brJMS Departs Thor (IGN Comics) brJ. Michael Straczynski, the man responsible for elevating the God of Thunder’s series from a mid-tier title to a top-level performer, is departing Thor this September. Earlier this week, Diamond’s Previews catalogue listed two Thor titles, and Straczynski’s, which is currently titled Thor: Defining Moments Giant-Size, is being billed as the conclusion of the writer’s run. briSource: comics.ign.com/ibrbr’Big John’ works to keep fighters safe (Canada.com) brAn iconic figure in the world of mixed martial arts, he’s credited by many with elevating it from a barbaric street-brawling spectacle to a legitimate mainstream sport. briSource: www.canada.com/ibrbrThune Replaces Ensign as Chairman of Republican Policy Committee (CQPolitics.com via Yahoo! News) brSenate Republicans shuffled their leadership Thursday, elevating John Thune of South Dakota to succeed John Ensign as chairman of the Policy Committee and electing Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to succeed Thune as GOP conference vice chairman. briSource: news.yahoo.com/ibrbr2009/06/27 (The New Straits Times) brFERNANDO Verdasco leads the glittering cast for the Malaysian Open at the Putra Stadium on Sept 26-Oct 4. The Malaysian Open this year has beaten three other countries to a place on the ATP World Tour circuit, elevating significantly the event’s prestige. briSource: www.nst.com.my/ibrbrBerkeley Group promotes FD Perrins in board revamp (Accountancy Age) brBerkeley Group has said it will reshuffle its board at the comapny’s AGM on 9 September, elevating its FD Rob Perrins to managing director of the property developing giant. briSource: www.accountancyage.com/ibrbrNaharin’s brilliance on display at ADF (The News Observer) brOhad Naharin’s impact as a modern dance choreographer was acknowledged in two ways Thursday at the Durham Performing Arts Center: a lifetime achievement award and a riveting presentation of career highlights. briSource: newsobserver.com/ibrbrElevating junk to new levels (Lexington Minuteman) brTo say lifelong Lexington resident Joan Quinzani?s art is ?eclectic? only scratches the surface. It goes beyond ?recycled,? though she does not shy away from that characterization. briSource: www.wickedlocal.com/ibrbrMan gets 29 years in St. Charles murder (The St. Charles Sun) brArthur Manning was sentenced Thursday to 29 years in prison for the September 2008 stabbing death of Naromi Mannery, a St. Charles carnival worker. Judge Timothy Q. Sheldon, in handing out the maximum sentence available, said while the 58-year-old Manning expressed remorse for the murder, he failed to understand he was responsible for elevating a fight between himself and victim Naromi Mannery … briSource: www.suburbanchicagonews.com/ibrbrCulinary program popular (The Springfield News-Leader) brStudents in Ozarks Technical Community College’s culinary arts program are cooking up a great future for themselves in addition to elevating the program to one of the 10 most popular offered at the college. briSource: www.news-leader.com/ibrbrSacramento Kings owner and Etnies team up for skate contest (Orange County Register) brOrange County event is expected to draw pros seeking big dollars. briSource: www.ocregister.com/ibr