At Purdue, Coach Fortner Has Her Work Cut Out

Two years ago, Nell Fortner, then an assistant at Louisiana Tech,was named the head coach at Wisconsin. Five days later, she changedher mind and Jane Albright Dieterle was hired.

After spending most of the last year as an assistant coach forthe U.S. National Team, Fortner accepted the head job at Purdue onThursday.

If Wisconsin scared her, wait until she sees the problems facingher in West Lafayette.Purdue returns only seven players from its 1995-96 squad thatreached the title game of the Big Ten tournament. Six had asked forreleases, and five were granted before Fortner's hiring. It isexpected that at least two, guard Nicole Erickson and center MichelleVan …

Mexico overwhelms Cuba 5-0 despite suspensions

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Javier Hernandez and Giovani Dos Santos scored two goals apiece and Mexico overcame the distraction of a potential doping scandal to beat Cuba 5-0 on Thursday night and remain unbeaten in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Hours after the Mexican soccer federation suspended five players — including defender Francisco Rodriguez and goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa — for …

ND refinery ending monthlong maintenance

A monthlong $125 million overhaul at Tesoro Corp.'s Mandan refinery will be completed on time and within budget, the company says.

North Dakota's sole oil refinery was idled on April 16 for maintenance and upgrades. The work included additional pollution controls and bumping the capacity by about 2,000 barrels daily for ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel used in off-road construction and farm equipment.

Work is slated to be finished this week with startup early next, said Lynn Westfall, a Tesoro spokesman in at the company's headquarters in San Antonio.

Westfall declined to give the exact time of the restart next week because "it's competitively …

Routine housekeeping can help keep allergies in check

Routine housekeeping should include frequent laundering of beddingin very hot water and frequent vacuuming and dusting. Vacuums shouldhave a HEPA filter, or a multilayer bag to prevent dust fromescaping. Dust with a microfiber cloth, or - what many say is helpful- with a Swiffer sweeper or duster.

Dehumidifiers are strongly recommended, especially in basementsduring the warm weather, to keep moisture - and thus mold - incontrol. Air humidity should be between 50 and 60 percent, roofs andwindows checked for leaks, and kitchens and bathrooms vented withexhaust fans to the outside.

Inspect and vent gas and wood stoves, gas dryers, furnaces,fireplaces, heaters and …

The OECD

The term "rich nations" as used in this report is defined by membership in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Founded in 1960, the OECD is the international organization of the industrialized market-economy countries. As comparable statistics are available for most OECD countries, and as most have achieved near-universal basic health care and education for children, its membership constitutes a convenient group for the analysis of problems facing the children of economically developed societies.

As of 2005, the following 30 countries are …

Jordan Muslim opposition protests Gaza blockade

Jordan's main opposition group has led a rally of about 1,000 Jordanians and Palestinians protesting Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The protesters marched in the al-Wihdat Palestinian refugee camp after Friday noon prayers. They praised Gaza's Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, and urged Hamas militants …

Market for farmland: from boom to bust

Raphael and Dorothy Peterson picked up an egg ranch in southernWisconsin for chicken feed.

The previous owners, a family of seven, failed to pay theirbills on the 80-year-old homestead perched on the rocky hills nearthe upper Mississippi. One of those bills, a $63,000 tab, was run upat the Petersons' supply store. It was for chicken feed.

A few weeks ago the 223-acre farm was placed on the auctionblock and the Petersons snapped it up with a bid of $45,000. Therewas only one other bid, much lower, and it came from the foreclosingbank. "We can either resell it or run beef cattle on it," saysDorothy Peterson. "Frankly, we're not sure what we're going to dowith …