Terror Vision

OAK BROOK, IL, Apr 17, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
Between April 16 and June 1, visitors to Ronald McDonald House
Charities(R) (RMHC(R)) site,
www.rmhc.org , will find a new and
meaningful reason to shop. The nonprofit will spur charitable
donations by engaging a younger generation of donors, the
Millennials, with a call to action to shop and make symbolic
purchases online. This savvy, altruistic generation will virtually
enter a Ronald McDonald House(R) with the ability to shop and
symbolically buy small items that in a Ronald McDonald House would
make a big difference providing hope and comfort to help families in
need.

Research shows Millennials are naturally inclined to organize and
rally around a common mission. They value family and believe that
when they act together, small gestures can make a big difference. And
this is exactly what RMHC offers; an opportunity to make an impact, a
difference through small symbolic gifts. Every symbolic purchase in
the Charity’s virtual Ronald McDonald House will help families find
the strength, stability and vital resources they need to help their
child heal. Whether it’s a teddy bear, a story book, a spaghetti
dinner or a board game, these symbolic purchases will result in a
donation that helps the Charity provide comfort, compassion and hope
to families who are fighting their child’s illness together.

“Over time, we seek to engage and unite donors through online and
offline activities. From guerrilla marketing, to storytelling on
social media, to an online donation box, to “gamification” and now
virtual shopping, our goal is to demonstrate to our donors just how
their investment in RMHC is used to support families through our
family-centered programs,” said Jennifer Blanchard Smith, senior
director of Communications and Special Programs, RMHC. “Our
organization was built on the idea that there is strength in numbers;
many people working together to take away families’ worries so they
can focus on what’s most important, their child. This virtual
shopping spree will be one everyone can feel good about.”

With the support of the many staff, volunteers, medical community,
corporate donors, RMHC Chapters in 57 countries and regions is able
to serve more than 4.5 million children every year. In order to fund
its programs, like the Ronald McDonald House, the Ronald McDonald
Family Room(R) and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile(R), the Charity
also needs the support of individuals like you. This is how you can
make a difference:

http://rmhc.org/shop/ families served by RMHC.
— Drop spare change in RMHC Donation Boxes at participating McDonald’s
restaurants.
— “Join RMHC for 1″ event day on June 1 by adding one penny, one dime,
one quarter or one dollar to the RMHC Donation Boxes at local
participating McDonald’s restaurants. RSVP on the Charity’s Facebook
page.
— Collect pop tabs to raise funds and teach kids about philanthropy and
the importance of recycling. Some RMHC Chapters raise thousands of
dollars with their pop tab collections program.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities
Ronald McDonald House Charities
(RMHC), a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation, creates, finds and
supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of
children. Through its global network of local Chapters in 57
countries and regions, its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald
House(R), Ronald McDonald Family Room(R) and Ronald McDonald Care
Mobile(R), and millions of dollars in grants to support children's
programs worldwide, RMHC provides stability and resources to families
so they can get and keep their children healthy and happy. All
RMHC-supported programs provide a bridge to quality health care and
give children and families the time they need together to heal faster
and cope better. For more information, visit
www.rmhc.org , follow us
on Twitter (@RMHC) or like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/RMHC Global).

The following trademarks used herein are owned by McDonald's
Corporation and its affiliates: Ronald McDonald House Charities,
Ronald McDonald House Charities Logo, RMHC, Ronald McDonald House,
Ronald McDonald Family Room, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile.

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For more information, press only:
Clara Carrier
630.623.6573
Email Contact

For more information on RMHC:

www.rmhc.org

SOURCE: Ronald McDonald House Charities Global

http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=0BCA20774DBEFC09

http://www.rmhc.org/

Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.

The US economy may be doing better than we think as the improving jobs market is translating to higher consumer confidence. The government released better-than-expected retail sales numbers Monday, lifting retail stocks and sector-related exchange traded funds.

SPDR Samp;P Retail ETF (NYSEArca: XRT) gained 0.5% on Monday

The Commerce Department announced that retail sales in the US increased 0.8%, compared to the average forecast of 0.3%, following the 1% advance in February, reports Shobhana Chandra for Bloomberg. [Retail ETFs Strengthen as Sales Hit Five-Month High]

Improvements in the jobs market has boosted consumer confidence in spite of rising gas prices. Additionally, the stronger consumer demand will also help the US economy chug through the potential recessions in the Eurozone or a hard landing in China.

Households “have the income to propel their purchases now that we’re seeing job growth,” Russell Price, senior economist at Ameriprise Financial, said in the article. “They have adjusted to the higher price of fuel. The economy now needs to build on its own momentum.”

“The industry and consumers have been very resilient in the face of higher pump prices,” Don Johnson, vice president of US sales at General Motors Co., said in the article. “The steadily improving economy is playing a role and so is pent-up demand and an improved credit market.”

Eleven of thirteen retail sub-categories showed improvements, including electronics, clothing and furniture.

Store chain data for more than 20 companies tracked by Retail Metrics also increased 3.9% in March, higher than the 3.3% projections, as consumers took advantage of discounts and early spring shopping. Gap (NYSE: GPS) sales jumped 8% while Target (NYSE: TGT) and Macys (NYSE: M) both posted 7.3% gains.

Other related sector ETFs include:

• SPDR Consumer Staples Select Sector Fund ETF (NYSEArca: XLP)
• SPDR Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Fund ETF (NYSEArca: XLY)
• Vanguard Consumer Staples Sector ETF (NYSEArca: VDC)
• Vanguard Consumer Discretionary Sector ETF (NYSEArca: VCR)

SPDR Samp;P Retail ETF

For more information on the retail sector, visit our retail category.

Max Chen contributed to this article.

Raveena Aulakh

Staff Reporter

Related

• Evidence photos
• McClintic told her lover she would take the blame
• Terri-Lynne McClintic breaks down in tears after describing sexual assault on little girl
• Terri McClintic resume
• DiManno: A mother’s shortcomings
• Mother of slain girl testifies about visiting McClintic’s home
• Tapes put accused in area of abduction, prosecutors say
• Timeline of events (photos)
• The key players
• Victim impact statements

LONDON, ONT. — In the days leading to his arrest, Michael Rafferty was a very busy man: he was dating multiple women simultaneously, shopping in London and in Michigan; he was also trawling around auto wreckers and getting his BlackBerry cellphone replaced.

In fact, on May 19, 2009, the day he was arrested and charged with the abduction, rape and murder of Tori Stafford, Rafferty was at a mall in London buying clothes and shoes for a Woodstock woman.

Joy Woods, whom he had been dating since early April, told the jury Tuesday that Rafferty called her at least four times that day, checking her dress and shoe size.

“I was never comfortable with that, but he always wanted to buy stuff for me, for the kids,” said Woods, a lanky woman with straight blond hair.

Woods said she was leaving for Las Vegas on May 20 and Rafferty wanted her to take the clothes with her and so asked her to meet him at the parking lot of Goodlife Fitness gym. She arrived first, and when he got there, he put some shopping bags on the floor on the passenger side and slid in.

That’s when an officer tapped on the window and asked if he was Michael Rafferty. Rafferty was arrested.

Tori, 8, was abducted in Woodstock on April 8, 2009. Rafferty and Terri-Lynne McClintic, then lovers, were arrested a month later and charged with abduction and murder. The little girl’s body was found on July 19 near Mount Forest. McClintic pleaded guilty and received a life sentence in April 2010.

The trial for Rafferty, who has pleaded not guilty, started March 5.

On Tuesday, Woods also told the jury that Rafferty called her May 16, one day after investigators first questioned him about Tori’s disappearance. He was very upset and concerned, Woods recalled. She told him that if he had nothing to do with Tori’s disappearance, he should not worry.

Woods, a mother of three, and Rafferty first met online on April 11 on the dating website Plenty of Fish, and face-to-face on April 16. Rafferty told her he was a construction contractor and a dance instructor. The two went out for dinner to London on many occasions and once even to Oakville, she said.

They once took a shopping trip to Michigan, where, Woods said, Rafferty searched adamantly and fruitlessly for a particular type of Puma shoes.

Other facets of Rafferty’s life during that time came to light through the work of investigators.

OPP Const. James Brady told the court that Rafferty first visited a Bell store at Masonville Place mall in London on May 14, 2009, complaining that his BlackBerry Curve phone wasn’t working well. He returned on May 19 to pick up a loaner, a few hours before his arrest.

Bell sent the BlackBerry to RIM in Waterloo. No problem was detected in it. Later, it was sent to the e-crimes unit of the OPP in Orillia. No data was recovered, Brady said.

Rafferty, whose phone bills show he used his BlackBerry often, made two calls to Corey’s Auto Wreckers in London, where sign-in sheets showed he spent an hour on May 11. The calls were of interest to investigators “because we were all aware that the accused car was missing (a car) seat,” said Brady. But there was nothing to indicate that Rafferty bought anything. After numerous checks, it doesn’t appear that Rafferty had visited any other auto wreckers.

The trial, now in its seventh week, has gone through twists and turns: McClintic initially told investigators that she lured Tori at Rafferty’s urging, and that he then raped and killed the girl. She later changed her statement and said she killed Tori with a hammer. She has, however, maintained that Tori was violently raped by Rafferty, once in the front seat of the car, once in the rear.

The Crown is expected to rest its case in the next few days.

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FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Some people get married on trolleys others just jump on to enjoy the ride. The Downtown Improvement District (DID) is giving you a chance to ride the trolley for free while shopping and sightseeing in downtown Fort Wayne.

Saturday, March 31 DID is sponsoring a Spring Trolley Shopping tour. From 11 am to 5 pm free trolley transportation will be offered so riders can explore downtown gift shops and museums.

More than 20 gift shops will be open for Spring Trolley Shopping and some will offer special deals.

Large signs downtown will mark the stops stationed in a number of spots throughout the greater downtown area. The trolley will loop about every 15 minutes between stops located within a block of participating businesses. People can also flag the trolley for a ride from intersections along the route.

Trolley shopping is part of Last Saturdays downtown. Last Saturdays is a series of events that take place on the last Saturday of every month to attract visitors downtown to experience the diverse social, arts, and cultural opportunities in the Fort Wayne community.

Last Saturdays in March will feature activities at the History Center, Embassy Theatre with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, University of St. Francis (downtown), live music at Hall’s Gashouse and Dash-In, and more.

Last Saturdays is a program of the Cultural District, a partnership with the Arts United, City of Fort Wayne, DID and Visit Fort Wayne. It also includes a free bus and CTN shuttle, with a route from Main Street, to Clay Street, to Washington Blvd, to Ewing Street, back to Main. This will drop riders off approximately 2 blocks from every location from 4 to 11 pm overlapping the trolley for an hour in the afternoon.

FYI

Founded in 1957, the International Council of Shopping Centers is the premier global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its more than 55,000 members in over 90 countries include shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, retailers and brokers, as well as academics and public officials. As the global industry trade association, ICSC links with more than 25 national and regional shopping center councils throughout the world. For more information, visit www.icsc.org.

Brazilian police are trying to track down members of a express kidnapping gang known as the “Gang of Blondes.”

The six-person gang, five of whom are blondes, is made up of attractive young women who, according to BBC Mundo, have abducted 54 female shoppers in the last three years to go on extravagant shopping sprees.

Over the weekend, police arrested three members of the gang. Estadáo.com, a Brazilian newspaper, is also reporting that the only male member of the gang was arrested as well, although he was subsequently released due to a lack of evidence.

The man, Dantas da Silva, is the husband to one of the blondes in the gang but is not the gang’s leader, as was speculated.

Mexicana Flight Attendants Turned Calendar Girls Feud after Success

Since 2009, the gang has cased malls and supermarkets in Säo Paulo and Rio de Janiero, where they look for wealthy looking women whose identity they briefly assume.

According to BBC, the heist goes down like this:

A woman is held at gunpoint while another member of the gang poses as the victim, using her credit card for extravagant shopping sprees and emptying out her bank account at the ATM.

The New York Daily News reports that in one particular instance, the Gang of Blondesbought nearly $9,700 worth of items with the credit cards and withdrew more than $1,660 from the victims bank account.

Rios Spectacular Carnival Parade

Säo Paulo police anti-kidnap chief Joaquim Dias Alves told BBC Mundo that one or two of the members speak more than one language and that several have been educated overseas.

They are really pretty girls, well dressed,made up, Dias Alves said.

While the women initially started working together breaking into condominiums, they changed to the business of express kidnapping the following year, a popular form of kidnappings in Latin America.

You can reach Kacy Capobres at: KacyJayne@gmail.com or viaTwitter: @KacyJayne

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SEATTLE, March 27, 2012 —

SEATTLE, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Seattle-based Nordstrom, Inc., (NYSE: JWN) announced today plans to open a new Nordstrom Rack at Huntington Shopping Center in Huntington, NY The approximately 36,000-square-foot store is scheduled to open during fall 2012.

Nordstrom Rack is the off-price retail division of Nordstrom, Inc., carrying on-trend merchandise from Nordstrom stores and Nordstrom.com at 50 to 60 percent off original Nordstrom prices. Nordstrom Rack also offers a wide selection of apparel, accessories and shoes from many of the brands carried in Nordstrom stores. These items are purchased specially for Nordstrom Rack, with most at savings of 30 to 70 percent off.

Huntington Shopping Center is a large power center located in the Long Island community of Huntington, 11 miles east of the Roosevelt Field full-line Nordstrom store and Westbury Nordstrom Rack location, which later this year will relocate to The Gallery at Westbury Plaza. The new Huntington Nordstrom Rack will join anchor tenants Bed Bath Beyond, Buy Buy Baby, Michaels, PetSmart and Toys R Us. The center is owned and managed by Federal Realty Investment Trust.

We think Nordstrom Rack is a best in class retailer and will provide the fashion and brand savvy shopper with a fantastic retail experience in their new location at Huntington Shopping Center, said Wendy Seher, vice president of leasing for Federal Realty.

Weve been on Long Island for 15 years and are fortunate to have a lot of great customers in the community, said Geevy Thomas, president of Nordstrom Rack. We hope our new store at Huntington Shopping center will offer them a more convenient way to shop with us.

About Federal Realty Investment TrustIn 2012, Federal Realty celebrates 50 years of being a proven leader in the ownership, operation, and redevelopment of high quality retail real estate in the countrys best markets.#xA0; Federal Realtys portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) contains approximately 19.3 million square feet located primarily in strategically selected metropolitan markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, as well as in California. In addition, the Trust has an ownership interest in approximately 1.0 million square feet of retail space through a joint venture in which the Trust has a 30% interest. Our operating portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) was 93.4% leased to national, regional, and local retailers as of December 31, 2011, with no single tenant accounting for more than approximately 2.5% of annualized base rent. Federal Realty has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously since its founding in 1962, and has increased its dividend rate for 44 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty is an SP MidCap 400 company and its shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT.#xA0; For more information, please visit www.federalrealty.com.

About NordstromNordstrom, Inc. is one of the nations leading fashion specialty retailers. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 226 stores in 30 states, including 117 full-line stores, 105 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques, one treasurebond store and one clearance store. Nordstrom also serves customers through Nordstrom.com and through its catalogs. Additionally, the Company operates in the online private sale marketplace through its subsidiary HauteLook. Nordstrom, Inc.s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN.

MEDIA CONTACT: Kendall AultNordstrom, Inc.(206) 303-3019

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20001011/NORDLOGO)

SOURCE Nordstrom, Inc.

Smartphones are all about instant gratification. Want to listen to a song you can’t get out of your head? Tap, tap, done. Get a stock quote? Tap, tap, done. Video-chat with a faraway loved one? Tap, tap–you get the idea.

And here’s where it really gets fun. Did a friend just recommend an amazing book? Gone are the days of hunting for a bookstore — now you just tap, tap, and order. Same goes for buying a cool scarf you just saw someone wearing, preordering the Blu-ray version of the movie you just watched, or even ordering a pizza to pick up on your way home from work.

Awesome as that kind of instant gratification can be, it pays to be cautious when conducting commerce by smartphone. Security risks are just as prevalent in your pocket as they are on your PC, which is why you should never tap, tap, buy without a safety net.

For example, suppose you’re browsing your Facebook feed when you see a friend’s status update: “Wow, this is so cool, check out this link!” So you tap the link, and land at a mobile website for what looks to be a legitimate (and, admittedly, cool) product.

Well, your friend recommended it, so you decide to tap out your credit-card number and buy one. Just one problem: You’ve been had. Your friend’s Facebook feed was hijacked, and that link took you to a phishing site. Your smartphone’s browser didn’t know that, meaning you just hand-delivered your Amex number to a criminal.

Similar threats can appear in text messages, email, and even those QR codes you snap with your smartphone’s camera. And even if you don’t supply any personal information, a nefarious site might be able to exploit a vulnerability in your browser, one that could expose your phone to viruses and other malware. It could even steal your information without your knowledge.

This is scary-sounding stuff, but you can rest easy — and shop safely — by putting security software on the job. The best smartphone security software can automatically block unsafe links inside email, text messages, and sites like Facebook and Twitter.

At the same time, it can protect you against potential phishing sites, block browser exploits, and spot malicious QR codes. Look for app-protection features as well, meaning only the apps you authorize are granted access to your contact information, location, and other private data.

For extra-strength protection, add a safe-search plug-in to your browser, one that will instantly vet all search results and let you know which ones are safe to click (or, in this case, tap).

An Amazon app displaying recommendations for the user.

By now you might think it wise to avoid browser-based shopping altogether, instead relying on the apps offered by vendors like Amazon, eBay, and Groupon. Sure enough, these apps offer an extra layer of security by linking directly to your existing accounts — meaning you don’t need to enter a credit card number when you buy something. That data is already securely stored elsewhere.

Alas, not all stores have their own apps, so there are times when your browser will be your only available gateway to what you want to buy. In such cases, make sure the purchase page(s) use encryption by looking for https in front of the URL.

That said, it’s always a good idea to keep close tabs on your credit card activity. Many banks can send you email or text notifications of suspicious activity, and fraud-monitoring services (including those from the Big Three credit reporting companies) can notify you of credit card abuse. That’s another kind of instant gratification worth tapping.

A shopping center that was once a focal point for retail in south Jackson before falling into near-ruin has a new name and, perhaps, new chapters in its history to write.

The former Jackson Square Shopping Center on Terry Road near McDowell Road officially will reopen next month as Jackson Square Promenade.

A grand-reopening ceremony is scheduled for April 6, and more than a dozen tenants are slated to open stores there in April and May, says Kenneth Pope-Johnson, the developments operations manager.

This shopping center was thriving, the place to be, he says of Jackson Square, built in 1968.

While traditional retailers such as clothing stores and a sports grill will be a part of the development, it also will feature a daycare center, a nightclub, a comedy/music club, a teen center and a pair of churches to create what Pope-Johnson says is something more akin to a community gathering place than a traditional shopping center.

Hed like to use some vacant space there as a community center-type venue that can host everything from weddings to performing-arts events.

The shopping center once was one of the Jackson areas prime retail hubs, coming along roughly a decade before places like Metrocenter mall.

It featured a movie theater, a pharmacy, restaurants and other shops.

But as retail and population growth spread outside Jackson into Rankin and Madison counties, tenants left and the shopping center fell into severe disrepair.

It became, Pope-Johnson says, a shining example of blight, with more homeless people and pigeons frequenting the storefronts than shoppers.

When he bought the property in 2010, only a pair of bingo halls were operating there, he says. A roof was on the verge of collapse, and there were numerous eyesores on the remainder of the lot.

The center is now about 60 percent leased.

Pope-Johnson said he saw too much potential for the shopping center, with Terry Road on one side of the property and I-55 on the other, along with south Jacksons population density, to not want to bring it back to life.

A Food Depot opening nearby last fall in an old Brookshires grocery location convinced him theres again a market for retail-type businesses along Terry Road and a customer base willing to support them.

Tonya Green will open Perfect Fit clothing store at Jackson Square Promenade next month. But the shopping center has more significance to her than that.

She went shopping there with her family as a child. She got her drivers license by taking lessons at a Department of Motor Vehicles office there.

Green says her store hopefully will help this shopping center prosper, adding most of her family lives in the area, deepening the roots shes already established.

Jennifer McGowan has operated Creative Fashions at Jackson Square for the past couple of months. She, too, feels the development can become a place south Jackson can look upon with pride.

I thought it was a good investment (for me), she said. Its good that theyre trying to rebuild south Jackson.

Its taken a lot of work to rehab the shopping center, and more repairs are needed, Pope-Johnson said. He wouldnt say how much hes invested in the property.

One storefront still has broken-out windows. Some facades are getting fresh coats of paint.

The deteriorating roof has been replaced, Pope-Johnson says. Old sheetrock and tile inside the storefronts have been ripped out.

The improvements alone are a sign Jackson Square has a bright future, Green says.

Im still amazed. When I first came here (years ago), I couldnt tell there were any businesses here.