Toyota formally notified the NHTSA of the recall in a letter on October 5. Owners of the recalled vehicles, which include eight Toyota models manufactured in the last six years, are being notified by first-class mail in a mailing that was sent out on Friday, October 30th.

This first mailing will alert owners to the potential dangers posed by the floor mats but will not announce a fix. When Toyota decides on a solution, it will contact owners about the availability of a free remedy in a second mailing.

Some early reports indicated that rather than focusing on the floor mats, Toyota was researching on-vehicle countermeasures such as a "smart pedal" that would tell the vehicle to ignore the gas pedal if the brakes were applied simultaneously. Such a measure, which is standard in most German-made vehicles and Chryslers, would enable drivers to regain control of their vehicles easily and instantly despite the cause of unintended acceleration.

However, retrofitting 3.8 million vehicles with smart pedal technology would be extremely costly.  A modification to the pedal in the affected vehicles would cost as much as $440 million, according to a Tokyo Shimbun report cited by Reuters.

A recall involving redesigned floor mats, on the other hand, would cost about $100 million. New reports say that the latest Toyota recall will indeed be a floor mat fix of some kind.

Toyota's largest recall comes during its toughest financial time. The company expects to lose $4.7 billion for the year ending March 31 -- its second consecutive annual loss. The economic downturn and a poor exchange rate are obvious culprits, but according to Toyota President Akio Toyoda, the troubles run even deeper.

"Toyota has become too big and distant from its customers," President Akio Toyoda, he told journalists in Tokyo last month. "We are grasping for salvation," he added, after apologizing for an accident that occurred in San Diego last August, which investigators say was caused when a floor mat jammed the accelerator pedal in a Lexus ES 350. The horrific accident claimed the lives of a California Highway Patrol officer and three of his family members, finally prompting the massive recall.

Until Toyota develops a fix, owners of the recalled vehicles should remove their driver's side floor mats immediately. "This is an urgent matter," transportation secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement last month. "For everyone's sake, we strongly urge owners of these vehicles to remove mats or other obstacles that could lead to unintended acceleration." 

The recall encompasses the following Toyota and Lexus models: 2007 - 2010 Camry; 2005 - 2010 Avalon; 2004 - 2009 Prius; 2005 - 2010 Tacoma; 2007 - 2010 Tundra; 2007 - 2010 Lexus ES 350; and 2006 - 2010 Lexus IS 250 and 2006 - 2010 Lexus IS 350. 

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In seven starts in 2009, in his own no. 83 BeasleyAllen.com sponsored Ford Fusion, Enfinger checked off four top-five finishes among a couple of near wins at Kentucky and Chicagoland, where he finished second. Third place finishes at Talladega and Kansas, and a seventh at Rockingham served notice that this guy's the real deal.

"I'm fairly satisfied," said Enfinger. "Our performance probably exceeded the expectations of the guys who helped us at Beasley Allen. We're still searching for a little more. I'm disappointed with didn't pull off the win, but overall, I'm satisfied."

Enfinger first got the attention of the troops at Talladega where he steered the BeasleyAllen.com Ford to third in final running order behind '09 champ Justin Lofton and '99 champ Bill Baird. Not too shabby.

Then Enfinger proved he was no one-race wonder when he led 35 laps at Kentucky, giving up the lead only in the final corner of the final lap to Parker Kligerman. Up to that point, Enfinger and Kligerman wowed the live SPEED TV audience with an ongoing bumper-to-bumper, door-to-door dual over the last 30 laps. Even National Speed Sport News publisher emeritus Chris Economaki commented in his weekly column that it was the best stock car race he had witnessed all year. It was, indeed, that good. 

"We are a very low budget team, just stringing parts and pieces of this car together to try and make it work, and a finish like this really means a lot," said Enfinger right after the race at Kentucky.

Even though the car belongs to Enfinger, many of the pieces and parts that ultimately make it go are rented and/or borrowed.

"We rented some shocks; actually a couple of team let us borrow them. Rick Crawford from Circle Bar Racing let us borrow some gears. Other guys let us use their sway bars and springs. Everything we borrowed, we had to give back."

Enfinger also gets a lot of good advice from his good buddy David Ragan, both fellow Alabamians.

"David (Ragan) comes to the shop all the time. I've always leaned on him for advice about tracks I've never been to, and the business side of things. Rick Crawford's from Mobile; we've known each other for ever, so I lean on him for advice all the time too."

Enfinger, who sets up shop these days in the Mooresville, North Carolina area, has been back home this week in Alabama working on a late model.

"I'm gonna run in the Snowball Derby (December 6), so I'm getting the car ready. Josh and George Braggs field the car for me so I'm down here getting things ready.

"Other than that, I've been working on the Daytona car getting ready for the ARCA test (December 18, 19, 20). We're prepping for the test but everything's kind of up in the air right now.

"I've got some options. Some guys approached us, but nothing solid that's for sure. My goal would be to run the full season in ARCA with my own team, but nothing's far enough along to say that. I'm not sure I'm ready to be anywhere else. I really like the ARCA series, and I think it's where I need to focus right now."

In just over a half-dozen starts this year, Enfinger taught himself a lot.

"I definitely learned a lot. I don't think there's a better series out there that can prepare drivers for the next level. This was the first year I could actually race. The biggest thing I learned was that, as a driver, I have a lot more to gain. And as a team, there's a lot more to be learned, and this is the place to do it. This was my first year on bigger tracks, and I need to do a lot more of that before we try and step up."

From a team standpoint, Enfinger never really had the luxury of working with the same people from race to race.

"We didn't ever have the same pit crew, didn't have the same spotter either. That said, I didn't really expect to come here and contend for wins. But it probably didn't surprise me as much as it did Beasley Allen, which they are the reason we ever got this opportunity to begin with. They knew what we were up against here. I'm sure they were expecting some possible top-10s on a good weekend, but didn't expect to contend for wins."

And with all the borrowed pieces, parts and people, that's exactly what Enfinger did every time he sat the in the car.

"I'm going to Talladega this weekend. Gunna shake as many hands as I can - try and get some direction for next year."

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which releases a Halloween Safety Alert each year, always emphasizes the safety of costumes. Customers should look for a tag or label that designates costumes, masks, wigs, and other accessories as "Flame Resistant." Jack-o-lanterns are typically lit with candles and placed on stair cases, porches, and other places around entryways, posing a fire hazard to children who aren't mindful of the flames.

Customers should know that a costume labeled as flame-resistant can still catch fire. The label means that the item will resist burning when removed from the flame or other ignition source and should extinguish quickly if it does catch on fire. The CPSC recommends that consumers avoid donning baggy or billowing costumes and costumes that are made of delicate materials. Doing so will minimize the risk of burn injuries.

Costumes should be visible, especially to motorists. Vampires and witches watch out -- the CPSC says that costume colors should be "light and bright." All costumes, regardless of color, should be decorated or trimmed with reflective tape that will glow in a car's headlight beams. Hardware, sporting goods, and bicycle stores normally sell reflective tape.

Because loose hats and scarves can slip over the face and obstruct a child's vision, they should be tied or safely secured. The CPSC recommends wearing facial makeup rather than masks, but says that if masks are used, they should be secure and not obstruct vision. Accessories such as knives and swords should be made of soft and flexible materials only. To minimize the risk of fall injuries, costumes should be trimmed short enough to prevent kids from tripping. Children should not wear loose or ill-fitting shoes such as high heels when walking from house to house.

As an extra precaution, all children should carry flashlights, which will help them to walk safely in the dark while making them even more visible to cars. (Please note there is a recall on a type of Halloween flashlight sold exclusively at Target stores.)

When trick or treating, adults or older children should always accompany young children.  Because kids can sometimes be excited and anxious to get to the next house, the CPSC stresses that children should not run but WALK from house to house. Supervisors should remind children to walk on the sidewalk if there is one, not to run out from between parked cars, and not to run across yards. Both the darkness and costumes can impair vision, making it easy for children to run into lawn ornaments, furniture, clotheslines, and other dangers.

Children should avoid darkened homes or homes where the residents are not known. Homes that celebrate Halloween typically leave an outside light on as a sign of welcome and display Halloween decorations. Children should never enter a home unless they are accompanied by an adult.

People who remain at home to welcome trick-or-treaters should remove obstacles from the lawn, steps and porches. Any candle-lit jack o'lanterns should be kept clear of landings, doorsteps, and balusters where they may come in contact with costumes and create a fire. They should also be kept away from decorations, curtains, furniture, and other objects that can catch fire.

When the trick or treating is over, it is important that adults carefully inspect the candy that the children have collected, discarding any open, unsealed, and suspicious looking packages.

Be mindful of your pets' safety too! Be sure to keep cats indoors where they are safe from monsters. Keep dogs in a safe place, too, where they won't be upset by strangers or people wearing costumes. While the evening may be light and festive, it can turn deadly for a pet that consumes alcohol, chocolate, and other substances toxic to animals.

For more tips on how to keep Halloween safe and fun, visit the CPSC's website or Halloween-Safety.com.

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Nutro Products recalled several lots of dog foods with a best-by date of Sept. 10 after finding pieces of a worker's plastic hat in the production line. The company determined that the final products probably did not contain any plastic.

The recall applies to Nutro Ultra Puppy food in 4.5-pound packages, bar code 79105 51313, and Nutro Natural Choice: Chicken Meal, Rice and Oatmeal Formula Small Bites Puppy food in 5-pound packages, bar code 79105 23050, from PetSmart stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.

The recall also affects Nutro Ultra Puppy food in 30-pound packages, bar code 79105 51315, from Petco stores in California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. For more information on the Nutro Products recall click here.

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When asked why she had spoken out against the vaccines, Dr Harper said it was a matter of conscience. "I want to be able to sleep with myself when I go to bed at night," she told The Bulletin, a Philadelphia newspaper.

Dr. Harper explained that 90 percent of HPV infections resolve themselves after 2 years, and that the vast majority of those cases (70 percent) actually resolve unaided in under one year's time.

Moreover, the number of cervical cancer cases in the United States is so low that vaccines and PAP screenings would not lower the cervical cancer rate unless 70 percent of the population was vaccinated. And even then, the cancer rate decrease would be minimal.

According to Dr. Harper, preventative measures and traditional therapies have already cut the cervical cancer rate by 4 percent a year. With these current treatments, she said, HPV will be nearly eradicated in 60 years. Gardasil could not claim to do as much as traditional care is already doing, even if 70 percent of the women received vaccinations and booster shots in that same period of time, Dr. Harper explained.

Essentially, the risks of adverse side effects caused by the vaccine are much greater then the risks of developing cervical cancer.

Alarmingly, Merck never conducted any trials for Gardasil's efficacy in girls under 15 years old, yet girls as young as 9 are often pressured to receive the vaccine.

Dr. Harper said in a 2007 interview that Merck's push to have young girls vaccinated was actually "a great big public health experiment." When Merck lobbied to make the vaccine mandatory in public schools, Dr. Harper spoke out. She alleges that she tried to get television and print media to pick up the story, but no one was willing to air her concerns.

Since Gardasil was first unleashed on the population in 2006, more than 15,000 girls have reported adverse side effects to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Reactions that have been officially reported include brain inflammation, seizures, blood clots, paralysis, lupus, Guilliane Barre Syndrome, and several others. Forty-four deaths attributed to the vaccine have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to a news release from Glaxo-Smith-Kline, that company's HPV vaccine Cervarix was just approved for use in the United States by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), on Oct. 16, 2009. It is not yet in use in this country, but is in use in Australia and Europe. It has been linked to more than 2,000 cases of serious, adverse reactions since the U.K. government began administering it to schoolgirls last year. One of the worst cases involved 14-year-old Natalie Morton, who collapsed and died in school in England just one hour after receiving the vaccine.

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Pictured are, from left, County Commissioner E. Hamilton Wilson, Jr.; State Bar President Thomas J. Methvin; Montgomery County Bar Association President Patrick L.W. “Pat” Sefton; and Royal Dumas, Chairman of the Montgomery County Bar Association Pro Bono Committee.

At its regularly scheduled meeting Monday, Oct. 26, the Montgomery County Commission presented a Resolution officially declaring Pro Bono Week in Montgomery County, October 25-31, 2009. The resolution was presented by Commissioner E. Hamilton Wilson, Jr., to State Bar President Thomas J. Methvin of Montgomery (Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.); Patrick L.W. "Pat" Sefton, President of the Montgomery County Bar Association (Sasser, Sefton, Tipton and Davis, P.C.); and Royal Dumas, Chairman of the MCBA Pro Bono Committee (Hill, Hill, Carter, Franco, Cole & Black, P.C.).

"Providing access to justice for those who cannot afford it levels the playing field. When we improve access to the state's courts we are actually helping Alabama families help themselves," Methvin said.

The situation is particularly acute now as the recession has caused many financial problems to morph into legal problems and increasing numbers of the poor and disadvantaged are turning to legal aid programs because they have nowhere else to go. The right to counsel in civil cases is necessary to make equal justice under law a reality. But last year, for more than half a million poor persons in Alabama, the only reality was a pressing legal problem that went unresolved.

Methvin said that the types of unresolved civil legal problems include: women who are seeking protection from abuse, mothers trying to obtain child support or custody of their children, families who are facing unlawful eviction or foreclosure that could leave them homeless, and individuals who have lost their job and need unemployment benefits.

During Pro Bono Week, lawyers in each of the state's 42 judicial circuits will participate in

events like: conducting free legal clinics offering advice and counsel in areas such as elder and family law; discussing with community and civic groups the critical need for the Legislature to provide a continuous stream of funding for legal services, and recruiting additional lawyers to volunteer to provide pro bono service.

Additionally, the Montgomery County Bar Association has plans for continuing pro bono outreach in Montgomery County. The MCBA will debut a monthly free legal services clinic, which will operate on the first Tuesday of each month, beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Currently, Alabama ranks 51st in the U.S. and its territories in the amount of funding provided for civil legal aid. On average, the state spends $10 annually for every low-income citizen and this rank places us behind every state and Puerto Rico.

"We are grateful to our elected representatives for including in the state budget funds for legal aid but it's still a shameful situation. Given the tough economic times we are facing, we have to do more," Methvin said. He has dedicated his term in office to improving access to justice.

According a nationwide survey conducted by the American Bar Association earlier this year, 73 percent of lawyers reported that they had provided free legal work to people of limited means.

The 16,000-member Alabama State Bar is dedicated improving the administration of justice and increasing public understanding and respect for the law.

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Grant qualified the BeasleyAllen.com ARCA car 9th out of 41 competitors. A $5 electrical switch failure coupled with the pit crew hired for the Rockingham race played a big part in his finishing 7th. After the switch failed, Grant held on in the 5th position until the last 5 laps.

This race marks the end of a very successful limited ARCA season. "BeasleyAllen has made possible our great runs across the country in ARCA. Whatever happens in the future I appreciate the firm's support of the racing program. If we continue up the racing ladder, it will be because BeasleyAllen has supported us."

Race fans will have a chance to see one of the BeasleyAllen.com ARCA cars in Montgomery in November. Enfinger will bring a car to Beasley Allen's Legal Strategies Conference and Expo, the largest continuing education event in the state for Alabama lawyers in private practice. That event is set for Nov. 20-21 at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center, in downtown Montgomery.

Two weeks after his visit to Montgomery, Enfinger will pilot the Beasley Allen Super Late Model at the Snowball Derby.

BeasleyAllen.com Racing promotes the Beasley Allen law firm to race fans throughout the southeastern United States, while also working to bring attention to the battle against Cystic Fibrosis. Enfinger is a graduate of the University of South Alabama (Mobile) Mitchell School of Business, with an emphasis in marketing. Since his graduation in December 2007, he has devoted his time and energy to his racing career. Helping Grant in the shop on a daily basis is Craig "Snowman" McCrimmon.

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Photo by Littlefield Photography

As she rode her 4-year-old gelding Quarter Horse, Vern, in the finals at the recent Music City Futurity cutting horse show in Franklin, Tennessee, Julia Beasley tried to relax. The horse trembled with intense concentration, anticipating the cow's next move to keep the cow in front of him. When it was over, the pair earned the Reserve Champion title. Sam Shepard, Julia's trainer, made the Open finals on Vern at the Music City Futurity. Vern was the Non-Pro Champion recently at Magnolia Classic in Canton, Mississippi, with Julia and was Open Reserve Champion with Sam Shepard riding him.

Julia got into the sport by chance, after stopping at the Crawford Arena in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1999 when she spotted some horse trailers. She had actually started riding horses in the fourth grade when her family moved to Montgomery, but decided to take a break from the sport after getting bucked off a horse in the 7^th grade.  Shortly afterward, she began playing tennis and left behind her four-legged friends to earn a college scholarship on the tennis courts.

After graduating from Cumberland School of Law in 1991, Julia says she had a desire to get back to horses, yearning to spend some time in the country and in the saddle.  She took some lessons in English riding, but once she saw the cutting horse competition in 1999, she knew she had to try it.  Some local friends she met at that first show brought a cutting horse out to her farm to let her try it out.

"I got on the horse, the cow moved, the horse took off to stop the cow and I fell off (because I looked down at the horse instead of keeping my eye on the cow).  I screamed and then I bought the horse," Julia recalls with a laugh.  She knew in that instant this is what she wanted to do, although that was the first time to sit on a cutting horse and she knew nothing about "cutting."

The sport of cutting is derived from the real-life skills needed by cowboys in the Old West working a cattle ranch. The cutting horse is trained to separate one cow from the herd at the direction of the rider, and must then keep that cow separated from the others.  This skill was used to pull cows for branding, medical attention or other purposes on the working ranch.

In a cutting horse competition, which is a 2.5-minute timed and judged competition, the rider must make a deep cut, drive out the herd of cattle and separate one cow from the herd.  Then the rider must drop his or her reins and allow the horse to work the cow and keep it from returning to the herd. The ultimate goal is to work the cow in the middle of the pen. The horse and rider must work together as a team.  The rider can stop working the cow once it is stopped or turns away.  Then the rider goes back into the herd to separate and work another cow.

Julia purchased "Vern," whose registered name is Duallin in the Snow, from his previous owner, Terry Gay, in May. Vern, a registered Quarter Horse, was born on Walton's Rocking W Ranch in Millsap, Texas, and was owned by Alice Walton of the Wal-Mart Walton family, in 2005. His sire, Dual Rey, is a champion cutting horse. Vern came to Sam Shepard's barn as a yearling.  Sam did an excellent job training Vern and demands that the horses he trains perform to their highest potential. 

In addition to Vern, Julia has 6 other horses, including a 3-year-old mare, named Thee One, who will be shown by her trainer, Sam Shepard, for the first time at the Championship Futurity at the Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, in December. Julia is also entered in the amateur class on Thee One. Her sire is Peptospoonful.

Julia keeps 5 of her horses at her Montgomery home, while Vern and Thee One (nicknamed "Strawberry") stay in training with Sam Sheperd in Verbena, Alabama. A cutting horse usually begins his or her training at age 2 and begins to show at age 3. Julia competes in the amateur class at National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Limited Aged Events (for young horses) like The Music City Futurity and other futurities, while trainer Sam Shepard also competes with the horses in the Open class for professional horse trainers. There are weekend shows each month (for all aged horses) in Montgomery and Geneva, Ala., and Andalusia, Ala., may begin to have regular cutting horse shows.

Vern is definitely the most athletic cutting horse Julia has ever ridden, she says. "He's really quick and very athletic. He knows how to use his body and is smart on a cow.  I'm trying to teach myself to relax, to get out of his way and let him do his thing."

Julia also gives all the credit for any success in cutting to God. "God has definitely blessed me with some very nice horses, an excellent trainer and a great family who encourages me, prays for me and takes over 'barn duty' when I go to a show," she said.

While she was thrilled with Vern's Reserve Champion win, she was excited about another honor the pair snagged in Franklin. They earned the top score in the first round of the 4 year old Amateur Class with a score of 219 and won a special award - a pink fleece horse cooler (used as a blanket to dry off the horse when sweaty in the winter) for breast cancer awareness, embroidered with the words, "I was tough enough to wear pink at the Music City Futurity Award." 

"Winning that was so special to me because my mom is a breast cancer survivor," Julia said.  This was the first year for this award. Julia says that "Vern will wear the pink cooler and will look good in it."

Stacy Shepard and her husband, Austin Shepard, sponsored the award. Stacy's mother died of breast cancer when Stacy was just a teenager. The cooler will be a good reminder to everyone that one day we all hope to find a cure for breast cancer. 

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MONTGOMERY, ALA. (October 13, 2009) - Montgomery based law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., one of the country's leading firms involved in civil litigation on behalf of claimants, has named lawyer Chris Glover as its newest shareholder. Glover, who practices in the firm's Personal Injury Section, has dedicated his career to representing injured individuals and their families in a wide range of serious injury and death claims, including those that were a result of defective products, car, commercial truck and workplace accidents.

Glover graduated from Cumberland School of Law and practiced in Birmingham, Ala., for a number of years before joining Beasley Allen in 2008. He has been recognized by his peers as a leader and has been elected as a leader in many professional associations including the Chair of the American Association for Justice New Lawyer's Division, Chair of the Emerging Leader's Division of the Alabama Association for Justice, and Officer of the Southern Trial Lawyer's Association.

"I consider the privilege of being named a shareholder in this firm to be one of my greatest professional honors," Glover says. "The lawyers at Beasley Allen are the best in the world at representing those who have been harmed by the wrongdoing of others. The opportunity to work alongside those lawyers on a daily basis is extremely rewarding. God has blessed me and my family. I look forward to being used to be a blessing to my clients and my firm through hard work and dedication to the pursuit of justice in our courts."

Glover is married to the former Erin Henley and they have two children, Kaitlyn and Andrew. Chris is active in church, civic and charitable organizations, including serving as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at his church for a number of years.

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