A family was awakened early Sunday morning to the sound of a bullet striking their Little Rock home, police say.

Little Rock police officers were patrolling the area of Lyric Lane and Brookside Circle after a report of a shots fired in the area about 4:19 a.m., when Meredith Chestnut, 38, reported that her house at 18 Brookhaven Drive had been struck by a bullet, a police report states.

Chestnut and her husband, Adam Chestnut, 34, told police they were awakened by a loud noise and noticed bullet holes in the walls, police say. Their two children had also been asleep in another room.

Officers on scene found that a single bullet had entered through the second-floor bathroom, traveled through the bathroom closet and bedroom wall, and ricocheted across the bedroom after hitting the bedroom closet, according to the report.

No one was injured during the shooting.

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Bullet struck LR home while family slept, police say

Three people hired full-time by the city over the past week will earn from $44,421 to $121,315 a year.

The $121,315 salary will go to Giovanni Zinn (pictured above), the new city engineer. Read about him here.

Nicole Minervini will earn the $44,421 in her role as the new assistant animal control officer.

A third hire, Alyssa Torres, will earn $60,688 as an assistant corporation counsel.

Meanwhile, the city has posted the following five other positions for which people can apply. (You can pick up applications at the Human Resources Offices on the first floor of the 200 Orange St. government building Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

Economic development officer/special projects ($49,186 a year).

Job description: This position is the primary contact point between the City and the private business community. Work involves contacting existing New Haven businesses and coordinating solutions to their problems, assisting new business expansion opportunities and actively promoting the acquisition of new economic enterprises for the City. It is the mainstay of the Citys business retention program. Work is performed under the direct supervision of the Director of Economic Development and is reviewed through conferences and observation of results.

Minimum requirements: Graduation from a four-year university or college with major course work in business administration, planning or other related fields; and at least two years of direct experience dealing with the business community on a field basis for either private or public agencies and the following knowledge, abilities and skills as stated in the job description, including but not limited to: Considerable knowledge of public administration and/or governmental operations as well as some experience in the private sector, preferably working within a private corporation; knowledge of basic business economics including understanding of the private sector economic system, business taxation and finance, business capital investment and private sector personnel policies; competent writing, verbal and computer skills are required as well as the ability to put together logical reports; Ability to understand specific business problems and actively work toward a solution; ability to negotiate and to coordinate with other City and/ or public agencies to effect those solutions; ability to instill confidence in the City through its dealings with the private sector.

Public works laborer ($20.55 per hour/ 40 hours a week).

Job description: This is limited skilled manual and servicing work involving maintenance, repair and construction activities. Involves responsibility for the performance of manual labor, servicing and equipment operation tasks in general construction and maintenance. Involves physical labor and the operation of hand and power tools and light to medium duty automotive equipment. The work is usually closely supervised and the employee receives work instructions at the beginning of each new job; however, constant supervision is not necessary for routine and repetitive tasks which can be carried out without difficulty once these tasks are learned. As employees gain the experience and job knowledge, work assignments may become more difficult and varied.

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3 New City Hires Earn $44K-$121K; 5 New Jobs Posted

Published Sep 17, 2014 at 4:49 pm (Updated Sep 17, 2014)

To the people of Chester: As Americans we hold the principles of democracy in high regard. In fact, we send our children to fight and die for democracy all over the globe. Yet here in Chester, candidates often run unopposed. That is why I am running for town council in the Town of Chester.

My name is Stephen Diffley. I was born and raised on the west side of Manhattan. I moved to Chester in 1996. My wife and I have been married for 24 years. We have a son, daughter-in-law and a beautiful new granddaughter. I have been an electrician and a member of Local Union #3 IBEW for 26 years.

My goal for Chester is a transparent government for and by the people. Town meetings should not be a venue for the board to announce what they have already decided without public input but rather an opportunity for the ideas and concerns of the public to be heard and considered thoughtfully.

Town meetings should be recorded and broadcast on the public access cable television station that the town already has. This would give all Chester residents, including commuters who get home too late to attend a meeting, the opportunity to be informed and involved.

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Contact information for all council members should be listed on the town website so residents can voice their concerns and ideas.

I also believe that our town hall should return to a five-day work week.

Please join me in returning our beautiful town to the people. I respectfully ask for your vote at the General Election on Nov. 4.

Stephen Diffley Chester

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Join me in returning our beautiful town to the people

For years, Cryston Swink feared getting a phone call from a police officer saying that her father had been killed.

Since Swink was a child, her father, Terry Bowers, had battled cocaine addiction and would periodically disappear on "drug binges" so his children wouldn't have to seem him high.

But with five years clean under her father's belt, Swink, who lives in Michigan, thought he had overcome the addiction.

"When he was clean, he was around and loved spending time with us," Swink said.

But two months ago Bowers disappeared again. Then last week Swink finally got the call she had been dreading for years.

Just before 10 a.m. Sept. 12, Orange County deputies found Bowers' electrocuted body along State Road 408. That was the first bit of news anyone in his family had heard about 57-year-old Bowers since he disappeared.

"My grandfather was here in Michigan and was on his way to come look for him when we got the phone call that he had died," Swink said.

Deputies say Bowers was attempting to steal valuable copper wiring from a utility pole between exits 1 and 2 on the toll road when he was killed by the electricity.

Deputies confirmed his identity Tuesday, and by Wednesday, his body had been cremated and sent to his father. Since his death, deputies have linked Bowers to about $100,000 in copper thefts from dozens of light poles along S.R. 429 from July 31 to Sept. 8.

In less than two months, Bowers managed to pull more than 25,000 feet of wiring from the utility poles, officials said.

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Drug habit may have prompted electrocuted man's copper thefts, family says

DRUG raids have been carried out at two disused night clubs in Bolton town centre.

Officers found a 'large-scale, mature' cannabis farm in the building which formerly housed Club Ice and The Late Club in Bank Street after raiding it at 8.40am today.

The value of the drugs found has not yet been confirmed but is understood to be worth thousands.

Scenes of Crime Officers (SOCO) are due at the scene soon to investigate before the drugs are removed.

Sgt Kev Lister, of Bolton Central neighbourhood policing team, said: "We are quite happy with how things have gone this morning.

"We executed a search warrant following information that we have received from the general public.

"We have conducted a methodical search of the building and are confident no one is inside.

"It is a large-scale, mature and very organised cannabis farm.

"The scene has been made safe by an electrician."

The building externally houses two clubs but it is believed it is just one facility inside as an internal wall has been knocked through.

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Police raids discover 'large-scale' cannabis farm in two former night clubs

CORPUS CHRISTI (Kiii News) - This week's Hot Jobs report is courtesy of Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend.

Location Alice, Texas Job Number 6969739 Title Crane Operator Salary $22.00 - $25.00 Hour, Depending on Certification Qualifications Three (3) years prior experience as a Crane & Tower Operator required. 21 years of age or older due to insurance requirements. Candidate must be able to operate an 84 ton, 100 ton and/or 110 ton crane and must be available 24-7 as this position is oilfield related. Employer also interested in interviewing individuals who are not certified as well. Criminal background check and drug screening required. Overtime possible; home every evening. Valid Class C - Standard driver's license required.

Location Beeville, Texas Job Number 4984100 Title CDL - A Driver Salary $18.00 Hour +Benefits Qualifications Two (2) years prior experience and a High School Diploma or General Education Development (GED) required. Candidate must be able to perform all job-related duties as assigned or directed. Candidate will primarily work the night shift run from Beeville to San Antonio and be responsible for transporting United States Mail. Must be eligible for a security clearance, be able to pass a background check and drug screening. Valid Class A - Commercial Driver's License required.

Location Corpus Christi, Texas Job Number 4992242 Title Sleep Study Coordinator Salary $31,000.00 Year Qualifications Two (2) years prior experience in the Medical Field and two (2) years of college, technical or vocational school required. Candidate must possess basic computer skills to include spreadsheet and word processing software. Candidate will be responsible for enrolling stroke patients into a sleep apnea study. Must have reliable transportation and a flexible schedule which will include evening and weekend hours. Bilingual (English & Spanish) preferred to serve Spanish-speaking populations. This position is funded thru April 1, 2016. Valid Class C - Standard driver's license required.

Location Kingsville, Texas Job Number 2779842 Title Slickline Equipment Operators Salary $13.00 - $14.00 Hour, Depending on Experience Qualifications One (1) year prior experience and a High School Diploma or General Education Development (GED) required. Candidate must be available for all shifts, including days, nights, weekends, and holidays. These are Temp to permanent positions, so candidates must be able to accept long-term positions. Must be able to work forty (40) to eighty (80) hours per week; working twenty-one (21) days on and three (3) days off. This is a Heavy Labor position with minimal driving. Must be able to pass a pre-employment background check, drug screening, Motor Vehicle Report, and will be subject to a Department of Transportation (DOT) Physical and Functional Capacity Test. Valid Class C - Standard driver's license required.

Location Gregory, Texas Job Number 2780798 Title Electricians / Pipe Fitters / Insulators Salary $19.95 - $26.80 Hour, Depending on Position and Certification(s) +Per Diem if Qualified Qualifications Minimum three (3) years prior experience as an Electrician, Mechanical Insulation Worker, or Pipe Fitter required. Must possess a High School Diploma or General Education Development (GED). Candidate must be available to work six (6) - ten (10) hour days, Monday thru Friday. Candidate must be able to perform all job-specific duties as assigned or directed. Valid Class C - Standard driver's license required.

To learn more about these jobs, call Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend at 888-860-JOBS.

Hot Jobs is a segment that is found every Tuesday, on 3News at 5 p.m.

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Hot Jobs: Sept. 16, 2014

Lech Walesa was elected president of Solidarity

In 1980, life in Poland was getting expensive. The price of food was rising fast, and wages werent keeping up. Workers began to strike in protest.

The Baltic city of Gdansk had grown into something of a hotbed of resistance to the Communist government. And it was the workers in the Lenin Shipyards who were the most rebellious.

The firing of crane operator and activist Anna Walentynowicz was the last straw. And on 14 August, 17,000 workers went on strike and took control of the shipyard. They were led by the impressively mustachioed electrician Lech Walesa.

The Gdansk strike inspired others throughout Poland, and soon workers in 200 factories across the country had downed tools. They handed a list of 21 demands to the government, including the right to strike and the right to form independent trade unions.

The government caved in, and on 31 August, agreed the Gdansk Accords, conceding many of the workers demands.

And so, on 17 September, a group of workers representatives formed Solidarity, the first independent trade union the Soviet bloc had ever seen, and Lech Walesa was elected president.

Over the next 18 months or so, membership grew to nearly ten million. It soon became a social and political force, demanding economic reform and greater freedom.

General Wojciech Jaruzelski, under pressure from the Soviet Union, imposed martial law in 1981, and in 1982 declared Solidarity illegal. It spent the next few years as an underground organisation.

But support flooded in from overseas. Confusingly for many, world-class union-basher Margaret Thatcher became a fan, along with top lefty Tony Benn, plus Ronald Reagan, and the Pope.

Excerpt from:
17 September 1980: The birth of Solidarity

1.Rajiv Chandrasekaranexplains why defeating the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria will be tremendously difficult.

Harder than anything weve tried to do thus far in Iraq or Afghanistan is how one U.S. general involved in war planning described the challenges ahead on one side of the border that splits the so-called Islamic State.

2. The New York Times writes about how little we know about the threat that the Islamic State could pose to the United States.

Daniel Benjamin, who served as the State Departments top counterterrorism adviser during Mr. Obamas first term, said the public discussion about the ISIS threat has been a farce, with members of the cabinet and top military officers all over the place describing the threat in lurid terms that are not justified.

Its hard to imagine a better indication of the ability of elected officials and TV talking heads to spin the public into a panic, with claims that the nation ishoneycombed with sleeper cells, that operatives are streaming across the border into Texas or that the group will soon be sprayingEbolavirus on mass transit systems all on the basis of no corroborated information, said Mr. Benjamin, who is now a scholar at Dartmouth College.

3. The Post's David Nakumurawrites on how strange it is that Obama, of all people, is talking about waging war in the Middle East.

It is not a legacy the president expected to leave. Less than a year after taking office, Obama delivered an address in Oslo as he accepted a Nobel Peace Prize, awarded for what the prize committee called his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people. The president spoke about the search, among philosophers and statesmen, for the terms that would define a just war but concluded that such a conflict was rarely observed. I do not bring with me today a definitive solution to the problems of war, Obama said. What I do know is that . . . it will require us to think in new ways about the notions of just war and the imperatives of a just peace.

4.Spencer Ackerman annotates President Obama's speech, fact-checking details and providing context.

5. The amendment to overturn Citizens United got voted down in the Senate today. No one who voted against it is going to face many electoral ramifications; voters care about campaign finance, but not passionately, as this NPR post points out. Voters are watching what happens to the economy far more.

6. Jonathan Bernstein at Bloomberg View says that the amendment was a time-waster to begin with, and they should have been doing something else all week anyway.

Excerpt from:
The Fix: The 9 things you didnt read today (but should have)

Viewpoint By Juan L. Mercado |Philippine Daily Inquirer

Next-door Malaysia dashed into the future this September by back-pedaling into the past. Its government has clamped back the 1948 Anti-Sedition Law.

This is the broadest crackdown since the era of strongman leader Mahathir Mohamad, now 89, Reuters news agency reported. Yet, two years ago the multiethnic former British colony appeared set on a path of greater openness.

Malays today make up 51 percent of the population. Chinese constitute 24 percent, and Indians 7 percent.

Cops arrested Malaysiakini reporter Susan Loone, then released her on bail. Malay groups lodged a police report about Loone quoting an arrested opposition politician as saying that he was treated like a criminal while in custody.

University of Malaya law professor Azmi Sharom was detained for commentary on Kuala Lumpurs 2009 political crisis. Eight opposition politicians were charged with sedition for certain statements, some uttered two years back.

Seditious tendency is the legal club. In 1987, under the Mahathir regimes Operation Lalang, over a hundred intellectuals, students, artists and scientists were arrested. The recycled Internal Security Act permits detention without trial.

Todays three-party opposition eroded the ruling coalitions majority in the last two elections. Now, the Anti-Sedition Law selectively clubs its members and activists to undermine the alliance, its said.

Prime Minister Najib Razak is being pressed by conservatives in the ruling United Malays National Organization (Umno) to take a tougher line. Mahathir withdrew support for Najib for being weak. The crackdown is a strong signal Najib is sending to say that hes not weak, notes opposition parliamentarian Ong Kian Ming.

Sapped by embedded scandals, Umno seeks to silence the opposition, John Berthelsen wrote in Asia Sentinel. Najib pledged to scrap the Anti-Sedition Law in 2012, only to shepherd a bill through Parliament that retained many of its provisions.

See more here:
Relentless master

Construction workers prepare to install a pipe at West 100th Avenue in Westminster. (Anya Semenoff, The Denver Post)

The retirements of skilled craft workers in the construction trades have made it difficult in some cases impossible for some Colorado contractors to fill key professional positions.

About 30 percent of Colorado construction workers are near retirement age. Nearly half are at least 50 years old. Two people are retiring for every one that takes up the hammer.

(Click on image to enlarge)

But a new construction jobs portal BuildColorado.com aims to ease the pain of recruiting the shrinking pool of skilled workers to a growing number of openings and may aid in convincing some job seekers that construction trades hold long-term career potential.

The site was announced Wednesday morning by Gov. John Hickenlooper, the Associated General Contractors of America and the Colorado Contractors Association.

The website posts openings there were 95 postings Wednesday morning, some seeking dozens of workers and also encourages Coloradans to build careers in the industry.

According to the AGC, jobs in skilled trades including drywall installers, equipment operators, cement masons, carpenters, pipefitters, welders and laborers are especially tough to fill in Colorado.

Denver electrical contractor Dynalectric is having a rough time recruiting project managers, entry-level wiremen and wirewomen, and even candidates for its apprenticeship program, executive vice president Gina Cullen said.

"I can tell you that in our corner of the construction industry, with electricians, we are seeing retirement at a faster rate than we are getting new employees in the trade," she said. "There seems to be fewer qualified applicants for skilled positions, and fewer applicants in general for entry-level positions."

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BuildColorado.com aims to match skilled workers with job openings