Across The USA

July 17, 2003

Alabama: Birmingham -- More should be done in schools to eliminate the gap that exists between students because of race, economic status and other reasons, according to a report on education spending given to Gov. Riley. He appointed a commission shortly after taking office to determine how education dollars are being spent and to make recommendations. The report recommends consolidating programs and creating an accountability system.

Alaska: Fairbanks -- Bird lovers flocked to flats south of Fairbanks this week to view a rare white-winged tern usually seen only in Asia and Europe. Department of Fish and Game officials said the bird may have been caught in a storm. It was only the fourth recorded sighting in Alaska.

Arizona: Phoenix -- Minorities remain underrepresented in Arizona's teacher ranks, despite a diverse student population, education officials say. Almost half of the state's public school students are minorities, but only 16% of teachers are minorities. A teachers union official says cultural sensitivity is more important than race, but minority teachers says they can provide examples for minority students.

Arkansas: Hot Springs -- Promoters of Bill Clinton's boyhood hometown of Hot Springs plan to issue their seventh Clinton trading card for public distribution. The card will feature a picture of Clinton with his dog, Buddy. The cards will be distributed at the Hot Springs Civic and Convention Center in August.

California: Santa Ana -- A judge sided with the state against Angelo Emanuele in declaring his 57-foot custom RV a commercial vehicle. Emanuele must get a Class 1 license, keep a log book and stop at weigh stations with other trucks. Emanuele's rig is a truck-tractor and 40-foot trailer with a bed, toilet, shower, refrigerator and air conditioning.

Colorado: Denver -- Attorney General Ken Salazar issued guidelines for Colorado's new auto insurance law. He said that insurance companies can't require additional coverage. On July 1, Colorado switched from no-fault, where each driver's insurance company pays for injuries, to tort, where the company of the driver determined to be at fault pays all medical bills.

Connecticut: Waterbury -- Two Waterbury police officers on bicycles chased Gov. Rowland's dog for about three miles after the pet jumped from the governor's car through an open window, officials said. The dog, a black lab named Coalby, was finally caught by a Wolcott man. The dog suffered a cut to his paw.

Delaware: Smyrna -- About two dozen businesses along U.S. Route 13 say the recent opening of the final leg of State Route 1 has dried up business. The new road bypasses the older highway. The business owners want the state to build new interchanges linking the roads. State officials said they will work with businesses to improve signs leading to U.S. 13.

D.C.: Late night drivers are now the target of photo radar cameras used by the Metropolitan Police. The cameras were operating from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Beginning this week, they'll operate until 4 a.m. The cameras snap a picture of the vehicle's license plate, and a ticket is mailed to the registered owner.

Florida: Belle Glade -- A judge requested a review in the case of Feraris Golden, a black man found hanged in his grandmother's backyard in May. Golden, 32, was found dangling from a tree with a work shirt tied around his neck. The inquest will be July 28. Police and NAACP leaders called for calm while the death is investigated.

Georgia: Atlanta -- Researchers at Emory University found that seed cones from magnolia trees may have cancer-fighting properties. Researchers say the cones have an anti-tumor compound known as honokiol. In lab tests, honokiol inhibited the growth of cells that line the walls of blood vessels. It also cut mouse tumor growth in half.

Hawaii: Honolulu -- Nurses at Wahiawa General Hospital are scheduled to vote on a contract today that would end their 11-week strike. The agreement would give nurses a 19% raise over three years. About 60 nurses walked off the job May 5 over issues including salary, benefits and safety concerns. They could return to work as early as Sunday.

Idaho: Boise -- Environmental groups say a rare Idaho desert flower called the slickspot peppergrass needs federal protection because non-native weeds are crowding it out. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to propose federal protection for the flower to settle the groups' lawsuit. The public will have a year to comment on proposed protection.

Illinois: Murphysboro -- Mayor Ron Williams proclaimed today a day of fasting and prayer in an attempt to save a local factory. He plans a public religious service to persuade Bemis to keep a local packaging factory open. Closing the plant would leave 115 people jobless.

Indiana: Indianapolis -- Officials say 17 Indiana counties will be unable to meet new stricter air quality standards when federal authorities begin enforcing them next spring. Currently, only two counties in northwestern Indiana exceed limits for pollutants that cause ground-level ozone. The others could find themselves in violation under stricter rules that were adopted in 1997 but delayed by court challenges.

Iowa: Des Moines -- The Iowa Supreme Court upheld a state law that requires some inmates to submit blood samples to build a DNA profile. A group of inmates challenged the law. They claimed it violated their privacy rights and amounted to punishment beyond their sentence. The court said the purpose of the law wasn't punitive.

Kansas: Topeka -- Bonnie Cuevas is challenging her employer's reprimand for talking about gay rights following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down anti-sodomy laws. Cuevas, a board member of the Kansas Unity and Pride Alliance and mother of a gay man, said administrators at the Topeka-Shawnee County Library, a public facility, prohibited her from discussing gay rights at work.

Kentucky: Williamstown -- A former nurse who claims she was fired for reporting violations of state and federal laws has filed a lawsuit against the Grant County jail. In the past three months, five federal lawsuits alleging abuse of the jail's inmates were filed. The nurse's lawsuit claims the jail violated Kentucky's whistle-blower law and that she was sexually harassed. County jail officials have declined to comment.

Louisiana: Chalmette -- Gary Bergeron was sentenced to seven years in prison for trying to recoup his video poker losses by burglarizing the bar where he was playing. Bergeron, 45, pleaded guilty to the burglary of Dalton's Tavern.

Maine: Bangor -- Maine's special-education enrollment rate is among the fastest-rising in the USA because of a bounty system that encourages school officials to classify students as handicapped, says a report by a conservative research organization in New York. Maine educators agree that the proportion of special-education students is growing but say the funding formula isn't the cause.

Maryland: Essex -- Scientists with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation hope that a new mechanized technique will speed the planting of grasses that can restore the health of the bay. Thousands of acres have been lost to pollution, and environmentalists have had to plant new grass by hand. A planting boat designed by a Florida farmer is being tested this week.

Massachusetts: Amherst -- The Minuteman will strut his new look next week at Fenway Park. A revamped design of the University of Massachusetts athletic logo will be unveiled before a Red Sox game against Tampa Bay. UMass backed off its proposal to retire the Minuteman mascot in favor of a gray wolf. A consultant suggested changing the Minuteman's look.

Michigan: Lansing -- Grand Valley State and Saginaw Valley State universities would be spared reductions in the upcoming fiscal year under a deal approved by a legislative panel. The spending plan for higher education would set aside $9.5 million for four universities that have consistently received less for each of their students: Grand Valley, Saginaw Valley, Oakland University and Central Michigan University.

Minnesota: Minneapolis -- A man serving life in prison for three murders hanged himself in his prison cell. Jonathan Carpenter, 21, wrote in a suicide note last week that he couldn't go on living if he couldn't be with the woman he loved and his two children. He left the note for the mother of his children, who showed it to the Star Tribune newspaper.

Mississippi: Jackson -- State Rep. George Flaggs, chairman of a juvenile justice committee, said legislators might provide more money for two training schools to cover some staff shortages. He was responding to a federal report that adolescents were abused at Columbia and Oakley training schools.

Missouri: Jefferson City -- Attorney General Jay Nixon is suing more than 30 employers this week for failing to withhold child support payments from their employees' paychecks. Nixon's lawsuits are seeking to recover more than $127,000 in overdue child-support payments. In Missouri, a parent pays court-ordered support to the state, and the state then pays the custodial parent.

Montana: Helena -- Gov. Martz said she thinks it's a good idea for a federal biological lab in Montana to study some of the world's deadliest pathogens. A planned expansion at Rocky Mountain Laboratories would give the facility the ability to help study possible sources of a biological attack against the USA. Some residents have opposed the expansion, fearing an accidental release.

Nebraska: Lincoln -- Collectors have been buying drug-tax stamps intended for drug dealers. The state introduced the stamps as a way to financially punish drug dealers. Collectors say they were attracted to the stamps' intricate design of a skull, a syringe, a joint and a tombstone set on a brightly colored background. Dealers are fined for not having the stamps when they are arrested and taken to court for possessing illegal drugs.

Nevada: Reno -- Nevada's federal district court judges left an injunction in place that blocks the deadlocked Legislature from sidestepping a two-thirds majority vote on a tax bill. The Nevada Supreme Court last week set aside the two-thirds requirement added to the state constitution by voters in 1996. The federal judges pledged a prompt ruling. Legislators have been unable to reach agreement on taxes needed to balance a nearly $5 billion state budget.

New Hampshire: Concord -- Gov. Benson nominated Lee Perry to head the state Fish and Game Department. Perry is a former Maine commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Perry would replace Wayne Vetter, who resigned last spring after allegations of sexually harassing female employees.

New Jersey: Wildwood -- Demolition work has begun on Wildwood's convention hall, a Boardwalk fixture since 1971. The hall has been replaced by a $68 million, 260,000-square-foot convention center on the opposite side of the Boardwalk, closer to the ocean.

New Mexico: Questa -- A mining company said it has devised a plan to stabilize a huge waste pile that experts have said could endanger the village of Questa if the pile began sliding. Molycorp has mined molybdenum east of the town for decades, leaving piles of waste rock on mountaintops above the Red River canyon. State officials will review the plan.

New York: Kingston -- Railroad company CSX won't be fined for a freight train that blocked six intersections last month while its crew got coffee. Kingston officials complained about lack of access for emergency vehicles. Federal officials said the company didn't break any rules. CSX officials apologized, and they said that the engineer would be disciplined.

North Carolina: Fayetteville -- Stuart Lee Bowers, a substance abuse supervisor, was charged twice for driving while impaired and lost his license for refusing an alcohol test. Bowers was charged by one state trooper just after midnight Saturday and by a second trooper two hours later. He runs a program that helps people get treatment for drug or alcohol abuse or mental illnesses.

North Dakota: Minot -- Police dogs in Ward County are getting their own cemetery. Ward County commissioners approved a zoning permit that enables the Law Enforcement Training Center west of Minot to start a K-9 unit cemetery. Dogs who work with law enforcement officers will be buried in caskets 6 feet underground, just like people.

Ohio: Columbus -- Buckeye Egg Farm, Ohio's largest egg producer and the nation's fourth largest, said the state agriculture director's order to shut down would force it to kill 200,000 to 350,000 chickens weekly. The Ohio Department of Agriculture said closing two barns a week starting next month shouldn't present problems for disposing of 14 million birds by June. State officials said Buckeye consistently failed to meet operating standards.

Oklahoma: Oklahoma City -- Gov. Henry presented a Heroic Oklahoman award to Kayla Thomas, 11, for saving her 18-month-old cousin from drowning in a swimming pool. Thomas, a Girl Scout, pulled Dylan Sewell from the pool and asked a family member to get help. Meanwhile, she began pressing on Sewell's stomach until he coughed up water.

Oregon: Salem -- Jack Bisbee blew off the tip of a finger and suffered shrapnel wounds and burns when he accidentally set off a homemade bomb, police said. Bisbee, 47, made the explosive from a metal container filled with an unknown powder. He was charged with manufacture and possession of a destructive device.

Pennsylvania: Philadelphia -- Temple University is raising tuition 7%. That means that the typical in-state undergraduate will pay a little more than $8,100 for the coming school year, an increase of more than $500. The increase is less than other state-supported schools in the region have approved recently, officials said.

Rhode Island: Providence -- Mayor David Cicilline criticized city firefighters who called in sick two days this week. Cicilline said their actions put others at risk. The firefighters have been without a contract since June 2001. Cicilline said the city was able to maintain minimum mandatory staffing by ordering firefighters already working to remain on duty.

South Carolina: Charleston -- Major attractions in the area reported 105,000 fewer visitors in the first five months of this year compared with 2002. Officials say the slow economy, weather and the Iraq war were factors. Visitor traffic dropped off at Fort Sumter and the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, but the South Carolina Aquarium reported a strong winter and spring.

South Dakota: Pierre -- Gov. Rounds said he's cautiously optimistic that South Dakota's rural economy will gain strength now that rains have eased drought conditions in much of the state. Rounds said conditions generally are better now than they were a year ago. The improvement is reflected in increased collection of taxes in recent months, he said.

Tennessee: Nashville -- A state legislative committee on tort reform began meeting this week. Sen. Mark Norris is sponsoring a bill to cap non-economic damages for medical malpractice. He told committee members the average award in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits jumped 46% in fiscal 2002. The panel will review issues related to torts, which are civil lawsuits for damages.

Texas: El Paso -- The University of Texas at El Paso laid off 23 employees to balance its budget. No faculty positions were cut. Another 82 positions were eliminated through attrition, a hiring freeze and voluntary retirement. UTEP's fiscal year 2003-04 state appropriation was reduced about 11.5%.

Utah: Rockville -- Residents have lost pet goats and cats to several cougar attacks that wildlife officials blame on the severe drought. Wildlife tends to concentrate near rivers and streams during drought, and predators follow those animals, said Jeff Bradybaugh, chief of resource management at the nearby Zion National Park.

Vermont: Bennington -- Town officials have adopted several ordinances designed to cut down on noise and rowdy behavior, especially in downtown. Owners of barking dogs, people who play loud music, truck drivers who use compressive brakes at night and people who yell in the street would all face fines.

Virginia: Richmond -- College enrollment in Virginia is expected to increase by nearly 61,000 students in this decade, about 22,000 more than previously forecast, according to the State Council of Higher Education. The council attributes the sharp increase to the recession, which has prompted people to go to college because jobs are in short supply.

Washington: Outlook -- A firework thrown from a freeway overpass may have caused a fire that destroyed a truck and semitrailer loaded with about 50,000 pounds of French fries, police said. The driver, Tommie Hayes, 39, said he heard a loud explosion under the truck. He pulled over and found the truck on fire.

West Virginia: Charles Town -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will open its training center in Jefferson County to hunters in hopes of thinning the deer population there. Officials fear that the growing population will push out other wildlife on the grounds. Four days of hunting are scheduled in November and December.

Wisconsin: Racine -- The Common Council voted to name a fountain in honor of Laurel Clark, one of seven astronauts who died aboard the space shuttle Columbia. Clark, 41, grew up in Racine. The fountain is part of a park unofficially called Splash Square.

Wyoming: Cheyenne -- Wyoming's 48 school districts have asked the state for $900 million in construction and maintenance funding, Gov. Freudenthal said. The School Facilities Commission has 90 days to evaluate and prioritize local projects before submitting its recommendations to Freudenthal by Sept. 1.

U.S. territory: Puerto Rico -- With the fate of Roosevelt Roads Naval Station unsettled, Sen. Juan Cancel Alegria says the surrounding area should investigate alternative development strategies. Alegria proposed forming an advisory council that would consider economic prospects. The U.S. Navy announced in April that it was eliminating nearly half of its 6,300 base jobs