Washington Informer

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the firebrand socialist who led the nation for 14 years, has died after battling cancer, according to a government report.

NAIROBI - Kenyan presidential hopeful Uhuru Kenyatta opened an early lead as ballots were counted on Tuesday in an election that brought out millions of voters despite pockets of violence that killed at least 15 people.

The deputy prime minister, who faces international charges of crimes against humanity linked to the last election, was provisionally ahead of Prime Minister Raila Odinga by 53 to 42 percent with about half the votes counted.

But Kenyatta could still be overhauled as the count goes on in a vote Kenyans hope will restore their nation's image as one of Africa's most stable democracies after the bloodshed five years ago.

Although voting passed off broadly peacefully with a big turnout, the real test will be whether the candidates and their backers accept the result, after the disputed 2007 vote touched off ethnic blood-letting that killed more than 1,200 people.

"Nobody should celebrate, nobody should complain," election commission chairman Isaac Hassan told journalists, saying work was going on to resolve glitches and speed up the count. "We therefore continue to appeal for patience from the public.

The commission says provisional results may not be tallied until Wednesday, meaning an official declaration will not come until then or later.

Kenyatta's lead has held overnight but about 60 percent of polling stations have yet to report. Odinga's camp said counting in their strongholds had not been completed yet and a debate over the fate of a sizeable number of rejected votes could help shift the balance

The United States and Western donors have watched the vote closely, concerned about the stability of a nation seen as a regional ally in the fight against militant Islam.

They also worry about what to do if Kenyatta wins, because of the charges he faces at the International Criminal Court (ICC) related to the violence five years ago.

With memories of that violence still fresh, many Kenyans are determined to prevent a repeat and have vowed to accept the outcome, as have the candidates.

INVESTOR RELIEF

"People should be patient; in 2007 Mr Odinga was leading against Mwai Kibaki in preliminary results, the following day when we woke up, things turned upside down and Kibaki won the elections. I believe the same thing would happen," said Christopher Otieno, 31, a seller of household wares.

Investors breathed a sigh of relief after voting passed off calmly, initially strengthening the Kenyan shilling against the U.S. dollar. The shilling later lost some of its gains after the slow count cast doubt on whether a first-round victor would emerge. Analysts said an outright win would be preferred to a run-off, which would prolong uncertainty.

The inspector general of the Kenyan police, David Kimaiyo, told a news conference he would not allow demonstrations anywhere in the country over delays in releasing the election results because of concerns protests could turn violent.

According to the election commission's provisional tally, Kenyatta's led by 53 percent of votes counted to Odinga's 42 percent by late afternoon, based on a tally of more than 5 million votes.

(Source: Reuters)

The District finals for "Poetry Out Loud" -- a contest that encourages youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation – will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday, March 18 at the National Portrait Gallery, located at 8th and G streets in Northwest.

This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage with recitations of the works of great poets. The finals will feature10 students from across the city competing for $50,000 in scholarships, and the winner will represent D. C. in the "Poetry Out Loud" national finals in April.

The event, which is and open to the public, will be hosted by Free of WPFG 95.5 FM.

Mayor Vincent Gray and Jennifer Leonard, interim deputy mayor for education, will hold a public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2014 budget for the city's public schools.

The hearing will be held at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 12 at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Ave. in Northeast.

The hearing is to solicit the public's opinion regarding levels of public funding to be sought in the schools' FY 2014 operating budget in accordance to city code.

Members of the public are invited to testify, with statements limited to three minutes per witness and five minutes per organization or group.

Persons wishing to testify should contact Brandon Starkes in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by telephone at (202) 727-4036 by 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 7.

Witnesses should bring three copies of their written testimony to the hearing, and members of the public may submit written testimony, which will be made part of the official record.

Copies of written statements should be submitted to the contacts listed above no later than 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 7.

The editor of JET magazine has issued an apology to Fantasia over a statement that appeared on Facebook stating that the 29–year-old America Idol winner couldn't read.

"I apologize for the lack of sensitivity shown in my FaceBook post. It was a thoughtless comment made during a moment of frustration," Mitzi Miller, JET editor-in-chief, wrote. "It was unprofessional and not representative of the JET mission, which is to uplift. I regret letting my emotions get the best of me. I am truly apologetic."

Miller made the comment about the singer's struggle with reading after the singer complained about a 10-year-old photo of herself that graces the cover of a recent issue. It appears Fantasia had provided the magazine with a current crop of photos to select from, but none of them was used. Fantasia lashed out to Jet, saying the photo that was used was not reflective of her new look and direction, and that using the photo, JET had been unprofessional and disrespectful.

Fantasia admitted in her 2005 memoir, "Life is Not a Fairy Tale," that she had trouble with reading. 

"'This saddens Me!!! It is clear that this picture is 10 Years Old and JET Magazine puts it on the Cover!! After I send them the NEW LOOK AND DIRECTION. . SAD!!!, " Fantasia wrote on her Facebook page. "I WANT A PUBLIC APOLOGY FROM JET. Now im not sure if the interview is correct. SEE!! America they and use me as they crash Dummy BUT NO MORE. IF I DONT STAND FOR SOMETHING ILL FALL FOR ANYTHING."

Miller firmly responded later that:

"JET magazine is honored to have Fantasia grace the cover of its March issue. It is unfortunate that Fantasia is displeased with the cover selection, however JET stands by its decision. As standard editorial practice, JET consulted with Fantasia's team, but reserves the right to select the image we deem as most appropriate for JET's brand and reflective of the cover story sentiment. JET continues to root for Fantasia's success and encourages her fans to pick up the new issue."

But the matter wasn't over.

Miller went on to comment on her Facebook page that: "The fact that I wasted an hour of my workday writing a press release to address an issue created by a person who cannot even read it is just... #whyiwannaBahousewife."

So far, there's been no indication of JET having taken any disciplinary action against Miller.

New App will Help the Public, Housing Industry Learn about Their Housing Rights and Responsibilities

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has unveiled the first housing discrimination mobile application (app) for iPhone and iPad.

Developed by HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) and HP, the app uses the latest technology to provide the public with a quick and easy way to learn about their housing rights and to file housing discrimination complaints, and inform the housing industry about its responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act.

"Having this first fair housing mobile application equips people everywhere with the information they need to combat housing discrimination," said John Trasviña, HUD assistant secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. "We are maximizing the latest technology to make the process for filing fair housing complaints faster and easier and arming our fair housing partners with the information they need to understand their fair housing rights and responsibilities."

The app will also be an important tool to assist fair housing groups and other civil rights advocacy organizations in their efforts to help individuals pursue their housing rights and industry to educate their members on their responsibilities.

In addition to facilitating real-time delivery of housing discrimination complaints to HUD, the app can be used by individuals researching their housing rights after a natural disaster, when power outages make the iPhone/iPad one of the few ways to access the Internet.

"HUD needed an efficient and reliable solution to quickly extend existing capabilities to mobile computing devices," said Marilyn Crouther, senior vice president and general manager, U.S. Public Sector, HP Enterprise Services. "The new HP application achieves operational goals of HUD - from concept to deployment – while more effectively addressing discrimination complaints. The mobile app simplifies and increases access to government services for people."

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Bryon Westmorland had a huge night in leading Bowie State to the CIAA championship.

The senior forward scored a career-high 38 points including 26 points in the second half to outduel Livingstone's Mark Thomas and help Bowie State break open a tight game for an 85-74 victory over Livingstone in the CIAA finals at Time Warner Cable Arena on Saturday. The Bulldogs (16-13 overall) won their second championship, including the first under Head Coach Darrell Brooks, after entering the tournament as the No. 4 Northern Division seed. The latest title comes 10 years and one day after the Bulldogs claimed their first CIAA crown in 2003.

With the victory, the Bulldogs received the conference's automatic bid in the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Blue Bears (22-6 overall) are anticipating an at-large bid after reaching the title game as the No. 6 ranked team in the Atlantic Region. The top eight teams in the region will advance to the tournament.

"I'm so proud of my team, especially my five seniors," Brooks said. "They've worked hard. We've had a lot of adversity this year and all through it, they stuck together and we got a great reward for it."

However, the Blue Bears missed out on that elusive first league championship after winning their first Southern Division title and coming into the tournament as the division's top seed. The Blue Bears can blame Westmoreland, the tournament MVP, for that.

The Bulldogs' star sparked a late run which clinched the title for the Bulldogs. Down 53-51 with 14:42 left, the Bulldogs outscored the Blue Bears 34-21 with Westmoreland scoring 18 points during the spurt. The Bulldogs' finish was similar to Friday's semifinal against Winston-Salem State when they went on a late surge to reach the championship game.

The Bulldogs withstood an outstanding effort by Thomas of the Blue Bears, a talented guard who scored a career-high 34 points before fouling out late. Thomas kept the Blue Bears in the game by scoring 18 points in the second half. His layup on a drive cut the Blue Bears' deficit to 75-67. But Westmoreland completed a three-point play of his own for a 78-67 lead with 2:05 left that wrapped up the game for the Bulldogs, who outscored the Blue Bears 42-33 in the second half.

Westmorland finished the night making 13 of 19 shots which ranged from jumpers to layups in transition which resulted in three-point plays at times. He also made 10 of 15 free throws in addition to getting six rebounds and four steals.

Westmorland got support from his inside players. Junior forward Carlos Smith had 11 points and seven rebounds and senior forward Najee White contributed 10 points. Senior forward Dameatric Scott had seven rebounds and five assists. Senior guard Bryan Wilson also helped out on the boards, grabbing six to go along with eight points. The inside play complemented Westmoreland as the Bulldogs scored 46 points in the paint and 16 second-chance points.

"[The] game was kind of what we expected," Brooks said. "It was a war. We thought it was going to be a very physical game. We thought that the team that did the best job defending and on the backboards would be the team that would probably win the game and fortunately, it was us."

As a team, the Bulldogs shot 56 percent. Meanwhile, the Blue Bears shot 38 percent.

Other than Thomas, the Blue Bears struggled from the floor. Thomas was 11 of 21 from the floor and 9 of 13 from the free-throw line in addition to three steals. Darnell Turner added 11 points but he was the only other double figure scorer. Anthony Welch scored nine points on 3 of 4 three-point shooting.

The Bowie State big men impacted the contest from the start by limiting the Blue Bears to one shot and getting inside for easy baskets. A dunk by Smith off a missed layup lifted the Bulldogs to an early 15-7 lead.

Led by Thomas, the Blue Bears came back to pull within 22-19. The Blue Bears led 26-24 on his three-point play.

The Bulldogs reclaimed momentum when Wilson swished a three pointer for a 40-36 Bulldogs lead with under a minute remaining in the half. A three-pointer by Westmorland made the score 43-38 Bowie State, but Thomas answered with a three before halftime to cut the Bulldogs lead to 43-41 at the break.

Thomas scored 16 points in the first half for the Blue Bears. Westmorland scored 12 and Smith with 10 for the Bulldogs. White added eight points for the Bulldogs.

Thomas gave the Blue Bears a 46-44 lead in the second half on a three-pointer, but Bowie State reclaimed the lead at 51-46 on a free throw and layup by Westmorland.

Once again, it was Thomas who brought back the Blue Bears. His free throw and three from the deep corner put the Blue Bears back ahead 53-51. Westmoreland scored five straight points as the Bulldogs regained the lead at 56-53. A dunk by White and a layup by Westmoreland extended their lead to 65-56, giving the Bulldogs the cushion they needed to hold off the Blue Bears. When Scott scored on a tip-in, the lead reached 13 points at 75-62.

The All-CIAA Tournament team featured Westmorland and Scott of Bowie State, and Thomas, Jody Hill and Ethan Anderson of Livingstone. The other All-CIAA Tourney members are Quinton McDuffie of Chowan, Christopher Grier of Virginia State, Justin Glover of Winston-Salem State, Derrick Washington of Lincoln (Pa.), and Angelo Sharpless of Elizabeth City State. Johnson C. Smith won the Team Sportsmanship Award.