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Soon to be eighth grader Brenna Schwenker’s design skills paid off at the end of this last school year, as the 12-year-old turned a video game hobby into an all-expenses paid trip to Los Angeles.

After purchasing a Magic Wishing Bracelet, which is a colorful jewelry accessory marketed toward young girls,tiffany on sale, Schwenker then went to the company’s website. The bracelets are not only fashion-oriented,cheap tiffany bangles, but they also come with keycodes to access online interactive games.

While at the website, Schwenker entered a contest to see who could design the best princess gown. Other people on the website then voted for their favorite gowns,earrings, with Schwenker’s taking top honors and earning her the trip to LA with her mother.

"We’d never done anything like that before, we’ve never experienced winning anything,tiffany necklaces on sale," said Mara Schwenker, Brenna’s mother.

The two had some hiccups getting to LA due to flight delays, but they eventually arrived at their destination and were met by Kris Dangl, the costume designer for Nickelodeon’s iCarly as well as other shows.

In addition to visiting family while on the trip, Brenna and her mother took in a free Jonas Brothers concert,tiffany bracelets on sale, a tour of Hollywood — which included the Walk of Fame — and a $500 shopping spree courtesy of Magic Wishing Bracelet.

Garden City High School volleyball coach Bob Schmitz knew his team’s season-opening matches on the road at Salina Central would be an eye-opener for some of his newer varsity players.

He just didn’t know how much until the Buffs headed home Tuesday night on the heels of two losses to Central (25-22, 25-17) and to Top-10 ranked Class 5A Newton (25-12,earrings, 25-14).

"It’s kind of what I envisioned of how things might go," Schmitz said. "We’ve got four returners from last year, but two of those are sophomores, so we’ve got a number of players with not a lot of varsity experience."

To further complicate the Buffs’ effort,discount tiffany money clips, senior Haley Harbour missed the season opener as she was serving a one-game suspension for an off-season incident. Harbour did accompany the team on the trip.

In the opening match against Central, Schmitz said he was pleased with the early play of his team, leading by as many as three points when the score got to 17.

"We were playing really well up to that point," Schmitz said. "I think part of our inexperience showed because we didn’t have the mindset of staying tough and getting the winning point to maintain our lead."

Schmitz said Central went on two different three-point runs to eventually take the opening game by three points.

"We’re discovering that you’ve got to stay aggressive to the end of a set," Schmitz said. "Central has a very good team, and Newton is a powerful team. Newton covers everything,shop for tiffany cuff Links, and they just seemed to put us on our heels. They block and hit very solidly."

Without Harbour in the lineup, Schmitz utilized a number of different lineups to give himself a chance to evaluate his varsity squad.

"I thought our communication got better as the matches went on,tiffany earrings on sale," he said. "We’re just trying to get better with each match and build for the season. I don’t think this is the type of team that will have the ups and downs like last year."

Schmitz said his most consistent player in the two matches was junior Kristen Heiman. The 5-11 Heiman recorded 15 kills in the two matches,thanksgiving rings, nine against Central and six against Newton.

"She’s our most powerful hitter, and we’ve got to work on passing to get her better sets," Schmitz said. "I think the whole experience (Tuesday) shows the girls the reasons why we’re doing certain drills, running certain plays."

The Buffs (0-2) have little time to get ready for their next matches as they host a quadrangular at 4 p.m. Thursday at The Garden. Holcomb, Great Bend and Liberal round out the teams competing.

Credit: The Garden City Telegram, Kan.

Five players to watch,watches

Lindsey Knapp,money clips, Boca Raton, junior,earrings, outside hitter

Olivia Mesner, Spanish River, senior, middle blocker

Morgan Lear, Jupiter, junior, libero

Pamela Querogia, Park Vista, senior, middle blocker

Katelyn Rawls, Wellington, junior, outside hitter.

Five teams to watch

Boca Raton — The Class 6A state semifinalist returns key players from its most successful run in school history.

Lake Worth Christian — Coach Terri Kaiser has made Defenders most consistent program in area with nine state tournament appearances in her tenure.

Jupiter — Coach Blane Betz has led team to FHSAA tournament every year in 2000s.

Spanish River — Strong senior base looking to build upon regional semifinal appearance.

Wellington — 20-win club has redemption on mind after abrupt playoff exit.

Key dates

Regular season begins: Monday

Palm Beach Classic: Oct. 1-2 at John I. Leonard, Palm Beach Lakes, Royal Palm Beach and Lake Worth Christian

District tournaments: Oct. 25-29

Regional tournaments: Nov. 2, 3, 9 and 13

FHSAA Finals: Nov. 17-20 at the Lakeland Center

Defending champions

Class 6A: Tampa Plant

Class 5A: Martin County

Class 4A: Jensen Beach

Class 3A: Berkeley Prep (Tampa)

Class 2A: First Academy (Orlando)

Class 1A: Warner Christian

Credit: Sun Sentinel,bracelets, Fort Lauderdale,Charm pendant, Fla.

Last August, convicted felon William Caponegri told his on-again,necklaces, off-again girlfriend in front of a Chicago police officer that he would "come back and kill" her after she had him arrested for shoving her into a wall.

Almost exactly one year after that domestic battery, Cook County prosecutors said, Caponegri fulfilled his promise, strangling Karen Salvino,earrings, 52, inside his Rogers Park apartment over the weekend.

A judge ordered Caponegri, 49, held without bail Monday on first-degree murder charges. Prosecutors said he could face the death penalty because the victim had an order of protection since September that barred Caponegri from contact with Salvino or from being in her home in the 5000 block of North Winthrop Avenue.

The order stemmed from when Caponegri pushed Salvino into a wall during an argument at her Uptown apartment last Aug. 18, court records showed. According to a police report, Caponegri threatened Salvino in front of a responding officer,tiffany, telling her, "I’m gonna come back and kill you."

He was immediately arrested on a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery. Caponegri, who has a long criminal history, including convictions for burglary and public drinking, was convicted for shoving Salvino and sentenced to 18 months of probation.

In court, Assistant State’s Attorney Pamela Stratigakis said the couple had "on- and off-again relationship" over the last couple of years and were together at the suspect’s apartment in the 6700 block of North Glenwood Avenue on Saturday night when they began arguing.

Caponegri accused Salvino of being with another man. During the confrontation, he grabbed her by the neck and strangled her, Stratigakis said.

When Caponegri’s roommate arrived home at about midnight, Salvino was lying on a bed as Caponegri administered CPR, the prosecutor said. After the roommate called 911, paramedics found that Salvino had two black eyes as well as bruises and scratches around her neck.

Salvino was pronounced dead at the scene early Sunday. An autopsy later confirmed that she died of strangulation.

"In a video statement to police, the defendant admitted that he put his hand on the victim’s throat and she wouldn’t shut up, so he kept on choking her," Stratigakis said.

Stratigakis did not comment on why Salvino was at Caponegri’s apartment. But Assistant Public Defender Paul Bellendir,watches, who was appointed to represent Caponegri, noted that Salvino had come to his apartment despite the order of protection.

A Midwestern discount retailer far from Wall Street is being watched by investors this week, as Gordmans Stores Inc. prepares to launch its initial public offering of stock.

The 68-store chain is nowhere to be found in the Northeast, but it has developed a following in the center of the country. It sells discounted clothing and home decor bearing department-store and specialty-store brands, competing against TJX Cos. Inc. and Ross Stores Inc.

Same-store sales and profits rose in the fiscal year ended Jan. 31 and in the 13 weeks that ended May 1. Based in Omaha, Neb.,tiffany, Gordmans is aiming to raise as much as $81 million by listing under the symbol GMAN on the Nasdaq.

"I believe this is the best deal of the week," says Scott Sweet,Charm pendant, managing director of research firm IPOBoutique.com. "These stores aren’t being located next to Nordstroms. They’re selling low-priced,earrings, high-end clothing, and that is a logical and popular way to shop, especially in the current economic times."

There also is some chatter about Beijing-based Ambow Education Holding Ltd., which aims to raise as much as $128 million by listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AMBO.

The company plays on Chinese families’ growing focus on getting their children into better secondary and post-secondary schools, as well as on skills that will allow graduates to land better jobs. But the deal isn’t a slam-dunk; Chinese IPOs have produced mixed results among American investors this year, and Ambow is competing in a crowded field, particularly against heavyweight New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc., which went public in 2006.

Two technology stocks are also scheduled to debut: Netherlands-based NXP Semiconductors N.V., and IntraLinks Holdings Inc. NXP is seeking to raise as much as $714 million with a Nasdaq listing under the symbol NXPI, while IntraLinks is hoping for $176 million through an NYSE listing under the symbol IL.

IntraLinks is a cloud-computing service that offers businesses a way to collaborate on data and documents online. It controlled an estimated 22.5% share, by revenue, of its niche in the world-wide market last year, according to Gartner, a market analysis firm. NXP focuses on high-performance mixed-signal semiconductors, which combine analog and digital functions.

Both companies may face pricing pressure from investors. NXP and IntraLinks have several years of operating losses and considerable debt relative to their size.

In the case of NXP, the losses date back to 2006 but have been narrowing; it broke even in the first quarter of this year and is expected to book an operating profit in the second quarter. IntraLinks’ operating losses began easing in 2008, but the company warns they could continue in the future and gives no timeline for profitability.

Though semiconductor makers had been issuing positive financial forecasts earlier this year after a severe cyclical downturn last year, there’s a bit of unease among investors as some companies have been scaling back their forecasts, including LSI Corp. and Nvidia Corp. last week. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, which tracks the performance of chip-related stocks and made strong gains earlier this year,Atlas charm bracelet, has since dropped into negative territory.

Write to Lynn Cowan at lynn.cowan@dowjones.com

The company that gave a South Whitehall Township woman trouble last year with a limited-medical benefit plan is in trouble itself now, caught in a national sweep of companies that authorities say mislead people into believing they’re buying health insurance.

Cinergy Health of Florida has been ordered to appear at a hearing Sept. 28 to answer charges by the New York Insurance Department that the company misled customers about the nature and cost of the coverage it was selling.

The citation is one of 54 regulatory actions and lawsuits announced Wednesday by the Federal Trade Commission and consumer protection authorities in 24 states. Pennsylvania was not among them.

I told you about Cinergy earlier this year after I helped Nicki Beck resolve a dispute with a plan she bought through the company.

Beck had signed up with Cinergy thinking she was buying major medical insurance. Cinergy is not an insurance company. It’s an agent that sells plans. In Beck’s case,earrings, the plan it sold her was underwritten by American Medical and Life Insurance Co. of New York.

Only when her claims weren’t initially covered did , Beck learn she had bought limited coverage. She felt misled and contacted New York authorities. Her claims were covered after I contacted the underwriter.

"I am really glad to hear they have to appear for these charges,tiffany," Beck told me by e-mail. "In some cases I am sure they never pay dime one to the insured unless they got help like I did from you."

It was Cinergy’s sales of American Medical and Life Insurance plans that triggered New York’s citation. In an e-mail, Cinergy Executive Vice President Steve Trattner said Cinergy is working with New York authorities to address "any open issues."

The case was included in Wednesday’s enforcement announcement, dubbed "Healthcare Hustle."

"With so many Americans struggling to deal with the costs of health care, these medical discount benefit plans sound appealing because they masquerade as health insurance," said David Vladeck, director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. "But they are not insurance. They don’t offer the benefits of health insurance, and victims don’t know they’ve been ripped off until after they’ve tried to use the service and paid their bill."

Trattner said Cinergy welcomes efforts to stop "fraudulent and misleading marketing of discount health care programs." He said the programs can help people, but their credibility "is unfortunately tarnished by a few fraudulent companies."

Trattner said Cinergy sells limited medical benefit plans, not discount plans. But during Wednesday’s announcement, New York Insurance Superintendent James Wrynn said limited medical benefit plans are problematic, too.

Beck signed on with Cinergy Health after seeing a television commercial. She paid $241 a month for coverage that included up to $1,000 a day for up to 30 days in the hospital, and up to $100 for five physician and three lab tests per year.

But when she visited a doctor and lab, Beck’s claims weren’t initially covered. She said American Medical and Life Insurance told her it didn’t have a certificate of her previous medical coverage, which was necessary because of a pre-existing condition. Beck said she’d faxed that when she applied. So she sent it again.

I did the math and found that even after her claims were paid under the terms of her plan, it cost her twice as much to pay monthly fees to Cinergy and her share of the medical bills as it would have cost if she had no coverage and paid the bills herself.

Cinergy no longer sells health plans underwritten by American Medical and Life Insurance. New York authorities fined that company $700,Charm bracelet,000 last year for several violations, including misleading advertising through Cinergy commercials.

According to the citation, Cinergy’s television ads, handbook and call center employees provided "false and misleading" information. Cinergy signed up customers without using the approved application form, "which contained important disclosures and warnings about the limited nature of the medical coverage provided," according to the citation.

If the charges are upheld, Cinergy could be fined, lose its license or be forced to pay restitution to customers, said Ron Klug, a New York Insurance Department spokesman.

The Better Business Bureau says authorities in Florida and Arkansas also have investigated Cinergy. The BBB gives Cinergy a D+ rating. Trattner said Cinergy is working with Florida authorities, and Arkansas withdrew its complaint.

If you’re looking for health coverage, make sure you know what you’re getting. Limited-medical benefit plans and medical discount plans are not major medical insurance. They may get you a break on some costs, but you still could end up paying a lot more than you expected.

Check a company’s record with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department (www.ins.state.pa.us or 877-881-6388), and Better Business Bureau,rings, and look for online consumer reviews. Ask the company to send you the terms in advance so you can review them.

More information is on my blog at http://blogs.mcall.com/watchdog/, including the list of companies that have been investigated by federal and state authorities.

The Watchdog is published Thursdays and Sundays. Contact me by e-mail at watchdog@mcall.com, by phone at 610-841-2364 (ADOG), by fax at 610-820-6693, or by mail at The Morning Call, 101 N. Sixth St., Allentown, PA, 18101. Follow me on Twitter at mcwatchdog.

Marshall University issued the following news release:

Advance only tickets are still on sale for Marshall University’s Paint the Capital City Green during which fans can meet new head football coach and Hurricane native Doc Holliday to learn about the future of Thundering Herd football.

Paint The Capital City Green, presented by Friends of Coal, is the nation’s largest indoor pep rally for Thundering Herd alumni, fans and friends. The event is hosted by the Big Green Scholarship Foundation,Charm bracelet, the Marshall University Alumni Association,watches, the Greater Kanawha Valley Alumni Club and the Charleston Quarterback Club. Event proceeds benefit the Big Green Scholarship Foundation and the Marshall University Alumni Association.

Individual tickets are $50 and a limited number of table sponsorships are still available. Tickets must be purchased by close of business on Monday,rings, Aug. 16 to be entered into a drawing to win two tickets to the Herd’s season opener against Ohio State Thursday, Sept. 2. The winner will also receive complimentary hotel accommodations in the Columbus area.

Festivities will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18, at Charleston’s Embassy Suites Hotel with a pep rally and tailgate spread featuring entertainment by mascot Marco, the cheerleading squad and Dance Team, as well as music from members of the Marching Thunder. A formal program begins at 7 p.m. For ticket information, call the Big Green Scholarship Foundation at 304-696-4661.

Holliday will share the stage with Marshall University President Stephen J. Kopp and Athletic Director Mike Hamrick as well as key members of the squad as they discuss the future of Marshall football. Hamrick, the former director of athletics at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, rounds out his first full year at Marshall. He also will introduce the Herd’s new head basketball coach Tom Herrion.

Holliday,earrings, a native of Hurricane, W.

Va., was named head football coach in December 2009. He is widely regarded as one of the top recruiters in the nation and he brings 31 years of collegiate coaching experience to Marshall that includes stops at Florida, North Carolina State and WVU.

Highlights of his career include coaching in 20 bowl games and three national championship games. He also has coached 11 players that have gone on to the National Football League. Holliday comes to Marshall after serving as associate head coach at West Virginia for the past two seasons. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

Dave Wellman, 304/696-7153.

Yakima County will be in the market next month to sell $12.1 million in bonds to pay for a variety of projects at county-owned facilities like the courthouse and the county jail.

The figure could grow to $35 million, however,necklaces, should Treasurer Ilene Thomson decide to refinance a 2002 bond issue primarily used to build the new county jail near State Fair Park.

The jail project and the bond issue have been a sore point among residents because of delays that increased costs and ended with the county completing construction of only half as many beds as originally proposed.

County commissioners have the authority under state law to sell bonds for building improvements and repairs without first going to the voters for approval.

All the projects proposed for the bond issue, including refinancing the jail bond, have dedicated sources of repayment and will not draw on the county’s besieged general fund.

The general fund, which finances day-to-day operation of most county departments, has been hit by rising operating costs and declining revenues,earrings, primarily sales tax,cuff Links, that have prompted budget cuts and layoffs of 36 people since late last year.

No new taxes will be necessary and the county should see some savings from the bond issue, commissioners said Tuesday.

"We believe as a board, having examined these issues, we are now prepared to act to the benefit of county citizens," Chairman Mike Leita said.

A resolution commissioners approved Tuesday authorizing the bond sale provides Thomson the flexibility to decide whether to include refinancing the jail bond.

Thomson said she can proceed if the net savings, including sale costs and interest savings, exceed 3.5 percent.

The remaining debt on the original $33 million bond for the jail is $25 million. The county can’t call in those bonds until 10 years after issuance, at which time the remaining balance will be $23 million.

Thomson said if the jail bond is included in the bond issue next month, she will place the proceeds in escrow to generate interest until 2012.

Several projects have been added to the bond issue since commissioners signaled last month a bond issue of $9.3 million.

The projects to be included are:

County courthouse: $4.39 million, repayment with real estate excise tax revenues.

–$2.9 million to replace the courthouse exterior and windows to improve energy efficiency.

–$800,000 to rearrange the courthouse first floor to better utilize space and install airport-type security facilities at the Second Street entrance.

–$690,000 to replace a cooling system.

Department of Corrections: $6.05 million, repayment from department revenues.

–$400,000 to replace leaking showers at the new jail.

–$300,000 to renovate the fourth floor of the downtown jail,Bead bracelet, where the most serious offenders are houses.

–$450,000 for new sewage grinder.

–$4.9 million for a new fire suppression and security system.

Terrace Heights water utility: $1.2 million, repayment from reserves or ratepayers.

–A new water storage tank.

Police communication: $500,000, repayment through reduced operating costs.

–To help finance a new countywide police communication and records management system.

Spring Partners today announced its latest springpad, the Date Night Planner, a free online notebook to help plan and organize unique and memorable dates – whether it’s a dazzling night on the town or a relaxed evening at home.

As one of the biggest date nights of the year, Valentine’s Day gift comes with heightened expectations of fun and romance. Playing Cupid can be challenging with most people under a time and money crunch and trying to think outside the box of chocolates for ideas. By bringing together the best of the web in one place, the Date Night Planner springpad gives you a quick way to get ideas and easy access to your favorite online services like Google, Amazon, Open Table, Fandango and Yelp to organize your romantic evening.

“People are busy and Valentine’s Day really adds pressure to be creative and plan something special for your significant other. We’ve had great success with our meal planning and gift buying springpads, so adding a Date Night Planner that gives you a quick and easy way to set up a memorable date is a natural,” said Jeff Janer, CEO, Spring Partners. “We’ve also tapped into the most popular social media sites and brought together a group of bloggers and publishers to offer advice and tips to make the most of the big day.”

Whether you’re planning to dine in or out, see a movie or just looking for something different, the Date Night Planner springpad lets you:

– capture advice, tips and insights from your favorite web sites and popular bloggers

– collect recipes and shop for the perfect menu

– get restaurant recommendations and make your reservation

– access movie reviews, listings, show times and buy tickets

– find gift ideas and buy presents

“Our readers share our philosophy of having fun and living large while pendants saving money. Using the Date Night Planner will help them do just that on Valentine’s Day,” said Will Chen of Wisebread, one of the most popular personal finance blogs on the web. “springpad is a fun way to collect ideas and recommendations and quickly take action on them.”

Over the coming months, Spring Partners will roll out springpads for a variety of life events, including home remodeling, wedding planning, and a memory keeper. In addition, the company is encouraging people to create their own springpads and share them with the springpad community.

The Date Night Planner is free for everyone and available now at http://datenight.springpadit.com and more springpads can be found at http://springpadit.com.

About Spring Partners

Spring Partners is a software company dedicated to harnessing the power of the web to simply people’s lives. earrings springpad is a free set of online notebooks that help people organize, share and tackle life’s tasks and events. springpad also helps bloggers and online publishers to extend their expertise by making it easy for their readers to interact and apply insights and advice. Headquartered in Boston, the company was founded in 2008 and is venture backed.

Jackson Chapel First Baptist Church is gearing up for its third bike giveaway for the Christmas tiffany and co holiday season.

Requests for bikes are coming in, and the men who make up the “God’s Men” auxiliary at the church are getting ready to give away more than 100 bikes again this year.

“Every child wants something for Christmas,” said the Rev. Darryl Canady. “The men are meeting on a regular basis now to get everything started.”

Volunteers and donations in the form of new or used bikes and money are needed.

In addition to the bikes, families get a bag of toys for other children in the household.

The bikes and toys will be given away Dec. 19.

“The bike drive has been a huge success,” Canady said. “It’s a wonderful ministry and mission to bring some happiness to some other people’s lives who don’t have a lot.”

David Keith, who is in charge of this program, said this year they want to give money clips away more bikes than they did last year.

But Keith said Jackson Chapel can’t meet its goal without the community’s help.

“I have to say that every year we get people from all over the city and county who come to help us make children happy,” Keith said. “I have to say thank you to the people of Wilson and also ask for them to come and join us again this year.”

Last year, men from First Christian Church donated bikes.

“Men came from churches that never identified which church they came from; they just came and worked hard,” Keith said.

One of the biggest gifts the church got last year was from Bobby Aycock, who loaned them a warehouse to work on bikes and store them in before he opened his business.

Canady said they will need a space to work and store the bikes again this year.

“If somebody has a building we can use to fix and store the bicycles in, it would be pendants very helpful,” Canady said.

Keith also said they need to have more hands to put bikes together.

“We would have been able to give away even more bikes if we had more volunteers last year,” Keith said. “I hope we get the volunteers this year.”

The men in the group said those who come to the church get something in return for volunteering.

“You get joy in your soul as you get to put those bikes together,” said John Mitchell, a church member.

Mitchell, 78, is retired and can be seen at the church day and night working on bikes for children.

Mitchell said, growing up he never had a bike of his own, but shared a bike with his brother. He said it gives him a special feeling to know children are riding around on a bike he put together.

A.J. Jones, a deacon in the church, said one year two small boys were having a discussion over who would get the refurbished bike or the new bike.

“It was the most heart warming thing,” Jones said. “They both wanted the refurbished bike. They wanted the bike we put together. I still smile every time I think of it.”

Canady said the bike program is only one portion of the church’s Block of Hope outreach into earrings the community.

“Our vision is to provide education, employment and economic empowerment to help people who can not help themselves,” Canady said.

janet@wilsontimes.com — 265-7847