| Guns and the higher-ed grading system
I bring you thoughts today from my big sister. She's a university professor who really doesn't like the idea of well-armed students in her classroom. So she's more than a bit unsettled by the South Dakota House approval, by a 63-3 vote Monday, of HB1261. The bill, discussed by Nancy First in a column below, is now headed for action in the state Senate. It would prevent higher-education institutions from regulating or restricting people on campus from carrying or possessing firearms, in accordance with state law. The schools could require students living in dorms to keep their weapons in a locked guns safe, when not in the students' possession. But that's about it for regs. My sister - who's a heck of a teacher, by the way - is pretty unhappy about 1261.
Rains bring a flood of memories
Last week, Kathleen, Clayton and I were in Santa Maria running some errands. One of our last stops was Farm Supply to pick up some dog food, chick-en scratch and a few other things. On a given day, a store like Farm Supply can be as good as any coffee shop to find out what is really going on in the ag community. You run into cattlemen, grape growers and farmers, large and small. .
In the Mideast, faint rays of hope
They are, in a delicious twist, becoming the best de facto allies of the West...." Missing from Wright's account, however, is the international community's influence. In 2005, Lebanese protesters gathered in unprecedented numbers to demand that Syria end its 29-year military presence. Within months, it did. Wright cheers "the first broad popular movement to demand sweeping change and get it." But she doesn't mention the immense pressure the United Nations put on Syria to withdraw during that time, even though in this and other cases, foreign powers partly set the parameters for local activists' success. Wright's real interest remains the region's home-grown reformers. "What is most inspiring is not the dreams the outside world has for the people of the Middle East," she writes.
New GNC president hopes to get company into shape
Almost a decade ago, then-Rite Aid executive Beth J. Kaplan came to the Sixth Avenue offices of General Nutrition Centers to make a deal to juice up hundreds of drugstores with vitamin-packed GNC departments. In the years since, that partnership has survived, even as the two retailers underwent management changes, ownership shifts and, in Rite Aid's case, a messy accounting scandal. Ms. Kaplan, 49, is a survivor, too. She left the Camp Hill drugstore chain in the midst of an upheaval that eventually would see the chairman sentenced to jail time. She moved on to be a venture capitalist and then spent a few years at the Bath & Body Works chain. Now, she's back for another dose of health supplements. Last month, she was named GNC's president and chief merchandising and marketing officer.
25 years of Epcot fun
Even the sight of it is something quite atrocious.
Dewayne Bevil can be reached at 407-420-5477 or dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. Matthew J. Palm and Scott Powers contributed to this report.
First photo ran on the cover
More articles Copyright © 2008, Orlando Sentinel .
The Patriarchy Fights Back
I'm proud to be the one the pretty bling gal one the new world Cleopatra one the new world Soprano one don't need to pimp for freedom cause there ain't none don't need to build a gulag cause we are one I'm the one naught gal, the pretty bling gal bought and paid for by my friend named Hal. naught one one naught naught one .
1SAN FRANCISCO Sewage spills in ...
An estimated 2.7 million gallons of partially treated sewage and storm water has spilled into San Francisco Bay from a treatment plant, authorities said. The accidental release occurred Thursday night, when rainwater overwhelmed the facility and an emergency alarm system failed, Marin County officials said Friday. County health officials are warning the public to avoid fishing or touching water in or around Richardson Bay, an arm of San Francisco Bay that stretches between Tiburon and Sausalito. Back on track A train stuck overnight in the Northern California mountains resumed its journey Saturday after a snow plow that was blocking the tracks was removed, officials said. Two Amtrak trains and about 400 passengers were initially stranded after the accident Friday.
Trails Day aims to get people on track
Last year's rain and warm temperatures washed out the annual Winter Trails Day showcase at Weston Ski Track, but the on-snow show that introduces cross-country skiing and snowshoeing to novices will go on. "We have a tremendous base of natural and man-made snow," said Weston manager Mark Jacobson. "Unless it is pouring rain, we will have the event." More than 20 cross-country ski and snowshoe centers across New England are taking part in the national Winter Trails Day Saturday, designed to get newbies hooked on snowshoeing and cross-country skiing with free lessons, tours, and gear demonstrations. In its 13th year, Winter Trails Day is organized by the manufacturer's group SnowSports Industries America through a partnership with the Cross Country Ski Areas Association and American Hiking Society.
Fair orgainzers get to heart of women's health
Carmen Gomez waited patiently inside an exhibit hall at the Dallas Convention Center on Saturday. "If you want to live longer, you need to keep up with your numbers," she said. The numbers Ms. Gomez was waiting for were results from her blood work. She would later sit down with student from Baylor University Medical Center for a private consultation. Ms. Gomez was one of about 1,500 women who were expected to receive free health screenings Saturday at The Women's Heart Health Fair, presented by the Sister to Sister Foundation. The group, armed with doctors, presenters and medical equipment, wanted to increase awareness of heart disease in women. Ms. Gomez, who lives in Haltom City, said her participation was "all about health." "This has helped me eat healthier and get regular checkups," she said.
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