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Business/Economics, Idaho

Sears & Kmart closing update, 06 August 2014: “Day of reckoning” Finally it’s official Chubbuck Sears going down! No more Converse shoes? Sears Canada being sold for $2-billion!

“When one player starts to get worried, that’s something that can potentially spread fast. People are very worried about getting stuck with a lot of liability…..There’s a day of reckoning at some point.”-Steven Dennis, former Sears vice president, commenting on the recent ‘disappearance’ of Converse/Nike brand shoes from Sears stores

My past articles showed how the Chubbuck, Idaho, Sears was slowly being killed off.

I’ve been warning and now it’s official; the Sears in the Pine Ridge Mall in Chubbuck, Idaho, is shutting down.  The mall’s current property manager, Covington Realty Partners, says Sears Holdings gave no “verbal” warning.

North Carolina losing a Kmart in November.  Missouri losing a Kmart in November.  An Oklahoma Sears shutting down in November.  Massachusetts losing a 35 years old Kmart in October.  112 people losing their jobs at 46 years old Kmart in Florida, by November.  Turns out the property was quietly sold to Walmart back in 2012!  Wisconsin losing a Sears.

Reports that Sears Canada might have a new owner.  New York based Sycamore Partners considering paying Eddie Lampert $2-billion USD for Sears Holding’s share of Sears Canada!

Here’s the updated list of U.S. Sears/Kmart store closings since the end of 2011:

Arizona: Scottsdale Sears/Great Indoors, Chandler Sears/Great Indoors.

Alabama: Gadsden Kmart (50 jobs lost), Mobile Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Auburn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Anniston Kmart (no word yet on how many jobs lost), Birmingham Eastwood Kmart (70 jobs lost), Decatur Mall Sears (91 jobs lost), Fort Payne Kmart, Northport Kmart (68 jobs lost).

Delaware: Dover Kmart (at least 72 jobs lost, some reports said 100), Seaford Sears (30 jobs lost).

California: El Monte Sears (at least 40 jobs lost. Damien Arrula, El Monte’s economic development director, said the store manager had lied about what was going on: “The general manager of the store had just indicated to me that they were remodeling.”), two San Diego Sears (more than 80 jobs lost), Pleasant Hill Kmart (more than 50 jobs lost), Torrance Kmart, Fairfield Kmart (63 jobs lost), Lampert owned OSH taken over by Lowe’s home improvement in bankruptcy court, at least 17 of 99 stores to be closed down (935 jobs lost!), Rancho Cordova Kmart (97 jobs lost), San Clemente Kmart/Sears/Kmart on Camino de Estrella (58 jobs lost), placed on an official hit list in 2011 the Oceanside Kmart on College Boulevard finally being shut down, Banning Kmart (91 jobs lost) recently revealed that Sears Holdings is still paying rent on the abandoned property, Laguna Hills Mall Sears, San Diego Mid-City Kmart (73 jobs lost), Hemet Kmart (77 jobs lost), Oakland Sears (jobs lost unknown), Hesperia Kmart building sold at a loss to a vulture capitalist REIT, no word on if the Kmart will be shutdown.  Customers complain that the Kmart employees have a bad attitude, gee I wonder why?

Colorado: Broomfield Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Glenwood Springs Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lone Tree Sears/Great Indoors, Longmont Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Pueblos’ South Side Kmart (52 jobs lost), Denver Kmart (number of jobs lost have not been made public at this time, but could be at least 40), Colorado Springs Kmart at Powers and Palmer Park boulevards (57 jobs lost), Fort Collins Sears (67 jobs lost).

Connecticut: Waterbury Big Kmart.

Georgia: Macon Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Buford Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Douglasville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Atlanta Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Columbus Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jonesboro Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Cartersville Kmart (74 jobs lost), Hiram Kmart (53 jobs lost), Marietta-East Cobb Kmart, Warner Robins Kmart (77 jobs lost).

Guam: Sears Hometown Store.

Florida: Fernandina Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Callaway Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Orange City Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Deland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Stuart Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), West Palm Beach Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Port St. Lucie Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Crystal River Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), New Smyrna Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint Augustine Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Pompano Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jacksonville Kmart on 5751 Beach Boulevard (71 jobs lost), second Kmart in Jacksonville on 4645 Blanding Boulevard (83 jobs lost), Ocoee Sears (102 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on Airport Boulevard closed in 2011, Pensacola Kmart on Mobile Highway closed in February 2013 (69 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on East 9 Mile Road will close in May (73 jobs lost), Hialeah Kmart (67 jobs lost), Bonita Springs Kmart (67 jobs lost), Mount Dora Kmart (100 jobs lost), Lake Mary Kmart, Panama City Beach Kmart (54 jobs lost), Winter Park Kmart (100 jobs lost), Niceville Kmart (59 jobs lost), Winter Haven Kmart (92 jobs lost), Palm Bay Kmart, recently revealed Oakland Park Kmart (112 jobs lost).

Hawaii: Honolulu Sears (owned by GGP, 372 jobs lost!!!), Kauai Sears (41 jobs lost), Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart for lease (no confirmation of store closing).

Idaho: Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Rexburg Kmart (63 jobs lost). Finally an official announcement; Chubbuck Pine Ridge Mall Sears going’ down in November (the remaining 28 jobs lost).  Across the street, in Pocatello, the property where the Kmart is located has a “pad site available” sign, posted ever since the Kmart bankruptcy. The Kmart building takes up most of the “pad”.

Indiana: Anderson Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint John Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Sears (49 jobs lost), South Anthony Kmart (70 jobs lost), Fort Wayne Kmart on South Anthony Boulevard (70 jobs lost), FairOaks Mall Kmart, Logansport Sears (43 jobs lost).

Illinois: Alton Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Melrose Park Sears parts and repair center (50 jobs lost), Zion Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Lawn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), McHenry Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Peru Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lombard Sears/Great Indoors (at least 40 jobs lost), Fairview Heights Kmart (81 jobs lost), Freeport Kmart (45 jobs lost), Pontiac Kmart (more than 47 jobs lost), Homer Glen Kmart (82 jobs lost), Streator Kmart (45 jobs lost), Lombard Kmart (70 jobs lost), Naperville Kmart (98 jobs lost), Calumet Sears (164 jobs lost), two Sears stores in Grand Crossing area of Chicago (247 jobs lost!), Mount Vernon Sears (68 jobs lost), Moline Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Homewood Kmart (185 jobs lost), Belvidere Kmart (91 jobs lost?) recently revealed is now a perpetual closing sale Kmart At A Discount store, Champaign’s Market Place Mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (60 jobs lost), Montgomery Kmart (81 jobs lost), Mattoon Sears (more than 40 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North State Street (160 jobs lost), Chicago Sears Craftsman Experience store, Galesburg Sears (46 jobs lost), White Lake Township Kmart (42 jobs lost), Orland Park Sears Appliance, Collinsville Kmart (84 jobs lost). 58 Chicago area stores up for lease or sale. By the way, Illinois elected officials gave Sears Holdings/Hoffman Estates a $150 million USD tax break to keep their headquarters in the state. The tax break was not tied to any promise not to close stores.

Iowa: Cedar Rapids Kmart on 16th Ave (at least 40 jobs lost), Davenport Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Burlington Kmart (50 jobs lost), Coralville Sears (94 jobs lost, this is a store sold to GGP earlier in the year), Cedar Rapids Kmart on Collins Road NE (56 jobs lost), Mason City Kmart (50 jobs lost).

Kansas: Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Merriam Kmart-then Sears-then Kmart (jobs lost unknown).

Kentucky: Middlesboro Sears (in September 2012 the Sears store re-opened under independent ownership, official grand re-opening scheduled for November), Winchester Kmart (back in May, Rankin Paynter bought out what was left of the inventory and gave it to charity), Hazard Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lexington Fayette Mall Sears (114 jobs lost!), Newport Kmart (81 jobs lost), Cannonsburg Sears and Sears Auto Center (no employee info given), Louisville Dixie Highway Kmart/Sears/Kmart, Madisonville Kmart (39 jobs lost).

Louisiana: Slidell Sears (77 job lost), Gretna Kmart (94 jobs lost).

Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost), Presque Isle Sears (80 jobs lost).

Maryland: Ellicott Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Gaithersburg Sears/Great Indoors, Landover Sears (115 jobs lost).

Massachusetts: North Reading Sears Hardware store closed, lease not renewed, recently revealed Milford Kmart (80 jobs lost).

Michigan: Novi Sears/Great Indoors, Brighton Sears Grand/Essentials, Harper Woods Sears Full line, Monroe Sears Full line, Adrian Sears Full line, Washington Township Kmart, Chesterfield Kmart, Woodhaven Kmart, Flint Kmart (46 jobs lost), Gaylord Kmart (48 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (58 jobs lost), Bloomfield Township Kmart and Sears, Bad Axe Kmart (61 jobs lost), Ypsilanti Township Kmart (83 jobs lost), Petoskey Kmart (45 jobs lost), Saint John’s Kmart (48 jobs lost), White Lake Township “Store of the Future” Kmart (42 jobs lost), Grand Blanc Kmart (49 jobs lost), Lapeer Kmart (56 jobs lost), Southgate Kmart (155 jobs lost), Detroit’s Telegraph Road Kmart (115 jobs lost).

Minnesota: Willmar Kmart, Duluth Kmart, New Hope Kmart, White Bear Lake Kmart, Bemidji Kmart, Monticello Kmart, GGP owned Sears Auto Center in the Apache Mall closed (10 jobs lost), the entire Sears store in the Apache Mall being sold off, Fergus Falls Kmart (40 jobs lost), Fergus Falls Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Alexandria Kmart (46 jobs lost), Grand Rapids Kmart (61 jobs lost), Seritage is selling off three Sears Auto Centers in Minnetonka, Brooklyn Center and Saint Paul, Marshall Kmart (57 jobs lost), Oakdale Kmart (77 hourly wage employees losing their jobs, unknown how many salaried employees will become unemployed), Winona Kmart (67 jobs lost), Minneapolis city officials trying to shutdown profit making Nicollet Avenue Kmart, to make way for a new road!

Mississippi: Jackson Sears Full line, McComb Sears Full line, Columbus Sears Full line, Gautier Sears (71 jobs lost), Waveland Gulfport Kmart (32 jobs lost), Pass Road Gulfport Kmart (52 jobs lost), Pascagoula Sears at the Singing River Mall.

Missouri: Lee’s Summit Sears Grand/Essentials, Saint Louis Sears Full line, High Ridge Kmart (59 jobs lost), Ellisville Kmart (55 jobs lost), Springfield Kmart on South Campbell Avenue (60 jobs lost), recently revealed South Belt Kmart (64 jobs lost).

Montana: Missoula Kmart (50 jobs lost).

Nebraska: Grand Island Kmart (55 jobs lost).

New Hampshire: Nashau Sears Grand/Essentials, Keene Sears Grand/Essentials, Portsmouth Kmart (30 jobs lost).

New Jersey: Lawnside Kmart (about 80 jobs lost), Howell Kmart (57 jobs lost), Berlin Kmart, Dover Kmart (92 jobs lost).

New Mexico: Las Cruces Kmart (58 jobs lost), Albuquerque Kmart on Central SW (80 jobs lost).

New York: Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost), Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost), Clifton Park Kmart (74 jobs lost), Latham Kmart (61 jobs lost), East Greenbush-Rensselaer Kmart (70 jobs lost), Tonawanda Sears Appliance and Hardware.

North Carolina: Cary Kmart (71 jobs lost), High Point Sears, Moorehead Sears, Rocky Mount Sears, Statesville Sears, Durham Kmart (79 jobs lost), Asheville Kmart (53 jobs lost), West Smithfield Kmart (59 jobs lost), Winston-Salem Kmart (69 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (58 jobs lost), South Ashville Kmart on Hendersonville Road, Raleigh Kmart (88 jobs lost), Garner Kmart, Cleveland County mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Charlotte Kmart (89 jobs lost), Conover Kmart (74 jobs lost), Raleigh Kmart on Capital Boulevard (53 jobs lost), High Point Kmart (71 jobs lost), Boone Kmart (41 jobs lost), recently revealed Greensboro Kmart (96 jobs lost).

North Dakota: Jamestown Kmart (45 jobs lost).

Ohio: Chagrin Falls Kmart, Springfield Kmart, two Toledo Kmarts, Medina Kmart, Columbus Kmart, Columbus Sears/Great Indoors, Zanesville Sears (67 jobs lost), Trotwood Kmart (71 jobs lost), Austintown Sears auto parts and service on Interstate Boulevard, London Kmart (no word on number of jobs lost), Trotwood Sears (67 jobs lost), Westlake Kmart/Sears (at least 57 jobs lost), Xenia Kmart (at least 57 jobs lost), Norwalk Kmart (52 jobs lost), Blue Ash Kmart (77 jobs lost), Northwood Sears at Woodville Mall (36 jobs lost), Conneaut Kmart (43 jobs lost), Anderson Township Kmart (71 jobs lost), Brooklyn Kmart (200 jobs lost). Also, Van Wert Sears franchise bought out by Kirk Berryman, owner of Computer & Networking Technologies (CNT), who plans on moving the store to a new location.

Oklahoma: Oklahoma City Sears (98 jobs lost, GGP owned, GGP wants a $2 million sales tax rebate, claiming it’s needed to offset capital investments needed to bring the space up to the standards for potential new tenants), Shawnee Sears (31 jobs lost), Sand Springs Kmart (52 jobs lost), recently revealed Muskogee Sears (60 jobs lost).

Oregon: Roseburg Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Tualatin Kmart Center (new property owner from California is tearing everything down for new shopping center, so far no indication the Kmart will be part of the new shopping center), Milwaukie Kmart (61 jobs lost), Coos Bay Kmart (25 jobs lost), Bend Sears (48 jobs lost), Klamath Falls Kmart (64 jobs lost), Albany Kmart (64 jobs lost), Portland Sears Homes Services (no notice).

Pennsylvania: Upper Darby Sears Full line, Pottstown Sears Full line, Pittsburgh Kmart, Wilkins Sears, Warminster Kmart (85 jobs lost), Shippensburg Kmart (46 jobs lost), Moon Kmart (143 jobs lost), Bethlehem Township Kmart (62 jobs lost), Philadelphia Gallery Mall Kmart (120 jobs lost), Philadelphia Kmart on Orthodox Street and Castor Avenue (169 jobs lost), Levittown/Middle Township Kmart (87 jobs lost), Waynesboro Kmart (43 jobs lost), Sanatoga Kmart (jobs lost unknown, but the store was advertising for new hires!), Lower Pottsgrove Kmart (65 jobs lost).

South Carolina: Sumter Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Orangeburg Sears (57 jobs lost), Columbia Kmart on Fort Jackson Boulevard in 2012, Columbia Kmart on Bush River Road in 2009, Columbia Kmart on St Andrews Road (66 jobs lost), Irmo Kmart (no info on how many jobs lost), both Greenville Kmarts (140 jobs lost between the two), Mount Pleasant Kmart (43 jobs lost), Harbison Sears & Sears Auto Center in the Columbiana Centre mall (97 jobs lost), Aiken Sears & Sears Auto Center (at least 54 jobs lost), Inlet Square Mall Kmart (50 jobs lost), West Ashely Kmart (69 jobs lost).

Tennessee: Antioch Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Cleveland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Ridge Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Morristown Sears (about 70 jobs lost), Clinton South Kmart, Franklin CoolSprings Galleria Sears (92 jobs lost), Memphis Hickory Ridge mall Sears (job loss data not revealed), 48 years old Nashville Kmart on Nolensville Pike to close by January 2014 (57 jobs lost), Franklin Kmart (33 jobs lost).

Texas: Two Sears parts and repair centers closing in The Woodlands (117 jobs lost), rebuild center in Garland (58 jobs lost), Farmers Branch Sears/Great Indoors, Houston Sears Great/Indoors.

Utah: Murray Sears (for some reason Mormon controlled news media in Utah never reported the closure, but they’re reporting that the building has just been demolished), Orem Kmart (no details reported).

Virginia: Norfolk Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Midlothian Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lynchburg Sears (84 jobs lost), Fairfax Kmart (no word on how many jobs lost), Christiansburg Sears (59 jobs lost), Norfolk Kmart on East Little Creek Road (77 jobs lost), Manassas Kmart (71 jobs lost), Stafford Sears Hometown, Newport News Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Wise Kmart (58 jobs lost), Harrisonburg Kmart (79 jobs lost), Wincester Kmart (91 jobs lost).

Washington: Walla Walla Sears Full line (in August 2012, it was reported that an independent owner of Sears Hometown stores will open a store in Walla Walla), Lacey Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Kelso Sears (47 jobs lost), Lakewood Kmart (59 jobs lost), Bellingham Sears (92 jobs lost), Seattle Kmart (85 jobs lost), East Wenatchee Sears (59 jobs lost), Puyallup Kmart (51 jobs lost), Oak Harbor Kmart (68 jobs lost), Sodo Sears and Sears Auto Center (79 jobs lost), Everett Kmart (65 jobs lost).

West Virginia: Oak Hill Kmart (59 jobs lost), Morgantown Kmart (100 jobs lost).

Wisconsin: West Baraboo Sears (at least 40 jobs lost, local village officials say the store generated 3% of local tax collections), Rice Lake Kmart (about 71 jobs lost), Brookfield Kmart (56 jobs lost), Racine’s Regency Mall Sears (52 jobs lost), Fort Atkinson Kmart (51 jobs lost), Greenfield Kmart (107 jobs lost), Portage Kmart (78 jobs lost) and Hales Corner (129 jobs lost), Chippewa Falls Kmart (79 jobs lost), Menomonie Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Ashwaubenon Kmart (80 jobs lost), Shawano Kmart (no job loss info given), recently revealed Fond du Lac Sears (42 jobs lost).

On top of that, Sears Holdings sold stores to General Growth Properties (GGP), of which it has been reported that most of those stores will be closed.

Here’s the list of 11 Sears stores now owned by GGP:

Iowa: Coral Ridge Mall (it’s official the Sears is closing, see above), and Mall of the Bluffs

Texas: The Woodlands Mall (this does not involve the two repair centers being closed by Sears)

Florida: West Oaks Mall

Utah: Fashion Place, and Provo Towne Centre (note the evil British empire way of spelling town & center. Due to a favorable lease agreement the GGP owned Provo Sears will continue to stay open under Sears Holdings management)

Oklahoma: Quail Springs Mall (it’s official, the Sears closed, see above)

Hawaii: Ala Moana Center (closed, see above)

Washington: Bellis Fair Mall (Bellingham store, see above)

Minnesota: Apache Mall (see update above, GGP will close Sears store by 2014)

Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center (see update above, GGP closing store)

Fukushima

Fukushima – WIPP – Radiation Fallout: WIPP inspections never done! China Syndrome confirmed at Fukushima! Melt downs started 5 hours before originally thought! Pouring water directly on core made things worse!

06 August 2014 (12:37 UTC-07 Tango)/09 Shawwal 1435/15 Mordad 1393/11 Ren-Shen 4712

“We’re preparing for the worst day in America.”-Colonel Lawrence Terranova, U.S. Army NorthCom

Back in June I wrote how the GE designed reactor Unit 2, at Fukushima Daiichi, could very well be experiencing China Syndrome.  Now, Tokyo Electric Power Company confirms Chine Syndrome in reactor Unit 3!

TEPCo has now discovered that all the nuclear fuel rods in Unit 3 melted through the reactor core, and are working their way through the containment vessel!

It was also revealed that the melt downs at Fukushima Daiichi started at least five hours before an official government investigation stated.   Unit 3 actually began melting down at 05:30 hours on 13 March 2011 (The cooling system actually stopped six hours earlier than originally claimed.  You conspiracy theorist need to get busy with this one!).

TEPCo says melted fuel in the containment vessel halts their plan to decommission the reactors.   The ijits assumed the reactor cores were stable.  Another kink in their plans to decommission the reactors is the fact that all their attempts to filter radioactive isotopes out of the cooling water have officially failed.   So what now, you nuclear engineering geniuses?

TEPCo also discovered that pouring water directly on the reactor cores back in 2011 made things worse, by creating a chemical reaction that built up explosive hydrogen gas.

Japanese news media have revealed that TEPCo is fudging on its ice wall attempt.  They’re supposed to be using a giant frigeration system to freeze the ground around Fukushima Daiichi, in the hopes it will stop contaminated groundwater from getting into the ocean.  However, TEPCo now admits they’re dumping 15-tons of huge ice blocks, per day, into the trenches meant for the in-ground AC unit.   They claim they are only trying to “speed things up”.  Why can’t they just admit they don’t know what they’re doing and start dumping concrete on the whole thing?

And now for some more bad news:  Japan has been hit with massive amounts of rain, this means Fukushima Daiichi is flooding even more radioactive isotopes into the Pacific Ocean.

In the United States: “A study from 2012 reports that the plume of radiation made a serious impact on Southern and Central California, with Southern California’s seaweed testing at a 500 percent higher level of radiation than normal…..

…..Elevated levels of iodine-131, which is a product of nuclear fission and exceeds the levels of contaminant permitted in the water supply, have been reported by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)….

….radioactive elements that are present in California are Iodine, Cesium-134 and Cesium-137…..

…the Japanese government’s Meteorological Institute, found that levels of cesium 137 at the surface of the Pacific could potentially be 10,000 times higher that the contamination at Chernobyl….

….In 2012 the U.S. government ordered 14 million pills of Potassium Iodide….”–Adrianne Hill

In New Mexico, more confusion about the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).  This time it was revealed that federal Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) wasn’t conducting mandatory quarterly inspections of WIPP!

MSHA officials claim they were confused as to just how much authority they had at the Department of Energy’s (DoE) WIPP.   The DoE and MSHA signed a vague agreement back in 1987, but MSHA didn’t begin inspections until 1995, and even then they were sporadic.

In my last Fukushima posting I wrote about the massive nuclear disaster training taking place all across the U.S.  One of those exercises is being conducted by the U.S. Army’s NorthCom in Indiana.  The first half of the “premier” Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) wargame was from 21-27 July.

An update on Vibrant Response 14 (VR 14) shows it has entered the second half (01-09 August), and involves 55-hundred personnel from FEMA, Homeland Security, National Technical Nuclear Forensics Ground Collections Task Force, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, FBI, DoE, USA (United States Army), USAF (United States Air Force), USN (United States Navy) and more than 28 states including Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio.

The Muscatatuck Urban Training Center (MUTC) is considered the best for simulating a nuclear disaster area: “This place is unreal! Considering how this whole place was once a functioning facility, this is probably the best place for my unit to get a feel for what we’d encounter during a real-life nuclear attack.”-1st Lieutenant Jeff Merritt, Indiana National Guard

The achilles heel of a nuclear disaster response is the same as for combat, logistics: “If the transportation mission wasn’t accomplished, Vibrant Response would not be possible.”-1st Lieutenant Mitchell Vaughan, Michigan Army Reserve

Massive False Flag exercise

 

Idaho, Technology

Pocatello Airport 02 August 2014: Grumman S2F Tracker

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Who knew that this free airshow would also be the last for Idaho’s Pocatello Airport?

Click pics to make bigger, photos by AAron B. Hutchins:

Pocatello Airport: MIG-15 UTI & MIG-17

International

World War 3 Afghanistan, 30 July – 01 August 2014: ‘Successful’ election vote recount on indefinite hold! Home life more stressful than combat for National Guard? More National Guard members being killed in the U.S.! U.S. taxpayers screwed over more than they were after WW2!

Badakhshan Province: In Jaram District, Mujahideen say they’ve shot down a helicopter.  They say the helicopter turned to return to the Faizabad airbase, but crashed.  They say they used a Soviet era DShK heavy machine gun.  It fires a 12.7mm (.50 cal) bullet, but the casing is much longer than the standard 12.7mm used in the U.S. M2 (Ma Duce), allowing more gunpowder to give it more range.

Helmand Province: In Sangin District, provincial officials report several days of battles with Mujahideen.  At least 20 people killed.

Kabul Province:  Kabul Airport, international airlines resume flights after a recent Mujahideen attack.   Afghan news media report that the Obama regime presidential candidate puppet Abdullah Abdullah is refusing to take part in the observation of the latest vote recount.  This effectively ends the vote recount.  Remember, Barack Obama, David Cameron and Ban Ki-moon declared the election a “success”!

Kandahar Province: In Shahwalikot District, reports of U.S./NATO airstrikes.  At least nine people killed.

Kunar Province: Claims that Pakistan fired 118 artillery rounds into Afghan territory.  No casualties reported, but several houses were destroyed.

Logar Province: The mayor for Mohammad Agha District was assassinated by armed men.  His wife and two family members were wounded.

Nuristan Province: In Barg-e-Matal District, government officials report battles with Afghan and Pakistani Mujahideen.  At least 30 people killed, including civilians.

Pakistan says one of their soldiers was shot and killed by an Afghan soldier near Ghakhai Pass in Pakistan’s Bajaur Agency.

The U.S. Department of Defense revealed that the U.S. Army’s 101st and 82nd airborne divisions will remain in Afghanistan into 2015.

According to a Colombia University Mailman School of Public Health study, life in the United States has become so bad that it is now more stressful for National Guard members than their time in Afghanistan or Iraq!   The researchers tracked militiamen for three years.   60% had combat trauma, 17% were sexually harassed on deployment, but 36% had experienced extreme stress since returning from Iraq or Afghanistan.

In the U.S. state of New York, an Air National Guardsman was killed by being pushed down stairs.  It happened in the city of Buffalo, back in May.  He had been in a coma, but died on 31 July 2014.  He had served in Afghanistan with the 107th Airlift Wing.  A man has already been charged with assault, and now will be charged with homicide.

In the U.S. state of Georgia, a National Guardsman is on trial for killing his wife.  He claims she was about to kill herself when he tried pulling the gun from her hands.   The autopsy showed the woman was shot in the left side of the head, with the bullet exiting on the right side (which is typical for somebody shooting themselves in the head).  However, the autopsy doctor says he thinks she was shot by somebody else.  The suspect served in Iraq and Afghanistan several times.  He has three children.

More than 120 militiamen & women of the Army National Guard’s 2-113th Infantry Battalion (New Jersey U.S.A.) shipping out for Bahrain, in support of operations in Afghanistan.   This is on top of the 130 militiamen & women of the 150th Assault Helicopter Battalion who deployed to Kosovo.   Some militia members told local news media they were glad to be activated because it means more money for their families, illustrating just how bad the U.S. economy is.

Dyncorp, PAE Government Services Incorporated, KBR and Civilian Police International have all been accused of corruption, tax evasion, human trafficking and torture.  Tim Shorrock, a researcher, has found that U.S. military contractors can literally get away with murder and still be awarded more of your tax money: “This is the black hole of contracting. You can pretty much do almost anything and keep your contracts.”  

The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) says the amount of U.S. taxes given to Afghanistan by the Bush and Obama regimes has exceeded the post World War 2 Marshall Plan, but without the positive results: “SIGAR calculates that by the end of 2014, the United States will have committed more funds to reconstruct Afghanistan, in inflation-adjusted terms, than it spent on 16 European countries after World War II under the Marshall Plan.”

Idaho, Technology

Pokey Airport 02 August 2014: SISTR Lenco BearCat

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Click pics (by AAron B. Hutchins) to make bigger:

Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings 14 – 19 May 2014: “I have been a loyal employee!” No more Red Lobster or Land Rover? Ford kills off thousands of steel industry jobs! California & New York hit with hundreds of job losses! More healthcare job cuts!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Russian steel company Severstal will sell off its factories in Deerborn, Michigan, and in Columbus, Mississippi.  At least 25-hundred jobs affected!   The company was supplying steel for Ford tough trucks, but the new Ford F-150 will be made of aluminum (cans?).

California:  In Orange, Obama Care killed 28 jobs at Children’s Hospital of Orange County.  In Ontario, Landmark Medical Management killing 418 jobs in July!  In Fort Irwin, taxsucker Northrop Grumman laid off another 813 people!  In Palo Alto, Hewlett-Packard (HP) laid off 32 employees.  In Menlo Park, Intuit added an additional 21 employees to their layoffs in July.  In Anaheim, MV Transportation killing 232 jobs in July!  In San Francisco, Golden Gate Capital could be the new owner of Red Lobster restaurants.  The agreed to buy it for $2.1-billion USD!  However, the sale won’t be finalized until the first half of 2015.  No word on what Golden Gate Capital has in plan for the restaurant.  The executives of the original owner, Darden Restaurants, blames the sale on pressure from stockholders.

Illinois: The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC, a government mandated privately run company) shutdown AztecAmerica Bank.  $58-million of the assets were sold to Republic Bank of Chicago, the FDIC gets stuck with the rest.

Iowa: Mercy Medical Center laid off 29 employees.  Hospital President Bob Ritz blames U.S. President Obama: “As the federal government and state payment systems continue to ratchet down on what they pay us and our costs go up, we have to look for opportunities to create cost efficiencies.”

Kansas: In Derby, after 40 years electronics maker Q Corporation dissolving.  Unnamed inside sources reported the company has been quietly laying off employees, and is selling off it’s buildings.  Last October the company reported a 200% increase in profits, but now it’s being taken over by vulture capitalists.  The inside informant blames the sudden downturn partly on the company’s inability to  sell off its failing robotics line.  In Kinston, Spirit AeroSystems laid off an undisclosed number of employees.  The company does work for the European Union’s Airbus, and blames the layoffs on “progression” with the A350 production.  In Delano, after only three years art supply store Bluebird Arthouse shutdown, the owner blamed the challenging economy.

Michigan: In Ann Arbor, a 35 years old Le Dog hot dog stand shutdown.  The owners are focusing on just one restaurant.  After only four years Mercy’s Restaurant shutdown.  The owners blamed the bad economy for creating inconsistent business.  In Lansing, the Frandor Rite Aid pharmacy shutdown “indefinitely”, apparently due to a shooting that left two people dead.  What economic recovery?  The Lansing Public School District privatizing their school bus system, trying to cut more than $700-thousand from their budget.  School bus drivers make about $12 per hour, part time, so just imagine what kind of contracted drivers they’re going to get for minimum wage.  School bus driver Keisha Boose is pissed: “I feel like I have been a loyal employee and the Lansing School District does not have my back!”  The Charlotte Public Schools could shutdown the Charlotte Performing Arts Center.  School district officials revealed the taxpayer funded Center has been losing tens of thousands of dollars since 2010.   Wayne County approved drastic plans to try and get rid of $175-million in debt.  It includes laying off employees as well as reducing prison population by 200 homeless and mentally ill detainees, and cutting $1-million from the Detroit Prosecutor’s Office. County officials admit their tax revenues are crashing because residents are up and leaving in droves.

Minnesota: What automotive industry recovery?  In Minneapolis, Borton Volvo shutdown.   They were the last new car dealer in the city.  The owner blames city officials for changing zoning laws, now he’s building a mega dealership outside city limits (less tax revenue for the dumb city officials).

New York: In Bethpage, taxsucker Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation Electronic Attack Center announced they will layoff 352 employees between now and the end of the year!  Company officials say they are consolidating operations.  In Bronx, financially troubled long term health care provider HHH Choices Health Plan/HHCS shutting down in August, 152 jobs lost!  ABCO Carpentry Service & Steel Door shutting down in August, 52 jobs lost.  It’s blamed on the bad economy.  What automotive industry recovery?  In several cities across New York Long Island Automotive Group-Land Rover shutting down in July, 243 jobs lost!  In Brooklyn, Moneygram announced they’re shutting down their HQ, 376 jobs affected!  The money transfer company is moving its HQ to Texas.  Company officials told state officials that the jobs will be eliminated or transfered by December.

North Dakota:  In Harvey, after several years of operations (and several shutdowns) the Branded Beef & Pack is being auctioned off on 04 June.  The owner, Minnesota based Maas Companies, says the operation cost them more money then they were making: “Due to challenging economic conditions during the start up phase, the plant was forced to cease operations.”  

Ohio: Maker of Oneida and Anchor Hocking eating/cooking utensils, EveryWare Global, announced it is shutting down two factories, one in Ohio and one in Pennsylvania.  This is part of its ongoing consolidation plans, which involve moving most production across the U.S. to Ohio.  A New York private equity fund, Monomoy Capital Partners, took over Oneida and Anchor Hocking in 2011, and  combined them into one company called EveryWare Global in March 2012.

Oregon: What was that about internet businesses killing brick-n-mortar stores? In Portland, Webtrends laid off 26 employees as it refocuses its internet sales operations.

10 – 13 May 2014: Maryland hopes Japan will save their jobs!

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.

“Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security……..That’s what makes America different. That’s what makes us exceptional.”-Barack Obama, 10 September 2013

International, U.S.

World War 3: Israel halts military cooperation with Russia, over Ukraine! Or, is it in exchange for all that extra money U.S. taxpayers just gave Israel?

04 August 2014 (14:37 UTC-07 Tango)/07 Shawwal 1435/13 Mordad 1393/09 Ren-Shen 4712

A report out of Tel Aviv (in Flightglobal) says Israel has ordered a halt to all new drone (UAV) contracts with Russia.  The report also said the Obama regime was upset that Israel is still doing business with Russian military contractors, despite U.S. and EU sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine fiasco.

Isn’t it interesting that the Monday after the Friday in which the U.S. Senate approved $225-million USD in extra money for the Israeli warmachine, that Israeli officials decide to sanction Russia?

International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: Israel caught spying on Obama regime, and you! I warned you! The U.S. is nothing but a prison punk for the Israeli’s pleasure!

04 August 2014 (14:15 UTC-07 Tango)/07 Shawwal 1435/13 Mordad 1393/09 Ren-Shen 4712

Back in June I wrote how the technology to use your cell phone to spy on you comes from Israel.  In fact, Israel is the first step in producing the guts of your cell phone.  Not only that, but Israeli companies recycle old phone guts to make that spy tech, then you suckers end up paying outrageous amounts of cash for a ‘new’ phone that spies on you!

German news media reporting that not only did German spymasters  catch the Obama regime spying on Angela Merkel, but they’ve caught Israeli officials spying on the Obama regime!

“The U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has been intercepted by the Israeli secret service during the peace negotiations in the Middle East……

…..Kerry had spoken regularly with senior counterparts……not only encrypted lines but also ordinary phones……were listened to. The government in Jerusalem has used the information in negotiating a diplomatic solution to the Middle East.”-Der Spiegel

Despite the fact that Israel regularly spies on the U.S., the U.S. Congress just approved spending even more taxpayer dollars on the Israeli warmachine.  Sounds like your ‘elected’ U.S. officials are nothing but prison punks for the Israelis!