Sarah Harding has completed her 2-month stint in rehab

<p><div id="article_leadin" style="display: inline-block; float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: small; width: 220px;"><img alt="Sarah Harding | Pictures | Photos | Celebrity News" src="http://nowmagazine.media.ipcdigital.co.uk/11140%7C000017094%7Cd567_orh100000w220_Sarah-Harding-42.jpg" style="display: block; border: 0px none initial;" title="Sarah Harding" /><div id="article_image_caption_text" class="invert" style="background-color: #000000; color: #ffffff; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 10px; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important;">Sarah Harding's ex Calum Best is glad she got the help she needed</div></div><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.35em; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: small;"> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.35em; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: small;"> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.35em; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: small;">The <strong style="color: #e8007a; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none;">Girls Aloud</strong><span style="color: #e8007a;"><span style="outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial;"> </span></span>star, 29, was treated for alcohol abuse and depression after calling off her engagement to DJ Tom Crane, 31.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.35em; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: small;"><strong>Sarah </strong>and <strong>Tom</strong> were due to marry next summer after getting engaged this New Year.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.35em; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: small;">'They've been in regular contact throughout her time away but only on the phone. They've spoken most days and it seems like they could have a chance of giving it another shot,' a source tells the Sunday Mirror.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.35em; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: small;"><strong>Sarah</strong>'s ex <strong style="color: #e8007a; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none;">Calum Best</strong><span style="color: #e8007a;"><span style="outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial;">, 30, is glad that Sarah got professional help.</span></span><br /><br />'Everyone has their dark times, but <strong>Sarah</strong>'s strong and will come out of this period even stronger, he told us last month</p></p>

Sarah Harding has completed her 2-month stint in rehab

Sarah Harding's ex Calum Best is glad she got the help she needed     The  Girls Aloud   star, 29, was treated for alcohol abuse and dep...

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Raids blunt medical marijuana season

<p> </p><p>Members of the local medical marijuana community gathered Saturday at a Medford venue to celebrate a harvest season like no other. The party was held at The Venue on Narregan Avenue and included live music, information booths and speeches dealing with the raids conducted in October by federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents that have left many medical marijuana providers reeling. "The raids are definitely a topic of conversation," said Lori Duckworth, the executive director of the Southern Oregon chapter of the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws, or SONORML. Duckworth said eight raids were conducted this season. DEA agents descended on gardens on Table Rock Road, East Gregory Road, Tolo Road and Old Stage Road — pulling hundreds of plants and loading them into dump trucks for disposal.</p>

Raids blunt medical marijuana season

  Members of the local medical marijuana community gathered Saturday at a Medford venue to celebrate a harvest season like no other. The pa...

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woman from Valletta was today jailed for two years and three months after she admitted to smuggling 12 pieces of cannabis grass hidden in dates into prison

<div id="content_gallery" class="ad-gallery " style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; width: 620px; position: relative; color: #333333; line-height: 12px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><div class="ad-image-wrapper image_border drop_shadow" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.292969) 0px 1px 4px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 0px 0px 40px inset; width: 620px; height: 348px; position: relative; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; text-align: center !important; padding: 0px !important; 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overflow-y: hidden; width: 600px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><ul class="ad-thumb-list" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; float: left; width: 229px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 5px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; float: left; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><a class="ad-thumb0 ad-active" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: #005588; display: block; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://c257.r57.cf3.rackcdn.com/fdf1434dc459f0827dfa9707b9ec40322961893511-1320748223-4eb904bf-620x348.jpg"><img alt="" class="image_border drop_shadow" id="attachment_175495" src="http://c257.r57.cf3.rackcdn.com/fdf1434dc459f0827dfa9707b9ec40322961893511-1320748223-4eb904bf-120x80.jpg" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.292969) 0px 1px 4px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 0px 0px 40px inset; display: block; opacity: 1; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px; border: 2px solid #045b91;" /></a></li></ul></div></div></div></div><div class="default_top_margin" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; margin-top: 20px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; line-height: 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.167em !important; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em !important; word-spacing: 2px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">A 27-year-old woman from Valletta was today jailed for two years and three months after she admitted to smuggling 12 pieces of cannabis grass hidden in dates into prison last Sunday.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.167em !important; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em !important; word-spacing: 2px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Miriam Caruana, who was taking the drugs to her Arab boyfriend who is an inmate, also admitted to conspiring to smuggle drugs, aggravated possession of cannabis and committing the crime within a 100 metres of a youth club.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.167em !important; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em !important; word-spacing: 2px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">She pleaded guilty to relapsing and committing the crime during the operative period of a suspended jail term.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.167em !important; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em !important; word-spacing: 2px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Magistrate Doreen Clarke jailed Ms Cremona two years for this crime and brought into force a three month suspended jail term.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.167em !important; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em !important; word-spacing: 2px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Police inspector Jesmond Borg prosecuted.</p></div>

woman from Valletta was today jailed for two years and three months after she admitted to smuggling 12 pieces of cannabis grass hidden in dates into prison

A 27-year-old woman from Valletta was today jailed for two years and three months after she admitted to smuggling 12 pieces of cannabis gras...

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Cody Lumpkin is a 7-4 soulja till da end

<p> </p><blockquote>Cody Lumpkin is a 7-4 soulja till da end. Or, in gangster-speak, he’ll be a Gangster Disciple until he dies. That’s how the 21-year-old Athens man shows himself to the world on his Facebook page, replete with photos of him flashing gang signs, posing with guns, bragging about money and disrespecting women. Whether or not he’s a genuine member of the notorious Gangster Disciples street gang, Lumpkin played the part last weekend when, police say, he killed a man with a gunshot to the head. The shooting happened Sunday night at Rolling Ridge Apartments off Kathwood Drive, where Jeremy Sean Buchanan was shot and killed by Lumpkin in an apparent robbery, which police said also was drug-related. “Cody Lumpkin gives every appearance of being a gang member,” said Robert Walker, a nationally-known gang expert who analyzed Lumpkin’s Facebook page Friday. He never directly states he’s a member of a gang, but Lumpkin uses what gang investigators call alpha-numeric code to tell people who he is. According to Walker and other gang experts, when Lumpkin wrote he is “7-4,” the corresponding letters are G and D, for Gangster Disciple. Also on his Facebook page, Lumpkin lists a well-known Gangster Disciple “prayer” as his favorite quote: “When i die $how no pity $end my $oul 2 6angsta city, dig a hole 6 feet deep and lay 2 $taffs acro$ my feet, lay 2 $hotguns acro$ my che$t and tell King Hoover i did my be$t.” He replaces the “G” in gangster with a six, because the Gangster Disciple’s symbol is a six-pointed star. The ode also pays tribute to the Chicago-based gang’s founder, Larry Hoover. “I see pictures of him with his friends, and everybody’s flashing signs, there’s weapons involved, so, yeah, I’d say he’s a gang-banger,” said Walker, a former agent with the U.S. Border Control and Drug Enforcement Administration who trains law enforcement agencies and others in gang awareness. Walker’s consulting firm, Gangs Or Us, maintains a website to educate the public, and another that only can be accessed by law enforcement officers to share gang intelligence. Just because a group calls itself the Gangster Disciples, Crips, Bloods or Latin Kings doesn’t mean they are affiliated with those national criminal synidicates, according to Sgt. Christopher Nichols, an Athens-Clarke police gang investigator. “The criminal street gangs most prevalent in the state of Georgia, to include Athens, are hybrid gangs or, as I like to call them, homegrown gangs” that adopt the names of the well-known gangs, Nichols said. They can be just as dangerous. “Though hybrid gangs may not pay dues to larger organizations, it does not mean that they are not the ‘real deal,’ ” Nichols said. “Hybrid gangs commit the same types of crimes as the traditional street gangs, but not on as large of a scale.” Some young men band together in gangs for a sense of belonging, a feeling they don’t get from their own families when there’s no parental guidance, Nichols said, or they bow to peer pressure. “They may have been exposed to it by other family members, they may have friends that are associated with criminal street gangs, or it may start out as youth without proper direction becoming involved in criminal activity,” Nichols said. Once a young man joins a gang, starts carrying guns, covers his body with tattoos and adopts the other trappings of a gangster, he might be on a path where violence is inevitable. “There is a saying, ‘You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?’ ” Nichols said. “No one likes to be called out or challenged. If a person portrays that they are ‘hard,’ then they cannot allow someone to embarrass them, especially in front of a group. “The person feels obligated to fulfill whatever image they have presented so that they are not all show,” he said. The violence sometimes turns deadly, according to Walker. “People who never thought they’d be killing someone find that once in a gang they are expected to kill,” he said. People have banded into small gangs for generations in Athens, usually groups that identified themselves either with the Eastside or Westside. But technology has made it easy for teens to learn the lingo of the big-time gangs, according to Nichols. “If a person wants to know something about gang culture, they can simply look it up on the Internet, view videos, print pictures and download reading material,” he said. “Technology has increased the rate of learning for those wanting to delve into the criminal street gang world.” Athens-Clarke police didn’t publicly acknowledge the community had a gang problem until 2004, when a duplex off North Avenue was raked with gunfire in a drive-by shooting to settle a beef between rival Hispanic gangs. But Jean Turner Horton literally saw the writing on the wall as early at 1999 when, as a state probation officer, she began snapping photos of gang graffiti on public housing. One photo depicted a six-pointed star with a “G” in the middle, a tag associated with the Gangster Disciples. Horton brought the photos to the Athens Housing Authority, which immediately adopted a zero-tolerance policy for gang activity. Since that drive-by, which wounded three men, Athens-Clarke police began taking measures to fight back, including graffiti eradication, collecting gang intelligence and requiring officers to undergo gang recognition training. “I’m really glad that Athens finally recognized it had a problem,” Horton said. “I can drive through Athens and not notice graffiti on the walls anymore.” Last year, an officer on patrol came across strange writings on the wall of a vacant house in West Athens that would be mumbo-jumbo to a lay person, but he recognized it for what it was. In one message on the wall, the tagger referred to a “Slob” — a derogatory term for a Bloods gang member — and replaced the “ck” in a profane word with “cc,” since the letters CK mean Crip killer in gang graffiti. Police didn’t believe the writings were made by genuine Crips, but found it disturbing nonetheless. “Anytime there’s gang tagging going on it’s of concern to the police department because it means they are trying to identify certain areas of the county and claim it as their territory,” Athens-Clarke Assistant Police Chief Tim Smith said. Walker was impressed with how far Athens-Clarke police have come in identifying gang activity and learning ways to suppress it. “Gangs are here to stay, and that’s why it’s important for police departments to take action, like getting proper training and arresting gang members,” he said. “We’ll cure cancer before we solve the gang problem.” Police will not discuss Cody Lumpkin’s possible gang ties while his murder charge is pending. But his gangster lifestyle shows how the problem can be just out of sight, until a tragic crime again brings it into the forefront. “There will always be things happening that the police do not know about,” Nichols said. That’s why the police need the help of others, including the schools, churches, community organizations and individual residents, he said. “Only by working together as a community can problems such as theft, drugs and gang violence be curtailed,” Nichols said. People who are suspicious of gang activity should report it immediately, he said. Athens-Clarke police also offers a gang-awareness presentation, and Nichols urged people who have questions about street gangs to call the police department.</blockquote>

Cody Lumpkin is a 7-4 soulja till da end

  Cody Lumpkin is a 7-4 soulja till da end. Or, in gangster-speak, he’ll be a Gangster Disciple until he dies. That’s how the 21-year-old ...

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Angry Birds” – which is basically a drone that has been specially developed to take down drug-running ultralight airplanes that are utilized by gangs in order to smuggle illegal substances

<p style="padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; background-color: #ffffff;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-95393" height="353" src="http://cdn2.ubergizmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/drug-plane.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; clear: both; display: block; padding: 0px; border: initial none initial;" title="drug-plane" width="562" />Everyone with a modern smartphone would definitely have heard of Angry Birds before, and hey, even if mobile gaming is not your cup of tea, surely the name Angry Birds has passed by your mind from time to time during a conversation? Well, the US Border Patrol might get the help of “Angry Birds” – which is basically a drone that has been specially developed to take down drug-running ultralight airplanes that are utilized by gangs in order to smuggle illegal substances at the south of US from Mexico.</p><p style="padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; background-color: #ffffff;">The drone will fire a net which entangles the propeller of the ultralight airplane, which in return stops the engine. As for another drone, that is slightly more violent in nature – it will perform a kamikaze crash straight into the ultralight in order to break its propeller. I think the kamikaze version has far more anger issues, and it would require less accuracy than firing a net at a propeller – what do you think? One thing’s for sure – there will not be any green pigs aboard the airborne drug mules…</p>

Angry Birds” – which is basically a drone that has been specially developed to take down drug-running ultralight airplanes that are utilized by gangs in order to smuggle illegal substances

Everyone with a modern smartphone would definitely have heard of Angry Birds before, and hey, even if mobile gaming is not your cup of tea, ...

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