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 …

California Wildfire Burns 165 Structures

MEYERS, Calif. - A forest fire raged out of control early Monday near the popular resort area of Lake Tahoe after destroying at least 165 structures and forcing about 1,000 people to evacuate their homes.

The fire, believed to be caused by human activity, had charred more than 2,000 acres - or more than 3 square miles - near the south end of the lake since it started Sunday afternoon. No injuries were reported.

The number of homes among the 165 burned structures was not immediately known, said Gay Eitel, an information assistant for the U.S. Forest Service.

Flames came within a quarter mile of the 1,500-student South Tahoe High School during the night, and dozens …

Sheriff: Boy who fled chemo returns home

A sheriff's office in Minnesota says a 13-year-old cancer patient and his mother who fled the state to avoid chemotherapy have returned.

The Brown County sheriff's office did not provide any details Monday but said a news conference would be held.

Daniel Hauser and his mother, Colleen, had been due to appear in court last Tuesday …

Midway Airlines gave us a lift

Midway Airlines went out of business recently, and I feel like Ilost a friend.

As a weekly commuter between Chicago and New York for manyyears, I know what Midway meant when it said "our spirit will liftyou" in its advertising.

It meant people like Joe and Christine, flight attendants, withwhom I started flying in 1979 when Midway was just a startup withno-frills service. I saw Christine on a recent Los Angeles flight,and she immediately recognized me, even slipping me an extra piece ofchocolate cake.

It meant the flight attendant who had "Oh, Miss" on her badge.Or Ray, Christine, Valerie, Helen and all the others in New York whoprovided excellent …

Poland printing ballots in Braille for 1st time

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — An official says Poland is to produce ballots in Braille for the first time in upcoming parliamentary elections.

Kazimierz Czaplicki, the head of the state electoral office, announced the plan Monday, saying it would help people with impaired vision to vote in Oct. 9 elections.

Czaplicki said some other countries, such as Great Britain, already allow …

Oldest US senator steps down as panel chair

The longest-serving U.S. senator in history, Robert Byrd, is stepping down from his cherished post as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The 90-year-old Democrat, third in line of succession to the U.S. presidency, has been increasingly frail in recent years, so the move did not come as a surprise. Democratic leaders had sent signals that they hoped Byrd would step aside …

Unmasked Big Man Leads Carolina Past MSU

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The mask protecting his broken nose kept sliding around, frustrating Tyler Hansbrough as he tussled in the paint with Michigan State's physical defenders. So North Carolina's big man tossed it off, then helped the Tar Heels dispose of the determined Spartans.

The sophomore finished with 33 points and nine rebounds to help the Tar Heels hold off Michigan State 81-67 on Saturday night, giving the East Regional's top seed a record 27th trip to the NCAA tournament's round of 16.

"It was like a little bee flying around your face that you try to slap away," Hansbrough said of the mask. "And it won't go away."

Hansbrough's 33 points were the most by a Tar Heels player in the tournament since Al Wood had 39 against Ralph Sampson and Virginia in the 1981 Final Four. And the Tar Heels (30-6) needed every one of them to outlast ninth-seeded Michigan State and continue their long-running NCAA success in their home state.

The Tar Heels had to withstand Drew Neitzel's 3-point shooting barrage. They had to scrap on the boards with one of the nation's top rebounding teams. And they had to stay composed as the Spartans (23-12) pushed ahead midway through the second half.

"Our kids showed a tremendous amount of toughness today," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said.

Reyshawn Terry added 12 of his 14 points in the final seven minutes despite battling an illness for North Carolina, which will face the winner of Sunday's Texas-Southern California game next week in East Rutherford, N.J. Freshman point guard Ty Lawson added 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds.

North Carolina improved to 21-1 in instate tournament games, including 6-0 in games played here - home to Atlantic Coast Conference rival Wake Forest.

Hansbrough finished 10-for-17 from the field and 13-for-17 from the line in a career-high 38 minutes. He started the game wearing the mask to protect the injury he suffered when he was hit with an elbow on a flagrant foul by Duke's Gerald Henderson on March 4, but took it off on the sidelines and re-entered the game to loud cheers with 12:33 left in the first half.

"I felt comfortable taking it off," he said. "It was one of those things where I was trying to wear it this game, and if we win and advance to the next game, I would've taken it off anyway. But I felt more comfortable with it off."

Hansbrough went on to score 15 of his 19 first-half points, forcing the Spartans into foul trouble on a team missing reserve 6-11 forward Idong Ibok - who suffered a dislocated left elbow in the first round against Marquette.

Neitzel finished with 26 points and six 3-pointers in 38 gritty minutes, but North Carolina eventually wore down the Spartans in the final minutes.

"Anytime you play a team that's so athletic getting up and down the court, it takes a lot out of you, especially with the foul trouble and lack of depth we had," said Neitzel, who went 9-for-27 from the field and 6-for-17 from 3-point range.

Playing with former Michigan State and NBA star Magic Johnson watching from the stands, the Spartans took a 57-54 lead on Neitzel's 3 with 8:48 left. But North Carolina responded with a 14-4 run, which included six points from Hansbrough and a 3-pointer from Lawson, to take a 68-61 lead with 4:03 left.

That's when Terry - who missed the morning shootaround with a fever and a headache - came up with his biggest baskets. The senior made three free throws during the run, knocked down a contested jumper over Neitzel then followed with a 3-pointer with 2 1/2 minutes left that pushed North Carolina's lead to 73-65 with 2:25 left and further charged his hometown crowd.

"Early on, it was kind of tough because every time I'd run, my head was banging a little bit," Terry said. "But I tried to not think about that and worry about the game. ... I was like, `Ray, you've got to play this game - it could be the last game for us.'"

Michigan State got no closer the rest of the way, coming up short of pulling off what would have been the biggest upset of the tournament, so far.

"(Terry) made some big shots," Spartans coach Tom Izzo said. "I get tired of hearing about all the freshmen. It's usually the juniors and seniors that earn their keep in money time. Give him credit, man. He brought it in money time."

The Tar Heels didn't get much offensive balance, tying a season low with six bench points. Freshman forward Brandan Wright, the team's No. 2 scorer at 14.9 points per game, finished with three on 1-for-5 shooting.

But North Carolina shot 48 percent, hit 25 of 34 free throws and took a 40-29 rebounding advantage against a team that hadn't been outrebounded by more than four in a game this season.

Parkinson gets Charlton job on permanent basis

Phil Parkinson was hired Wednesday as Charlton's permanent manager after overseeing the League Championship side on a temporary basis since Alan Pardew left last month.

The appointment comes despite the club failing to win a game since Parkinson stepped up from being Pardew's assistant, and dropping to the bottom of the standings. The last win was against Ipswich in October.

Charlton's bid to remain in the second tier of English football has been boosted by chairman Richard Murray pledging to sign up to four new players in the January transfer window.

"After discussing the situation yesterday, the overwhelming feeling was that Phil was the best man to lead us and rescue us from our current plight," Murray said. "With 20 matches remaining this season, we were aware that time was an issue, particularly with the January transfer window opening on Thursday.

"Phil knows the players, knows the strengths and weaknesses of the side, and has huge Football League experience. Perhaps most importantly, he is a strong character, and knows how to battle against adversity."

No more free beach parking

MAXED OUT: A SUN-TIMES SERIES

FACING UP TO OUR LOCAL AND STATE BUDGET CRISIS

Attention all motorists fortunate enough to find a close-to-the-beach parking spot this summer: No more free rides.

Pay-and-display boxes -- similar to those found elsewhere in the city -- have been installed in 1,500 of the 4,000 lakefront parking spaces, including at the 63rd Street Beach, 31st Street Beach and the Loyola Fieldhouse. The rest are expected to go in by June, said Chicago Park District spokeswoman Jessica Maxey-Faulkner.

The "pay and display" approach allows motorists to use credit cards, $1 bills and coins to buy time from a machine and display a receipt in the vehicle's front window.

The average cost is right around $1 an hour and is projected to generate $1.5 million in revenues for the Park District annually, officials say.

Source: Donovan Leaving Gators for Magic

ORLANDO, Fla. - Rich history wasn't enough to lure Billy Donovan away from Florida. In the end, it was just riches. Donovan will have plenty of them after agreeing to a five-year deal paying $5.5 million annually to coach the Orlando Magic, an official in the NBA told The Associated Press on Thursday. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract was agreed to but not signed.

Donovan has been the subject of speculation since the Gators' second straight NCAA championship in April. He turned down an offer to coach Kentucky, whose storied program launched his career as an assistant in 1990, and was more recently linked to the Memphis Grizzlies' vacant coaching job.

He seemed to squash those rumors after turning down the Kentucky position, proclaiming, "I love the University of Florida."

But Orlando, about 115 miles south of Gainesville, proved too strong to resist. The Magic job pays more than twice Donovan's $1.7 million annual deal with the Gators.

"There's going to be a lot of hamburgers, a lot of filet," departing Florida star Joakim Noah joked.

Donovan, his agent and Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley didn't return phone messages left by The AP.

School president Bernie Machen said he didn't believe Donovan had yet accepted the Orlando job, but there were no hard feelings if he had.

"There's always a next," Machen said at the Southeastern Conference's annual spring meeting in Destin, Fla. "Billy Donovan has been here for 11 years, won two national championships. He's been a great ambassador for the University of Florida. We'll always love Billy Donovan, whether he's here 11 years or 21 years."

Both Donovan and the school had said all along they were negotiating a contract extension. Machen said Thursday the deal was basically done, just not signed.

At the NBA predraft camp, Donovan's former players said they hadn't heard anything about him switching jobs.

"I've talked to him, just not about that," Al Horford said.

Donovan replaces Brian Hill, who was fired after two consecutive losing seasons. Hill's ouster followed the Magic's first playoff appearance in four years, which ended in the first round against Detroit.

If he's going to go, now could be the best time for Donovan. Florida lost its top seven scorers after the season, including potential top-10 NBA picks Noah, Horford and Corey Brewer.

In Orlando, Donovan inherits a team without a single first-round draft pick - or much veteran experience. Orlando is rebuilding around third-year player Dwight Howard, who made his first All-Star team this season, and counting on bigger contributions from Trevor Ariza and J.J. Redick.

The Magic have vowed to re-sign free agent Darko Milicic, who flourished despite an injury in the playoffs, but the 7-footer still has to prove his NBA value.

Besides the coach, the big question mark for Orlando is whether Grant Hill will return. The often-injured star's contract expired this season, and he could opt to retire or chase a title elsewhere. If Hill leaves, it would open up a big load of salary cap room for a skilled offensive player.

Donovan has shown he can improve even mediocre programs. At Florida, a traditionally football-oriented school, he made it to the NCAA title game three times in his 11 years. He led the Gators to nine straight 20-win seasons, nearly doubling the amount it had before his arrival. Florida won three SEC championships under Donovan after getting just one in 77 years previously. He became the winningest coach in Florida history on Dec. 20 and now has 261 victories.

With the Magic, he'll face a similar challenge. Orlando hasn't been out of the first round of the playoffs in a decade.

---

AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Destin, Fla., contributed to this report.

US: Mid-Atlantic wind farms take step forward

BALTIMORE (AP) — Offshore wind farms from New Jersey to Virginia took a big step closer to reality with the completion of a review that showed the renewable energy source would leave no major environmental damage, officials said Thursday.

Obama administration Interior Secretary Ken Salazar also said his department also was trying to speed up the process for issuing renewable energy leases. Wind projects off the coasts of Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and New Jersey are being studied.

"There are a number of developers who are very interested in developing offshore wind here and our goal is to hold the auctions and be able to issue the leases now, in 2012," Salazar said. "So, this is not something that's going to be waiting around."

The Mid-Atlantic lease proposal follows the Cape Wind project in Massachusetts that was given the go-ahead in 2010 after years of federal review. That project is still in development and Salazar said the department had learned from that experience.

"No developer should have to wait nine or 10 years," for approval, Salazar said.

Dominion Virginia Power is interested in building up to 400 wind turbines in Atlantic waters as soon as they are open for development, officials with that state's largest electric utility told The Associated Thursday.

The Interior Department said before the waters would be opened, the public would have a chance to comment on the projects.

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who appeared at the announcement with Salazar, said his administration had contacted Defense Department officials to discuss the possibility of the military using offshore wind energy.

O'Malley, a Democrat, and Salazar both described the decision as a major step forward for offshore wind, and environmentalists agreed.

Environment America Clean Energy Advocate Courtney Abrams said "tapping into the power of offshore wind along the Atlantic coast is vital to getting the region and the nation off fossil fuels without creating more pollution."

___

Associated Press writer Steve Szkotak in Richmond contributed to this report.

Help your kids, but protect your assets

Q. My son and his wife are expecting their first baby. Theywant to buy a house but don't have enough money for the down payment.They asked me to help them by lending them a portion of what theyneed. I will be retiring in five years, and at that time I will needthe money (or at least the interest) to supplement my income. Whatdo you suggest I do?

A. I'll lay out the facts, but the choice is yours. Whatever,proceed very carefully.

First, have your son and his wife explore all other options?Will the seller of the house accept a contract? Are they entitled toa Veterans Administration loan or a Federal Housing Administrationloan? Have they looked into state-sponsored first home mortgages?Can they borrow the money from another source if you agree to cosigna loan?

If they can get the money elsewhere, you are off the hook. Butkeep in mind that cosigning a loan makes you legally obligated forpayments.

Even if they can't borrow elsewhere, the process of looking andasking in itself should help them better understand the cost of moneyand the difficulties of obtaining loans.

Next, consider your own financial situation. If you did not getyour money back, how would your lifestyle be affected?

If you go ahead, proceed the way a banker would. Keeping itcasual would be no favor to anyone - and can lead to bitter feelings.

Have a lawyer draw up a formal loan agreement. It shouldinclude: a signed promissory note, a payment schedule, a descriptionof interest charges, penalties for late payments and perhaps even alien on the house. If you structure the lien as a second mortgage,it shouldn't hurt their chances of getting a first mortgage, and theinterest they pay to you will be tax-deductible to them.

You are entitled to a reasonable rate of interest on yourhard-earned money. Here are some examples that are fair for bothsides: 1 percent above prime. 1 percent above what you could earn on the money. 1 percent below the going rate for mortgages. 5 percent below what they would have to pay for an installment loanfrom a bank.

Last but not least, consider asking your son to buy term lifeinsurance and/or disability insurance for the amount of the loan.That doesn't sound pretty, but it can be important protection - andit is quite inexpensive.

I am not trying to discourage you from helping your loved ones.Rather, I am urging you to protect the relationships you value andthe assets that are earmarked for a very important purpose - yourretirement.

Proenza Schouler Marches to Its Own Beat

NEW YORK - There was a slight military edge to Proenza Schouler's spring collection, making the Park Avenue Armory an appropriate venue to preview it Friday night as part of New York Fashion Week.

The well-edited line moved from a hemp waistcoat with epaulettes to a puffy marigold-colored silk faille evening coat easier than you'd think - and then throw in a "gold-leaf" cocktail dress that actually appeared to be gold-painted feathers.

Actresses Demi Moore and Kyra Sedgwick were among those in the audience. Moore said she tries to be in New York during Fashion Week when she can. "I don't know if I believe in coincidences but I do think it's synchronicity," Moore said, noting that she's in the city this time around because her husband, Ashton Kutcher, is filming a movie.

Proenza's Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, who won the Council of Fashion Designers of America award earlier this year as the top womenswear designers, took a different approach to next season than many of their peers who've already offered a glimpse of their upcoming lines to stylists, editors and retailers. This duo continued to embrace many of the menswear details that have proven popular for fall, and they also seemed to favor a shorter-length silhouette while others have gone for a longer, leaner look.

Vests were on of the key items on the runway, with vests layered over sleeveless waistcoats - which are, essentially, long vests. The most unique item might have been the marching band-style hats worn by several of the models.

One of the most stunning outfits, thought, was a wood-beaded miniskirt with a bubble hem.

The palette of natural neutrals, however, fits in with the broader trends, as well as the mixing of dressy and casual fabrics, such as a hemp linen vest with a white cotton poplin shirt and a black washed organza skirt.

Barre is raised College plans new dance center

In its continuing move to transform the South Loop into a centerfor higher education and the arts, Columbia College Chicago hasunveiled plans for a new state-of-the-art dance facility at 1306 S.Michigan.

The new Dance Center of Columbia College will be housed in a33,000-square-foot Art Deco-style building formerly owned by thecity. It was purchased for $1.35 million. Columbia will spend $2.8million more for its conversion, which is under way.

Since 1977, students taking dance classes at Columbia have beenrequired to trek between the South Loop campus and the school's DanceCenter at 4730 N. Sheridan.

Next fall this will all change.

"One of my goals has been to bring the Dance Center to the SouthLoop," said Columbia President John Duff, who will retire nextsummer. "Now this growing department and its students will be able toparticipate more closely in the life of the college."

As ideas for new educational and artistic sites continue to sproutin the South Loop - another recent development is Lewis Manilow'sproposal to turn the old Continental Trailways depot at Roosevelt andWabash into a complex of art galleries - a corridor of culturalactivity will stretch from the Museum Campus to the commercialtheater district in the North Loop.

The new Dance Center will be a strong addition to the theatersthat already house dance activities in the area, including the HaroldWashington Library Theatre, the Merle Reskin Theatre (used primarilyby the Theatre School of DePaul University) and the AuditoriumTheatre, which is home to larger companies, including the JoffreyBallet of Chicago and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.

The Center is a major presenter of contemporary dance events, aswell as headquarters for the school's dance department. It wasfounded in 1968 by Shirley Mordine and is nationally known for itsinnovative programming, which combines dance training with exposureto working artists.

"We hope to reinvent the Center in the South Loop," said BonnieBrooks, newly appointed head of the dance department. "The goal isto bring dance into people's lives in new ways and become a livelyresource for dance."

The new three-story facility will provide twice the space of theCenter's current home, which will be sold.

When completed, it will house a 275-seat black box performancespace with stadium seating, as well as seven studios and additionalclassroom, rehearsal, student lounge and office space. Work isexpected to be finished by the fall 1999.

Columbia's dance department has 130 students and also draws manyprofessional dancers and others to its classes in contemporary, jazz,tap, ballet and African dance.