NEWS EXTRA

January 6, 2015

Business, Business / Career, Education, Feature, Government

This segment provides the viewer / reader with news they might have missed and focuses on key issues related to current and past events. These articles are provided courtesy of our many contributing sources. We ask that you enjoy these stories and continue your support of beenetworknews.com, our contributing sources and publishers.

ASSIGNMENTS / APPOINTMENTS / ANNOUNCEMENTS

VOLKSWAGEN REPORTS DECEMBER 2014 SALES AND 2014 YEAR-END RESULTS

– December sales totaled 34,058 units, 2014 sales closed at 366,970 –
· Jetta sedan sales totaled 14,572 units in December, a 6.2 percent increase over the previous December; 141,354 units were delivered in 2014
· Golf family sales totaled 4,405 units in December, and 33,675 units for 2014
· Chattanooga-built Passat sold 8,257units in December; 96,649 units for 2014

SOURCE: Volkswagen Group
Herndon, VA — Volkswagen of America, Inc. (VWoA) today reported 34,058 units delivered in December, with 366,970 units delivered in 2014.

“In 2014 Volkswagen of America enhanced the lineup of German-engineered vehicles with an all-new, award-winning Golf family, a refreshed Jetta and most recently a refined Touareg,” said Mark McNabb, chief operating officer, Volkswagen of America. “As we kick off 2015, we are encouraged that the vehicles have been well received by both the automotive press and our dealers.”

Volkswagen celebrated 40 years of the Golf in 2014 and brought to market an award-winning all-new Golf family. The Golf family of vehicles, which includes the Golf 1.8T, Golf TDI® Clean Diesel, Golf GTI and e-Golf, racked up an impressive roster of accolades. The Golf family won the 2015 Motor Trend Car of the Year and Green Car Reports Car of the Year, while the Golf GTI brought home coveted awards such as Autoweek’s “Best of the Best” award and Yahoo Auto’s Car of the Year. In December, Golf family sales totaled 4,405 units, marking a 137.9 percent increase; for 2014 overall, Golf sold 33,675 units, an 8.9 percent increase for the year. This marks the best December on record for the Golf family.

The Jetta sedan, refreshed for the 2015 model year, delivered 14,572 units in December, a 6.2 increase over the previous December, and 141,354 units for the year.
The Chattanooga-built Passat totaled 8,257 units delivered in December and 96,649 units for the year.

Volkswagen’s high-mileage, TDI® Clean Diesel models totaled 79,422 units for the year, accounting for 21.6 percent of sales in 2014. In December, 5,348 units were sold, 15.7 percent of sales.

Elle Ray photo courtesy: Cision / Dakota Digital

ELLE RAY IS MUSIC’S “NEXT BIG THING” WITH RELEASE OF BRAND NEW EP

SOURCE: Cision / Dakota Digital

The ‘next big thing’ is about to explode onto the music scene, as Canadian singer/songwriter Elle Ray releases her first brand new EP. ‘ Golden Heart’ was the first track released from highly anticipated record, ‘Heartfelt’, after eight years of collaboration and work with some of London’s most talented producers and artists.

With a truly unique sound which takes inspiration from Elle’s Jamaican and Native American roots, the following singles are about to make waves in the music industry. Returning to Montreal after almost a decade living and working in London, the tracks are a fitting homecoming for Elle – a self-taught artist with a passion for creating new music.

The EP is primed for release on January 6th 2015, ahead of what promises to be a landmark year for the up-and-coming talent. Award-winning composer and pianist Emma Johns also features on two tracks, which is the perfect showcase for Elle Ray’s songwriting style and emotional approach to music.

Elle’s ‘Heartfelt’ EP has been co-produced, mixed and mastered by Sonny Black and Mr Saccardo, who were drawn to her talent after numerous high-profile appearances. Elle first came to prominence on the London music scene back in 2011, when she won the 2011 Music Scholarship awarded by The Stage, one of the UK’s leading arts publications.

After the award from The Stage, Elle began to attract the attention of popular producers and talented artists alike with her unique vocal style, strong melodies and bold concepts – and in 2014 she went onto release ‘Out Of The Maze’, a collaboration with Swedish DJ and Producer Ajami, as well as Mr Saccardo and Emma Johns, her partners on the brand new track. ‘Out Of The Maze’ quickly made its way across the pond, and A&R executives from the US started to sit up and take notice of this raw and natural talent.

Elle says, “I’m thrilled to be releasing my EP in 2015 – it’s the result of a great collaborative process with some incredibly talented people, and I’m so excited to share it with everyone. I’ve poured my heart and soul into ‘Heartfelt’ and I’m so proud of it as a record.”

She adds, “I’ll be releasing more singles after this record throughout 2015, and I’m currently working alongside rock, blues and jazz musicians, as well as Afro-beats DJs from New York, to create a whole new sound that will represent me as an artist and a person.”

With more tracks set to drop over the coming year, and plans for a dynamic new sound to shake up the industry, it seems 2015 will be the year of Elle Ray.

PHOTO(s) OF THE DAY

SOURCE: Department of Defense /Defense News Lead Photo

Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work hosts a retirement farewell ceremony for Andy Marshall at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Jan. 5, 2015. (Photo by Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz)(Released)

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Dec. 28, 2014) Chief Operations Specialist Dwayne Brown says goodbye to his daughter at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story before deploying aboard the Military Sealift Command joint high-speed vessel USNS Spearhead (JHSV-1). Spearhead is deploying to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility to support maritime security efforts and to help build partnerships in the Gulf of New Guinea and off the coast of West Africa. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Desmond Parks/Released)

Ralph DeQuebec of the USA Warriors sled hockey team flips a puck past a teammate while playing on the National Hockey League’s Winter Classic 2015 outdoor ice at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., Jan 2, 2015. The NHL honored the wounded veterans hockey club by giving them exclusive access to their teams and facilities for three days during their biggest regular season event of the year. (DoD News photo by EJ Hersom)