Thursday, November 7, 2019 The Commercial Review Portland, Indiana 47371 www.thecr.com $1 Twitter workers Jay County High School’s cheerleaders have called a accused as spies TIME-OUT By DAISY NGUYEN and BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — The Saudi government, frustrated by growing criticism of its leaders and policies on social media, recruited two Twitter employees to gather confidential per - sonal information on thousands of accounts that included prominent opponents, prosecutors alleged Wednesday. The complaint unsealed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco detailed a coordinated effort by Saudi government offi - cials to recruit employees at the social media giant to look up the private data of Twitter accounts, including email addresses linked to the accounts and internet protocol address - es that can give up a user’s location. The accounts included those of a popular critic of the government with more than 1 million fol - lowers and a news per - sonality. Neither was named. The complaint also alleged that the employ - ees — whose jobs did not The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney require access to Twitter users’ private informa - The Jay County High School cheerleading squad, including (in front from left) Makenzie Ring, Kenna Kahlig and tion — were rewarded Sidney Campbell, run through their routine Monday during practice in preparation for Saturday’s Indiana Cheer Championship with a designer watch state finals. The Patriots will compete in the time-out division — it eliminates music and complicated stunts to instead focus and tens of thousands of dollars funneled into on sideline cheerleading skills — for the first time this year. JCHS is scheduled to take the mat in the competition at New secret bank accounts. Castle at 11:16 a.m. Awards are slated for 1:15 p.m. Ahmad Abouammo, a U.S. citizen, and Ali Alz - abarah, a Saudi citizen, Patriots will compete in a different style at were charged with acting as agents of Saudi Arabia without registering with the Indiana Cheer Championship state finals the U.S. government. By RAY COONEY performance is 1 minute, Seniors Rachel Louck The Saudi government The Commercial Review 15 seconds long and is and Kenna Kahlig said had no immediate com - After nearly 45 years of designed to mimic a time - they’ve seen the benefits ment through its embassy cheerleading competi - out during a high school of preparing for the in Washington. Its state- tions, the Patriots decid - Saturday’s schedule basketball game — and time-out competition in run media did not imme - ed to call a time-out. routines are restricted to their efforts on the side - diately acknowledge the At practice Tuesday, The Jay County High School cheerleading squad will com - pete Saturday in the time-out division at the Indiana Cheer what cheerleaders are lines already this fall. charges. there was no fine-tuning Championship State Finals at New Castle. Below is a look at allowed to do under “It does help, because The complaint marks of tumbling passes. the schedule for the day. National Federation of we can apply what we’ve the first time that the There was no synchro - State High School Associ - done here during kingdom, long linked to nizing of dance 10 a.m. — Time-out division begins ations rules. games,” said Louck. the U.S. through its mas - sequence. So, no complicated pyr - “We get more feedback sive oil reserves and There was no perfect - 11:16 a.m. — Jay County competes amids. No twisting flips. from our student section regional security ing of a pyramid that No music. when we do these kinds arrangements, has been would be their final snap - 1:15 p.m. — Time-out awards ceremony Instead, squads are of cheers,” added accused of spying in shot. expected “to lead cheers, Kahlig. America. For the first time, Jay 2 p.m. — Varsity finals begin chants or traditional Saturday’s competi - The allegations against County High School’s crowd-oriented material.” tion begins at 10 a.m., two former Twitter cheerleading squad will 8:45 p.m. — Varsity awards ceremony “The whole point of it with the Patriots sched - employees and a third compete in the time-out is to create crowd involve - uled to take the mat at division during the Indi - JCHS senior Renee Omstead is one of 12 cheerleaders ment,” said McCallister. 11:16 a.m. Time-out man who ran a social named all-state this year. She and the rest of the group will media marketing compa - ana Cheer Champi - “So our goal is to try to awards are scheduled for onship State Finals Sat - perform a routine and have the opportunity to display some ny that did work for the of their skills prior to the varsity awards ceremony. get the crowd and the 1:15 p.m. (The rest of the Saudi royal family comes urday at New Castle. judges to want to yell competition will follow, Why the change from a little more than a year with us.” and Jay County’s Renee the more traditional rou - after the execution of They are scored on the Omstead and the other tines of the past that the design of their routine, 11 all-state cheerleaders Jamal Khashoggi. The Patriots competed with “We want to do what our teams at the high communication with the will perform a routine Washington Post colum - at the Indiana State Fair we are really doing school.” crowd, visual precision, and display some of nist and prominent critic and that took them to the throughout the year,” What does that mean? showmanship and overall their individual skills of the Saudi government Universal Cheerleaders said coach Cheree The time-out competi - impression. Points can prior to the evening was slain and dismem - Association nationals in McCallister. “Our focus tion focuses on sideline also be deducted for a awards ceremony.) bered in the Saudi con - 2017 and ’18? needs to be cheering for cheerleading skills — a variety of infractions. See Time-out page 2 sulate in Istanbul. See Twitter page 2 State’s longest-serving congressman will retire (Merrillville) Post-Tribune Always known as a champion project from Gary to Michigan including the loss of over 15,000 Washington or Indianapolis,” he On the 35th anniversary of first for protecting steelworkers, Vis - City. school children since 2010. And wrote. “Too often a sense of being elected to Congress, U.S. closky, 70, said in a statement “For the last 35 years our office far too many people lack fulfilling urgency has been blunted by the Rep. Pete Visclosky has that, “For my entire career I has vigorously advocated on employment, economic opportu - question, ‘What’s the hurry?’ And announced he will not seek have worked to build support for behalf of thousands of con - nity and the hope for a better continued systemic racism has another term in 2020, according our domestic steel industry and stituents for assistance on any future. Much work remains to be rendered a sense of community to a press release from his office. organized labor, secure invest - number of local, state and federal done.” almost impossible to achieve. Visclosky, D-Gary, the longest- ments in transformational proj - issues. While we could never Visclosky, the son of John Vis - “For those who wish to serve serving member of Indiana’s del - ects and improve our quality of guarantee positive results, we closky, a former mayor of Gary, our next generation of citizens I egation, is a member of the House place to benefit the only place I could guarantee our hard work graduated from Andrean High would encourage each to apprise Appropriations Committee and have ever called home.” and best efforts,” the statement School in Merrillville, took aim at us of your vision for our area and serves as the Chairman of the Most recently, Visclosky has said. the logjam of continuing prob - the priorities you will dedicate Defense Appropriations Subcom - promoted the South Shore “While some successes have lems in his statement. your attention to at the national mittee. He also is a member of the Line’s controversial West Lake been achieved, we still suffer “Too often we have blamed our level. Be for something and not Energy and Water Subcommittee. expansion and the doubletrack from declining population – problems on others whether in against someone.” In review Weather In review Coming up The high temperature Mayors, clerk-treasurers Wednesday in Jay County was and council members were Friday — Photos from Fall property tax payments 51 degrees. The low was 30. elected in Tuesday’s munici - tonight’s FRHS girls basket - are due Tuesday. The Jay Tonight’s forecast calls for pal elections. What should ball scrimmage. County treasurer’s office will the low to drop to 23. Friday’s their priorities be as they take be closed Monday for Veterans high will be 38 under partly office in January? Monday — Feature about a Day, but will be open extended cloudy skies. Send letters to the editor to weekend event for military hours until 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. See page 2 for an extended [email protected]. There is veterans. forecast. a 700-word maximum. The Commercial Review Page 2 Local Thursday, November 7, 2019 Former diplomat scheduled to testify By MARY CLARE JALONICK, a U.S. ally facing threats from its about an “irregular channel” that doing, and Republicans largely determinations about the credi - LISA MASCARO giant neighbor Russia. the Republican president’s per - dismiss the impeachment bility of the witnesses, but also and ERIC TUCKER That aid, at the heart of the sonal lawyer Rudy Giuliani set up inquiry, now into its second to learn firsthand about the facts Associated Press impeachment inquiry, is alleged for Ukraine diplomacy and how month, as a sham.