Pakistani troops have fired warning shots at two US helicopters forcing them back into Afghanistan, local Pakistani intelligence officials say.

The helicopters flew into the tribal North Waziristan region from Afghanistan’s Khost province at around midnight, the reports say.

Tensions have risen after an increase in US attacks targeting militants.

The incident comes amid mounting security fears after a militant bomb attack on the Islamabad Marriott hotel.

Pakistan’s army has said it will defend the country’s sovereignty and reserves the right to retaliate to any border violations.

The government has said it will take targeted action against the militants, promising raids in some “hotspots” near the border with Afghanistan.

Meanwhile in the city of Peshawar, Afghan consul Abdul Khaliq Farahi was kidnapped after six unidentified men ambushed his car, officials say. His driver died in the attack.

‘Firing in the air’

Last week Pakistani troops fired into the air to prevent US ground troops crossing the border into South Waziristan.

BORDER TENSIONS 3 Sept: First reported ground assault by US troops in Pakistan – Islamabad responds furiously 15 Sept: Pakistani troops reportedly fire in air to stop US troops crossing in S Waziristan 17 Sept: Top US military chief Adm Mike Mullen visits Pakistan to calm tensions 16 Sept: Pakistan says it was not told of fresh US missile strike 22 Sept: Pakistani troops in fresh firing to deter US incursion into N Waziristan, officials say Confusion over Marriott ‘escape’ ‘We are all in pain and agony’

The latest confrontation between US and Pakistani forces took place in North Waziristan’s sparsely populated Ghulam Khan district, west of the main town in the region, Miranshah, local officials say.

They told the BBC that troops at border posts in the mountainous region fired at two US helicopters which crossed into Pakistani territory.

The helicopters returned to Afghanistan without retaliating.

A senior security official based in Islamabad told the AFP news agency that the helicopters had been repelled by both army troops and soldiers from the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC).

“The helicopters were heading towards our border. We were alert and when they were right on the boundary line we started aerial firing. They hovered for a few minutes and went back,” the official said.

“About 30 minutes later they made another attempt. We retaliated again, firing in the air and not in their direction, from both the army position and the FC position, and they went back.”

A Pakistani military spokesman, Maj Murad Khan, said he had no information “on border violation by the American helicopters”.

The US military in Afghanistan also said it had no information on the incident.

The BBC’s Barbara Plett in Islamabad says after increased American incursions this month, the army stressed that it reserved the right to retaliate.

Our correspondent says standard procedure would be to first fire warning shots.

‘Crisis in relations’

The two countries held talks last week on anti-militant co-ordination.

Anti-US feelings are on the rise in Pakistan

America’s top military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, flew to Islamabad to try to calm the crisis in relations but tensions remain high, our correspondent says.

As well as reported incursions, there have been a number of US missile attacks aimed at militants in Pakistan territory in recent weeks.

The Americans stepped up their strikes after criticism that Pakistani troops were unable or unwilling to eliminate Taleban sanctuaries along the border.

Waziristan is one of the main areas from which Islamist militants launch attacks into Afghanistan.

It emerged earlier this month that US President George W Bush has in recent months authorised military raids against militants inside Pakistan without prior approval from Islamabad.

Pakistan reacted with diplomatic fury when US helicopters landed troops in South Waziristan on 3 September. It was the first ground assault by US troops in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s army has warned that the aggressive US policy will widen the insurgency by uniting tribesmen with the Taleban.

(Adds Nagin evacuation order)

By Tim Gaynor and Kathy Finn

NEW ORLEANS, Aug 30 (Reuters) – New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered the city’s more than 239,000 residents to evacuate on Sunday in the face of powerful Hurricane Gustav, which he called “the mother of all storms.”

The evacuation order issued on Saturday was the first in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina devastated the historic Southern city in August 2005.

“This is the mother of all storms,” Nagin said of Gustav, a monstrous Category 4 storm that could approach the central Louisiana coast just west of New Orleans on Monday.

“You need to be concerned and you need to get your butts moving and out of New Orleans right now,” Nagin said at City Hall. “This is the storm of the century.”

The evacuation order, which will not be physically enforced by officials, will start with the city’s low-lying West Bank starting at 8 a.m. CDT (1300 GMT) on Sunday, followed by the East Bank at noon CDT (1700 GMT), Nagin told reporters.

Residents have the choice to remain behind and weather the storm, but “that would be one of the biggest mistakes that you could make in your life,” Nagin said.

He said people might have to chop through the roofs of their houses to escape rising waters if they stay.

“Make sure you have an ax,” he said.

But one day after the third anniversary of Katrina, many had already decided to abandon the city, much of which lies below sea level.

Thousands of people fled New Orleans earlier on Saturday. Hoping to avoid the 2005 spectacle of desperate city residents crammed into the New Orleans Superdome, the government lined up hundreds of buses and trains to evacuate 30,000 people who cannot leave on their own.

About 10,000 people left the city by bus or train on Saturday, Nagin said. The rest of the 20,000 people that had requested evacuation assistance would leave on Sunday, he added.

Many evacuees were issued wrist bands with bar codes that will allow city officials to track them.

Gustav crashed across the Cuban mainland on Saturday and could hit the U.S. Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm, the second-highest on the five-stage Saffir-Simpson scale, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

SIGNIFICANT FLOODING EXPECTED

In the Lower Ninth Ward, plunged under water by Katrina’s floodwaters, hundreds of residents packed belongings into cars and trucks and left. Some had returned home only a few months ago after fleeing Katrina.

“After Katrina, you’ve got to leave,” said Ruby Hall, a longtime resident, pointing to the place on the timber frame of the porch where Katrina’s waters rose. “I’m not going to chance it, not with my grandchild.”

The city’s West Bank was largely spared by Katrina but could see “significant flooding” because its 10-foot (3-metre) levees are no match for Gustav’s storm surge, which could top 20 feet (6 metres), Nagin said.

Katrina’s massive storm surge broke through protective levees on Aug. 29, 2005, and flooded 80 percent of the city. New Orleans degenerated into chaos as stranded storm victims waited days for rescue.

The hurricane killed about 1,500 people along the U.S. Gulf Coast and caused $80 billion in damages, making it the costliest U.S. natural disaster.

There was bumper-to-bumper traffic on highways leading out of the city on Saturday, and six low-lying parishes — the Louisiana equivalent of U.S. counties — issued evacuation orders.

All major Louisiana interstates will allow only one-way traffic away from the coast starting at 4 a.m. CDT (0900 GMT) on Sunday. The last flight out of the New Orleans airport is scheduled to depart at 6 p.m. CDT (2300 GMT) on Sunday.

In all, 11.5 million people are in the path of Gustav, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Walter Parker, a security guard who was trapped for eight days in his apartment during the Katrina flooding, lined up outside the Union Passenger Terminal as families with bags packed and children in tow waited for transportation.

“I don’t want to see another Katrina, with dead bodies floating in the water,” Parker said. (Additional reporting by Jane Sutton in Miami) (Editing by Chris Baltimore and Peter Cooney)

from : http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSN30496391._CH_.2400

Police have dismissed a claim by the former deputy head teacher Sion Jenkins that a “mystery man” may have murdered his foster daughter Billie-Jo Jenkins.

Mr Jenkins, of Portsmouth, was cleared of murder in 2006. He recently released an e-fit of a man he claims was in his house shortly after he found the body.

But Sussex Police said there was no-one unaccounted for in Mr Jenkins’ Hastings home at the time.

On Monday Mr Jenkins said he had launched a £500,000 compensation claim.

He told BBC News he had made the claim to the government for the six years he spent in prison before being cleared.

‘No investigations’

But a police spokesman said: “We believe we’ve identified to our satisfaction all the people who were at the address. No one is unaccounted for.”

The spokesman said that police would be writing to Mr Jenkins to inform him that they would not be carrying out further investigations into the claim.

Police added that in the absence of “new, significant or compelling” evidence there were no new “viable” lines of inquiry into the murder.

Billie-Jo was found battered to death with an iron tent peg in February 1997.

Mr Jenkins, who was cleared of the murder in 2006, insisted Billie-Jo must have been killed by an intruder while he visited a DIY store.

In 1998 he was convicted at Lewes Crown Court of murdering her and jailed for life but had a retrial in 2005 after successfully appealing.

However, the jury failed to agree a verdict and a second retrial ended the same way in 2006, allowing him to walk free.

From : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/sussex/7582179.stm

Seasoned singers and musicians from all parts of the country will dazzle fans at a two-performance concert, accompanied by the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, on August 25 and 26, at the Thailand Cultural Centre.adidas shoes | buy books | buy camcorders uk | buy canon camcorders | buy cheap xbox 360 | buy games online | buy jvc camcorder | buy memory card | buy musical instruments | buy mobile phones
“Thai Classics” will feature a rearrangement of luk krung and folk songs from the North, Northeast and the South, with Asst Prof Nora-at Chanklam at the helm.buy quality furniture | buy running shoes | buy software | buy televisions | camcorder reviews | canon cameras | cheap camcorders | cheap digital cameras | cheap.game | cheap xbox games | digital camcorder uk | digital camcorders
Lanna folk songs, to be performed, were composed by the late Charan Manopetch. They include Lamnam Haeng Khunkhao (Music from the Mountain). His Pisao Krab (Dear Sister), Rangwan Dae Khonchangfan (Rewards for Dreamers) and Oui Kham (Granny) will be presented in a medley.

Representing musicians from Isan are folk music queen Sunaree Ratchasima, who will bring to the stage some of her all-time hits like Krab Tao Ya Mo (Prostrating Lady Mo), and rising star Takkatan Cholada will sing her smash-hit Maichai Fan Tham Thaen Maidai (Not Your Girlfriend).

Bao Vee, folk singer from the South, will sing his hits Khon Mai (Floating Tree Trunk), and Faakfah (Asking the Sky).

Luk krung legend and National Artist Charin Nanthanakorn will team up with Orawee Sajjanond and sing golden oldies like Thung Ruangthong (Golden Ricefields) and Klin Ratree (Fragrance of Ratree).

There will be two solo performances by violinist and National Artist Kadae Waedeng of Pattani and xylophonist Narongrit “Khun In” To-sagna who will present a Mon-accented dynamic traditional piece, Kratai Ten (Exhilarating Rabbit).

The concerts begins at 8pm. Tickets, priced at 1,500, 1,200, 900, 700 and 400, are available at Thaiticketmajor, or call 02-262-3456.

From : http://www.bangkokpost.com//210808_Outlook/21Aug2008_out002.php

Thai collector instigates Japanese Kaiyodo migration

STORY BY CHOMPOO TRAKULLERTSATHIEN, PHOTOS BY WANCHAI THONGDUANG

Somchai Wongchangpun is neither an animal behaviourist nor anatomist. He holds no degree in zoology.

Yet, with his trained eyes, he is able to describe the anatomy of animals, whether domestic or wild, in minute detail and, more importantly, with great accuracy.

Though he has never set foot on any foreign land famed for their rare or exotic creatures, he can easily unlock the mysterious world of unfamiliar breeds, and, like academics in the field, identify their species in the blink of an eye.

Currently, a myriad of endangered animals, migratory and native birds, wild animals, small and giant reptiles, aquatic creatures, and even some extinct species are under his legal possession. They always look “gleaming” and “healthy” since his priority in life is providing them with attentive and tender care.

“Now I have some 10,000 animals under my charge. I’m so happy to be part of my small kingdom. Each breed carries its own fascinating beauty and distinct personality. I can’t imagine what it will be like living without them,” he mused.

Somchai loves spending time with the animals he loves, ranging from the majestic Macaw, the beautiful Alaskan crab, the slimy land snail to the Giant Salamander. In fact, he can even assemble all different parts together quickly and turn them into the wonderful toys identical to the live originals. Even those with elaborate body parts such as swimmerets, antennae or countless limbs are no problem for him – he remembers every single part and can assemble them deftly with his skilful and caring hands.

“I know all their body parts and enjoy playing with them all,” declared Somchai, smiling.

Thanks to the Japanese miniature models known among collectors as Kaiyodo, Somchai has been able to find a strong connection with other living things. And like a walking encyclopedia, this Kaiyodo enthusiast now holds a wealth of information. He is now the country’s veteran Kaiyodo connoisseur and his collection of rare and unique samples is sought after by many avid Kaiyodo collectors.

“What first started as a hobby has now become my passion. Kaiyodo is like a gateway to another vibrant community where I can learn more about animals of different species. I am now completely hooked,” he said.

At first glance, a Kaiyodo removable model, which is a replica of a domestic or wild animal, is like an ordinary toy equipped with no hi-tech mechanisms. But to Kaiyodo connoisseurs, the thumb-sized models are extraordinary because they feature the impeccable scale replicas which capture the right proportions, colours, details, and shapes of the live prototypes, making them superior to other playthings.

More significantly, Kaiyodo also serves as a source of knowledge since important information about certain breeds including their lifestyle, behaviour, habitat, diet and lifespan is also clearly elaborated in a small leaflet that is included with a Kaiyodo package. “Through the pocket-sized textbooks, collectors – me included – can enrich themselves of the historical and zoological background of certain species they love to collect,” said Somchai.

Actually, Kaiyodo is not produced directly for sale. It is a kind of giveaway that often accompanies several kinds of commodities including water, beer, chocolate, chewing gum and snacks. Kaiyodo is used as a sales promotion gimmick and it can successfully help increase total sales of particular products.

About 90 per cent of Kaiyodo are modelled on native Japanese animals. Others include Siamese cats of Thailand. New series are released annually on the condition that rare species are produced in small portions while the common breeds come in larger numbers. This can prompt many buyers to buy more in search of rarer samples.

According to Somchai, Kaiyodo has enjoyed its enormous popularity among Japanese collectors for several decades and the fad has never dwindled. At the moment, the popularity of Kaiyodo in Thailand is growing more and more intense since an increasing number of collectors are captivated by the eye-striking petite models.

“The fun part of collecting these tiny models is that you can interact with them. Most collectors enjoy dismantling each part of the animal’s body and then reassembling them. So the challenge is to put the right part to the right place,” he said.

“To me, it is not a common collectible toy but an extraordinary one that gives me hours of great fun whenever I feel the urge to play with it,” added Somchai.

Apart from the leisure aspect, Kaiyodo also has an educational element. The Science and Technology Ministry recently used them as a model to produce educational aids and one model represents a full life cycle of the butterfly.

“Through the Japanese models, the children can learn more about Japan’s indigenous animals. One series features marine creatures from the Japanese sea. The other presents wild animals in one forest reserve,” he said.

In fact, what first started as an enjoyable hobby has now become a lucrative business. After spending several years collecting Kaiyodo, Somchai now wants to share his passion with like-minded people. A friend who runs a business in Japan has been helping him auction Kaiyodo from the local manufacturer. He manages to get hold of about 800 pieces a year, and through his Kaiyodo shop at JJ Mall, his products have become hot commodities among toy devotees and pet lovers who eagerly anticipate each new series and are willing to pay through the nose for rare items.

“Some animal lovers are happier to keep Kaiyodo pets rather than real ones since they require much less care. One of my clients who is a cat and dog lover always comes to see me,” he said.

Birds and fish are also popular among Thai Kaiyodo admirers. The 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac and some auspicious animals like roosters, cranes and pigs are also in great demand. The price of Kaiyodo varies from 10 to several thousand baht.

Somchai was first exposed to Kaiyodo models a few years ago when he came across a small parrot and a bantam at a toy shop. Due to their delicate features and eye-catching appearances, these two replicas managed to make him part with his money, and not a small sum at that.

“Two models that caught my attention looked exactly like their real life counterparts. What amazed me was that they were so small yet all of their body parts were removable,” he recalled.

After the bird and the bantam, Somchai began to welcome more and more animals to his menagerie.

“I thought I would stop at those two models but it turns out that the more I see them, the more I like them, and now I realise that I really can’t stop,” he laughed.

Somchai conducts research on his new collections by reading books, asking experts, and watching his most favourite television programmes.

“I spend three hours a day watching animal documentaries. It is necessary to know about their lives, otherwise they are like strangers to me,” said the avid collector.

Recently, Somchai won the bidding for a rare sets of dancing frogs, a process that took six months. In addition, he also owns a lovely series called Beloved Pets, which are now popular among pet devotees.

“The dancing frogs are one of my most beautiful and rare items. That is why their prices are exorbitant. They are popular in Japan and Hong Kong, and are now the latest trend in Thailand. Normally, we are six months behind those two countries in terms of trends because their collectors have more purchasing power. But it doesn’t bother me at all. I collect for fun, not for competition,” said Somchai.

Though now his collection is considered one of the best in Thailand, Somchai is always looking for new acquisitions.

“I am still looking for many species, especially those native to Japan because they are produced in smaller numbers. I am waiting to add the Giant Salamander to my collection. If possible, I want to collect all species on the planet because I want to know about them all,” he said.

In the future, Somchai plans to open a small museum where people can appreciate the animals of the world up close. Now his Kaiyodo shop temporarily serves this function because part of his collection is exhibited there.

“Collecting Kaiyodo models makes me see value in other living things. Now some animals are known through Kaiyodo models. In fact, I don’t want to collect any extinct creatures. But I want to collect all species still existing on the Earth. If we don’t join force to correct the situation, our children will get to know some animals only through Kaiyodo,” he said.

Vitamin D deficiencies have long been associated with disease, but new research suggests that low levels of vitamin D in women with breast cancer can lead to more aggressive forms of the disease, and even death.cheap tv | cheap watches | citizen watches | digital camera | discount watches | cheap earrings | engagement rings
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From : http://abcnews.go.com/Health/OnCallPlusBreastCancerNews/story?id=4866328&page=1
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Ben Stiller Heads to the TropicPlaying an action star who hasn’t read his script but has an unquenchable desire for Tivo, Ben Stiller sticks a spit in the movie business and roasts it over an open fire.

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Stiller said the idea of a scathing satire on big-budget action movies first dawned on him as he was getting his first breaks in the business almost 20 years ago.

Swimming superstar Michael Phelps won his sixth gold medal of the Beijing Games, breaking his own world record in the 200m individual medley.bedroom furniture | cheap dvd movies | buy dvd uk | buy gps uk | buy cheap guitar | cheap laptop
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Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh took silver and Ryan Lochte of the US won bronze.cheap books | cheap cameras | cheap computers | cheap dvd movie | cheap furniture
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But he showed little reaction apart from a quick shake of his fist after his latest victory.

He is now closing in on Mark Spitz’s 1972 record of seven golds at a single Games.

Moments after receiving his medal for winning the 200m medley Phelps returned to the pool for the semi-final of the 100m fly, winning in a time of 50.97secs.

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“The medal was in my warm-up jacket.”

He added: “There wasn’t much time but I think there’s going to be a lot of time for me to rest over the next 18 hours or so, and I’ll be able to be ready for tomorrow morning’s 100.”

His main rivals in that final will be Milorad Cavic of Serbia and US team-mate and world record holder, Ian Crocker.

“It’s definitely a tough race,” said Phelps.

“With (Cavic) and Ian having a great semi-final, it’s going to be a good race tomorrow.

“I’m going to do everything I can to be a little bit closer in the first 50 and hopefully if I’m there at the 50, I’ll be there at the finish.”

Assuming the US qualify, Phelps will then race in the 4×100m medley relay final on Sunday.

Divers Tom Daley, right, and Blake Aldridge competes in Beijing. Photograph: Adam Pretty/Getty Images

Tom Daley’s Olympic debut ended in disappointment today as he and partner Blake Aldridge finished dead last in the final of the synchronised 10m platform diving.

The competition was won by the outstanding Chinese team of Lin Yue and Huo Liang, who secured their country’s 22nd diving gold medal by almost 18 points from Germany, who edged out the Russian team with their final dive.

After six months of hype and media exposure the pressure of Olympic competition told on Daley, the youngest member of the British team at 14 years and 94 days. He performed well below his best, and the duo recorded their lowest competition score since joining forces last year.

Daley said that he had not been overawed by the situation. “It was really exciting and I had a really good feeling out there and I really enjoyed myself but it wasn’t our day,” he said. “I will definitely be stronger for this but after diving like we did today it will make me more hungry for 2012. It was great fun even though we didn’t perform as we can.”

Watched by sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe, Olympics minister Tessa Jowell and VIPs including Bill and Melinda Gates in Beijing’s Water Cube, Daley and Aldridge were hoping to emulate Rebecca Adlington and Joanne Jackson, who won gold and bronze in the 400m freestyle earlier in the day.

It was soon evident that it would not happen. They executed their opening dive well enough to lie in joint third place but soon slipped down the rankings as their composure and confidence deserted them.

Their second-round dive was sloppy, and after they failed to redeem themselves in the third round it was clear that a medal was beyond them. They appeared to have lost the confidence of the judges too, and ended dead last behind Cuba and Colombia, teams they should have beaten on form.cheap tv cheap watches citizen watches digital camera discount watches cheap earrings engagement rings furniture london garden furniture discount garmin guitars for sale
It was evident that the harmony that is a fundamental part of synchronised diving had evaporated long before the end, and Aldridge left the arena bitterly disappointed that his best chance of an Olympic medal had gone.

Daley of course has another chance, next week in the individual and then in London four years hence, when he will have this experience to bolster him against the pressure of a home Olympics.

From : http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/aug/11/olympicsaquatics.olympics20083

ONE of the biggest brand names in food this summer doesn’t carry a trademark. It’s the word “local,” which has entered the language as a powerful symbol of high quality and goodness.

Related

Times Topics: Local Food

Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times

Local blueberries mix with commercial ones at a Manhattan Food Emporium.

Supermarkets are beginning to catch on that stocking corn and tomatoes grown nearby is not enough for customers. Now they are competing with farm stands and farmers’ markets for a wider variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

It’s been a boon for local farmers. Ten years ago local produce was devalued at the wholesale Hunts Point market, said Lyle Wells, whose family has been farming on Long Island since 1660. “Now you can’t get enough of the stuff.”

Last month Wal-Mart announced that it plans to spend $400 million this year on locally grown produce, making it the largest player in that market.

“When Wal-Mart makes a major effort to reach out to local food systems, it’s a major signal,” said Gus Schumacher Jr., a consultant to the nonprofit Kellogg Foundation and a former Massachusetts commissioner of food and agriculture, who has worked to introduce farmers to restaurateurs and retailers since the 1980s.

Some independently owned, small-to-medium-size chains have been selling extensive lines of local seasonal fruits and vegetables for years, lines they are now expanding.

For the largest supermarket chains, though, where for decades produce has meant truckloads transported primarily from the West Coast, it’s not always easy to switch to the farmer down the road.

But soaring transportation costs, not to mention the cachet customers attach to local food, have made it more attractive not just to supermarkets but to the agribusiness companies that supply them.

Growers like Dole and Nunes have contracted with farmers in the East to grow products like broccoli and leafy greens that they used to ship from the West Coast. Because of fuel costs, in some instances the cost of freight is more than the cost of the products.

“There is a huge shift,” said Brian Nicholson, an owner of Red Jacket Orchards in Geneva, N.Y., who has also become a distributor for local farmers. “Wholesalers and retailers no longer say, I can get it cheaper from out West.”

Some supermarket chains are allowing farmers’ markets to take over part of their parking lots on certain days; others have put a farmers’ market right inside the store.

But not all chains are there yet. “The whole commercial value of local is just now being appreciated by retail,” said Bill Bishop, chairman of Willard Bishop, retail marketing consultants in Barrington, Ill. “It’s a little bit behind the curve.”

Hannaford Brothers, with 165 stores in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts, has always sold local produce, but in the last two years its customers have pushed it to offer more. “There’s been a 20 percent increase in sales” in the last year, said Michael Norton, a company spokesman. “Our research tells us consumers have about five or six reasons for wanting local: freshness and taste; keeping farmland in the community and having open spaces; a desire to be close to the food source and know where it comes from; support of local farmers and keeping money in the community. Embedded in all of this is concern about food safety. All this creates pretty powerful interest.”

Will Wedge, director of produce for the chain, said that in company surveys, “82 percent of all customers told us loud and clear, locally grown produce tastes better. We have over 200 farmers selling over 50 different commodities, primarily from June through September.”

Wegmans Food Markets, a 71-store chain based in New York with locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia, has been buying from local farmers for the last 20 years. Today it has 800 farmers and has also experienced a 20 percent increase in sales of local produce over the past year. “There’s a real emotional connection with local,” said Dave Corsi, vice president for produce.