Bella Davison, now six months, was born prematurely at 23 weeks Doctors are advised not toresuscitatebabies born before this time Her parents were told to prepare for the worst, but Bella survived Her mother is now calling for abortion limit to be 'significantly lowered

By Madlen Davies for MailOnline

Published: 05:51 EST, 8 January 2015 | Updated: 11:41 EST, 8 January 2015

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It was a day Bella Davison's parents feared they would never see - their daughter home for the first time.

The six-month-old was born a week before the legal abortion limit at only 23 weeks into her mother's pregnancy, weighing just over 1lb - the same as a bag of sugar.

Doctors are advised not to resuscitate babies born before 23 weeks and her parents, Vicky Jackson and Graeme Davison, an electrician, were told by doctors to prepare for the worst.

But their daughter fought hard to survive and is now thriving.

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Baby born at 23 weeks finally goes home after six months in hospital

It was a day Bella Davisons parents feared they would never see - their daughter home for the first time.

Yet the miracle baby left hospital today after spending her entire life under the care of medics at Newcastles Royal Victoria Infirmary.

The brave six-month-old was born a week before the legal abortion limit at only 23 weeks into her mums preganancy, weighing just over 1lb.

Parents Vicky Jackson and Graeme Davison, an electrician, were told by doctors to prepare for the worst. But determined Bella fought hard to survive and is now thriving.

Mum Vicky, 30, of Morpeth, Northumberland, said: It was very emotional to bring Bella home as there was a time when we thought this might not happen.

Premature baby Bella Davison, is back home in Morpeth at 25 weeks old after spending six months in the RVI hospital. Pictured with mum and dad Vicky Jackson and Graeme Davison

The day after Bella was born we were told she would not survive the night but she did and now she is home - its amazing. It is great to see how well Bellas doing as she looks like any other baby, and you would not know that she was premature, she is just a little miracle. Bella 100% wanted to be here and she has just dealt with everything, she has such a strong little character.

Bella and her twin sister Sophia were born by Caesaran section at Wansbeck General Hospital, four months before their due date. Bella came out breathing on her own and was taken straight to the RVI for treatment, spending most of her time in the Special Care Baby Unit. But Sophia suffered complications and doctors were unable to save her.

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Vicky said: We are devastated that Sophia did not make it. But we are very lucky that Bella is here with us as there was a chance that we would not have either of our daughters. The last time Bella was weighed she was 12lb 11oz and shes doing well.

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Miracle premature baby makes it home to Morpeth for the first time

Aquilla and Catherine Brant met in 1939 when the war broke out The loving couple celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary last year They died, aged 100 and 96, days apart after both suffered pneumonia Their daughter reveals the lovebirds had a pact not to beseparated

By Sam Matthew for MailOnline

Published: 13:02 EST, 2 January 2015 | Updated: 14:01 EST, 2 January 2015

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A devoted couple who met on the day World War II broke out and vowed never to be parted, have died within days of each other.

In a story worthy of a tear jerking Hollywood script Aquilla Brant, 100, passed away just 12 days after 96-year-old Catherine, his wife of 72-years.

The inseparable couple, who were both suffering from pneumonia, will now be cremated together.

Their daughter, Sue Brant, 68, revealed that the doting pair, who met in 1939, had a pact not to be parted.

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Aquilla Brant and wife Catherine married for 72 years die within 12 days of each other

Mackenzie Ackerman was the first Whidbey baby born this year.

image credit: Photo provided

New Year's celebrations began at Naval Hospital Oak Harbor in the early hours of Jan. 1 when proud parents David and Courtney Ackerman delivered Whidbey Island's first baby of 2015.

Mackenzie Ackerman made her debut into the world at 6:13 a.m. New Year's Day. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 6 ounces.

David Ackerman is assigned to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station's Fleet Readiness Center as an Aviation Electricians Mate First Class. He is from Olney, Md. His wife, Courtney, is from Toms River, N.J. They currently reside in Oak Harbor.

Baby MacKenzie was named by combining Davids birth family name of McKenzie with Courtneys maiden name of Maclaine. She is the couples first daughter and second child to big brother Cole, who is 20 months old.

When asked how Cole reacted to his new baby sister, Courtney replied, He is very curious, but also very excited.

The Naval Hospital Oak Harbor Special Delivery Unit delivers 340-360 babies each year and staffers expressed excitement about having delivered the first child on Whidbey Island in 2015.As of press time, Whidbey General Hospital had yet to deliver a baby in the new year.

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Whidbey's first baby of 2015 born Jan. 1

Published: Fri, January 2, 2015 @ 12:00 a.m.

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Two new members were appointed recently to the five-member Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission.

James Dill replaces Steve Miner, who died in September; and Tony Revetti replaces Leo Connelly Jr., who resigned for health reasons, effective Oct. 7.

Dill, of Struthers, a Vietnam War Army veteran, represents the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

He worked for 35 years as an electrician in the steel industry, retiring in 2002, then was a custodian in the Struthers City Schools, retiring in 2013.

A member of VFW Post 3538 in Struthers since 1966, he has been post commander for the past eight years.

Dill also has served as county, district and state commander of that organization.

Dill and his wife, the former Judy Morell, have two daughters and four granddaughters.

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Two appointed to veterans panel

Spaniard's Bay's Darci Ryan received a surprise at the annual Ascension Collegiate awards night in Bay Roberts on Dec. 16.

Photo by Nicholas Mercer/The Compass

For as long as there have been graduations, it has been customary for students to celebrate by hurling their caps in the air above them. The students of the 2013-2014 graduating class at Ascension Collegiate in Bay Roberts honoured that tradition at the school's annual awards night on Dec. 16. After a countdown from teacher Michelle Cleary-Haire, students turned their heads towards the ceiling as they threw the caps into the air.

The 18-year-old finished at the top of her class and brought home a basketful of awards at the gala.

Ryan took home some $8,380 in awards. In all the school announced $133,000 worth of awards, of which $21,000 Ascension awarded itself.

As the top student in her graduating class, she received the highly coveted Governor General's Award as the top Level III student.

The Governor General's award is considered by many as the most prestigious award given to a student graduating from a Canadian high school.

"I had no idea I was getting this," she said moments after walking across the stage to receive her diploma.

She had no idea she had finished in the No. 1 spot of the 2014 Ascension graduating class and did not find out until she opened the program.

"I was really shocked, actually," said Ryan. "I had been third and fifth in previous years and this was a big push up for me."

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Ascension Collegiate honours top students

KNIGHTS BACHELOR

Theodore Agnew, DL. For services to education. (East Somerton, Norfolk) David Anthony Andrew Amess, MP. Member of parliament for Southend West. For political and public service. (Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex) Matthew David Baggott, CBE, QPM. Formerly chief constable, Police Service of Northern Ireland. For services to Policing in the United Kingdom. (Solihull, West Midlands) Professor Richard Robert Barnett. Vice-Chancellor University of Ulster. For services to Higher Education and Business in Northern Ireland. (Coleraine, Londonderry) Professor Andrew Jonathan Bate, CBE, FBA. Literary Scholar and Provost, Worcester College, University of Oxford. For services to Literary Scholarship and Higher Education. (Oxford, Oxfordshire) Dr Simon Fraser Campbell, CBE, FRS. Drug Discoverer and Scientific Adviser. For services to Chemistry. (Poole, Dorset) Dr Anthony Herbert Everington, OBE. Chair, NHS Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group. For services to Primary Care. Professor Julian Ernest Michael Le Grand, FBA. Richard Titmuss Professor of Social Policy, London School of Economics. For services to Social Science and public service. (Bristol)

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John Vincent Hurt, CBE. Actor. For services to Drama. (Norfolk) Peter Ashley Kendall. For services to the Agricultural Industry in England and Wales. (Baldock, Hertfordshire) Andrew Valentine Morris, OBE. Chief executive, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust. For services to the NHS. (Wokingham, Berkshire) Richard Leon Paniguian, CBE. Head, Defence and Security Organisation, UK Trade and Investment. For services to the UK Defence Industry. (London) Professor Martyn Poliakoff, CBE, FRS. Research Professor of Chemistry, University of Nottingham. For services to the Chemical Sciences. (Beeston, Nottinghamshire) Dickson Poon, CBE. For services to Business and to charity particularly Higher Education. (London) David Edward John Ramsden, CBE. Head, Government Economic Service. For services to Economic Policy Making. (London) Professor Nilesh Jayantilal Samani, DL. Professor of Cardiology, University of Leicester. For services to Medicine and Medical Research. (Leicester, Leicestershire) Professor Nigel John Thrift, DL, FBA. Vice-Chancellor, University of Warwick. For services to Higher Education. (Coventry, West Midlands) John Arthur Townsley. Executive Principal The Gorse Academics Trust, Leeds. For services to Education. (Cawood, North Yorkshire) David John Verey, CBE. Chair, The Art Fund. For services to Arts Philanthropy. (London) Professor Norman Stanley Williams. Past president Royal College of Surgeons of England. For services to Surgery. (London) Thomas Philip Winsor. HM chief inspector of Constabulary. For public service. (Kent)

Knight Commander (KCB) Evan Paul Silk. Formerly Chair Commission on Devolution in Wales. Forservices to the Parliaments of and Devolution in the UK. Companion (CB) Harold Mark Carter. Deputy Legal Adviser Legal Advisers Branch, Treasury Solicitors. For services to Government Legal Services and services to the community in Guildford, Surrey. (Guildford, Surrey) David Julian Cook. Second Parliamentary Counsel Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. For services to the Preparation of Legislation. (Colchester, Essex) Ms Alison Cottrell. Director HM Treasury. For services to Financial Services Consumers. (London) James Harra. Director general Business Tax, HM Revenue and Customs, London. For services to Tax Administration. (London) Dr Andrew John McDonald. For services to Parliament and voluntary service to Disability Awareness. (London) Nicholas Christopher Shanahan. Director general Operations, Department for Work and Pensions. For services to Welfare Reform. (Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands) Professor Christopher John MacRae Whitty. Chief Scientific Adviser Department for International Development. For public and voluntary service to Tropical Medicine in the UK and Africa. (London)

Dame Commander (DCVO) Mrs Elizabeth Shan Josephine The Honourable Legge-Bourke, LVO. Lord-Lieutenant of Powys.

Knight Commander (KCVO) Nicholas James Alexander The Earl of Caledon. Lord-Lieutenant of County Armagh.

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New year honours 2015: the full list

I know a hard-working 18-year-old who works full time by day and wants to get an electrician certification part time in the evening. He is settling on the first school he visited that he knows he can afford. I dont want him to settle can you advise which schools in New York are reputable?

I can advise you on how you can research which schools are reputable. The first thing you want to do is make sure the school is accredited, which you can easily determine through the Better Business Bureau and the New York State Education Department. Another place to check is to contact the electrical workers union the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and ask for recommendations from the local chapter. Youll also want to research the job-placement history for graduates from the school, and potentially speak to some of the alumni to get their opinions of the institution. And while I can be handy around the house when pressed into action, when it comes to electricity Im barely comfortable changing a light bulb so when the kid gets his license, tell him to give me a call.

I think I may have been that guy at the holiday office party from what I can remember, anyway. How does one recover from having a little too much holiday spirit and punch?

Depends on what you did, Lampshade Larry. Did you grope the boss daughter or the boss? Have what appeared to be an episode on the dance floor for an hour? Or were you just a giant hot mess in general? Some things you cant recover from, and you might be ringing in the new year looking for a new job. Regardless, if apologies are in order, then in-person, heartfelt contrition is a good first step, whether for a specific act or simply for making a spectacle of yourself. However, before you try to recover, make sure you arent overreacting: Ask a buddy or anyone you trust if any damage control is necessary. You might be fine simply by never speaking of the evening, hoping your company has a short news cycle and waiting until someone else takes the spotlight for bad behavior, which is inevitable.

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I misbehaved at my office holiday party. Can I recover?

The General Electric F110 is an afterburning turbofan jet engine produced by GE Aviation. The F110 engine uses the same engine core design as the General Electric F101. The F118 is a non-afterburning variant. The engine is also license-built by TUSAS Engine Industries (TEI).[1][2]

The F-16 Fighting Falcon entered service powered by the Pratt & Whitney F100 afterburning turbofan. Seeking a way to drive unit costs down, the USAF implemented the Alternative Fighter Engine (AFE) program in 1984, under which the engine contract would be awarded through competition. The F110 currently powers 86% of the USAF F-16C/Ds (June 2005).

The F110-GE-100 provides around 4,000lbf (17.8kN) more thrust than the F100-PW-200 and requires more air, which led to the increase in the area of the engine intake. The F-16C/D Block 30/32s were the first to be built with a common engine bay, able to accept both engines, with block 30s having the bigger intake (known as "Big Mouth") and block 32s retaining the standard intake.

Initial orders were for the F110-GE-100 rated at 28,000lbf (125kN). Later versions of the F110 include the F110-GE-129 delivering 29,400lbf (131kN) thrust and the F110-GE-132 delivering 32,000lbf (142kN)

The United Arab Emirates Block 60 is powered by the General Electric F110-GE-132 turbofan, which is rated at a maximum thrust of 32,500lbf (144.6kN), the highest ever developed for the F-16 aircraft.[3][4]

The F-14A entered service with the United States Navy in 1973 powered by Pratt & Whitney TF30s. By the end of the decade, following numerous problems with the original engine (and similar problems with the Pratt & Whitney F100 on the F-15 and F-16), the DoD began procuring the upgraded TF30-P-414As. While these engines solved the serviceability problems, the fuel consumption and thrust was comparable to the initial modelconsiderably less than what the F-14 had been designed for.

In 1979, a derivative of the GE F101 turbofan called the F101-X was selected to power the F-14 and was later designated the F110-GE-400. The primary difference between the F110-GE-400 and the F110-GE-100 is length - the F110-GE-400 has a 50-inch (1.3m) tailpipe extension to suit the F-14 airframe, which is fitted downstream of the augmentor (afterburner section). The new engine provided 30,200lbf (134,000N) maximum augmented thrust at sea level compared to the TF30's maximum thrust of 20,900lbf (93kN). These upgraded jets were known as F-14Bs, as were production aircraft powered by the F110. The same engine also powers the final variant of the aircraft, the F-14D.

Two F110-GE-129 engines, with 29,400lbf (131kN) of thrust, power 40 F-15K fighters of South Korea. This is the first time production F-15s will be powered by a GE engine, since all previous F-15 models were powered by Pratt and Whitney. The GE engines will be manufactured through a joint licensing agreement with Samsung Techwin Company. It has also been chosen by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to power its F-15SG, and Saudi Arabia to power its F-15SA.

Data from GE Aviation F110-100/-400

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General Electric F110 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

While addressing a group of children recently, I happened to mention the pope and I was completely flabbergasted to learn that not one of these 11 and 12-year-olds had ever heard the word pope.

If they did not know the popes name, or even if they did not know what his role is, or where he lives, or where he is from, I would not have been so upset. But they all claimed that they had never heard the word pope.

If it were one or two of the group who had never heard the word, I probably would not have been so shocked, but it was the entire class which came from different homes and different schools. It really threw me in a spin.

This experience set me thinking about education, learning and parenting. Is our educational system beneficial to the majority of our children? Is learning being experienced as fulfilling and exciting so as to capture the interest of the majority.

It used to be said that what the previous generation knew at 16 years old, the new generation knows at 12 years old. This philosophy signified that there was marked improvement in education and development of the mind, as it should be for the development and advancement of a people.

But now that thinking (generational improvement) seems to be stagnated or has even gone backwards and it is not only evident in general knowledge but also in spelling, reading and in analytical thinking.

I believe that a great percentage of todays Barbadian children are not able to cope with the change in workload that occurs in the move from primary school to secondary school. To move from doing primarily two subjects, maths and English, and then three months later in secondary school they are doing about ten subjects, can be quite overwhelming for many of our students.

There should be a system used where we can determine which children have the capacity to adapt to such a drastic change in workload and at what age. Every child is not ready for secondary school at age 11. Some might not be ready until 13 years old.

Placing a child in that environment before it is ready can hamper its progress. Everyone does not develop at the same pace. I believe that our students would be more productive if we found a way to determine their academic capabilities at that early age.

Also, it would be to the islands advantage if we could determine the childs interest and skill area at an early age. I strongly believe that if the children show the definite talent for carpentry, mechanics, art and so on, they should be channelled in that specific direction from early.

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NO LAUGHING MATTER: What is the pope?