Fred Harteis News Articles - Saudis plan fence to block Iraq's terrorists

Fred Harteis News Articles - In a sign of regional concern over terrorism, Saudi Arabia is pushing ahead with plans to build a fence along its entire 560-mile (900-kilometer) border with Iraq to prevent terrorists from entering the kingdom from the chaotic north.

The barrier, which likely will take five to six years to complete, is part of a $12 billion package of measures, including electronic sensors, bases and physical barriers, to protect the oil-rich kingdom from external threats, said Nawaf Obaid, head of the Saudi National Security Assessment Project, an independent research institute that provides security advice to the Saudi government.

The ambitious project reflects not only concern over terrorism but also growing alarm over the situation in Iraq, where U.S. forces are struggling to prevent Sunni-Shiite violence from escalating to full-scale civil war. (Watch as one analyst says U.S. strategy is flawed -- 1:45)

All of Iraq's neighbors, including the Saudis, fear that violence could spill over the borders and threaten their own security.

For the Saudis, those threats could come from Saudi militants returning home to continue the struggle against the pro-U.S. monarchy or from Shiite extremists seeking to stir up trouble among the country's Shiite minority.

Since 2004, Saudi Arabia has spent about $1.8 billion to shore up its defenses along the border with Iraq.

U.S. and Iraqi officials have long complained about Saudi extremists crossing into Iraq -- mostly through Syria -- to join the battle against American and coalition forces.

However, Obaid said improvements in border surveillance had sharply reduced the traffic heading north. He said the Saudi government is more concerned -- at this point -- with infiltration into its territory from Iraq.

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About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Coffee May Trigger Heart Attack

Fred Harteis News Articles - That cup of coffee you're craving might not be such a good idea.

Research in the September issue of Epidemiology suggests coffee can trigger a heart attack within an hour in some people.

Java junkies can take some comfort from the finding that the risk was highest among light coffee drinkers (those who consumed up to one cup a day).

For those people, the risk of heart attack increased fourfold when they indulged. Couch potatoes and those with other risk factors for heart disease were also at greater risk of having a heart attack after drinking a cup of coffee, the study showed.

As a result of these findings, "people at high risk for a heart attack who are occasional or regular coffee drinkers might consider quitting coffee altogether," says researcher Ana Baylin, in a news release.

Baylin, who works in the department of nutrition, adds that for these individuals, a cup of coffee could be "the straw that broke the camel's back."

Baylin and colleagues suggest caffeine causes short-term increases in blood pressure and sympathetic nervous activity that could trigger a heart attack.

On the other hand, previous studies have shown coffee drinkers may be at decreased risk for Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancers.

In the new study, moderate coffee drinkers (those who consumed two or three cups a day) raised their risk of having a heart attack by 60% by drinking a cup of coffee.

But light coffee drinkers increased their risk of heart attack by more than four times with one cup, according to the study. Little effect was seen among heavy coffee drinkers (those who drank four or more cups per day). What's more, coffee drinkers who have three or more risk factors for heart disease more than doubled their risk of sustaining a heart attack after downing a cup.

The new study was based on 503 cases of nonfatal heart attacks.

The researchers asked participants about their coffee consumption in the hours and days before their heart attack.

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About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Officials, friends can't confirm Bin Laden death report

Fred Harteis News Articles - A report that Osama bin Laden is dead has set off a flurry of denials from U.S., French and Pakistani officials, who say the newspaper report citing French intelligence cannot be independently confirmed.

A Saudi intelligence official, however, told CNN on Saturday that the al Qaeda leader is suffering from a waterborne illness. There have been credible reports that the most wanted man in the world is ill, but there is no intelligence indicating he is dead, the source said.

L'Est Republicain, citing a September 21 French foreign intelligence document, reported that Saudi officials had received confirmation that bin Laden died August 23 of typhoid fever in Pakistan.

"We believe this reporting to be unsubstantiated," a U.S. intelligence official said.

Other U.S. intelligence officials concurred, and White House spokesman Blair Jones said, "We have no confirmation of that report."

A senior White House official with access to intelligence reports added that he has made several calls to senior government officials and could not verify the report.

Across the Atlantic, French President Jacques Chirac said the report was "in no way confirmed" and that he was initiating an investigation into who leaked the confidential document to L'Est Republicain.

"I was rather surprised to see that a confidential note from the [General Directorate for External Security] was published, and I have asked the minister of defense to start an investigation immediately and to reach whatever conclusions are necessary," Chirac said after trade talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Compiegne, France.

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About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harties has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles – Decoding Your Office Decor

Fred Harteis News Articles - Look around your office. Are there Post-It notes plastered to your computer? Are the books on your bookshelf alphabetized? What about your picture frames--are they facing toward you or away from you? Whether you intend to or not, your office is filled with clues about what type of person you are. And like it or not, your employees are making judgments about you based on those clues.

A recent study published in Psychology Today identified the common clues we leave behind and which of the "Big Five" personality traits are associated with them: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and emotional stability. These clues, according to Sam Gosling, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology who helped conduct the study, "are the ways we construct our environment to try and affect how we think and how we feel."

To better understand what sort of personality evidence you're leaving behind, Gosling explains the three main reasons we leave these clues behind:

1. Identity claims. These are the most obvious clues into a person's personality because they're deliberate statements a person makes. For example, having a poster of Adolph Hitler on the wall gives others an immediate idea of the attitude and values you have. Where these identity claims are found also indicates what kind of person you are. If you place a poster on the outside of your door, you're clearly making a statement about yourself that's intended for others to see. However, a self-directed identity claim, such as a picture of your parents facing toward you or a poster on the inside of your door, is more symbolic and meant to reinforce a sense of who you are that others won't immediately recognize.

2. Thought-and-feeling regulators. These elements help us deliberately construct our environment but in a way that affects how we think and feel. So if your office is clear of clutter and you have music playing, you're most likely trying to create a space where you can concentrate. Other ways you try to construct a certain mood is by having plants around or displaying special mementos.

3. Behavioral residue. These are the unconscious clues you leave behind and are the most difficult to judge someone by. For example, an unorganized desk doesn't mean you're deliberately trying to tell others you're messy; it just means you don't put stuff back when you're done. If you have Post-It notes stuck everywhere, it's an unintended consequence of feeling overwhelmed. Behavioral residue also includes evidence of things you've done outside the office or intend to do, such as a ticket stub laying around or a pair of running shoes sitting in the corner. These all help co-workers develop a sense of who you are by indicating what your interests are.

So what's your office saying about you? Depending on your personality, here are some of the more common things Gosling says may be found in your office that define which of the Big Five personalities you have:

Open to new experience. These are the easiest traits to detect. Someone who's open will have things that indicate a broad range of values and interests, such as a wide variety of books; icons and objects that suggest travel to new places and an interest in other cultures; or even a collection of CDs indicating wide-ranging musical tastes. These offices are always very distinctive and often contain unusual or stylish décor.


Conscientious. This is the next-easiest personality type to identify. A conscientious person's office has signs that they're efficient and self-disciplined, that they focus on work, and that they think before they act. This person has a clean, neat desk; their books are arranged in order, maybe by height or alphabetically; their pencils are sharp; and their calendar is filled in. They also tend to have appealing, professional-looking spaces; however, they don't always make particularly good use of their space.


Extroverted. These offices come across as very inviting because they tend to be crafted to try and foster interaction. A person who's extraverted may have a variety of magazines lying around or a bowl of candy sitting on the edge of their desk. Their offices also tend to be colorfully decorated and "full." If their office is large enough, they may have a comfortable sofa and arrange their space so it feels roomy and there's no barriers between the desk and the people who come in. (Introverts, on the other hand, will steer clear of anything that encourages interaction with their co-workers.)


Agreeable. This is a hard personality trait to determine, but someone who's agreeable will generally have clues of sentimentality, such as a pebble from the beach where they had their first kiss or a postcard from an old friend hanging on the wall. These are all self-directed identity claims and thought-and-feeling regulators designed to remind the office owner of loved ones and happy memories. These offices also tend to be inviting and have a wide variety of magazines or CDs displayed.


Emotional stability. Gosling warns that this is the most difficult trait to identify: The study found there was no standard way to identify a person's mental well-being. An office that's decorated, comfortable and formal will usually indicate an emotionally stable person, however.

Family photos. Displaying pictures of your family shows others what you value in life. Where are the photos facing? If they're facing toward you, that suggests more of a thought-and-feeling regulator that indicates you're probably agreeable. If they're facing outward, you're probably more extroverted because you're telling other people what's important to you, or even using the photos as a status symbol.

Plants. An office that contains plants suggests you're trying to create an agreeable environment for yourself and others. It's also a behavioral residue, indicating you plan to stick around for awhile.

Calendars and clocks. A person who has an orderly, filled-in calendar is organized and ready to work. Having a visible clock also shows you're meticulous and hardworking.
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About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Missing 'Baby Abby' found alive

Fred Harteis News Articles - A Missouri woman stabbed a mother and abducted her 11-day-old girl after miscarrying a near-full-term baby herself earlier Friday, the FBI said Tuesday, announcing the infant's recovery.

Abigale Lynn Woods has been missing since Shannon Beck, who lives several miles away from the victim, stabbed 21-year-old Stephanie Ochsenbine and slashed her throat, said FBI Special Agent Roland Corvington.

A sign outside Ochsenbine's Lonedell, Missouri, home announcing Abigale's September 8 birth played a part in how Beck chose her victim, he said.

Beck took the baby, but left Ochsenbine's 1-year-old son Connor unharmed, police said. Ochsenbine walked about 300 yards to a neighbor's home and reported, "Someone stole my baby."

Beck called her sister-in-law, Dorothy Torrez, Sunday to say she had given birth, and Torrez visited Beck Monday and Tuesday, Corvington said.

While accompanying her to a doctor's appointment Tuesday, Torrez noticed makeup on the baby's forehead, the special agent said. Police reports had indicated the baby had a birthmark on her forehead.

While Beck was inside the doctor's office, Torrez rubbed Abigale's forehead with her cap and the makeup came off, revealing a birthmark, Corvington said. Torrez called her own husband and Beck's husband before confronting Beck.

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About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News - Curing cellulite with coffee

Fred Harteis News - As any woman knows, cellulite is big business - $96.9 million was spent last year in the United States alone on products that claim to remove it, not to mention the millions of gym memberships it sells.

But scientists at a lingerie manufacturer have hit upon an easier way to burn off the unsightly fatty deposits all day long: tights impregnated with microcapsules of caffeine.

Palmers, a 92-year-old company spent several months developing and testing the Slim Fit 20 pantyhose. As with other brands of tights that contain skin products such as aloe vera, red algae, or seaweed, the caffeine-laced fabric is activated by body heat. The small drops of liquid, which last for four washes, boost metabolism and burn fat.

"Caffeine rubbed on the skin, like caffeine-laced anticellulite creams, would absolutely work to improve the appearance of cellulite," says dermatologist and La Jolla Spa medical director Mitchel Goldman, who conducted a study using caffeine-laced anticellulite cream. Of the 34 women in the study, 25 noticed a decrease in thigh circumference.

Tightsplease.com, the largest online pantyhose store, is the sole distributor of the caffeine tights so far.

Site director Charles Duncombe says he was skeptical about the price - $50 for three pairs - but sold an estimated 20,000 units in the product's first 18 months. "The response has been phenomenal," Duncombe says.

"I can count on one hand how many customers have called to say the pantyhose doesn't work." That'll make any woman skip the gym and grab a pair.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles – FDA: E. coli linked to Natural Selection Foods


Fred Harteis News Articles - A California natural foods company was linked Friday to a nationwide E. coli outbreak that has killed one person and sickened nearly 100 others.

Supermarkets across the country pulled spinach from shelves and consumers tossed out the leafy green.

Food and Drug Administration officials said that they had received reports of illness in 19 states.

The outbreak was traced to Natural Selection Foods, based in San Juan Bautista, California, and the company has voluntarily recalled products containing spinach.

FDA officials stressed that the bacteria had not been isolated in products sold by Natural Selection Foods but that the link was established by patient accounts of what they had eaten before becoming ill. An investigation was continuing.

"It is possible that the recall and the information will extend beyond Natural Selection Foods and involve other brands and other companies at other dates," said Dr. David Acheson, the chief medical officer with the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Natural Selection Foods said in a statement that it was cooperating with federal and state health officials to identify the source of the contamination and had stopped shipping all fresh spinach products.

They are sold under the brand names Rave Spinach, Natural Selection Foods, Dole, Earthbound Farm, Trader Joe's, Ready Pac and Green Harvest.

State health officials received the first reports of illness August 25, and the FDA was informed on Wednesday, Acheson said.

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About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Healthcare, energy drive up college costs

Fred Harteis News Articles - State university tuition has leaped 40 percent in the past five years, hitting the three out of four American college students who attend public universities.

Tuition has risen 126 percent (after inflation) since 1984 and is eating up an ever-growing chunk of family incomes. In 1984, the tuition and fees at a public, four-year college was just 4.8 percent of the median family income; today it's 9.5 percent.

The heart of the problem is that states must juggle the cost of funding their education system alongside two other major funding obligations: state-funded Medicaid and the state criminal justice system.

When states are forced to make cuts in education, they typically spare K-12 education programs because they're politically sensitive, according to Michael Dannenberg, director of Education Policy Program at the non-partisan New America Foundation.

State universities, however, have a mechanism for making up their shortfalls - tuition hikes. So "beginning 2000-2001, governors whacked funding for higher ed," and the tuition went soaring, Dannenberg said.

"The percentage of revenues from the state has plummeted for public universities," said Sandy Baum, Senior Policy Analyst for the College Board. In the past five years state budgets have gotten tight as "Medicaid and the criminal justice systems have taken over" [as funding priorities], Baum explained.

"Unless you stem the tide of Medicaid costs, there's no turnaround in sight," for public university tuition hikes, Baum said.

But healthcare costs don't just pressure state tuition prices by competing for state budget dollars.

Benefit costs for universities, including the cost of employee health insurance, grew 175 percent from 1985 to 2005, while professional salaries grew only about 125 percent in the same period, according to the College Board.

And healthcare costs are not the only surging expense for universities: energy and utility costs, which had remained relatively stable from 1985 to 2000, nearly doubled in the past five years, according to the College Board.

The cost of utilities for all universities - public and private - have jumped 27.1 percent since 2005, according to the Commonfund Institute's Higher Education Price Index.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Solemn tributes mark 9/11's fifth anniversary

Fred Harteis News Articles - Five years after the worst terrorist attack on American soil, President Bush on Monday saluted the nearly 3,000 people who were killed on September 11, 2001.

On a drizzly, chilly day near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Bush exchanged hugs and greetings with people who lost family members onboard United Airlines Flight 93.

That airliner crashed in a field after passengers fought back against four hijackers who were steering the plane toward Washington -- the fourth commercial jet destroyed that morning in 2001.

The president and first lady Laura Bush laid a wreath at the site in tribute.

In New York, families and friends who lost loved ones at the World Trade Center gathered at Ground Zero for a solemn ceremony.

The commemoration included four moments of silence -- two for the times that hijacked planes hit the twin towers and two for when the burning buildings collapsed into mountains of rubble, killing thousands of people working there and first responders who were trying to rescue them. (Watch family members observe moment of silence -- :50)

"We've come back to remember the valor of those we lost, those who innocently went to work that day and the brave souls who went in after them," former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said.

The ceremony also included the reading of the names of the 2,749 victims at the trade center site by about 200 of their spouses, partners and significant others.

The first moment of silence came at 8:46 a.m. ET, the moment American Airlines Flight 11 slammed into the trade center's north tower; followed at 9:03 a.m., when United Flight 175 struck the south tower; then at 9:59 a.m., when the south tower fell; and finally at 10:29 a.m., when the north tower collapsed.

To read this complete Fred Harteis News Article visit our news partner at:

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About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - 3 tips: Maximizing card rewards

Fred Harteis News Articles - There will be no more double-reward points from American Express, according to a recent announcement. And one expert we talked to said it's only a sign of what's to come in reward- card programs.

When it comes to reward cards, there are generally three types of programs: point-based programs, like the one from American Express, cash-back programs, and, of course, frequent flier reward cards.

Everyone gets pitches for reward cards. And we mean EVERYONE. Even pets! Last year over 6 million credit card solicitations were sent out. You alone probably received about 72 offers.

Point-based programs, which let you accumulate points with your purchases and choose your reward through a catalog, are being scaled back.

Meanwhile, more card issuers are offering bigger cash-back rebates for everyday items such as groceries or toothpaste.

For most people, cash-back cards are the way to go since they just don't charge enough to get a free airline ticket - in most cases, you'll have to spend $25,000 a year to earn a domestic flight.

Plus, with the trouble the airline industry has been in, airlines are more likely to raise fees and restrictions on when you can fly.

Get a magnifying glass
Point-based programs aren't such a great value, either, since items in reward catalogs are usually way overpriced, according to Curtis Arnold of CardRatings.com. "If you spend $10,000, you'll get 10,000 points. But in the end, if you're only getting a toaster oven, you're getting shafted," he says.

Yes, it's all in the details. With cash-back cards, you may have to spend a certain amount annually before you get the advertised rebate. In some cases, that can be over $6,500 a year. And beware of caps! There may be a limit to how much you can get back. In some instances, you may be limited to $300 a year.

You also need to get the details when it comes to redeeming your points. Cards may give you a timeline to cash in points. And sometimes you'll have to pick up the phone and call the company to get your rebate check.

Also, don't forget that issuers can change their policy at any time to increase fees or limit rewards with only 15 days' notice.

Tools for negotiation
The credit card industry pays up to $200 to acquire a single customer. In other words, the ball is in your court.

If you have a reward card, or are in the market for a card, you may be able to eliminate some fees by negotiating with your issuer. About 75 percent of cards have some kind of reward program, according to Ben Woolsey of CreditCards.com. So these cards are competing hard for your business.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Ford names new CEO

Fred Harteis News Articles - Ford Motor Co. Tuesday surprised the auto industry by tapping senior Boeing executive Alan Mulally as its new chief executive officer, succeeding current CEO Bill Ford, who will stay on as chairman.

Mulally, 61, who heads Boeing's commercial airplane unit, will become president and CEO of Ford immediately as the struggling automaker gets set to unveil a huge overhaul of its North American auto operations.

Mulally was most recently executive vice president at Boeing.

Shares of Ford rose about 1.5 percent on the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday and surged another 2 percent or so in after-hours trading.

The announcement came after the close of regular trading.

Industry analysts said that Bill Ford, the 49-year-old great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford, was making a smart move but that more would be needed to halt the slide in market share for the nation's No. 2 automaker.

"I think Bill Ford was under some pressure to bring in additional leadership," Tim Ghriskey at Solaris Asset Management, an investment firm, told Reuters. "He remains as executive chairman, still very much in control, but I think this step to bring in new management from outside the company is a smart, mature action ... to move the company on to the next step."

Ghriskey noted that GM has made more headway in restructuring than has Ford.

"My point with Ford is and always has been, they wouldn't be in this position if they didn't have these problems on the product side," Erich Merkle, analyst at IRN Inc., told the news agency. "What Ford has to do on the product side is to get back to an understanding of why people purchase cars and take more risks in terms of design."

Bill Ford told employees just recently that the company needs a new business model and is considering turning to outside executives and making alliances with other carmakers, according to a Financial Times report on Sunday citing a memo it said was sent to staff.

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Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harties has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Best credit cards for college kids

Fred Harteis News Articles - Laptop, iPod, a messenger bag and yes, a credit card - all the staples of modern college life. Nowadays, owning a piece of plastic has become as much as part of the college experience as griping about the dorm food.

In fact, over three-quarters of all college kids have a credit card, according to a recent study published by the student loan firm Nellie Mae.

But while many college students are tempted to sign up with the first offer that comes their way, parents and students should know their son or daughter is entitled to some pretty sweet deals even if they have not established a credit history.

A fair APR
For starters, students should be able to qualify for a reasonable interest rate, says Curtis Arnold, founder of the online credit card rating outfit CardRatings.com.

While many cards offer introductory rates of zero percent for the first six to 12 months, students without a credit history should try to find a credit card with an annual percentage rate in the mid-teens - around 16 or 17 percent or lower, says Arnold.

Rewards card for the responsible
For those students that can stay on top of their expenses and exercise restraint when it comes to using the card, they should know there are some reward cards out there that dovetail with student spending habits, says Justin McHenry, research director at card rating firm Indexcreditcards.com.

Some cards, for example, give you points just for purchasing books, buying groceries or filing up your car. "For anyone that can handle their finances and pay the card off every month, I encourage them to take advantage of reward cards," says McHenry.

No fees and a grace period
Students should also be aware that there are plenty of cards out there that offer no annual fee and a grace period of at least 20 days, says Arnold, which is important, especially if they fail to mail that monthly payment on time.

Parents and students should also realize there are plenty of issuers out there that are looking to make a buck off the financially naive, including college kids.

A couple favorites
While students can expect to be bombarded by offers on campus, on the Web and in their mailbox, experts weighed in on what some of their favorite credit cards were for college kids.

mtvU Platinum Select Visa Card for College Students - This card was at the top of almost every expert's list. Joseph Ridout, spokesman for the advocacy group Consumer Action, said one of the most impressive things about this card was not the rewards, but the fact that students received points for paying their bill on time and for getting good grades.

Ohio Savings Bank Student Platinum Plus Visa or MasterCard - Students with a limited or no credit history that apply for this card should be able to secure an annual percentage rate of 13.99%, notes Arnold.

Sovereign Bank Student Credit Card- Available in as either a MasterCard or Visa, this card offers a stunningly low 9.90% fixed interest rate, making it one of the lowest credit card rates out there right now, says McHenry of Indexcreditcards.com.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor, 61, dies

Fred Harteis News Articles - Mayor Bob O'Connor, who learned he had a rare form of brain cancer only seven months into his term, died Friday night, his spokesman said. He was 61.

O'Connor, hospitalized since July when he was diagnosed with four brain tumors, died shortly before 9 p.m. with family members present, said his spokesman, Dick Skrinjar.

His condition deteriorated throughout the week after brain scans Monday showed seizure activity, and tests indicated his spinal fluid and an implanted drain may have been infected, according to his medical team at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Shadyside.

"I can't just help but feel that this is an overwhelming tragedy for Pittsburgh," former mayor Sophie Masloff said. "Bob really loved Pittsburgh. ... It was too brief a time for Bob to be mayor, but in that time he demonstrated outstanding leadership."

City Council President Luke Ravenstahl was to be sworn in as mayor later Friday, Skrinjar said.

Ravenstahl had started Friday's City Council meeting with a moment of silence. After the meeting, Ravenstahl, Deputy Mayor Yarone Zober and the mayor's spokesman attended an interfaith prayer service at a downtown church.

O'Connor, a former City Council president, became the city's 58th mayor in January. During his short time in office, he spearheaded efforts to promote downtown development and clean up the city of 330,000.

He pledged to restore Pittsburgh's financial stability after succeeding Tom Murphy, whose 12-year tenure saw the city sink to near bankruptcy.

O'Connor also was a Eucharistic minister, which allowed him to administer communion to residents of a personal care home.

He was initially admitted to the hospital after complaining of flulike symptoms. Diagnosed with an ulcer, he was released several days later, but subsequent tests revealed the mayor also had a rare form of primary central nervous system lymphoma. He was readmitted July 10, and began chemotherapy treatment.

O'Connor and his wife, Judy, had three children.


Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harties has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.