to try to reduce our impacts, said de Vos, who began the work while at the University of Zurich. It was very, very different before humans entered the scene.

In absolute, albeit rough, terms the paper calculates a normal background rate of extinction of 0.1 extinctions per million species per year. That revises the figure of 1 extinction per million species per year that Pimm estimated in prior work in the 1990s. By contrast, the current extinction rate is more on the order of 100 extinctions per million species per year.

Orders of magnitude, rather than precise numbers are about the best any method can do for a global extinction rate, de Vos said. Thats just being honest about the uncertainty there is in these type of analyses.

From fossils to genetics

The new estimate improves markedly on prior ones mostly because it goes beyond the fossil record. Fossils are helpful sources of information, but their shortcomings include disproportionate representation of hard-bodied sea animals and the problem that they often only allow identification of the animal or plants genus, but not its exact species.

What the fossils do show clearly is that apart from a few cataclysms over geological periods such as the one that eliminated the dinosaurs biodiversity has slowly increased.

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Extinctions During Human Era Worse Than Thought

Panel 4: Health Care for Immigrant Families: Policy Challenges and Opportunities – Video

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Panel 4: Health Care for Immigrant Families: Policy Challenges and Opportunities
A panel of leading experts will present an overview of the status of access to health care for immigrant children and families and discuss the program and policy options for immigration and...

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Panel 4: Health Care for Immigrant Families: Policy Challenges and Opportunities - Video

Establishing a Contact at Your Health Care Provider’s Office – Video

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Establishing a Contact at Your Health Care Provider #39;s Office
Patients facing chemotherapy for colon cancer likely have many questions about the side effects of the therapy. Dr. Madappa Kundranda recommends having a single person at your health care provider #39;...

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Establishing a Contact at Your Health Care Provider's Office - Video

Government forecasts growing health care costs

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Washington The nations respite from troublesome health care inflation is ending, the government said Wednesday in a report that renews a crucial budget challenge for lawmakers, taxpayers, businesses and patients.

Economic recovery, an aging society, and more people insured under the new health care law are driving the long-term trend.

Projections by nonpartisan experts with the Health and Human Services department indicate the pace of health care spending will pick up starting this year and beyond. The introduction of expensive new drugs for the liver-wasting disease hepatitis C also contributes to the speed-up in the short run.

The report from the Office of the Actuary projects that spending will grow by an average of 6 percent a year from 2015-2023.

Thats a notable acceleration after five consecutive years, through 2013, of annual growth below 4 percent.

Although the coming bout of health-cost inflation is not expected to be as aggressive as in the 1980s and 1990s, it will still pose a dilemma for President Barack Obamas successor.

Long term, much of the growth comes from Medicare and Medicaid, two giant government programs now covering more than 100 million people.

The United States is expected to spend more than $3 trillion on health care this year, far above any other economically advanced country.

Yet Americans are not appreciably healthier, and much what they spend appears to go for tests and treatments of questionable value. Fraud also siphons off tens of billions of dollars a year.

Because health care spending is so high, shifts of a couple of percentage points have significant economic consequences. Health care inflation has recently been in line with overall economic growth, keeping things manageable.

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Government forecasts growing health care costs