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Shipley Honored by CFPA

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TSU ShipleyTennessee State Sports Information

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee State’ s Detorrius Shipley was named an honorable mention for Defensive Lineman of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) on Monday.
In last Saturday’s, 31-6, TSU victory over Austin Peay, Shipley had four solo stops. Three of those were tackles for loss and two were sacks on Governor quarterbacks.
The Tiger defense held APSU to 92 yards of total offense and Shipley’s three tackles behind the line of scrimmage went for negative 20 yards.
The Birmingham, Ala. native has 30 stops this season (17 solo), five tackles for loss and four sacks. The junior also has one pass breakup and two quarterback hurries.
Shipley and the rest of the Tigers will try to improve to 9-3 on the year and 6-2 in OVC play by defeating Murray State on Saturday for Senior Day. Kickoff for the team’s final game of the season is scheduled for 2 p.m. at LP Field.

Social Security Announces 1.5 Percent Benefit Increase for 2014

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social-security-1Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for nearly 63 million Americans will increase 1.5 percent in 2014, the Social Security Administration has announced.
The 1.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that more than 57 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2014. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 31, 2013.
Some other changes that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $117,000 from $113,700.  Of the estimated 165 million workers who will pay Social Security taxes in 2014, about 10 million will pay higher taxes as a result of the increase in the taxable maximum.
Information about Medicare changes for 2014 is available at www.Medicare.gov.
The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated.  To read more, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/cola.

2014 SOCIAL SECURITY CHANGES

•  Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA):
Based on the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) from the third quarter of 2012 through the third quarter of 2013, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries will receive a 1.5 percent COLA for 2014. Other important 2014 Social Security information is as follows:

2013                           2014
• Tax Rate:
Employee:            7.65%    7.65%
Self-Employed:   15.30%  15.30%
NOTE:  The 7.65% tax rate is the combined rate for Social Security and Medicare.  The Social Security portion (OASDI) is 6.20% on earnings up to the applicable taxable maximum amount (see below).  The Medicare portion (HI) is 1.45% on all earnings. Also, as of January 2013, individuals with earned income of more than $200,000 ($250,000 for married couples filing jointly) pay an additional 0.9 percent in Medicare taxes. The tax rates shown above do not include the 0.9 percent.

•  Maximum Taxable Earnings:
Social Security (OASDI only)     $113,700     $117,000
Medicare (HI only)  N o    L i m i t

•    Quarter of Coverage:
$1,160                     $1,200

•    Retirement Earnings Test Exempt Amounts:
Under full retirement age   $15,120/yr.              $15,480/yr.
($1,260/mo.)             ($1,290/mo.)
NOTE:  One dollar in benefits will be withheld for every $2 in earnings above the limit.

The year an individual reaches full
retirement age:     $40,080/yr.             $41,400/yr.
($3,340/mo.)            ($3,450/mo.)
NOTE: Applies only to earnings for months prior to attaining full retirement age. One dollar in benefits will be withheld for every $3 in earnings above the limit.
There is no limit on earnings beginning the month an individual attains full retirement age.

•    Social Security Disability Thresholds:

Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)
Non-Blind                               $1,040/mo.              $1,070/mo.
Blind                                         $1,740/mo.              $1,800/mo.
Trial Work Period (TWP)       $  750/mo.              $   770/mo.

•    Maximum Social Security Benefit:   Worker Retiring at Full Retirement Age:
$2,533/mo.                   $2,642/mo.

•    SSI Federal Payment Standard:
Individual      $  710/mo.       $  721/mo.
Couple          $1,066/mo.      $1,082/mo.

•    SSI Resources Limits:
Individual                $2,000                  $2,000
Couple                      $3,000                  $3,000

•    SSI Student Exclusion:
Monthly limit           $1,730        $1,750
Annual limit             $6,960         $7,060

•    Estimated Average Monthly Social Security Benefits Payable in January 2014:

Before                                                                   After
1.5% COLA                                                        1.5%       COLA
All Retired Workers     $1,275                                     $1,294
Aged Couple, Both Receiving Benefits    $2,080    $2,111
Widowed Mother and Two Children        $2,583    $2,622
Aged Widow(er) Alone                               $1,225     $1,243
Disabled Worker, Spouse and
One or More Children                                $1,914       $1,943
All Disabled Workers                                 $1,131       $1,148

Just What the Doctor Ordered:
Help for Kids Who Stutter Sent to 53,727 Pediatricians

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StutteringMEMPHIS, Tenn. – “This is one of the most helpful pieces that I have been sent in my 27 years of private practice,” wrote a doctor from Washington state.
Pediatricians from across the country are praising the book and new video, 7 Tips for Talking with the Child Who Stutters, from the Stuttering Foundation. “I just received the pediatrician’s guide for stuttering and had a chance to review it. What wonderful and helpful information you and your group provided,” he added.
Another pediatrician from Maryland wrote: “I’m so pleased to be able to offer better support and guidance to concerned parents. I’m impressed with the scope of your outreach program and applaud the Foundation for doing such excellent work!”
The Stuttering Foundation sent a copy of the new video and accompanying book, The Child Who Stutters: To the Pediatrician, to 53,727 pediatricians this week.
“Through our website, www.StutteringHelp.org, we have made the leading voices on preschool stuttering available for free to parents to answer their tough questions about stuttering, offer practical strategies, and build confidence,” said Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation.“It is our hope that parents who seek advice about stuttering from their trusted pediatrician will find the help they need.”

Citizens Trust Bank Names Yulanda M. Munford, Mortgage Operations Manager

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Yulanda MunfordATLANTA, Ga. – Building Relationships since 1921, Citizens Trust Bank announces the promotion and appointment of Yulanda M. Munford as Mortgage Operations Manager. Ms. Munford, a relentless agent for excellence in execution played a lead role in the re-establishing of the Bank’s Mortgage Division function. Her dedication to deepening relationships with community investor partners and motivation to expand her knowledge of available mortgage solutions led to the effectiveness of the Citizens Trust Bank mortgage service solution strategy. A champion for home ownership empowerment, she was instrumental in the creation of the Citizens Trust Bank Small Dollar Loan Program and its annual Homebuyer EDU home ownership seminars. Under the programs, eligible first-time homebuyers are empowered to realize their dreams of home ownership.
Through NeighborWorks America®, as a Certified Foreclosure Intervention and Default Counselor she will lead the Citizens Trust Bank Mortgage Division in its home buyer education efforts, increasing mortgage loan portfolio and sustaining presence in the marketplace. Ms. Munford brings over 11 years of experience in loan origination, processing and underwriting to the Citizens Trust Bank mortgage operation.
“The quality of dedication and perseverance to delivering customer empowerment and unwavering customer service are among the many reasons why we are proud to have Yulanda on our team”, said Cynthia N. Day, President and CEO of Citizens Trust Bank. “We look forward to many more noteworthy accomplishments in her new role”, said Day.
A native of Lincolnton, Georgia, Yulanda Munford received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Shorter University and currently lives with her family in Riverdale, Ga.

2014 Porsche Cayman S: The Perfect Sports Car

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Cheryl Porscheby Cheryl Eldridge and wire reports

Do you like the finer things in life? Well, I certainly do, and if you ever get the chance to drive a Porsche, you will experience the ultimate relationship between a driver and sports car. If an invigorating sports car driving experience is what you’re after, the 2014 Porsche Cayman S is one of the best options at any price. The Cayman S delivers the one-of-a-kind experience of a high-revving flat-6 engine wailing directly right behind your head.
My 7-year-old son thoroughly enjoyed the car and instructed me when it was time to shift gears, “gotta love the kids.”
The Germans really know how to live and have created one of the most easiest six speed manuals to drive. The ride was smooth and I felt like a queen with plenty of power.
For $88,835 my two-seater coupe Cayman S tester is available in base and S trim levels.
Standard equipment on the base Cayman includes 18-inch wheels, summer high-performance tires, an automatically extending rear spoiler, cruise control, air-conditioning, auto stop-start to conserve fuel, an electric parking brake, variable-ratio electric power steering, partial power sport seats (power recline, manual fore/aft and height adjustment), Bluetooth, a 4.6-inch driver information display, a center-mounted 7-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a shockingly Spartan four-speaker sound system with “2 x 25 watt” output per Porsche’s specifications. At least you get an auxiliary input jack in the glovebox.
My tester, the Cayman S adds a bigger engine, bi-xenon headlights, 19-inch wheels, larger front brake discs, red-painted brake calipers and dual exhaust pipes, though it keeps the same bare bones base stereo.
Fortunately, my tester was equipped with a “CDR Plus” audio upgrade that contributes a nine-speaker sound system, an enhanced touchscreen, HD radio, satellite radio and iPod/USB connectivity. Alternatively, you could spring for the Infotainment package, which brings a hard-drive-based navigation system, smartphone integration via the Aha radio app and either a 10-speaker Bose surround-sound system or a 12-speaker Burmester surround-sound system.
Other notable technology add-ons include keyless entry/ignition, voice-command functionality, adaptive cruise control (available only on Caymans with the PDK transmission), a convenience package with dual-zone automatic climate control and heated seats, and an “electronic logbook” that automatically records various driving data for subsequent analysis on your computer.
While you’re upgrading the cabin, there are no fewer than three optional seat designs to consider: 10-way power versions of the base seats, the minimalist Sport Seats Plus (SSP) with racy bolstering (our favorites), and a 14-way power version of SSP called Adaptive Sport Seats Plus. Naturally, there are also countless ways to personalize the interior with distinctive colors and special trim pieces.
Moving to the exterior, Porsche offers adaptive bi-xenon headlights, various wheel designs up to 20 inches in diameter, a sport exhaust system (with a cool on/off button on the center console) and a slew of paint options. On the performance front, meanwhile, you can select ceramic composite brakes, electronically controlled dampers (Porsche Active Suspension Management, or PASM), a mechanical rear differential lock with variable torque distribution (Porsche Torque Vectoring, or PTV), speed-sensitive power steering, and a Sport Chrono package that tacks on dynamic transmission mounts, a dash-top stopwatch, a Sport Plus button that essentially puts your Cayman in madman mode and a launch control feature (PDK only).
The base Cayman is powered by a 2.7-liter horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine (also known as a flat-6 or boxer-6) that produces 275 horsepower and 213 pound-feet of torque. Like every Cayman, the base model employs rear-wheel drive and comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission. Optional is the PDK seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual.
In Edmunds testing, the base Cayman with a manual transmission accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. EPA fuel economy estimates have improved significantly: The base Cayman returns 24 mpg combined (20 city/30 highway) with the standard six-speed, while PDK creeps up to a remarkable 26 mpg combined (22 city/32 highway).
My tester Cayman S steps up to a 3.4-liter flat-6 good for 325 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque.
On the safety side, the 2014 Cayman comes standard with antilock brakes, stability control and an array of eight airbags that includes two side airbags and a knee airbag for each passenger.
Note that Caymans equipped with adaptive cruise control (ACC) are also treated to Porsche Active Safe, which uses ACC’s radar to monitor collision probabilities up to 650 feet in front of the vehicle. The system can operate even when ACC is inactive, and its emergency responses range from simply priming the brakes to applying them with maximum force. If that freaks you out, don’t worry: You can turn it off.
The Cayman’s snug interior has always been a defining trait, and that continues for 2014, therefore I was only able to travel with my son. He enjoyed the drive and thought that it was “cool.” There are many meaningful improvements inside, though, starting with the sleek, high-mounted center console design that first appeared in the Panamera and has since spread across the Porsche lineup. Throw in superior materials, high-tech displays and some striking color combinations (check out the optional Amber Orange leather upholstery), and you’ve got a genuinely premium product. The Cayman used to feel like a junior Porsche, but with its newly refined cabin, it gives up little, if anything, to the much more expensive 911.
Cargo space is not a Cayman’s strong suit, however, as inside there just aren’t many places to store your stuff, and the cupholders are flimsy. But on the bright side, its midengine layout allows it to have two trunks. The one in front measures 5.3 cubic feet and is handy for a duffel bag, while the rear hatchback/trunk measures a more useful 9.7 cubes.
Critics of the optional dual-clutch automated-manual transmission (PDK) say it detracts from driver involvement. We say: “Phooey.” It is true that using the paddles isn’t quite as tactilely rewarding as rowing a stick shift, but PDK’s shifts are quicker and more precise than you could ever achieve. Plus, PDK actually frees up your attention for other demands, such as picking the proper braking point or acing corners like a pro.
Overall, though, Porsche’s midengine coupe is hard to beat for sheer driving pleasure.
Until next week, drive safe, don’t text and drive, buckle up, it’s the law. Also give someone an encouraging word today.

HHS awards Affordable Care Act funds to expand access to care 


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obamacare-logo_fullFunding supports new primary care sites in 236 communities to serve more than 1.25 million additional patients

The U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced $150 million in awards under the Affordable Care Act to support 236 new health center sites across the country. These investments will help care for approximately 1.25 million additional patients.
Community health centers work to improve access to comprehensive, culturally competent, quality primary health care services. Community health centers play an especially important role in delivering health care services in communities with historically high uninsurance rates.  Community health centers are also on the front line of helping uninsured residents enroll in new health insurance options available in the Health Insurance Marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act, through expanded access to Medicaid in many states, and new private health insurance options and tax credits.
“We are committed to providing more people across the country with the quality patient-centered care they deserve,” said Secretary Sebelius. “Health centers are key partners in the improving access to quality, affordable health care services for those who need it most. With new, affordable health insurance options available under the Affordable Care Act, community health centers are also key partners in helping uninsured residents sign up for health coverage – many of whom have been locked out of the health insurance market for years.”
As community-based and patient-directed organizations, health centers are well positioned to be responsive to the specific health care needs of their community. Through the Affordable Care Act’s commitment to expanding access to high quality health care for all Americans, these grants will support the establishment of new full-time service delivery sites.
Health centers also link individuals to care through outreach and enrollment, assuring that individuals in their communities have the information and assistance they need to enroll in care through the Health Insurance Marketplace.  Today, approximately 1,200 health centers operate more than 9,000 service delivery sites that provide care to over 21 million patients in every State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Basin. Since the beginning of 2009, health centers have added 4 million patients and more than 35,000 new full-time positions.
“We are thrilled to be able to provide additional Affordable Care Act resources to health centers to establish new sites,” said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N. “With these new funds, health centers will provide more individuals and families across the country with access to high quality affordable health care.”
Health Center New Access Point grants, listed by organization and state, are available at
www.hrsa.gov/about/news/2013tables/newaccesspointawards/.

Clergy visit Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. at Butner Federal Correctional Facility in North Carolina

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Jesse Jackson

Jesse JacksonRALEIGH, N.C. – Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. who is serving his term at the federal correctional facility in Butner, North Carolina, received his first wave of visitors on November 8, namely, Senior Pastor Rick Warren and Associate Pastor Anthony Miller from Saddleback  Church in  Lake Forest, Calif.
“We believe in leaders and second chances,” said Reverend Warren.  “This is a private moment and we just want to love on him and pray with him,” Reverend Warren added.
CK Hoffler, attorney facilitating the visits, indicated, “The clergy reportedly prayed with him and gave him support and counsel. They further reported that the Congressman was in good spirits all things considered. He continues to regret all of the pain, shame and embarrassment that he has caused his family, his constituents and his friends but has begun the process of repaying his debt to society.”

Home Testing For AFib Patients

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Home TestingNAPSA — If you or someone you know is on blood thinners and tired of traveling to a clinic for a clotting time test, you may be relieved to learn about a much more convenient option: testing yourself at home, on your fingertip.
Many people with atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat, known as “AFib”) or other conditions that can lead to blood clots have to be on lifelong treatment with anticoagulant medications such as Coumadin (warfarin) to help “thin” their blood. Since diet, stress and other factors make patients react differently to warfarin, they need to have their clotting time tested regularly. That can involve a lot of time and hassle to travel to a lab, clinic or doctor’s office.
The easy alternative – testing less often than your doctor recommends – is not a good or safe option. Checking your clotting time at regular intervals allows your doctor to make sure you are on the right dose of warfarin: Too low and it might not effectively prevent clots; too high and your blood could get too thin. Both can lead to serious complications, such as a stroke or uncontrolled bleeding.
So it’s essential to have a regularly scheduled test that measures the time it takes for your blood to clot (Prothrombin Time, often reported as an International Normalized Ratio; hence the moniker “PT/INR test”).
The real question is: where?

Convenience at your fingertips
The traditional way to get a PT/INR test is to have your blood drawn at a clinic or doctor’s office and sent to a lab, which may take several days. Now, however, there’s Patient Self-Testing (PST). You can test at home, at work or wherever you happen to be, right on your fingertip. You simply prick your finger, place a drop of blood on a test strip and wait about a minute for a small handheld meter to give you the result.
Your health care team will still be closely involved with your care and anticoagulation treatment. You call in your results or enter them online right after you test, and you make office visits as directed by your doctor to monitor your testing and make therapy adjustments.
But PST offers so much more flexibility and convenience that it can make a world of difference in how you feel about testing. In one study, 77 percent of the warfarin patients preferred the convenience of self-testing over testing at a clinic.
Studies also show that patients who self-test tend to test more often, so they stay in the proper therapeutic range longer than patients who are monitored less often by a doctor. The longer you stay in range, the lower your chances of having an adverse event, like a stroke or even death.

Is PST right for me?
If you’re considering PST for yourself or someone you care for, talk with your doctor to make sure it’s a good fit for you and your lifestyle. You should be motivated to test, physically able to perform the test (after training), and responsible to follow your doctor’s orders for how often to test and how to report your results.
The next step will be for your doctor to write a prescription and connect you with a PST service provider that can supply the meter and the necessary face-to-face training from a certified professional. The provider can also help you with ordering supplies, reporting results and filing insurance paperwork, and can even send you gentle reminders to help you stay on your testing schedule and keep your therapy on track.
The costs associated with self-testing may be reimbursable through Medicare or a private insurer, depending on your diagnosis and medical coverage.
Research shows that nearly two out of three AFib patients who are not testing at home don’t even know it’s an option. So friends and family can be a big help by sharing this information. To request a PST patient information kit or to learn more about potential coverage for PST through Medicare or private insurance, call (888) 601-0229 or visit www.TestWithCoaguChek.com.

You can save time and trouble testing your blood at home.

Richie Incognito: Vulgar text to Jonathan Martin came from ‘a place of love’

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IncognitoBy Alan Duke, CNN

LOS ANGELES – Suspended NFL player Richie Incognito said his alleged bullying of Miami Dolphin teammate Jonathan Martin is misunderstood because “people don’t know how Jon and I communicate to one another.”
Incognito acknowledged in an interview aired on “Fox NFL Sunday” that he used racist and vulgar language in voice mails and text messages to Martin but said it was “coming from a place of love.”
“No matter how bad and how vulgar it sounds, that’s how we communicate,” he told Fox Sports reporter Jay Glazer. “That’s how our friendship was.”
“For instance, a week before this went down, Jonathan Martin text me on my phone ‘I will murder your whole F-ing family,'” Incognito told Glazer. “Now, do I think Jonathan Martin was going to murder my family? Not one bit.”
Martin, 24, left the team last month because of “harassment that went far beyond the traditional locker room hazing,” Martin’s lawyer said. Days later, the Dolphins suspended Incognito, 30, for conduct detrimental to the team.
After the interview, which was recorded in Los Angeles on Saturday, Incognito let Glazer review his phone text messages with Martin. He counted 1,142 messages exchanged between the two men over the last year, Glazer reported.
“To say that it’s offensive, absolutely,” Glazer said.
Martin sent Incognito text messages three days after he left the team, Glazer said. One said, “Wassup man? The world’s gone crazy lol I’m good tho congrats on the win” and another read, “Yeah I’m good man. It’s insane bro but just know I don’t blame you guys at all it’s just the culture around football and the locker room got to me a little,” Glazer reported.
Glazer acknowledged at the beginning of Sunday’s broadcast that he has been a close friend of Incognito for five years, including training him in mixed martial arts in the off season.
He said the only issue that Incognito “sidestepped and wouldn’t answer” concerned the allegation that Miami coaches had ordered a “code red” instructing the veteran to “toughen up” the younger Martin. Incognito cited “legal issues” preventing him from answering, Glazer said.
Lawyer: Martin made “a difficult choice”
While Martin has not spoken publicly since the controversy erupted, his attorney David Cornwell broke the silence on his behalf with a prepared statement last week.
Martin tried “to befriend … teammates who subjected him to the abuse with the hope that doing so would end the harassment” – something that Cornwell called “a textbook reaction of victims of bullying.”
The taunting did not stop, however, the lawyer said. He cited “a malicious physical attack on him by a teammate and daily vulgar comments,” and a threat of a group sexual assault against Martin’s sister.
“Eventually, Jonathan made a difficult choice,” Cornwell said of Martin leaving the Dolphins. “… Jonathan looks forward to getting back to playing football. In the meantime, he will cooperate fully with the NFL investigation.”
Although Incognito was the Dolphin player suspended, Cornwell’s statement alleged others mistreated Martin.
“Right, wrong or indifferent, because of all this, you’ve become the face of bullying in America,” Glazer told Incognito. “Someone thinks of a bully, they think of Richie Incognito.”
“This isn’t an issue about bullying,” Incognito said. “This is an issue of my and Jon’s relationship, where I’ve taken stuff too far and I didn’t know it was hurting him.”
A profanity-filled voice mail from Incognito to Martin that has been made public was intended to shock him so “his buddy” would call him back, he said.
“When the words are put in the context, I understand why a lot of eye brows get raised,” Incognito said. “When people don’t know how Jon and I communicate to one another.”
Incognito: “I’m not a racist”
“When it’s on the screen it sounds like I’m a racist pig, it sounds like I’m a meat head,” he said. “It sounds like a lot of things it is not. And I wanted to clear the air just being saying that I’m a good person.”
He acknowledged using the n-word in his communications with Martin, who is African-American.
“I’m not a racist and to judge me by that one word is wrong,” Incognito said. “It, in no way, shape or form, is ever acceptable for me to use that word, even if it’s friend to friend in a voice mail.” He said “it was a joke.”
The word is “thrown around a lot” in NFL locker rooms and it’s “a word that I’ve heard Jon use a lot,” he said. “There’s a lot of colorful words thrown around in the locker room that we don’t use in everyday life.”
Martin was his “best friend” on the team, Incognito said.
“You can ask anybody in the Miami Dolphins’ locker room, who had Jon Martin’s back the absolute most, and they’ll undoubtedly tell you me,” he said.
Incognito said he was “miffed” by “how I missed this and I never saw it coming.”
Glazer asked Incognito what he would say to his former teammate today if he were in the room.
“I think I would give him a big hug right now, because we’ve been through so much and I’d be like ‘Dude, what’s going on? Why didn’t you come to me?'” he said. “If he were to say ‘Listen, you took it way too far, you hurt me.’ You know, I would just apologize and explain to him exactly what I explained to you. And I would apologize to his family that they took it as malicious. But I never meant it that way.”

AG Announces Final Order Against Sports Performance Company for Unsupported, Dangerous Health Claims

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SWATS  MONTGOMERY—Attorney General Luther Strange said this court order granting permanent injunctive relief against SWATS Edge Performance Chips LLC  is an important victory to protect the consumers of Alabama from unsupported and dangerous health claims made by the Birmingham-area sports performance company.
Jefferson County Circuit Judge Caryl Privett has permanently enjoined SWATS and its principal officers – Mitchell Ross and Christopher Key – from doing business in Alabama or with Alabama consumers. More specifically, the court permanently barred the defendants “individually and through any other name” from engaging in the sports supplement, general nutrition, athletic training, and pain management industries, as a supplier, seller, or servicer in any consumer transaction, within or from Alabama, or with Alabama consumers from another location including the internet. Judge Privett found SWATS and its officers to be in violation of 263 counts of the Alabama Deceptive Trade Practices Act, as charged by the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section in a civil lawsuit. She also made permanent the previous appointment of a receiver to safeguard remaining assets and to handle consumer claims against the company.
“I am very pleased by the Court’s decision to issue a final order for the protection of Alabama’s consumers,” said Attorney General Strange. “The extreme and even absurd nature of health claims made by this company could be harmful to those who might rely on these products and believe their health needs were being met. But even more worrisome were the potential dangers from some of the products themselves. Our action and the judge’s order should serve as a warning that we will not allow companies to defraud and endanger the consumers of Alabama. I am proud of the outstanding work by our Consumer Protection Section to bring this case to a successful conclusion.” The case was handled by Assistant Attorneys General Noel Barnes, Kyle Beckman and Cameron McEwen.
In today’s order, the court concluded: “Defendants have engaged in 263 unlawful acts and practices under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act…The State has proven, through its evidence and the testimony of its many expert witnesses, that Defendants sold mislabeled, misleading, and in some cases, dangerous products to the public.” The court made a factual finding that numerous SWATS products “were sold under false pretenses, many of which are troubling to the extreme. Defendants’ Cooling Concussion Cap in particular represents a significant danger…Defendants’ willful ignorance and contravention of the laws that protect consumers from sham science and medicine justifies an order permanently barring them from being involved in these fields in the future.”
SWATS is a Wisconsin limited liability company that had been doing business in the Jefferson County city of Fultondale since its formation in 2011. On September 5, 2013, Attorney General Strange filed a civil complaint and a motion for a temporary restraining order, which was granted that same day. Following a hearing on September 19, a preliminary injunction was granted.
Among the products sold by SWATS were a “Cooling Concussion Cap” that the Court described as “simply a black compression style “skull cap” intended to be dipped into cooling liquid; sprays and tablets purporting to contain potent doses of a hormone produced by deer that is called IGF-1, or insulin-like growth factor, as well as performance and pain management chips that the court said resembled holographic stickers.
Consumers and creditors should make claims directly to the Receiver, GlassRatner Management and Realty Advisors, before a deadline of January 31, 2014.  Claims must be regarding activities or business conducted by SWATS through September 5, 2013. Claims may be filed through the receivership website, www.swatsreceivership.com, or by mail or other delivery to SWATS Receivership, c/o GlassRatner Management and Realty Advisors LLC, 3424 Peachtree Road, Suite 2150, Atlanta, GA 30326. Claims must include all documentation and other information and supportive evidence. It is required that all materials must arrive at Receiver’s office or website by January 31, 2014.