Blondie is an American rock band founded by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band were punk scenes of the mid-late 1970s, its first two albums contained strong elements of these genres, although successful in the United Kingdom and Australia, Blondie was regarded as an underground band in the United States until the release of Parallel Lines in 1978. Over the next three years, the band achieved several hit singles including "Heart of Glass", "Call Me", "Rapture" and "The Tide Is High" and became noted for its eclectic mix of musical styles incorporating elements of disco, pop and early rap music. Blondie disbanded after the release of its sixth studio album, The Hunter, in 1982. Debbie Harry continued to pursue a solo career with varied results after taking a few years off to care for partner Chris Stein, diagnosed with pemphigus, a rare autoimmune disease of the skin; the band re-formed in 1997, achieving renewed success and a number one single in the United Kingdom with "Maria" in 1999 20 years after their first UK No.1 single.

The group toured and performed throughout the world during the following years, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Blondie is still active; the band's tenth studio album, Ghosts of Download, was released in 2014 and their eleventh studio album, was released on May 5, 2017. Inspired by the burgeoning new music scene at the Mercer Arts Center in Manhattan, Chris Stein sought to join a similar band, he joined the Stilettoes in 1973 as their guitarist and formed a romantic relationship with one of the band's vocalists, Debbie Harry, a former waitress and Playboy Bunny. Harry had been a member of The Wind in the Willows, in the late 1960s. In July 1974, Stein and Harry parted ways with the Stilettoes and Elda Gentile, the band's originator, forming a new band with ex-Stilettoes bandmates Billy O'Connor and Fred Smith. Billed as Angel and the Snake for two shows in August 1974, they renamed themselves Blondie by October 1974; the name derived from comments made by truck drivers who catcalled "Hey, Blondie" to Harry as they drove past.

By the spring of 1975, after some personnel turnover and Harry were joined by drummer Clem Burke and bass player Gary Valentine. Blondie became regular performers at Max's Kansas City and CBGB. In June 1975, the band's first recording came in the way of a demo produced by Alan Betrock. To fill out their sound, they recruited keyboard player Jimmy Destri in November 1975; the band signed with Private Stock Records and their debut album, was issued in December 1976 but was not a commercial success. In September 1977, the band bought back its contract with Private Stock and signed with British label Chrysalis Records; the first album was re-released on the new label in October 1977. Rolling Stone's review of the debut album observed the eclectic nature of the group's music, comparing it to Phil Spector and the Who, commented that the album's two strengths were Richard Gottehrer's production and the persona of Debbie Harry; the publication said she performed with "utter aplomb and involvement throughout: when she's portraying a character consummately obnoxious and spaced-out, there is a wink of awareness, comforting and amusing yet never condescending."

It noted that Harry was the "possessor of a bombshell zombie's voice that can sound dreamily seductive and woodenly Mansonite within the same song". The band's first commercial success occurred in Australia in 1977, when the music television program Countdown mistakenly played their video "In the Flesh", the B-side of their current single "X-Offender". Jimmy Destri credited the show's Molly Meldrum for their initial success, commenting that "we still thank him to this day" for playing the wrong song. In a 1998 interview, drummer Clem Burke recalled seeing the episode in which the wrong song was played, but he and Chris Stein suggested that it may have been a deliberate subterfuge on the part of Meldrum. Stein asserted that "X-Offender" was "too crazy and aggressive ", while "In the Flesh" was "not representative of any punk sensibility. Over the years, I've thought they played both things but liked one better. That's all." In retrospect, Burke described "In the Flesh" as "a forerunner to the power ballad".

The single reached number 2 in Australia, while the album reached the Australian top twenty in November 1977, a subsequent double-A release of "X-Offender" and "Rip Her to Shreds" reached number 81. A successful Australian tour followed in December, though it was marred by an incident in Brisbane when disappointed fans rioted after Harry cancelled a performance due to illness. In February 1978, Blondie released Plastic Letters; the album was recorded as a four-piece as Gary Valentine had left the band in mid 1977. Plastic Letters was promoted extensively throughout Asia by Chrysalis Records; the album's first single, "Denis", was a cover version of the Randy and the Rainbows' 1963 hit "Denise". It reached number two on the British singles charts, while both the album and its second single, " Presence, Dear", reached the British top ten. Chart success, along with a successful 1978 UK tour, including a gig at London's Roundhouse, made Blondie one of the first American new wave bands to achieve mainstream success in the United Kingdom.

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Elk Prairie Township is one of sixteen townships in Jefferson County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 725 and it contained 350 housing units. According to the 2010 census, the township has a total area of 36.66 square miles, of which 27.47 square miles is land and 9.19 square miles is water. The township is centered at 38°10'N 88°59'W. Nason Waltonville Dareville at 38.198°N 88.976°W / 38.198. Illinois Route 148 Waltonville Community Unit School District 1 Illinois' 19th congressional district State House District 107 State Senate District 54 "Elk Prairie Township, Jefferson County, Illinois". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2010-01-17. United States Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles United States National Atlas City-Data.com Illinois State Archives

Paul Edward Winston White, Baron Hanningfield is a British politician and a suspended member of the House of Lords. He served in various leadership roles in local government as a Conservative and was influential in the establishment of the Local Government Association, he achieved notoriety in the Parliamentary expenses scandal, when he was convicted of false accounting and sent to prison. Following his release he was suspended from the House of Lords. White was created a Life Peer on 31 July 1998, as Baron Hanningfield, of Chelmsford in the County of Essex, is thus known as Lord Hanningfield; the son of Edward Ernest William White by his marriage to Irene Joyce Gertrude Williamson, White was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School and received a Nuffield Scholarship for Agriculture. In 1962, White was appointed Chairman of the Young Farmers, at the same time became a member of the Executive of Chelmsford Conservative Association, a position he held until 1999, he was first elected to Essex County Council in 1970 and served as Chairman of the council from 1989 to 1992.

He was chair of the Council of Local Education Authorities between 1990 and 1992, leader of the Association of County Councils between 1995 and 1997. In 1998, White was given a peerage, in recognition of his work in helping to establish the Local Government Association of England and Wales. From 1997 to 2001, Hanningfield was deputy chair and Conservative Group Leader of the Local Government Association, he served as leader of Essex County Council from 2001 until his resignation in 2010. Hanningfield was a member of the Court of Essex University and a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Essex. On 18 March 2009 the Countryside Alliance awarded Hanningfield the Rural Vision 2009 Award for his work to protect and promote rural communities; the Alliance felt that the involvement and leadership he displayed by his opposition to the second runway at Stansted Airport and to post office closures showed he was a politician with the countryside's future most at heart. In February 2010, Hanningfield was charged with offences under section 17 of the Theft Act 1968 relating to false accounting for claims for overnight accommodation.

He resigned as the Opposition Spokesman for Communities, Local Government, Transport. On that day, he resigned as leader of Essex County Council, David Cameron withdrew the party whip from him in parliament. On 27 May 2010 Hanningfield, Jim Devine, Elliot Morley, David Chaytor appeared at Southwark Crown Court for a preliminary hearing. Hanningfield was charged with six counts of false accounting and his trial at Chelmsford Crown Court began on 16 May 2011. Prosecuting counsel Clare Montgomery QC accused Hanningfield of claiming for overnight stays in London when he had in fact returned to his home in Essex. On one occasion, when he claimed reimbursement for an overnight stay in London, he was on a plane to India. Hanningfield denied all charges, he told police he had been'singled out'. On 26 May 2011, Hanningfield was found guilty on all six counts. On 1 July 2011, Hanningfield was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment, after the court heard evidence from his psychiatrist, Professor Valerie Cowey, stating that "he expressed suicidal ideas" and "he told me he would be crushed by a custodial sentence".

The prosecution pointed out that he had been well enough to attend the House of Lords during the previous week. The sentence handed down was the shortest imposed on anyone convicted of dishonesty in the expenses scandal. Hanningfield's appeal against his conviction was rejected by the Court of Appeal on 20 July 2011. On 12 September 2011, it was reported that Hanningfield had been released from prison on home detention curfew, after serving just a quarter of his nine-month sentence. In October 2011, Hanningfield began a legal action against Essex Police for wrongful arrest on suspicion of fraudulent use of a county council credit card, a few days after he had been released from prison, he sent a letter before the claim informing them that he was seeking £3,000 for unlawful arrest and detention, £1,500 for trespass, £2,000 in costs. In February 2013 he was awarded £3,500 damages for unlawful arrest and the search of his home without a search warrant, he was represented by the barrister Rupert Bowers.

In December 2011 the House Committee in the Lords recommended that Baroness Uddin and Lord Hanningfield should not be allowed back to the Lords until the outstanding expenses had been repaid. Hanningfield returned to the House of Lords in April 2012 after repaying £30,000, but did not speak again in the chamber until October 2013. In September 2012 Hanningfield was ordered to repay a further £37,000 covering a six-year period of expenses, under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Hanningfield called this "unfair" and said that to pay it he would need to raise a mortgage and to take up after-dinner speaking and attend the House of Lords more earning the £300 daily attendance fee, to repay the mortgage. In May 2014 it was announced that Hanningfield would be suspended from Parliament over the incident, he was subsequently temporarily suspended from the House of Lords, his suspension ended in May 2015. Again represented by Rupert Bowers, the case was dropped when Parliament claimed privilege over the matters indicted.

Hanningfield lives in the village of West Hanningfield in Essex with his Bernese mountain dog. Profile at the Parliament of the United Kingdom Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005 Current session contributions in Parliament at Hansard Voting record at PublicWhip.org Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.com Profile at BBC News Democracy Live 2009-10 c