| Bullied 8th-grader was beaten, called a Nazi
School districts tell us they have a "zero tolerance" policy on this kind of garbage. For those of us who don't have the luxury of sending our kids to a private school - or are ideologically in support of public schools - this is a serious matter. .
Latest updates on Techwood Drive closing
Beginning Saturday and extending through the summer of 2009, Techwood Drive, a north-south access road beside the Downtown Connector, is closed from 16th Street to 10th Street. With the closure, the southbound ramps from I-75 and I-85 to 14th and 10th streets also are shut off. For drivers heading south from I-85, the beginning of the ramp will still be open to exit to 17th Street. From I-75, DOT says southbound drivers technically still can exit onto 16th Street, but the small streets could be such a mess they should forget about it, and exit at Northside Drive. The worst of the traffic is expected Monday, when most people return to work. But the impact has been felt already. 5:45 p.m.: A little slowdown, some confusion, DOT says Crystal Paulk-Buchanan, spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Transportation, said the first day of construction and street closings went smoothly.
Death Toll from Southern Tornadoes Climbs to 50
LAFAYETTE, Tenn. (AP) -- Residents in five Southern states tried to salvage what they could Wednesday from homes reduced to piles of debris, a day after the deadliest cluster of tornadoes in nearly a decade tore through the region, snapping trees and crumpling homes. At least 50 people were dead.
Rescue crews, some with the help of the National Guard, went door-to-door looking for more victims. Dozens of twisters were reported as the storms swept through Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama.
Seavia Dixon, whose Atkins, Ark., home was shattered, stood Wednesday morning in her yard, holding muddy baby pictures of her son, who is now a 20-year-old soldier in Iraq. Only a concrete slab was left from the home.
The family's brand new white pickup truck was upside-down, about 150 yards from where it was parked before the storm.
Teenager nabbed for old woman's murder
The police had been looking for drug addicts of the similar age groups in the vicinity for the past two days, and the recovery of the empty vials and used condoms led the police to the accused. While addressing mediapersons the DSP (Central), Mr S.S. Randhawa, said the accused was arrested from the Sector 15 market while he was returning from a stationery shop after buying the white fluid. He was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate and was later sent to the Sector 15 Juvenile Home. During the preliminary questioning, he revealed the names of two other accomplices aged between 18 and 19 years, who were also drug addicts. According to the DSP, the boy said they had planned the entire episode and were waiting for an opportunity to strike. On August 31, they entered into the victim's house at around 9 pm and committed the crime.
Few Businesses, Non-Profits Help Ex-Offenders Work
Pamela Ainsworth had work experience, education and bond insurance when she went job hunting earlier this year. She had been a bartender and waitress before she was sentenced to prison on drug and auto-theft convictions. In a federal prison in Texas, she had a top-paying job, earning $1.15 an hour plus bonuses as a call-center rep for Xcel Energy. While incarcerated for 3 1/2 years, she also learned data entry and accounting. For three months, 33-year-old Ainsworth worked diligently to find employment. She applied at local restaurants, grocery stores, mega-retailers and telemarketers. Even though she was bonded to protect an employer if there is theft, forgery, larceny or embezzlement, Ainsworth wasn't hearing the answer she needed. "It's hard. It's humiliating.
Restoring two jewels of the Barrens
They need some work and lack the fancy amenities of today's houses. But there's no denying the historic charm of the two mansions tucked away in the Pinelands - even though they need a few million dollars' worth of nips and tucks. Atsion, an 1826 Greek Revival mansion built by Philadelphia entrepreneur Samuel Richards, is getting a $1.2 million face-lift. And Batsto, a nearby 1784 mansion that was later remodeled and expanded by Philadelphia industrialist Joseph Wharton, is receiving a $2.9 million makeover. Both projects in the Wharton State Forest are expected to be completed this summer, when the houses will be reopened for public tours. "About 25 percent of the work is finished at Atsion and about 10 percent is done at Batsto," said Dana Loschiavo, spokeswoman for the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry of the Department of Environmental Protection, which is overseeing the project.
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