SBE Breaking News

Col. Robert Lewis Howard, a recipient of Medal of Honor and nation’s most decorated soldier, died yesterday. He was 70.

Retired Col. Robert Lewis Howard died on December 23 around noon at a hospital in Waco, Texas. He was battling with pancreatic cancer and was admitted in the hospital for three weeks before his death.

Col. Robert Lewis Howard ?” An Account of his Military Services

Robert Lewis Howard joined U.S. army at Alabama in 1956 and retired from the army as a colonel in 1992. He was awarded with nation’s most esteemed award, Medal of Honor, for his services during the Vietnam War. Col. Robert L. Howard was nominated three times for this award.

In 1967, Sergeant First Class Howard was leading a platoon in Laos. While the main enemy body was destroyed, Howard’s team stumbled upon four Vietnamese troopers. His team was attacked by heavy machine guns. Howard targeted the machine gun occupant and killed him. Moments later, a second machine gun opened its fire on Howard’s team. He crawled towards it and destroyed it by throwing a hand grenade towards the machine gun. The enemy didn’t quit and another Vietnamese trooper took over the machine gun. Howard stood up in the open fire and targeted the gun with a light weapon. He helped the team to successfully escape. For his bravery Robert L. Howard was nominated for the Medal of Honor. This was his first nomination.

In 1986, Howard was once again battling against the Vietnamese troopers in Cambodia. Howard and his team were searching for Robert Scherdin, who got separated from his recon team. Col. Howard was wounded severely during this rescue mission and was awarded with the well-deserved Medal of Honor. Col. Robert Lewis Howard was wounded 14 times in the Vietnam war.

He has been awarded with more than 30 awards and honors including Medal of Honors, Purple Hearts, and Air Medal. Col. Robert Lewis Howard retired from the army in1992 after 36 years of vigorous service.

Col. Robert Lewis Howard will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. No dates about his funeral ceremony have been released yet.

According to many historians, Col. Robert Lewis Howard is America’s most decorated soldier.

Col. Robert Lewis Howard

Snow Storms in various U.S. states are worsening the weather conditions. Latest news about fatalities are from Arkansas where two died in road accidents.

Major Winter Storms Hit American States

Americans are most likely to have a white Christmas this year as a major snow storm is lumbering across several states of the country. Due to slick roads travelers are crawling along the streets and highways while the snowy weather conditions bring headache for the residents during the holidays. Extremely cold weather, poor road conditions, power outages, and cancelled flights are bringing ordeal to the people.

Arkansas Weather Conditions and Road Preparation

The worst winter storm is expected to hit Arkansas and other states on Thursday and on the Christmas day. In the wake of storm warnings, Arkansas transport department crew is preparing the roads for snowy weather conditions. The crew is busy in spreading sand and salt on the roads to avoid slippery conditions. Thursday was supposed to be a holiday for these Arkansas state workers but the snow storms have forced them to appear at their work places. Arkansas District Engineer, Joe Shipman, says that the roads are being prepared for the anticipated snowy weather condition as more traffic is expected to hit the streets during holidays than normal. He says the drivers need to drive carefully despite all the work his crew is carrying out to improve the road conditions.

Snowy Weather Conditions, Dangerous Roads, and Accidents

Snowy weather conditions have forced airlines to cancel their flights while dangerous, slick roads have caused multiple accidents. At least three road mishaps occurred in Nebraska, two in Kansas, and one in New Mexico. In another accident, the slippery road conditions have caused two deaths on Tuesday night. The two decedents belonged to Arkansas state and were traveling on Interstate 70 when their vehicle slipped off from the road and the driver lost the control.

Arkansas Road Conditions

Very much thanks to Edna Gladney; no child is illegitimate in Texas. Edna Gladney devoted her life to work for the rights of children and those living under poverty line. Edna Gladney’s services and her dedication towards the cause speak of an era of more than a century.

Edna was born in 1886. Edna Gladney had to live with her aunt when her father died in 1903.She married Sam Gladney in 1906 and moved to Wolfe City with her husband.

Edna observed the tragic condition of children in Forte Worth and took the crusade of helping these children. She arranged for these underprivileged children to be transferred to Morris Children Hospital and Aid Society.

Edna Gladney was so moved by the cruel treatment of these children that she started a day care facility free of fees in Sherman.

In 1924 Edna Gladney moved to Fort Worth from where she belonged and started such a campaign for the rights of children that lead Texas government to writ off the word ILLIGITIMATE from the birth certificates. Her campaign made adopted children to have the same rights as did other children.

The adoption of West Texas Maternity Hospital by the Aid Society gave birth to Edna Gladney Home as the hospital was named. Edna Gladney Home is now called Gladney Center for Adoption.

Honorary doctor of Laws Edna Gladney fell ill in 1960 and she died in harness in 1961. Gladney Center for Adoption has become a prominent voice for underprivileged children and families involved in adoption. With slogan as Heritage is our stability, the tradition of trust continues even after the death of Edna Gladney.

Adoption is a life long process and Edna Gladney Center for Adoption provides every kind of help to go through this long journey.

We may need another Edna Gladeny and a crusade to make people understand it is better not to give birth to illegitimate lives and try to protect what God has bestowed upon us with full social responsibility.

Edna Gladney

The U.S. Senate passes the health reforms bill while Senator Jim Bunning remained out of the voting.

Senator Jim Bunning once again was absent from the Senate as the Senate passes the very important health reform bill. The bill was passed with a voting of 60-39. President Obama congratulated the Senate upon approving the year’s most controversial reforms bill.

Coming back to Senator Jim Bunning, who is retiring from his post. Senator Jim Bunning decided to end his re-election campaign for 2010 due to fewer funds to support his campaign. Rumors have been circulated that Jim Bunning is retiring due to the increasing pressure from his fellow Republicans. The party things it would be helpful for the party as senator Jim Bunning’s job approval rate was decreasing significantly. Bunning’s job approval rate was only 29% according to a recent report.

As the senate seat is being vacated by Jim Bunning, candidacy papers are being filed by Democrats as well as Republican politicians. Two prominent Democrats Conway and Dan Mongiardo have filed their candidacy papers for the election to fill the seat of retiring Senator Jim Bunning. Bill Johnson and four other Republicans are in the race for the seat. Bill Johnson confirmed his participation in election on Monday.

The 2005-2011 term was Jim Bunning’s second senate term. He won against Dan Mongiardo with only 1% more points. He gradually lost his support among public as well as fellow politicians. In April 2006, Time Magazine severely criticized him and called him one of the five worst senators of America. In January, Jim Bunning remained absent for more than a week from Congress in early 2009. Due to ever-decreasing popularity, his fellow Republicans pressurized him to retire. Jim Bunning formally announced in July, 2009 that he will not run for re-election in 2010. In his retirement announcement, Senator Bunning blames that his fellow Republicans have used ‘everything in their power‘ to cut his funds.

Jim Bunning

Like a bad memory, Sarah Palin has apparently decided to block out John McCain.

The former GOP vice presidential contender was snapped in Hawaii this week wearing an old McCain for President visor – only she had blacked out the letters of her one-time running mate, leaving just a faint outline of his name.

Much clearer was the message on her T-shirt: “If you don’t love America,” it read on the front, “then why don’t you get the hell out,” it advised on the back.

The former Alaska governor was relaxing with her husband and kids in President Obama’s home state after a tour for her new best-seller, “Going Rogue,” which netted Palin a reported $1.25 million.

Jill Biden, does the name ring any bells? Jill Biden is the least recognized of the “Big Four”. Jill Biden recently appeared on CBS and Rita Braver made way for us to know about the least known of American Nation’s Second Lady.

Michelle Obama considers Jill Biden a very adoring and attentive woman. She is one of those women whom you like around you.

The least of the four big known Dr. Jill Biden has bestowed with a higher priority role as President Obama mentioned in his speech at Hudson Valley Community College to travel through out the country to promote the opportunities that community colleges offer. Jill has been a professor in community colleges since long and she had acquired a doctorate degree in Education.

The Second Lady is still an English teacher in a community college in Washington D.C area. Jill keeps her at low profile there because she wanted to be known as just their English teacher by her students. She has been successful in keeping her two worlds apart from each other and once she took her dress to school to change

as she has to go to White House. Jill went to the ladies room and changed her dress and went straight to white House from her school. This is Dr. Jill Bidden.

Jill Jacobs Biden was oldest of her four sisters. Jill was married after high school and was divorced shortly after marriage. She was senior at Delaware University in 1975 when Joe Biden entered her life. They married in 1977. Joe Biden was a widower whose wife and daughter were killed in a car accident leaving him with two young sons.

She did not like politics but she helped her husband in his campaigns. She finds herself in a state of amazement when ever she looks at the picture of Big Four.

Microsoft is buying Sentillion to add another player to its team. The software revealed its intention to buy Sentillion this week.

According to the details, Microsoft revealed in a press statement on Thursday that it plans to invest in health care software industry and has intentions to buy Sentillion. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed yet. It is expected that the deal will be finalized and closed in early months of 2010.

Microsoft says that it will merge the software technology of Sentillion with its existing project Amalga Unified Intelligence System (UIS) and hopes that the medical software would help clinicians in making their work fluent and would provide them a new insight into their work. UIS was designed to integrate medical databases and to make health care systems more sophisticated for the medical institutes and professionals. Microsoft claims that Amlaga UIS is currently employed in more than hundred hospitals across the country while Sentillion has been providing software to over 1,000 hospitals.

US government plans to digitize the medical records of hospitals. A research firm IDC says that US government intends to spend $ 20.4 billion on health and medical related technology.

Sentillion is a Massachusetts-based software company which is providing database management and identity access services to more than 500,000 customer companies across Europe and North America. Sentillion will continue its stay in its headquarters in Andover, MA and will continue providing its services through other products to its customers. If the deal is finalized, Microsoft will focus on merging the health care technologies of both the companies.

Sentillion

Spiral Light Over Norway seen yesterday has become quite an interesting point of discussion on internet, living in the time of technology and science people easily speculated about the Spiral light Over Norway keeping their science fiction movie experiences in their mind, many called it a UFO of Aliens, other called it a creation of laser technology and mostly called it a missile test failure by Russians.

Well, everyone has its own explanation for the Spiral light over Norway which was seen yesterday morning, the people are trying to get facts about exactly what was spiral light in actual.

On research, we came to know that Russian Defense authority had a plan to test a missile on the same day at the same time when the blue spiral light was witnessed by many. On studying the Russian Defense statement about the status of missile test, it comes up with a third stage failure but at the same time they ruled out any chances of any connection of missile failure with the blue spiral light.

They said, the missile failed at the third stage but it has nothing to do with the blue light which appeared on the sky of Norway yesterday morning.

Keeping in view the science fiction movies and missile or rocket faults impacts, it can’t be an Unidentified flying Object. It might be a missile or rocket entering the orbit or might be a fuel leakage. In both situations and impact like the spiral blue light has been anticipated.

There are reports that linked the blue light to Russian Defense missile test, but all the reports are unconfirmed

Don’t worry, we are after it as soon as we get the confirmed reports, we will be back with another article on Spiral Light Over Norway.