By JOSH FUNKAP Business Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Warren Buffett worked to reassure shareholders that he's feeling good after his recent prostate cancer diagnosis, and that Berkshire Hathaway is ready to replace the revered 81-year-old investor when the need arises.

Based on the questions Buffett got from the crowd of more than 30,000 at the company's annual meeting in Omaha on Saturday, Berkshire shareholders are taking him at his word.

Despite the fact that Buffett just disclosed the condition last month, he didn't face the first question about his health until well into Saturday's questioning. Many of the questions at the meeting either focused in on technical aspects of Berkshire's many businesses or dealt with general economic or political topics. one highlight of the discussion was the revelation that he recently attempted to make a more than $20 billion acquisition.

“I feel terrific. I love what I do,” he said. Buffett told shareholders that the survival rates for prostate cancer look so good that he thinks the diagnosis is a “non-event.”

It would hardly be the first time that Buffett's assessment would be trusted. Widely known as the Oracle of Omaha, Buffett, 81, is considered the greatest celebrity in investing because of his many profitable decisions. Buffett has said his four doctors caught his cancer early, and it doesn't represent a serious threat to his health. He plans to undergo radiation treatment in July, but the treatment should have little effect on his daily routine.

“I may have a little less energy, but that may mean I do fewer dumb things,” Buffett said jokingly.

Still, the diagnosis is forcing shareholders to confront the fact that one day Buffett will no longer be at the helm of the conglomerate, which includes an eclectic mix of companies such as Geico insurance, MidAmerican Energy, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad, Shaw carpet, Helzberg Diamonds, the Nebraska Furniture Mart and Pampered Chef. Several questions dealt with related topics, such as who will replace Buffett when the time comes.

Buffett told shareholders in this year's annual letter that the board has picked someone to succeed him as CEO if the need arises immediately, and it has two backup candidates. But Buffett hasn't publicly identified his successor. during the business portion of the meeting, Berkshire shareholders overwhelmingly rejected a proposal that would have required annual updates on how the company is preparing to replace Buffett.

However, Buffett did address a challenge that his successor may face and talked about the way his successor will approach the job.

One of the first questions of the day was about whether his successor will be able to make the same kind of deals he has, such as the $8 billion Berkshire invested in preferred shares of Goldman Sachs Group inc. and General Electric Co. during the crisis of 2008. Goldman and GE both wanted Buffett's stamp of approval along with Berkshire's money.

“I don't think that every deal I have made could be makeable by a successor,” Buffett said.

But Buffett said his successor will still be able to make big deals because Berkshire has nearly $40 billion in cash on hand and is willing to invest large amounts quickly.

Buffett said deals like the ones with Goldman and GE haven't been as important to Berkshire as investing in Coca-Cola Co. or IBM stock or buying entire businesses such as Iscar metalworking and Burlington Northern.

His eventual successor will maintain the company's culture and continue to let key managers run Berkshire subsidiaries with little interference, Buffett said. He's known for his hands-off, decentralized management style.

“You do not need to worry about my successor,” he said.

Shareholder John Zerngast, of Olathe, Kan., said the stock market might be uneasy about Buffett's age and that of 88-year-old Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, but it shouldn't be because of how much Berkshire's 80-odd subsidiaries and investments are worth.

“I don't worry about Warren and Charlie because the underlying value is there,” Zerngast said.

Besides all the companies Berkshire owns outright, it has major investments in such companies as Coca-Cola Co., IBM and Wells Fargo & Co. On Friday, Berkshire said its first-quarter profit more than doubled to $3.2 billion from last year's $1.5 billion because this year's results weren't hurt by major disaster losses in Berkshire's insurance units.

Buffett says the growth in the stock's book value – the company's assets minus liabilities – has outpaced the Standard & Poor's 500 index in all but eight years since 1965 while delivering a compounded annual return of almost 20 percent. In recent years, Buffett has repeatedly warned investors not to expect that type of return in the future because Berkshire's size makes it nearly impossible to keep growing at that rate.

That's fine with George Jensen and his wife, Setara Jensen, who bought Berkshire stock as a stable option in retirement. The Jensens traveled from Hong Kong to attend the shareholder meeting and visit friends from when Jensen worked for Union Pacific railroad before retiring.

“We bought it because it's a good value,” Jensen said. “There are certainly things that might have a higher rate of return, but at this stage, we wanted something safe and stable.”

Buffett said that he recently was negotiating a $22 billion acquisition that didn't work out. He wouldn't disclose the details, but he used the transaction as an example of the biggest acquisition Berkshire would make right now.

The company acquired Burlington Northern railroad in 2010 in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $26.7 billion that was Berkshire's biggest acquisition ever. Buffett has always hated using stock in acquisitions, and he said Saturday that he now thinks it was a mistake to do so in the BNSF deal even though he is glad Berkshire owns the railroad.

Buffett also defended Berkshire's purchase last year of the Omaha World-Herald Co. He said even though he has highlighted the challenges newspapers face, the deal still made sense for Berkshire, which already owned the Buffalo News and a large stake in the Washington Post Co. Newspapers are usually still the primary source of local information, and that's an advantage in places where community is important, he said.

Buffett also defended political comments he has made while supporting President Barack Obama and lobbying for higher taxes on wealthy investors like him.

“When Charlie and I took this job, we did not agree to put our citizenship in a blind trust,” Buffett said.

Buffett always plays the role of Berkshire's chief marketing officer at the annual meeting by showcasing products made by the company that are being sold in the 200,000-square-foot exhibit hall. On Saturday, he revived the newspaper tossing skills of his youth, promising anyone who can throw a folded Omaha World-Herald – one of Berkshire's latest acquisitions – closer to the porch than him, a Dilly bar from Dairy Queen.

As Buffett roamed the exhibit hall, shareholders mobbed him, trying to take pictures with their cellphones. He spent time singing “There is No Place like Nebraska” with the University of Nebraska's cheerleaders at the Justin Boots stage before checking out the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad and BYD electric car displays.

The resolution submitted by the AFL-CIO to require updates on how the company would replace Buffett attracted about 32,000 votes while 672,000 votes were cast against the idea. The board and Buffett had opposed the idea.

The labor union's Ken Maas said the group didn't want Berkshire to publicly identify the 81-year-old Buffett's successor. it just wanted an annual update on the planning.

Buffett said he doesn't see any need to create a formal report on succession planning because he talks about it in his annual letter to shareholders and in interviews. Plus, the subject regularly comes up at the annual meetings.

“We spend more time on that subject than any other subject that might come before the board,” Buffett said.

Buffett has said Berkshire plans to split his chairman and CEO job into three parts with a chief executive, a chairman and several investment managers.

Buffett has said he believes his son Howard, who already serves on Berkshire's board, would make an ideal chairman.

And Berkshire has hired two hedge fund managers, Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, over the past two years who Buffett says eventually will be capable of running the company's entire portfolio. Buffett said Saturday that both Combs and Weschler were excellent hires, and the two men are now managing $2.75 billion each while Buffett oversees the remaining roughly $150 billion.

Buffett has said he remains in good health, and has no plans to retire because he enjoys running the conglomerate he built.

Berkshire Hathaway inc.: www.berkshirehathaway.com

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

NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and WeatherBerkshire holders trust Buffett on health outlook

On Christmas Day, 1821, at Oxford, Massachusetts, Clarissa Harlowe Barton was born in a farming family. When she was just 11, she nursed, for two years, her brother David who met with a serious accident.

During the Civil War, she founded an agency to tend to wounded soldiers. with difficulty she obtained permission to travel to the front where her team nursed some of the most seriously injured. Union General Benjamin Butler then appointed her ‘ lady in charge’ of army hospitals at the front.

At the end of the war, she was instrumental in locating hitherto unknown details of over 13,000 men who had died or were missing. For this service her team was accorded the name ‘Angels of Andersonville’, and she herself was called the ‘Angel of the Battlefield’. this action spurred her to finding out about all — not merely the 13,000 — of the men missing and believed dead during the Civil War.

Barton then involved herself in the suffrage, civil rights, and abolitionist movements. Untiring work during the Civil War had taken its toll on her health. On doctor’s advice she proceeded to Europe ostensibly to rest, but became involved with the International Committee of the Red Cross. When she returned to United States, she spearheaded a movement for recognition of the Red Cross by the US government. she succeeded under President Garfield in 1881, and became the first President of the US branch. she expanded the scope of the institution to work in any national calamity or disaster. with funds donated by John D. Rockefeller, she set up headquarters one block away from the White House. Barton led several teams of the American Red Cross to disaster areas overseas. in 1904, she resigned as president at the age of 83.

Barton was devout but belonged to no particular religious discipline. she preferred to call herself a ‘Universalist’. she died at Glen Echo, Maryland in 1912.

Clara Barton and the American Red Cross

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Carl Hagelin still seem stunned a day after laying out Swedish countryman Daniel Alfredsson with an elbow to the head that left the Ottawa captain with a possible concussion and landed the mild-mannered New York Rangers rookie in trouble with the NHL.

Then it got worse Sunday night when he was hit with a three-game suspension.

To say that plays like this are out of character for the 23-year-old Hagelin would be an understatement. The speedy forward claims to have never been given a major penalty before — anywhere.

But Saturday, he elbowed Alfredsson along the boards during the second period of the Senators’ 3-2 overtime victory in Game 2 that evened the best-of-seven series. Alfredsson didn’t return to the game, and his health and status for the rest of the series was unknown Sunday

The Rangers were miffed by the severity of Hagelin’s punishment in light of Nashville’s Shea Weber receiving only a $2,500 fine for smashing the head of Detroit forward Henrik Zetterberg into the glass at the end of Game 1 of that series. Zetterberg wasn’t injured on the play.

“The New York Rangers accept the NHL’s three-game suspension of Carl Hagelin and will not pursue an appeal,” the team said in a statement. “however, we are thoroughly perplexed in the ruling’s inconsistency with other supplementary discipline decisions that have been made throughout this season and during the playoffs.”

Hagelin wasn’t the only punished player from this rough night. Senators defenseman Matt Carkner was suspended for Game 3 for his actions in a one-sided fight with Rangers forward Brian Boyle.

Hagelin’s hit on Alfredsson occurred at 10:32 of the second period in the Ottawa end. after Alfredsson moved the puck along the boards, Hagelin landed his elbow on Alfredsson’s head, sending him into the glass.

“after Alfredsson chips the puck up the boards, Hagelin continues on his path and finishes his check with his arms high, recklessly striking Alfredsson in the side of head with his elbow,” league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan said in a video explanation that accompanied the announcement of the suspension. “this hit is a clear violation of what is defined by NHL rules as elbowing.

“it is important to note that while Alfredsson saw this hit coming, and attempted to brace himself for it, in doing so he did not significantly change the position of his head. Also, although Alfredsson’s stick briefly comes up prior to contact, we do not feel this is a reasonable excuse for the elbow that took place. it is important to note that Alfredsson suffered an injury on this play. he immediately went to the dressing room and did not return to the game.”

The series is shifting to Ottawa, and Game 3 will be played Monday night.

The 39-year-old Alfredsson already has a concussion history. The right wing missed five games earlier this season because of a concussion sustained when he took a hit to the head from Wojtek Wolski — then of the Rangers — on Oct. 29.

“I sent him a text yesterday and said I’m sorry and very regretful for what happened,” Hagelin said about his fellow Swede. “I never want to hurt anyone on the ice. That’s not the type of player I am. I’ve never had a major before. Especially being Alfredsson, growing up he’s been a hero back home. He’s been one of my favorite players. He’s won the Olympics, the World Championship with Sweden, so obviously I had no intention of hurting him.

“I just hope he’s doing well.”

Hagelin had a phone hearing with Shanahan on Sunday, while his team practiced before flying to Ottawa. he already served a major penalty that produced the first tying goal for Ottawa, but now will be out until Game 6, or the opening game of the second round if the Rangers advance, or until next season if the Senators win this series.

During Hagelin’s long penalty, Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson sent a shot in off the skate of Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto to get Ottawa even at 1.

“It’s unfortunate,” Hagelin said. “You want to play in every game, and you especially don’t want to be in the penalty box for five minutes and give the other team a chance to get a power play, and you don’t want to hurt anyone on the other team.

“It’s obviously frustrating.”

Now without Hagelin for three games, the Rangers could turn to new forward Chris Kreider, who has yet to make his NHL debut since signing with New York last week after winning his second NCAA Frozen Four with Boston College.

Before the suspension announcement, Rangers coach John Tortorella refused to reveal what lineup changes he would make for Game 3 without Hagelin.

Despite the loss Saturday, Tortorella was particularly positive about how his team played. he was defiant when asked if the confidence of the Rangers — the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded team — was shaken at all by the defeat.

“Not a chance,” he said. “we are who we are. I’ve said it all along, I like the hockey club. I like the way we handled ourselves (Saturday) night. we didn’t get it done, but we’re not changing. I’ll tell you right now, we’re not adjusting. We’re going to go play.”

Another Rangers forward excited to get back on the ice is the feisty Brandon Dubinsky, who was ejected just 2:15 into Game 2 when he came to Boyle’s defense. In response to some gloved punches Boyle gave to Karlsson in Game 1, the Senators sent Carkner out to get the 6-foot-7 New York center.

Carkner threw off his gloves and began punching Boyle, who never dropped his gloves. The blows continued even after Boyle fell to the ice and never punched back.

With neither of the linesman breaking up the scrap, Dubinsky charged in and was ejected for being the third man in. Carkner also was tossed and given a major penalty for fighting that gave New York a 5-minute power play that it failed to take advantage of.

Dubinsky flung a water cooler as he stormed down the tunnel after his ejection, following a tirade in the penalty box when he was informed he was done for the night.

“I was upset,” the fiery Dubinsky said Sunday. “Look, I don’t want to talk about it. We’ll be ready to play tomorrow. I’ll be ready to play tomorrow. we expect them to be good again and we need to be better. That’s what is important here: not what happened yesterday, but what’s going to happen tomorrow.

“You’ve got to stay disciplined because they have a good power play. At the same time, we’re not going to back down. we haven’t backed down from anyone all year. We’ll continue to play physical, and we anticipate they will do the same. That’s playoff hockey for you. We’ve just got to stick together and just play the right way, which is how we’ve been doing it all year.”

Carkner also spoke to Shanahan on Sunday before he was suspended. His ban was for “continuing to inflict punishment upon an opponent who was an unwilling combatant in an altercation,” the league said.

“Carkner instigated an altercation with New York forward Brian Boyle, who did not respond. after knocking Boyle to the ice with two punches, Carkner continued to throw punches at his opponent, who was an unwilling combatant. Carkner’s actions classified him as an ‘aggressor’ under NHL rules.”

“we discussed the incident this morning and I pleaded my case and now he’s going to figure out what he’s going to do,” Carkner told The Canadian Press before receiving the suspension. “Basically it was an instigated fight and I got the game misconduct, as well, and I got kicked out so I think that’s enough, but we’ll see.

Carkner’s contribution, however brief, wasn’t lost on his teammates.

“we wanted to be more physical as a group,” said rugged forward Chris Neil, who also fought Boyle before scoring the OT winner. “we came out and set the tone, and it paid off for us. Matt came out and did what he had to do and you can’t say enough about it.

“You need to play tough out there and we did that as a group.”

Hagelin Suspended 3 Games, Carkner Banned 1 Game

Are you a Junior Girl Scout who is interested in helping to preserve the planet and learning how to get the Eco-Action badge? according to the guidelines, the things you are supposed to do include working on a green team; planting a tree; paying attention to every drop of water; focusing on watts; starting the presses; reducing the existence of trash; emphasizing the use of paper over plastic; focusing on cleanliness and health; fighting automobile emissions; and learning about women who have championed helping the environment. You have to meet six of these requirements to earn the badge. here are my ideas on how you can take ecological action while aiming for this honor.

First: It is important to incorporate recycling into your regimen. You should dispose of items such as glass, paper, plastic and aluminum into a bin that is designated for them instead of throwing them away in a trash can. If your local trash collection service has a recycling program, you and your family must take advantage.

Second: do not leave trash lying around, even if you did not put it there. You should make it your duty to pick up litter.

Third: You have to do your part to conserve energy. Turn off lights, televisions, computers and radios when you finish using them. Urge your parents to set the air conditioner and furnace to a setting that will enable them to come on enough to keep you comfortable while not constantly running.

Fourth: It is up to you to avoid committing actions that contribute to polluting the earth. For example, you should not smoke tobacco or dump trash into lakes.

Fifth: It is helpful to support the use of renewable energy sources. You can encourage society and write your region’s legislators to make the use of coal, wind, solar power and other things a priority.

Sixth: You can make a difference by generating publicity. two ways you can make this happen include supporting a campaign to get the word out pertaining to your cause and publishing articles, opinion pieces and newsletters.

Seventh: You must do what you can to conserve water. this includes completely turning off faucets after using them, taking showers that last less than ten minutes and not running water while brushing your teeth. Only use hot water to clean white clothes when using the washing machine.

Eighth: You should concern yourself with using energy-efficient light bulbs. It is wise to use bulbs that shine brightly while using less power than ordinary bulbs.

Ninth: You can make your voice count through the way you shop. It is a good idea to ask for paper bags at the checkout counter to reduce the amount of plastic that goes into landfills. It is also helpful to try to buy things from companies who are ecologically friendly and active in protecting the environment.

Use these ideas to help the planet while earning your Eco-Action badge: [http://server.ellenbecker.net:4271/Badges.htm#Camp%20Together]

Girl Scouts – Help the Planet While Earning the Eco-Action Badge

The “biggest” fight of the year takes place this Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada as Brock Lesnar takes of Alistair Overeem in the UFC 141 main event. The two heavyweights alone make this a “big” fight, but with a title shot on the line and each having something to prove this really is a big fight.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar sat down just two days before he steps into the Octagon against possibly the best heavyweight striker in MMA to talk his health, Christmas and of course Alistair Overeem.

Go to MMA Junkie for more videos.

This video is in conjunction with MMA Junkie, BNQT and USA Today

Brock Lesnar Talks Overeem at UFC 141 Pre-Fight Interview

BOSTON — Boston Celtics forward Jeff Green will have surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm and will miss the entire season, the team announced on Saturday as it traveled to Toronto for its exhibition opener against the Raptors.

Green is scheduled for an operation on Monday at the Cleveland Clinic. Doctors have told him the operation “should completely repair Green’s condition and that he can expect to resume his NBA career next season,” the Celtics said in a news release.

If so, the timing of his training camp physical — and the end of the NBA lockout — may have saved Green’s life and helped the Celtics avert a tragedy like the 1993 death of Reggie Lewis, who dropped dead on a practice court of a heart condition in the prime of his career.

“While we are saddened that Jeff will not be able to play this season, the most important thing is his health,” Celtics president Danny Ainge said in the release. “We were fortunate to have access to an amazing team of specialists to evaluate Jeff’s case.”

The team said it would have no more comment, at Green’s request. But Green said on Twitter on Saturday afternoon: “Thank u everyone for ur thoughts and prayers…much appreciated love u all..and I’ll be back soon stronger and better than ever I promise.”

Green, 25, averaged 9.8 points and 3.3 rebounds last season after joining the Celtics in a trade that sent Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

An aortic aneurysm, which is more common in older people, is a ballooning of the wall of the aorta, the major artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. a person may show no symptoms from the aneurysm; but if it ruptures, it is likely to be fatal if not repaired immediately.

The team’s statement said Green’s aneurysm was detected during his physical after he reported for a training camp on Dec. 9. Green received additional testing and consultation by “leading cardiac specialists,” who recommended surgery.

Green’s college coach at Georgetown, John Thompson III, said after the Hoyas’ 81-55 victory over American on Saturday that they’d spoken before the game.

“He’s, I guess, as upbeat as anyone can be,” Thompson said. “I don’t want to speak for Jeff, but it’s been a trying week. I’ve seen the progression from terrified to confident, and that comes with education. That comes with truly understanding what he’s going through, and what he has to go through, and the confidence in his support system and the confidence in the doctors that he’s going to be working with. and with each day, that has grown.”

NBA players, including Steve Nash and Baron Davis, sent along their best wishes on Twitter. in Miami, LeBron James seemed taken aback when asked about Green after practice.

“I think it’s unfortunate for the game to be taken away, especially after a summer like this where we already had 2 1-2 months off,” said James, who played in a few charity games with Green over the summer. “Hopefully he can get back healthy, they can figure out what’s going on and he can get back on the floor.”

James also remembered Jason Collier’s death in 2005, when the center was with the Atlanta Hawks and died suddenly.

“As a professional, you would think every last one of us would be in the top-tier shape and nothing would be wrong with us,” James said. “That’s why the doctors, they are who they are.”

Celtics’ Green to miss season following surgery »
Sports »
The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA

/ By CHRIS JENKINSupdated 10:39 p.m. ET Dec. 11, 2011

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers should have been feeling satisfied.

With Sunday’s 46-16 rout of the Oakland Raiders, the Packers brushed aside a playoff contender by halftime to win their 19th straight, clinched a first-round bye and moved a game away from clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs — and at 13-0, they kept the possibility of a perfect season squarely in sight.

Instead, Rodgers seemed concerned about the health of star wide receiver Greg Jennings, who left the game with an apparent left knee injury in the third quarter.

“Well, it didn’t look very good,” Rodgers said. “So we’ll see what the MRI says tomorrow. and hopefully, we’ve got a bye wrapped up, so he really has close to five weeks before our (playoff) game.”

Packers coach Mike McCarthy was more guarded, classifying the injury as a sprain and saying that it warranted further evaluation.

Jennings’ injury put a damper on what was otherwise one of the Packers’ most complete performances of the season. Rodgers threw for 281 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in less than three quarters’ worth of work, Ryan Grant had two touchdowns rushing and Charles Woodson picked off a pass against his former team.

McCarthy still isn’t interested in talking about the possibility of the Packers going 16-0, but his level of confidence is clear.

“(If we’re) taking care of things and keeping our focus on improving the quality of play, I don’t think we can be beat,” McCarthy said. “You could have asked me that six years ago, I would have said the same damn thing. That’s the way we think around here.”

Rodgers got an early rest in the blowout, as backup Matt Flynn took over late in the third.

“This is the kind of game you want to play going into the playoffs,” Rodgers said.

Carson Palmer threw for 245 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions for the Raiders (7-6), who looked like anything but legitimate contenders in the AFC West.

“I’m not going to let this team keep going backwards,” coach Hue Jackson said. “The last two weeks, we haven’t come close to playing or looking like the football team we’ve been.”

Oakland was without injured running back Darren McFadden, along with wide receivers Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore. and the Raiders made plenty of mistakes to help an opponent that doesn’t really need it.

“You are not going to beat a high school team with the penalties and mistakes (like) the ones that we made,” linebacker Aaron Curry said. “You make a lot of mistakes, you lose.”

Palmer threw an interception on the Raiders’ first possession, and Oakland committed eight penalties in the first half alone.

And while the Packers’ play has been far from perfect for most of the season, especially on defense, this one was total domination. things got out of hand so quickly that the Raiders tried a fake punt in the second quarter. as was the case for most things the Raiders attempted Sunday, it didn’t work.

Grant rediscovered his big-play ability for the Packers, breaking a 47-yard run two plays after Palmer threw an interception to rookie linebacker D.J. Smith on the Raiders’ first possession.

The Packers were without injured running back James Starks, who had surpassed Grant in the Packers’ rotation. until that play, Grant hadn’t looked like his explosive old self for most of the season.

After a defensive stop, Rodgers directed a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard scoring pass to Ryan Taylor — the rookie’s first career touchdown.

Trailing 31-0 with about six minutes left in the half, the Raiders tried the fake punt. but Shane Lechler threw high to Rock Cartwright for an incompletion, and the Packers took over at the Oakland 28-yard line.

The Raiders finally got on the scoreboard in the third quarter when Michael Bush ran for a 2-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 34-7.

Packers outside linebacker Erik Walden scored on a fumble return late in the third quarter. Walden has been in trouble off the field and was charged Wednesday with misdemeanor disorderly conduct-domestic abuse following an altercation with his girlfriend.

Rodgers — who took three sacks and was hit hard several other times as the Packers rotated offensive linemen — figured his day was done after that.

“I’m sure tomorrow I’ll be a little sore, and Tuesday as well, but nothing that I’m worried about,” Rodgers said.

Now the Packers are looking forward to the chance to clinch home-field advantage at Kansas City next Sunday.

“Obviously, there’s no other team that can say they’re 13-0 right now and on the precipice of doing something great,” Clay Matthews said. “But there’s still a lot left that we need to accomplish. if you really want to look into it, the regular season does mean a whole lot if you get to the playoffs. So we’re setting ourselves up nicely.”

Notes: McCarthy said defensive lineman Ryan Pickett and running back Brandon Saine both sustained concussions. … the Packers set a franchise record with 466 points, topping the previous record of 461 points in 2009. … the Raiders ran into an odd spell of bad luck on the second-half kickoff, when Green Bay’s Randall Cobb appeared to step out of bounds during a 50-yard return. Officials said the replay system was malfunctioning, and the Raiders couldn’t challenge.

Copyright 2011 the associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.advertisement

Packers perfect 13-0 after 46-16 win over Raiders

(CNN) — The 5-year-old son of country music singer Mindy McCready has been recovered and is in good health in the custody of officials in Arkansas, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Children and Families told CNN Friday.”We’re working with local law enforcement and the Arkansas (Division of Children and Family Services) and we’re going to bring him home to Florida to his legal guardian as soon as possible,” Terri Durdaller said about the boy, Zander.Mindy McCready’s assistant said the singer turned Zander over to the Arkansas authorities and that he would be returned to her on Monday. “She’s looking forward to having her case heard in front of an unbiased courtroom,” the assistant said. “She has a 99% chance of her child leaving with her on Monday morning.”She described Zander as “very OK.”But Mindy McCready’s mother and stepfather, Gayle and Michael Inge, have legal custody of the boy and the singer has only visitation rights.”We’re relieved,” they told CNN. “We feel sorrow for Zander because he’s traumatized, and for Mindy. we just hope she does the right thing from here on out and that this is a wake-up call for her.”The boy was located hours after Gayle Inge made a public plea for her daughter to obey a court order to return her son to the care of the Inges.the imbroglio started when McCready, who has fought a public battle against drug addiction, took her son from her father’s Florida home.this week, a Florida judge ordered McCready to return the boy to authorities. when she did not comply, another judge issued an emergency “pickup order,” authorizing officers to pick up the boy. the singer was ordered to produce Zander and failed to do so.Though McCready said that the boy was with her, authorities considered him to be missing.McCready’s publicist issued a statement, saying McCready “has not been charged with illegal wrongdoing.”"Ms. McCready’s No. 1 priority has always been, and continues to be, the safety of her son,” publicist Kat Atwood said.McCready has asked a court to restore custody to her out of concern over the boy’s safety, Atwood said.McCready burst on the music scene in 1996 with the debut album “10,000 Angels” and the chart-topping country hit “Guys Do It All the Time.”Her website biography says she’s had romances with musician David Malloy and actor Dean Cain, and touches on her career stalling, as well as her having an “explosive relationship” with Billy McKnight, the boy’s father, who is himself a country singer.McCready participated in the 2009 season of the reality TV show “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.”Copyright CNN 2011

Singer Mindy McCready’s Son, 5, Found Safe

After a lengthy discussion and a handful of failed motionsTuesday night, Helena school district trustees set a salary rangefor a new superintendent, for which they’ll begin advertisingsoon.

Ultimately the board decided in a 6-3 vote at the work sessionto set the salary range from $135,000 to $155,000. Trustees TerryBeaver, Don Jones and Elizabeth Goldes were opposed. The contractwill be simple but include health and retirement benefits, trusteessaid.

Jones said the low end of the salary should be what the previoussuperintendent was making when he left this summer at $144,000.

“It’s vitally important when thinking about what kind ofcandidates we want to attract,” he said.

Jones said other districts pay closer to $200,000 and trusteesshould consider the position they are in without undercuttingthemselves.

Board member Cherche Prezeau noted the pay freezes felt by stateemployees.

“We need to be fiscally responsible,” she said noting that thepay is already more than most area residents make.

Some of the trustees agreed.

“We have to think about what our taxpayers are going to say,”board member Joe Cohenour said.

Trustee Libbi Lovshin said there’s more to attract potentialemployees to Helena than salary.

Vice chair Aidan Myhre said not only is Helena a greatcommunity, but it has a school board that talks about puttingstudents first; good negotiations with educators; taxpayers whoconsistently pass levies; and a stellar administrative team.

“People will be attracted to this district because of who weare,” Myhre said.

The board took public comment, and former teacher Barbara Rushoffered the only testimony. She thought the salary range was toohigh.

School and community meetings are set for the week of Jan. 9, toidentify and discuss achievements, challenges and importantattributes in a superintendent necessary to serve the Helenadistrict well.

The board set its own criteria for advertising the position,such as a visionary leader who maximizes resources effectively anda person who puts students first and works to improveachievement.

The position closes Feb. 22. Candidates are scheduled to bereviewed the week of March 6, with interviews the following week.The hope is to have a new permanent superintendent named beforespring break.

Reporter Alana Listoe: 447-4081 or alana.listoe@helenair.com

School trustees set salary range for new superintendent

The actual Restored apple iphone Cost ElementAs you will definitely wish to keep your idea of having a great cost whenever buying the restored apple iphone at the back of the mind while you store, don’t presume that the excellent cost is actually the one thing you have to think about. Remarkable costs tend to be definitely tempting whenever a customer is actually looking at all the possibilities, however all-time reduced costs aren’t always a sign associated with high quality in most example. other activities as well as the cost element have to be regarded as such as the health of the actual apple iphone, whether there’s any kind of noticeable harm about the apple iphone, set up Telephone is actually penalized, as well as set up vendor supplying the actual restored apple iphone includes a sensible come back plan.Looking at the health of the actual Restored apple iphoneThe easiest method to make sure the first is obtaining a apple iphone within good shape is actually recognized within the behave associated with completely analyzing the telephone for just about any indicators associated with harm as well as put on in order to request the vendor to explain as well as look at the outside from the apple iphone with regard to scrapes, gouges, or even obviously recognizable regions of harm. when the outside from the restored apple iphone may be completely evaluated, the customer may wish to take a look at set up apple iphone may be broken via drinking water publicity.no matter what kind of apple iphone the customer is actually considering purchasing: the 4gb restored apple iphone, a good 8gb restored apple iphone or perhaps a 16gb apple iphone just about all possess built-in dampness sensors that will instantly uncover when the telephone is actually drinking water broken. obviously, you are able to usually query the vendor and get when the product has already established water damage and mold previously, however it is actually much less dangerous to appear in to set up restored apple iphone may be broken through drinking water actually. Looking at with regard to water damage and mold is straightforward; whenever looking to purchase the restored apple iphone, you are able to lightly raise the actual electric battery from the apple iphone to determine when there is a little, bright white us dot underneath the region in which the electric battery is positioned. Whenever looking at underneath the restored apple iphone for that dampness sign, when the customer finds out a little, red-colored coloured us dot or even absolutely no us dot whatsoever, this can be a obvious sign which some thing is actually wrong which the actual apple iphone may be subjected to dampness.Making sure the actual Restored i-phones aren’t PenalizedWhenever a customer is actually buying a good Iphone 4gb, 8gb, or even 16gb, when the apple iphone may be secured or even penalized, it doesn’t issue if the telephone does not have any kind of water damage and mold or even any kind of outside harm. Whenever a restored apple iphone is actually penalized, it’ll neglect to function totally. a digital serial quantity, or else known as a good ESN, that’s within the obvious is required as well, or even, once more the actual apple iphone won’t function. taken i-phones tend to be penalized as well as can’t be triggered.In the event that a good apple iphone is recognized as secured, this particular limitations the actual company how the purchaser from the restored apple iphone can function along with. It is necessary whenever 1 purchases the restored apple iphone that she or he is actually completely conscious in the event that it’s the secured standing. the secured AT&T apple iphone won’t use T-Mobile, though it is actually about the GSM system.Look for an acceptable come back PlanIf you’re buying the restored apple iphone, locate a seller or even rep which offers a come back plan. this really is essential regardless of whether you’re purchasing a restored apple iphone personally from the seller as well as particularly if you’re purchasing a good apple iphone through a good on the internet vendor. when the product is actually obtained, it ought to be analyzed, evaluated with regard to harm, as well as examined. It’s essential how the customer make sure that she or he knows all the rules offered inside a restored apple iphone seller’s come back plan.

Purchase a Restored apple iphone