The family of Harvey Haddix, a Major League pitcher best known for his foiled perfect game in the 13th inning in 1959, is auctioning off some of his collected memorabilia – including a 1960 World Series ring.

The family is also auctioning a set of 12 silver goblets that were given to him by the league president at the time for the legendary pitching effort in the near-perfect game in which he retired 36 straight batters, including Hank Aaron.

Hunt Auctions of Exton is handling the auction. For more information on the items, go to huntauctions.com.

UPDATE: The ring was sold for $9,000. The goblet set ended up being sold for $7,500.

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XL Insurance, the global insurance operations of XL Group plc and CIMI Professional, the professional liability underwriting division of Chandler Insurance Managers, Inc. today announced a new joint underwriting agreement to provide professional liability and general liability insurance coverages to the long term care industry, including skilled nursing, assisted living and independent living facilities.

Commenting on the new agreement, John Hartman, XL Insurance’s Chief Underwriting Officer of Programs, said: “CIMI Pro’s expertise in long term care underwriting attracted XL Insurance’s interest in this unique program.  They have an in-depth understanding of their market and the risks they evaluate.  They are truly a ‘best in class’ provider to the growing long term care market.”

Lance LaGere, CIMI’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, said:  ”XL values underwriting expertise as much as we do.  We both recognize that long term care facilities face unique risks and that the solutions we provide them should be tailored to meet their needs.  We have developed a distinctive data-driven underwriting approach that I believe, truly enhances the quality of coverage and service we offer our clients.  With XL Insurance’s support and cooperation, we are looking forward to building on our service commitment to provide our long term care clients with effective risk transfer and risk management solutions.”

CIMI Pro will offer long term care facilities both professional and general liability coverages through one of the XL Insurance companies approved to write insurance coverages throughout the United States.  Limits are available up to $5 million in both professional and general liability coverages.

CIMI Pro’s unique underwriting approach uses model driven insight and clinical expertise provided by PointRight Inc., the industry leader in providing data driven analytics and decision support to the long term care industry. Sedgwick CMS, the largest third party claims administrator in medical liability, will provide claim management services for CIMI Pro clients.

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WPCS International Incorporated, a leader in design-build engineering services for communications infrastructure, continues to foresee long term growth in its business.  At the same time, however, the company expects the current fiscal year that ends April 30, 2011, to continue to be impacted by adverse economic conditions, which are likely to result in lower earnings than the previous fiscal year. WPCS cited some project delays, lower gross margins due to competitive bidding pressure as well as one-time charges associated with reviewing strategic alternatives as the primary reasons for the lower expected earnings.

Andrew Hidalgo, CEO of WPCS commented, “Although the company continues to be awarded new projects, significant project delays on certain contracts have pushed completion into the next fiscal year.  Next, the competitive nature of bidding during this sluggish economy has reduced our gross margin average below earlier expectations. In addition, as the company is reviewing strategic alternatives, the cost associated with this process has further burdened the company from an expense point of view.  Each of these events has created a less than favorable earnings environment this fiscal year. However, on the positive side, most of our operation centers are expected to be profitable this fiscal year. Also, we are maintaining a solid backlog and bid list as well as a healthy balance sheet. With an improving economy and our focus on high growth markets, we believe that we will increase gross margins and earnings in our next fiscal year.”

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FirstEnergy Corp., along with all parties to their merger proceeding in West Virginia, today filed a comprehensive settlement with the West Virginia Public Service Commission (WVPSC) that resolves all issues raised in the case.  The filing includes a commitment for a regional headquarters for Allegheny Power’s West Virginia utility operations, a $7.5 million rate reduction over two years for Allegheny Power’s West Virginia customers, enhanced customer service and reliability, and expanded support for Dollar Energy Fund.

“We are pleased to have reached agreement with the parties to our merger case in West Virginia and look forward to providing additional benefits to customers and communities in West Virginia,” said Anthony J. Alexander, President and Chief Executive Officer of FirstEnergy.

“We appreciate the support of all the parties to the settlement,” said Paul J. Evanson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Allegheny Energy. “This agreement strengthens our commitments to the state and will ensure a strong partnership with West Virginia for years to come.”

In addition to the commitments made in the initial merger application, the settlement includes the following:

• A regional headquarters operation for Allegheny Power’s West Virginia utility operations within the service territory of Monongahela Power.
• $7.5 million in rate reductions over a two-year period for Allegheny Power’s West Virginia customers.
• Customer service as well as reliability commitments aimed at reducing the duration of outages.
• A commitment to maintain customer call center operations in Fairmont for at least five years.
• Additional funding totaling $500,000 over a four-year period for Dollar Energy Fund in West Virginia.
• Specific demand-side management and energy efficiency savings levels in Allegheny Power’s West Virginia service territories.

Parties signing the petition include Staff of the WVPSC, the West Virginia Consumer Advocate Division, West Virginia Energy Users Group, the Utility Workers of America, AFL-CIO and UWUA System Local 102-O, West Virginia Citizen Action Group, Local Union 2357 and Local Union 50 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the West Virginia State Building and Construction Trades Council, and the Marion County Commission.

The petition, which resolves all issues raised by these parties in the FirstEnergy-Allegheny Energy merger case, is subject to approval of the WVPSC.

The companies filed their merger application with the WVPSC on May 18, 2010.  In it they committed to no net job losses at the utility operating companies for at least two years as a result of involuntary attrition related to the integration process; to expand FirstEnergy’s Power Systems Institute program in West Virginia; to maintain Allegheny Power’s customer call center and transmission operations center in Fairmont; and continued economic development and community support.

FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) and Allegheny Energy, Inc. (NYSE: AYE), along with all parties to their merger proceeding in West Virginia, today filed a comprehensive settlement with the West Virginia Public Service Commission (WVPSC) that resolves all issues raised in the case.  The filing includes a commitment for a regional headquarters for Allegheny Power’s West Virginia utility operations, a $7.5 million rate reduction over two years for Allegheny Power’s West Virginia customers, enhanced customer service and reliability, and expanded support for Dollar Energy Fund.

“We are pleased to have reached agreement with the parties to our merger case in West Virginia and look forward to providing additional benefits to customers and communities in West Virginia,” said Anthony J. Alexander, President and Chief Executive Officer of FirstEnergy.

“We appreciate the support of all the parties to the settlement,” said Paul J. Evanson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Allegheny Energy. “This agreement strengthens our commitments to the state and will ensure a strong partnership with West Virginia for years to come.”

In addition to the commitments made in the initial merger application, the settlement includes the following:

• A regional headquarters operation for Allegheny Power’s West Virginia utility operations within the service territory of Monongahela Power.
• $7.5 million in rate reductions over a two-year period for Allegheny Power’s West Virginia customers.
• Customer service as well as reliability commitments aimed at reducing the duration of outages.
• A commitment to maintain customer call center operations in Fairmont for at least five years.
• Additional funding totaling $500,000 over a four-year period for Dollar Energy Fund in West Virginia.
• Specific demand-side management and energy efficiency savings levels in Allegheny Power’s West Virginia service territories.

Parties signing the petition include Staff of the WVPSC, the West Virginia Consumer Advocate Division, West Virginia Energy Users Group, the Utility Workers of America, AFL-CIO and UWUA System Local 102-O, West Virginia Citizen Action Group, Local Union 2357 and Local Union 50 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the West Virginia State Building and Construction Trades Council, and the Marion County Commission.

The petition, which resolves all issues raised by these parties in the FirstEnergy-Allegheny Energy merger case, is subject to approval of the WVPSC.

The companies filed their merger application with the WVPSC on May 18, 2010.  In it they committed to no net job losses at the utility operating companies for at least two years as a result of involuntary attrition related to the integration process; to expand FirstEnergy’s Power Systems Institute program in West Virginia; to maintain Allegheny Power’s customer call center and transmission operations center in Fairmont; and continued economic development and community support.

Popularity: 1% [?]

BioTrends Research Group, Inc. has released a syndicated report focused on the management and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the US. ChartTrends®: Multiple Sclerosis is an annual publication based on patient level data collected on 1,000 MS patients being treated with disease modifying agents (DMAs).

In addition to helping to define the DMA-treated MS patient (demographics, co-morbidities, concomitant medications, prevalence of symptoms and symptomatic treatment), the report provides insight into the factors that drive decisions to initiate treatment and factors that drive DMA brand selection for both first line and switch patients. Profiles for patients treated with each DMA brand (Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone, Rebif and Tysabri) are provided. There are a number of differences between patients treated with the various DMAs including MRI status, functioning, disease progression, clinical response and likelihood of switching to a pipeline DMA in the future. The most likely patient types for newly approved Gilenya and late-stage DMAs in development (e.g. Movectro, alemtuzumab, daclizumab) are identified. A number of patient characteristics, including disease classification and current DMA brand, influence the likelihood of a potential switch to Gilenya.

Since initiating on their most current DMA, one-third of patients have experienced an exacerbation with the most common symptoms including muscle weakness and gait/coordination issues. While most exacerbations are treated with short steroid pulses, the use of chronic pharmacological treatment is common for management of spasticity, pain syndromes, bladder/bowel dysfunction, depression/apathy and fatigue. The patient types being selected for treatment with Ampyra, the first FDA-approved symptomatic agent for MS launched in March 2010, are identified in the report.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI) will exhibit at MILCOM 2010 next week to display its strength at modeling RF communications in the context of the overall mission and demonstrate how that improves analysis of communication networks, electronic warfare and cyber operations.

AGI provides software applications and development kits to model and simulate time-varying performance of RF communications links within mission architectures involving ground vehicles, aircraft, missiles, ships and satellites.  By explicitly modeling essential attributes of the mission and environment, AGI software yields more accuracy, insight and productivity than abstracted or standalone RF analyses.

In the cyberspace domain, AGI’s mission-centric RF modeling capabilities can be used to study mission-level impacts of cyber operations to analyze mission assurance and cyber security. These capabilities can be combined with network simulations and emulations for enhanced cyber analysis and training.  Representatives from Scalable Network Technologies, makers of QualNet and EXata, will join AGI in Booth 1528 to demonstrate and discuss the benefits of such integration.

“AGI’s software products continue to grow and deliver unique solutions to military communications challenges that span land, sea, air, space and cyberspace.  We look forward to sharing the latest with MILCOM attendees,” says Kevin Flood, Vice President of product marketing.

To learn more on AGI communications capabilities, stop by Booth 1528 or visit www.agi.com.

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Electricity customers in Pennsylvania deserve fair rates and full choice in selecting an electric power provider, according to the newly-established Energy Consumers First coalition, which today outlined a detailed Energy Consumers Bill of Rights that it seeks to have adopted by state regulators.

The new coalition seeks to give Pennsylvania’s energy consumers a stronger voice in utility issues, including how the upcoming expiration of rate caps is handled in Western Pennsylvania for customers of Allegheny Power, Met-Ed and Penelec.

The new Energy Consumers First coalition has already been endorsed by former state Treasurer and Auditor General Barbara Hafer, who has been named Honorary Chairwoman of the effort. The coalition is a citizen-driven initiative whose goals are to ensure that energy consumers’ rights are defended and that they are provided with accurate, timely and unbiased information about choosing an electric supplier once rate caps are terminated on January 1, 2011. The coalition believes that consumers should experience the full benefits of electricity competition as was envisioned when the Act was passed.

“The Energy Consumers First coalition is primarily a consumer protection effort that focuses upon public education and awareness,” said Barbara Hafer during a formal launch press conference held in downtown Pittsburgh today. “Our goals are to ensure that energy consumers are paying a fair price for the power we use, and that we have full electric choice once the rate caps do expire.”

Hafer said the genesis of the new coalition was the pending merger of energy giant First Energy with Allegheny Power, and First Energy’s efforts to have it designated as the “dominant supplier” for electric customers in the Allegheny Power and other Western Pennsylvania service areas. The merger request is currently being considered by the state Public Utility Commission, which is expected to conclusively rule on the matter early next year.

One of the alternatives to the First Energy “dominant supplier” plan is to have all of the electric customers in the affected area be entered into a pool of customers that would be bid upon in a consumer-friendly public auction, with auction proceeds then returned to the individual residents and businesses in amounts ranging from $150 to $500, a significant benefit in today’s economy. This proposal will foster true competition among electricity suppliers for the affected customer accounts. The rebate idea is also being considered by the PUC as part of the merger request in spite of First Energy’s adamant opposition to it.

Hafer noted that another key aspect of the coalition’s mission is ensuring that the rates consumers pay are true and accurate, and reflects what the actual costs are to the utility. Many electric utilities are locking in their customers’ energy supply at higher than market rates for extended periods of time, even though the costs of buying that power have decreased over time. Without competitive options, customers could be locked-in to higher rates, rather than being allowed to receive the rebate and potentially lower rates.

“This is an unacceptable situation and our regulators and legislators in Harrisburg should be taking steps to prevent this unfair and inequitable practice,” noted Hafer. “Pennsylvania residents continue to struggle in this economic downturn, and certainly every extra dollar that they can get or avoid having to pay will be well-used and appreciated.”

The Energy Consumers First coalition is urging consumers from across the state to sign its online petition urging the adoption of the Energy Consumers Bill of Rights, as well as contact the PA Office of the Consumer Advocate to express support for it. Letters, emails, and calls to local utilities and legislators are also being solicited. More information on the Energy Consumers First coalition can be obtained from the organization’s website at www.energyconsumersfirst.com, or by calling 1-866-885-3438.

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With warm weather lingering throughout the fall season, Americans are staying outdoors and enjoying all of the activities fall has to offer. In fact, participation in outdoor activities increased 3.3 percent last year – from 97.5 million participants to 100.7 million, according to the Outdoor Foundation. This fall, KIWI CAMP DRY, reminds consumers to be prepared for the worst while enjoying all that Mother Nature has to offer.

“We are excited to see that more and more Americans are spending time outside with their families and enjoying the simpler things life has to offer,” said Anna Silvestri, Senior Brand Manager, KIWI. “However, with increased outdoor activity, it’s important to remember to be prepared and properly protected from the elements. KIWI Camp DryZ products have been protecting outdoor enthusiasts for more than 30 years and we want to remind consumers to not only stay warm and dry, but to protect their equipment and clothing as well.”

KIWI CAMP DRY recommends the following tips on how outdoor enthusiasts can stay protected against the elements this fall:
– Buy the proper equipment. Make sure you have the right gear before
hitting the hiking trails or heading outside for the first day of
hunting season.
– Protect your gear. Quality tents, tarps, boots and the rest of your
outdoor gear are an investment – and they end up taking the brunt of all
that Mother Nature has to offer. Protect them with the Camp DryZ Heavy
Duty Water Repellent or Camp DryZ Performance Fabric Protector to repel
water and minimize stains and wear-and-tear.
– Stay warm. Fall weather can be tricky with warm temperatures during the
day and cold temperatures at night. Remember to bring plenty of warm
clothing, including socks and extra layers. In addition, consider
sleeping with a hat, as 80 percent of heat loss occurs from your head.
– Don’t forget snacks. No matter if you’re heading out for one day or one
week, make sure you have an adequate supply of sustenance and water
packed in your bag.

KIWI Camp DryZ Heavy Duty Water Repellent and KIWI Camp DryZ Performance Fabric Protector can be purchased at most mass merchandisers, including Walmart and Target; and sporting goods stores, including Dick’s Sporting Goods and Cabela’s. For more information, please visit KIWICampDry.com or follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/KIWICampDry.

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Physiotherapy Associates, the nation’s foremost provider of outpatient rehabilitation services, today announced that it has identified the National Multiple Sclerosis Society as its national community service partner. More than 3,100 employees for Physiotherapy Associates will provide ongoing community service efforts to benefit the more than 400,000 people living in the United States with multiple sclerosis (MS).

“As the leading physical therapy provider in the United States, our affiliation with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society allows our 3,100 employees across the United States to provide community service to benefit the more than 400,000 people living with MS and their family members on a local, regional and national basis,” said Dan Connors, Chief Executive Officer, Physiotherapy Associates. “We plan to work with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society through its national network of chapters in a variety of ways, including education and participation in its Bike MS and Walk MS events across the country.”

“The National MS Society’s vision is a world free of MS,” said Becca Kornfeld, Vice President of Corporate & Community Relations. “Having Physiotherapy Associates join the MS movement in such a meaningful way will help us move that much faster toward our vision.”

In addition to its ongoing relationship with the National MS Society, Physiotherapy Associates’ clinicians are focused this month on celebrating the benefits of physical therapy during National PT Month, which is an annual event. Each October, the practice of physical therapy is promoted nationally as an integral part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. With more than 600 clinics across the U.S., Physiotherapy Associates’ clinics are available for one-on-one care, and provide comprehensive plans of care for all types of patients.

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To continue providing education and awareness about the need for organ and tissue donors in Pennsylvania, faith-based organizations throughout the commonwealth will support the 15th Annual National Donor Sabbath Weekend, Nov. 12-14, 2010.

Endorsed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to promote the interfaith celebration of life and the importance of organ and tissue donation, the three-day observance is intended to educate area residents about the process for becoming an organ and tissue donor and transplant.

“The faith-based community provides vital support to our donor registration initiative. National Donor Sabbath weekend is an opportunity to dispel myths and help individuals learn how their religion supports organ donation so they can make the spiritual decision to help save lives,” said Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) president and CEO Susan A. Stuart. “We urge residents to talk to their respective religious leaders and consider making the decision to become an organ and tissue donor.”

Every 11 minutes, a new name is added to the national organ waiting list, and each day 18 people die because of the shortage of available organs for transplant.

“The need for organ and tissue donors in Pennsylvania is great. Right now nearly 8,500 people in Pennsylvania are awaiting an organ or tissue transplant, yet only 44.9 percent of eligible residents have placed the organ donor designation on their learner’s permit, driver’s license or state identification card,” said Howard M. Nathan, Gift of Life’s (GOL) president and CEO. “When faith-based organizations across the state join together, it sends an important message about the need for donation and the overwhelming support of such a decision by all major religions.”

Houses of worship interested in participating in National Donor Sabbath weekend can visit www.donor1.org or www.core.org or call 800-DONORSPA. Each site lists a number of outreach programs including It’s About Life grants for donor registration awareness programs and also includes additional information to request a program speaker or to receive free materials for National Donor Sabbath.

On November 4, CORE will hold a Celebrate Life Candlelight Vigil honoring those who have experienced the wonder of the gift of life and for those who want to know more about the truth and power of donation. The event features Reverend Paul Johnson, a kidney recipient, Eighteenth Street Community Church, as well as liver recipient Dino Persio, an attorney in Ebensburg. The event will take place at the Altoona Discovery Center on Nov. 4, 2010.

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