$(function(){
    var newsItemCount = $('.newsTickerItem').length;
    var newsRotateSpeed = 800;
    var currNewsItem = 0;  // array starts at 0, 0 is first item
    var ntTimeout = null;
 	   
    if ( newsItemCount != 0 ) {
        rotateNewsItem();
    }

    function rotateNewsItem() {
        rotateFwd('slow'); 
    }
    
    function rotateFwd(speed) {
    	var nextItem = 1;
        if ( (currNewsItem + 1) != newsItemCount ) {
            nextItem = currNewsItem + 1;   
        }
        $('.newsTickerItem').eq(currNewsItem).fadeOut(speed, function(){
            $('.newsTickerItem').eq(nextItem).fadeIn(speed);
        });
        currNewsItem = nextItem;
        ntTimeout = setTimeout(function(){ rotateNewsItem(); },5000);
    }
    function rotateBack(speed) {
    	var nextItem = newsItemCount-1;
        if ( (currNewsItem - 1) != (-1) ) {
            nextItem = currNewsItem - 1;   
        }
        $('.newsTickerItem').eq(currNewsItem).fadeOut(speed, function(){
            $('.newsTickerItem').eq(nextItem).fadeIn(speed);
        });
        currNewsItem = nextItem;
        ntTimeout = setTimeout(function(){ rotateNewsItem(); },5000);
    }
    function clearNtTimer () {
    	clearTimeout(ntTimeout);
    }
    
    $('.newsTickerBack').click(function(){
    	clearNtTimer();
    	rotateBack('fast');
    	return false;
    });
    $('.newsTickerFwd').click(function(){
    	clearNtTimer();
    	rotateFwd('fast'); 
    	return false;
    });
        
});