GagliardiNews

The obituary I used is about Louise McLean. The sources used are mainly her two sons, who are both quoted. The lead is a little different than a typical obit lead. The second paragraph is where the story says she died and her age. However, the story never states how she died. The first paragraph is more of an interesting editorial lead, mentioning her character and most notable life work. The first paragraph gives no hint to the fact that this story is an obituary.
This style of lead works. I assumed McLean died from natural causes, so instead of focusing on her death, the story focuses around her life and what she did. The lead works in that way of not even mentioning her death but pulling the audience in to read more about her and what she did.
The obit differes from a resume in the way it is written. It is a story, not just a list of talents and career history. There is a story telling element in the obit that makes the reader interested and wanting to learn more about this person. There is a focus in this story on her career with Dinkytown's Loring Past Bar. The story then proceeds to cover other parts of her life. It is telling this woman's achievements without listing them off. It is a story, regardless of the content.

Posted by gagli004 at 3:52 AM | Permalink

The Chinese government said they have strong evidence that the Dalai Lama and his supporters are responsible for the recent protests against Chinese rule in Tibet.
Xinhua, the state-run news agency, said the Chinese police had a confession written by an unidentified monk who they said received orders from supporters of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, reported the New York Times.
The Chinese government has not held a news conference to identify the monk or explain the circumstances of the confession, so the existence of the monk or of such a statement is still in question.
The Tibetan government, based in Dharamsala, India, quickly dismissed such claims, saying that China was trying to pin blame on Tibetan exiles.
“These are baseless allegations,� Tenzin Taklha, the Dalai Lama’s secretary in Dharamsala, said in a telephone interview on Sunday. “Their spinmasters are trying to put the blame on us.�
The protests have also spread from Tibet to Tibetan communities in neighbouring Chinese provinces, an issue the Chinese premier avoided comment on, reported Al Jazeera.
Tibet is largely cut off from the outside world, with foreign reporters barred from the territory. Even activist groups with long-standing connections to contacts in Tibet have indicated they are having difficulty finding out what is happening in the region.
"It is a very, very tense and terrifying situation," Kate Saunders, from the International Campaign for Tibet, told the AFP news agency. "It has become much more difficult to get information out."
Pressure continues to mount for China to negotiate with the Dalai Lama and find a solution to a problem that has already begun to affect preparations for the Olympics, reported the New York Times. China has tried to convince other countries that the Dalai Lama’s supporters are behind the unrest and that they finance and equip separatists inside China.
There has been portests now at various Chinese embassays across the world. This issue is being heard everywhere in the world and talks have begun of trying to get the Chinese government to resolve the issue with talks to the Dalai Lama.

Posted by gagli004 at 2:35 AM | Permalink

President Bush threw the ceremonial first pitch at the new baseball stadium in Washington Sunday night to a mixture of both cheers and boos.
This was the second time Bush has thrown the first pitch in Washington and sixth time overall, reported the Star Tribune. He threw out the first pitch in 2005 — mostly to cheers — when baseball returned to the city after more than three decades.
The Washington Nationals opened their new ballpark a day ahead of most other teams, who will open their season Monday, reported the New York Times.
Bush, who was the former Texas Rangers owner, threw the first pitch high and to the third-base side of the plate to Nationals manager Manny Acta.
It wasn't surprising that Bush's pitch was high, just as it was in 2005, reported the Star Tribune. People tend to have long memories when the ball is bounced to home plate, so Bush made time this week to hurl some practice pitches in his backyard — the South Lawn of the White House.
"I didn't want to bounce it, that's for certain," Bush later told ESPN announcers Jon Miller and Joe Morgan. "That's why I came in with high heat."
The new $611 million ballpark recieved a sellout crowd of about 41,000 in the Nationals first game of the season against the Atlanta Braves. Those in the upper deck of the ballpark could see the Capitol and the Washington Monument.
Bush waved twice quickly as he strode to the mound at Nationals Park, reported the Star Tribune. He wasted little time before throwing the pitch. He acknowledged the crowd one more time by raising his hand as he left the field, again hearing applause and boos.

Posted by gagli004 at 2:08 AM | Permalink

A man suspected of robbing a bank early Friday led police on a high-speed chase throughout the Twin Cities suburbs before crashing his car and shotting at police.
Authorities believ this man was involved with several other bank robberies within the west metro, reported the Star Tribune.
The chase began at 6:45 a.m. in St. Anthony, where police say the suspect robber a TCF at gunpoint and began the police chase reaching speeds of up to 100 mph.
Officers from numerous agencies joined the chase as it moved through Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park and down Interstate 494 in Maple Grove and Plymouth, reported the Star Tribune.
Plymouth Police Captain Dan Plekkenpol said the chase came to an end at Interstate 494 and state Highway 55, reported MPR. A Brooklyn Park squad car performed a "PIT maneuver" and spun out the suspect's car to end the chase at 7:20 a.m. The suspect began shooting at police officers, before being taken to the North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale.
"The suspect was not killed, the suspect is down at the hospital right now, and what we're hearing initially from the hospital, the information is that he, he's going to be going to be OK so, it doesn't sound like it's a fatal shooting or going to be a fatal situation," Plekkenpol said.
This robbery and its suspect are similar to those described in a March 13 news release from the FBI about an armed, masked, lone gunman who robbed a TCF Bank in St. Louis Park, reported the Star Tribune. That release connected the man to several other bank robberies, including the Jan. 11 and Nov. 2 armed robberies of the same TCF Bank on Silver Lake Road in St. Anthony.
TCF Bank Spokesman Jason Korstange said the St. Anthony branch was not open at the time of the incident Friday, and the three employees reporting for work were not hurt.
Traffic cameras captured most of the high-speed chase. The suspect was seen throwing bags of money out of the car during the chase.
Plekkenpol said three Plymouth police officers were put on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure when officers are involved in a shooting.
Federal charges should come next week, FBI Special Agent Paul McCabe said.

Posted by gagli004 at 1:24 AM | Permalink

A rattlesnake rancher was arrested for selling vodka with rattlesnakes inside of the bottles without a license Bayou Bob Popplewell marketed his exotic conncoction an "ancient elixir," reported USA Today.
Popplewell spent about 10 minutes in jail after the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission obtained arrest warrants on misdemeanor charges of selling alcohol without a license and possessing alcohol with intent to sell, reported USA Today.
Popplewell, who has raised rattlesnakes and turtles at Bayou Bob's Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch for more than two decades, surrendered to authorities Monday, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
Agents with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission confiscated 429 bottles of the substance, as well as one bottle of snake-infused tequila, from Popplewell's ranch last week. He could face up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted, reported Poltical Gateway.
Popplewell plans to fight the charges, reported USA Today. His intent, he said, is not to sell an alcoholic beverage but a healing tonic. He said he has customers of Asian descent who believe the concoction has medicinal properties.
"It's almost a spiritual thing," said Popplewell, 63.
Despite what the purposes of his concoction is, since vodka is used, a state permit is required.
Popplewell said he uses the cheapest vodka he can find as a preservative for the snakes, reported USA Today. The end result is a super sweet mixed drink that Popplewell compared to cough syrup.
"I've honestly never seen a person drink it," he said.
Popplewell said his drinks are mainly purchased as a keepsake, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Wednesday.
Popplewell sells his anceint elixirs for $23 a bottle. At the time the Alcoholic Beverage Commission confiscated his bottles, he had around $10,000 in reptilian booze.

Posted by gagli004 at 4:34 AM | Permalink

A 70-year-old woman out on a walk with her 2-year-old grandson was bitten by a pit bull mix Wednesday after attempting to save her dog from the pit bull's attack.
Margaret Johnston, who lives in Inver Grove Heights, wrestled with the dog for five minutes while trying to save her own pet, Schultzie, an 11-pound miniature schnauzer, from the dog's killing bite, reported the Star Tribune. The result was a bite on Johnston's right leg and Schultzie dead.
Police believe a dog picked up Friday and confined in a pound is the same one involved in the attack. The dog police seized late Friday will be quarantined for 10 days at the South St. Paul Animal Hospital. After reviewing its history, they'll decide whether to kill it.
Johnston is undergoing a lengthy series of rabies vaccination shots for a bite to her right leg.
As Johnston was walking with Schultzie, two neighbor girls and her grandson, Hunter, the pit bull mix came up from behind them and attacked her dog, reported the Star Tribune. Then the pit bull mix turned its attention to Johnston and pounced on her, sending them both down a hill. She punched the dog several times.
As the neighbor girls, who were on spring break from elementary school, came to her aid, the dog fled through a a Cub Foods parking lot.
Johnston described 13-year-old Schultzie "as a real gentle dog, a quiet, little dog" who would eat crackers out of Hunter's little hands. "He loved to go for walks."
The pit bull mix weighs about 50 pounds and was wearing a bright-colored canvas collar, reported KSTP News.

Posted by gagli004 at 1:14 AM | Permalink

A group of 30 monks protested the treatment of Tibet Thursday in Tibet's capital of Lhasa, during a foreign press tour of China.
The protest took place at the Jokhang Monastery, one of Tibet’s holiest shrines, and lasted about 15 minutes, reported the New York Times. Shouting, "Tibet is not free," the monks spoke of the lack of religious freedom in Tibet and how the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader in exile, had been wrongly accused by China of orchestrating the protests to disrupt the Olympic Games, to be held in Beijing in August.
"We are like prisoners here. There are soldiers all over the place," the monks shouted as officials tugged at the foreign reporters to leave the Jokhang Temple, reported the Star Tribune. The monks called for the return of the Dalai Lama from exile and an end to religious restrictions: "We want freedom."
It was unclear whether the protesting monks were arrested for the protest.
The press tour was intended to promote the Chinese government’s version of the unrest in Tibet, which China calls an autonomous region, reported the New York Times. On Friday, U.S., British and other diplomats who flew into Lhasa for their own government-invited tour planned to ask their hosts about the monks, reported the Star Tribune. European Union foreign ministers gathering in Slovenia appealed to China to resolve the crisis peacefully.
President Bush and Australia's new prime minister, Kevin Rudd, said Friday they want Chinese leaders to meet with the Dalai Lama to defuse tensions.
Yet the government also seemed intent on laying blame for the rioting on the Dalai Lama and his supporters without addressing grievances by Tibetans over the influx of Chinese migrants and, as with the Jokhang monks, religious restrictions, reported the Star Tribune. On Friday, the Dalai Lama reiterated that he supported Beijing's holding of the Olympics but decried state media's depiction of the protests, which has dwelled on violence against Chinese.
China’s state-run media said that President of China, Hu Jintao, responded that China had always been open to discussions with the Dalai Lama, as long as he renounced independence for Tibet and abandoned efforts to “fan and mastermind violent crimes," reported the New York Times.
Media coverage in China has become more censored in the days following the protest. Chinese and foreigners living in China say Internet controls have ramped up, with Tibet reports on Google and Yahoo and other foreign news sites blocked and Tibet-related discussions on domestic chat sites censored, reported the Star Tribune.
"The state media's portrayal of the recent events in Tibet, using deceit and distorted images, could sow the seeds of racial tension with unpredictable long-term consequences. This is of grave concern to me," the Dalai Lama said in a statement from his base in exile, Dharmsala, India.
The Chinese state-controlled media is publishing only articles favorable to the government's role in Tibet. Foreign journalists are complaining how the government is trying to impede their reporting, despite their pledge of greater openess in the months leading up to the Olympics, reported the New York Times.
"China is more open. You can see that in the Jokhang. The monks told you things that are not identical with the government," said Zhang Lizhong, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official posted to Lhasa to deal with visiting foreigners, reported the Star Tribune.
Despite the censorship in China, the word is still getting out and causing talk around the world. Some officials began discussion of whether toboycott the opening ceremony of the Olympics games, reported the New York Times.
"For people, in this case the monks, to disrupt a press conference, it's extremely bold and very unusual," said Rebecca MacKinnon, a journalism professor at Hong Kong University. "It shows how angry people are."

Posted by gagli004 at 12:16 AM | Permalink

A Kentucky mother killed her two children Thursday before going to the nearby college and holding one of the counselors hostage.
Gail Lynn Coontz, 37, is charged with murder in the deaths of 14-year-old Greg Coontz and 10-year-old Nikki Coontz, said Louisville police Officer Phil Russell, reported USA Today.
According to police, the children died of multiple gun shot wounds, reported
The Courier-Journal.
The motive for this incident is unknown.
Coontz, who is a student at the University of Louisville, brandish a gun and held a health counselor hostage, U of L President James Ramsey said. About two minuted prior to this incident, 8:32 a.m., the student health center called police asking for help escorting a female student to University Hospital’s emergency room for mental-health reasons, officials said.
By 9:15 a.m., Coontz was disarmed and taken to the University Hospital. Coontz willing handed her gun over to the health counselor. The university immediately sent out warnings to students via e-mail, text messages and phone calls advising them to stay away from the area.
After Coontz was taken to a hospital psychiatric ward, she was later transferred to the Louisville jail, Ramsey said, reported USA Today. Officials there did not know whether she had a lawyer.
Coontz is also charged with one count of terroristic threatening for pointing a handgun at an officer, university police Maj. Kenny Brown said.
The police later found the two children in their home.
The children were shot sometime in the past day, Louisville police Officer Phil Russell said. They were probably shot in their sleep, having been found "in the sleeping position" said Jo-Ann Farmer, chief deputy coroner for Jefferson County.
Russell and neighbors said Coontz was a widow.
"She was a good mom," said next-door neighbor Sheryl Hayven. "I would have never thought anything, nothing like this would have indicated this to me."

Posted by gagli004 at 4:47 AM | Permalink

As the only stop in North America of the Olympic Torch, San Francisco is becoming a hot spot for protesters and fans alike. Yet, with the route of the torch run still unknown, protesters are fighting even harder for a chance to let their voice be heard.
Among some of the groups upset with the route delay is the San Francisco Board of Supervisors who want to use the torch’s procession to protest China’s human rights record and its crackdown in Tibet, reported the New York Times.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom did release a written commitment Wednesday that police would not restrict protests, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.
Michael Risher, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, had asked the city to hurry up and publicize its plans for the April 9 event, since his concern was that fans of the Games, due to begin in Beijing on Aug. 8, would be tipped off while protesters would be left wondering, reported the New York Times.
However, in response the ACLU's request for more information, a spokesman for Newsom said the city could not tell groups planning protests along the torch run's route April 9 exactly what that route will be, reported the San Francisco Chronicle. The course will not be decided until after April 1, the city said.
The mayor's office did confirm that several public squares will be available for groups opposed to the Chinese government policies to hold rallies.
"The public is welcome to line the sidewalks along the torch relay route and to attend the opening and closing ceremonies," Joe Arellano, a spokesman for Newsom, wrote in a letter to the ACLU. That includes protesters, he said.
San Francisco was chosen as the sole North American host of the torch in part because of its large Chinese-American population, reported the New York Times. The mayor said the flame would begin and end its visit at AT&T Park, where baseball’s Giants play, and would travel the city’s waterfront. Protesters will be allowed at various points along the route, he said, and some areas will be set aside for larger demonstrations.
City officials said a few weeks ago they would create "free speech zones" for protesters, reported the San Francisco Chronicle. But those zones are intended only for "large groups who feel it is imperative to stay together in order to have their message heard," according to a memo Wednesday to Newsom from Martha Cohen, who plans special events for the mayor's office.
The mayor's office gave no new details about where the torch would travel, however it did name several spots that will not be on the relay's route. They include Civic Center Plaza, Union Square, Washington Square and Portsmouth Square.
On Wednesday, representatives of several of the groups planning protests met with police to discuss where and how they could show their displeasure with the Chinese government. Ten people met with Sgt. John Colla, who is the point person for protests at the Police Department's Central Station. Those at the meeting represented groups critical of China's policies toward Tibet, Burma and the Falun Gong spiritual movement.
The groups will not be prohibited from protesting anywhere along the torch route, Colla said. He did suggest they apply for a permit for Ferry Park, near the closing ceremonies at Justin Herman Plaza, according to people who attended the meeting.
"It was good to meet with the police, because at least we know each other's face," said Thup Ten, a member of Students for a Free Tibet. "But I myself left the meeting worried because even the police do not know what the route is going to be, and it looks like Mayor Newsom is completely on the Chinese government's side."
Activist groups, backed by the ACLU, have said that not releasing details of the torch route is a de facto suppression of their right to protest. Newsom has said city officials, along with law enforcement agencies and representatives of the U.S. and Beijing Olympic committees, have yet to finalize the route.

Posted by gagli004 at 3:15 AM | Permalink

At least 33 students and one adult at Rocori High School were injured when chlorine gas leaked from the school's pool area on Wednesday, Cold Spring Mayor Doug Schmitz said, reported the Star Tribune.
The severity of the injuries is not clear, yet most of the injuries seem to be respiratory, Stearns County Chief Deputy Bruce Bechtold said.
The leak was discovered before 2 p.m. and the building was evacuated, Bechtold said.
Victims were taken to Paynesville Hospital and St. Cloud Hospital, reported the St. Cloud Times. St. Cloud Hospital set up a decontamination tent outside the Emergency Trauma Center to treat patients.
Jeff Kalla of Gold Cross Ambulance operations said all of the patients reported nausea and respiratory issues, but everyone was able to walk out of the building on their own.
The problem began in the school's pool area, where nearly 20 students saw bubbles coming out of the pool drain, then became sick shortly after, Rocori Public Schools Superintendent Scott Staska told WJON-AM, reported the Star Tribune.
Emergency crews were called at 1:41 p.m. for two people reporting difficulty breathing, Mayor Schmitz said.
The Cold Spring Fire Chief Jim Maile was first to arrive on the scene and had firefighters set off a fire alarm to help clear the building as soon as people were becoming sick, reported the St. Cloud Times.
Rescuers set up a “hot zone� for everyone who was injured, then began triage. All uninjured students were sent to elementary schools, Stearns County Chief Deputy Bruce Bechtold said.
By 2:22 p.m. St. Cloud’s hazardous materials team had arrived. Parents begain arriving by 2:30 p.m. to pick up their students, and most students were gone by 3 p.m.
No chlorine was being detected in the school building as of 4 p.m.
The hospital is advising anyone who was exposed during the incident and wants to be evaluated to contact their doctor or go to the emergency room.
The chlorine gas leak is the second this year, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency spokesman Walker Smith said. The MPCA typically sees between six to eight chlorine gas spills year, although not all are pool related.
Stearns County inspects public pools, including the Rocori High School pool, each year, said Don Adams, director of Stearns County Environmental Services. Between 20-25 pools are inspected each year for pH and chlorine levels.

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Posted by gagli004 at 11:10 PM | Permalink

An anti-war group says it will file a federal complaint requiring St. Paul to grant them a permit to march at the Republican National Convention on Sept. 1, according to a news release Sunday, said the Pioneer Press.
The group filed suit in the U.S. District Court on Monday asking that a route be designated for their demonstration, which will be held the first day of the convention, said the Star Tribune.
The Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War are planning to protest the war at the RNC, however, their attempts to get their permit with a specific route has been more than challenging.
"It is our hope that legal action will help us win the permit we need — one that takes a massive, anti-war march to the doors of the Republican Convention at the Xcel Center," Marie Braun, of the coalition, said in the release, reported the Pioneer Press.
The suit accuses city officials of violating protester's free speech, naming specifically; Mayor Chris Coleman, St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington and his assistant chief, Matt Bostrom, who is in charge of security for the convention, said the Star Tribune. The suit also says that those officials frustrated their efforts to get a march route from the State Capitol to Xcel Energy Center and back to the Capitol.
"City officials are not keeping their promises or upholding city ordinances, and that is what brings us here today," said Jess Sundin, a spokeswoman for the Coalition to March on the RNC. "The only thing standing between the Republicans and a massive antiwar protest on September 1 is the ill will of the city of St. Paul, namely Mayor Chris Coleman and Assistant Police Chief Matt Bostrom," she said.
St. Paul police spokesman Tom Walsh disagreed. "We've worked hard to make sure all viewpoints have been heard through the planning process, including the Coalition to March on the RNC," he said. "We've done more to protect free speech than any other convention city before us. We're proud of that and we're going to continue to move forward in good faith in planning a safe convention for the thousands of visitors here in September."
On March 1, police granted protesters a "conditional alternative permit," but it provided no definitive march route. A motion for a preliminary injunction to force the city to set a route was also filed by the protest group.
The protesters are aiming for a route that runs close to the Xcel Center where U.S. Sen. John McCain is expected to be named the Republican presidential nominee. The march will oppose U.S. involvement in the Iraq war, and is expected to draw thousands.
In a set of guidelines issued Feb. 29, police offered some possible partial march routes and cited major traffic and safety concerns that still must be addressed for a convention that has been designated a "National Special Security Event." The police said they'll set a route no later than May 31, although they reserve the right to revise the guidelines and permits if necessary.
The ACLU says that if protesters can get a judge to order police to select a route, and if protesters feel it is too far from the Xcel, the suit gives them time to challenge it in court.
The suit says the guidelines allow police "unbridled discretion." It was filed on behalf of protesters by attorneys David Potter for the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota and Bruce Nestor of the National Lawyers Guild.

Posted by gagli004 at 4:13 AM | Permalink

What is first interesting to mention is all of the news advance stories appear from most angles to be actual stories. They are covered with a more editorial way that makes the reader forget that this story is trying to advance an event and get you to go to it. The angle of the story is from one man's story and journey. It follows his career until it hits today/now and reaches the event that he will be performing in. I then continues to discuss the event and what may appear in this event.
The sources seem to come from the main focus/character of the story and from any biographical source that can comment about his life. Much of the information listed could be found relatively easy and is mostly general, historical information.
The reporter has created more of a profile than a listing. She has focussed on one charcter and told their story. She got the audience intersted and connected to this person. This approach will give us more of a reason to want to go and see this performance. we, the reader, feel connected and closer to the person and the story.

Posted by gagli004 at 5:04 AM | Permalink

In a major shift from former views, 44 Southern Baptist leaders backed a declaration calling for more action on climate change, sayinf its former position on the issue was "too timid," reported the New York Times.
The groups current president, the Rev. Frank Page, signed the initiative, "A Southern Baptist Declaration on the Environment and Climate Change." Two past presidents of the convention, the Rev. Jack Graham and the Rev. James Merritt, also signed.
“We believe our current denominational engagement with these issues has often been too timid, failing to produce a unified moral voice,� the church leaders wrote in their new declaration.
The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest denomination in the United States after the Roman Catholic Church, with more than 16 million members, is politically and theologically conservative.
The signers of the document acknowledged that not all Christians accept the science behind global warming, reported the Star Tribune. They said they do not expect fellow believers to back any proposed solutions that would violate scripture, such as advocating population control through abortion.
The document also urges ministers to preach more about the environment and for all Baptists to keep an open mind about considering environmental policy, reported the New York Times.
Jonathan Merritt, the spokesman for the Southern Baptist Environment and Climate Initiative, said the declaration was a call to Christians to return to a biblical mandate to guard the world God created.
Leaders said that current evidence of global warming is "substantial" and that the threat is too grave to wait for perfect knowledge about whether, or how much, people contribute to the trend, reported the Star Tribune.
"We believe our current denominational resolutions and engagement with these issues have often been too timid," the statement says. "Our cautious response to these issues in the face of mounting evidence may be seen by the world as uncaring, reckless and ill-informed. We can do better."
The Southern Baptist signatories joined an expanding community of evangelicals pushing for more action among believers, industry and politicians. Experts on the Southern Baptist Convention noted the initiative marked the growing influence of younger leaders on the discussions in the Southern Baptist Convention, reported the New York Times.
The declaration is the outgrowth of soul-searching by Mr. Merritt, 25. The younger Mr. Merritt said that for years he had been “an enemy of the environment.� Then, he said, he had an epiphany.
“I learned that God reveals himself through Scripture and in general through his creation, and when we destroy God’s creation, it’s similar to ripping pages from the Bible,� Mr. Merritt said.

Posted by gagli004 at 4:29 AM | Permalink

Two Minnesota girls died in a head-on crash Saturday that police investigators are still asking, why, reported the Star Tribune.
Brittany Stowman, 20, of Oakdale, and Chartie Foss, 20, of Woodbury died when their car heading the wrong way on Interstate 494 hit a van and a semitrailer.
At around 1:45 a.m. Saturday, the car Stowman was driving was headed east in the westbound lanes when it collided with an oncoming van and then a semi truck. David Berens, 19, who was driving the truck that stuck Stowman's car head-on suffered minor injuries, reported the Pioneer Press.
James Manny, 37, was driving the Roundy's semi that smashed into the car from the right lane. Manny was not injured.
Stowman was taken to Regina Medical Center in Hastings, and Foss was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul. Authorities did not detect alcohol in Stowman or any of the other drivers, according to a report from the State Patrol.
Stowman's grandfather, Richard Stowman, thought the two women might have been visiting friends across town, reported the Star Tribune.
Stowman was working as a medical assistant for a dermatologist and wanted to do "a million things," her grandfather said. She had a 2-year-old son, Tony.
Foss was a student at Century College. According to her MySpace page, she hoped to transfer soon to an out-of-state college to study psychology.

Posted by gagli004 at 4:11 AM | Permalink

A Minneapolis man was aquitted Friday after being arrested in the same airport bathroom sex-sting operation that U.S. Sen. Larry Craig was arrested, reported the Pioneer Press.
Vince Tuzo, 39, claimed he wasn't guilty because the officer had intiated the foot-tapping. This was the same argument Craig used in trying to withdraw his guilty plea. In Tuzon's case, the Hennipen County jury agreed Tuzon wasn't guilty.
"My client really feels that he was set up," defense lawyer Jeffrey Dean said after the verdict. "He stopped in to use the restroom. He was using the toilet when he was essentially bombarded with overtures."
The sting operation consisted of officers posing as gay men solicting sex in a bathroom in the Northstar Crossing, a food court in the Lindbergh Terminal at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
"My client feels that the police conduct was very abusive, and he was entrapped and set up," defense lawyer Jeffrey Dean said.
Tuzon went into the restroom on July 5 to use the bathroom and was in a stall with undercover police on both sides, reported the Star Tribune.
The lawyer said one officer and Tuzon began tapping feet, "which led to my client finally doing what the officer communicated my client to do, which was look into his stall, at which point they arrested him. ... We feel that that is misconduct and abusive and this would've never happened had the police never started all of this."
The sting went on in relative obscurity until news broke in August that one of the men cited was Craig, a staunch "family values" conservative Republican from Idaho, reported the Pioneer Press. Craig was arrested June 11 after he entered a bathroom stall next to one occupied by airport police Sgt. Dave Karsnia, who was working undercover.
Karsnia said the senator looked into Karsnia's stall, then, once in his own stall, tapped his foot and slid his hand under the stall divider. Those gestures in a men's room are regarded as signals soliciting sex, police said.
The senator was charged with disorderly conduct and interference with privacy.
Craig initially pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct and paid $575 in fines. But he said that he pleaded guilty to try and keep the incident out of the media and has since asked the state Appeals Court to let him withdraw the plea.
Hogan, the airport spokesman, said Tuzon was one of only two cases from the sting operation to go to trial.
"Nearly all of them have already been settled," he said.

Posted by gagli004 at 2:21 AM | Permalink

A recently released convicted murderer was charged with the deaths of six people in Memphis on Saturday, reported USA Today.
Jessie Dotson, 33, was arrested on Friday and was charged with six counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. Dotson's brother, Cecil, 30, and two of his children, 2 and 4, were also killed, while the other three are in critical condition, reported the Memphis Flyer.
The surviving three children aer under police custody at a children's hospital, reported USA Today. Also killed were Hollis Seals, 33, Shindri Roberson, 25, and Marissa Rene Williams, 26, the mother of four of Cecil Dotson's children.
Memphis police said Jessie Dotson first shot his brother then killed or attempted to kill the others in the house to cover up the first murder, reported the Memphis Flyer. The bodies were not discovered by police for more than 30 hours.
Police are "confident" Dotson is the only killer, although the investigation remains open. He said the brothers began arguing last Saturday afternoon and the argument continued throughout the evening, culminating in the "horrific" shootings and stabbings of nine people.
The adults were shot, while the children were stabbed with a knife and bludgeoned, police said, reported USA Today.
Dotson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 1994, spent 14 years in jail and was released this January from prison.
Cecil Dotson and Seals each had extensive criminal records that include possession of illegal drugs and firearms. Cecil Dotson is identified in jail records as a known gang member.
The Shelby County District Attorney General Bill Gibbons, in Tennessee, said prosecutors will make an announcement soon about whether they will seek the death penalty for Dotson, who is in the Shelby County Jail.

Posted by gagli004 at 1:27 AM | Permalink

Ecuador and Venezuela sent troops to their borders after the Colombian army entered and killed on Ecuadorian soil Sunday, reported the New York Times. Ecuador and Venezuela then expelled the Colombian ambassadors from the countries, and Ecuador broke all diplomatic relations with Colombia.
Colombia conducted a military raid on a rebel encampment a mile inside Ecuador. Colombian forces killed 21 guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, Colombia’s largest rebel group.
The Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said the Colombian rebels were killed in their sleep “in their pajamas,� and not in the heat of pursuit as Colombia’s security forces said. Among the 21 killed was senior rebel leader Raúl Reyes.
Colombia recovered Reyes's laptop that contained payments of $300 million from Venezuela to FARC, reported the Star Tribune. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said that Venezuelan President Chavez should be prosecuted before the International Criminal Court for allegedly financing the FARC.
“This implies more than cozying up," Colombian police chief, Gen. Oscar Naranjo, said, "But an armed alliance between the FARC and the Venezuelan government," reported the New York Times.
The Venezuelan government denied aiding the rebels. “We are used to the Colombian government’s lies,� said Vice President Ramón Carrizales.
Venezuela sent about 9,000 soldiers to the border region as a "preventive" measure, retired Gen. Alberto Muller Rojas told the Associated Press. Ecuador said it sent 3,200 troops to the border on Monday, reported the Star Tribune.
Venezuela also closed their border to all Colombian trade. Leonardo Mendez, a spokesman for a Colombian cargo transport association, said some 300 vehicles, including trucks carrying food, shoes, ceramics and other products, were stuck at one major border crossing.
Colombia did send an apology for the cross-border strike, however, Ecuador rejected it calling it insufficient and rallying opposition during an emergency meeting of the Organization of American States.
Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa began a six-nation tour in Peru and Brazil, calling Colombian President Alvaro Uribe a liar who "wanted war." Correa warned that if the attack goes unpunished, "the region will be in danger, because the next victim could be Peru, it could be Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, any one of our countries."

Posted by gagli004 at 12:51 AM | Permalink

The author took a very interesting approach for writing the story. It was not hard news or even speech style. It read almost editorial. He began by hooking the reader and then moving them forward in the story by asking continual questions. This approach addressed some of the topics of the story while keeping the reader engaged in the story.
A lot of the information in the story seemed a bit too general. I would have liked to have the author focus in more on the actual bill. The press release described exactly what the bill was and included. The release read like an information page to the bill, whereas the conference was more of a story with the topic being the bill. The story did cover many topics and included information from other persons, including members of the legislature.
If was interesting at the end of the story how the author included another angle to the story. He addressed the effect the bill will have on a specific thing; U.S. airlines.
The author used an interesting approach to cover the topic from a wide perspective. He didn't use a typical route, but instead began in a new way in order to spark the reader's interest.

Posted by gagli004 at 5:53 AM | Permalink

The Vikings signed two free agents this weekend adding a safety and wide receiver to their line up, reported the Star Tribune. Bernard Berrian and Madieu Williams added purple and gold to their wardrobe as the became members of the Minnesota Vikings.
Berrian spent his first four seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, but on Saturday that changed when he signed a six-year, $42 million contract that includes $16 million in guarantees, according to the NFL Network, reported the Pioneer Press.
The Vikings have been one of the more active teams since free agency started Thursday night by also signing safety Madieu Williams to a six-year, $33 million contract that includes nearly $13 million.
The Vikings pursued receiver Berrian aggressively mentioning his ability to work the short and intermediate zones, while still stretching the field and making plays up the field.
Berrian never has topped 1,000 yards receiving in a season, but his yardage has increased each season in the NFL, from 225 yards in 2004 to 951 last season with the Bears.
As the details of his contract were being worked out, Berrian said he grew frustrated at his agent. When asked if he ever got close to leaving the Twin Cities to meet with the Raiders, Berrian said, "We weren't really going to go unless it was really, really something substantial to really get us to go there."
Berrian talked about the Vikings' 2008 postseason possibilities, as well as the strength of the team's defense, offensive and defensive lines and the "great running back."
Given the investment in him, Berrian will be viewed as the No. 1 receiver, Vikings receiver Bobby Wade said, who played two seasons in Chicago with Berrian. But he won't let that go to his head.

Posted by gagli004 at 5:14 AM | Permalink

A Monticello teen was hospitalized with a heart attack at his basketball game Friday night, reported the Star Tribune. Starting center, Adam Thielen, collapsed on the bench after playing five minutes in the game.
A defibrillator was used twice to restart his heart, and then he was airlifted to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, reported the Pioneer Press.
Doctors put Thielen in an indused coma, where doctors cooled his body to minimize damage, Thielen's parents said in a posting on the Caring Bridge site, reported the Star Tribune.
On Sunday, doctors warmed Thielen's body back to normal temperature and began to remove him from his medically induced coma, saidthe Caring Bridge website, reported the Pioneer Press. He later woke up and began talking to family members, asking them, "Did we win?" according the Web site.
Thielen played the first five minutes of the game with Rogers on Friday and came off the floor as part of the normal player rotation, said coach Bruce Balder-Lanoue, reported the Star Tribune.
"Everything seemed normal," coach Balder-Lanoue said. "He didn't ask to be taken out. He was sitting on the bench and then he just collapsed" forward onto the basketball court. The game was stopped when Thielen collapsed and play did not resume.
Under Minnesota State High School League rules, a student athlete must have a physical exam every three years and complete an annual health questionnaire. Balder-Lanoue said he believes Thielen had a physical as a sophomore.
Heart attacks are rare among student athletes, but they happen every year, usually caused by a heart defect that has gone unnoticed. Many schools have portable defibrillators in case of such emergencies.
"This is the second time we've used the defibrillator," Balder-Lanoue said. "The first time we weren't so lucky."
Before the 7:30 p.m. game Friday, Thielen was honored at the annual "senior night" ceremony.

Posted by gagli004 at 3:57 AM | Permalink

A longtime aide to President Bush resigned on Friday evening after admitting to plagiarism, reported the New York Times.
Timothy Goeglein, who has worked for Bush since 2001, acknowledged that he lifted material from a Dartmouth College publication and presented it as his own work in a column about education for The News-Sentinel in Fort Wayne, reported the Star Tribune. The newspaper took a closer look at his other columns and found many more instances of plagiarism.
“This is not acceptable, and we are disappointed in Tim’s actions,� a White House spokeswoman, Emily Lawrimore, said Friday morning, hours before Mr. Goeglein resigned, reported the New York Times. “He is offering no excuses, and he agrees it was wrong.�
Tthe plagiarism was reported by a blogger, Nancy Nall, a former News-Sentinel columnist, from Goeglein's hometown of Fort Wayne, Ind, reported the Star Tribune.
"The president was disappointed to learn of the matter and he was saddened for Tim and his family," White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement. She said Goeglein had accepted responsibility and "has apologized for not upholding the standards expected by the president."
The News-Sentinel said an internal investigation found that 20 of 38 of Goeglein's columns published in the past eight years contained portions copied from other sources without attribution. Goeglein has submitted unsolicited, or guest, columns to The News-Sentinel for more than 20 years and he has never been paid for them, the paper said.
News-Sentinel editor Kerry Hubartt said the paper would no longer publish Goeglein's writings.
Goeglein was a special assistant to Bush and deputy director of the Office of Public Liaison, serving as the administration's liaison with influential conservatives, reported the Star Tribune. Goeglein also helped establish Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiative, his program for AIDS relief in Africa, and also played an important role in the confirmation of Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito.
Goeglein said he had apologized to the author of The Dartmouth Review article, reported the New York Times.

Posted by gagli004 at 6:28 AM | Permalink

The famous golden arches of McDonald's were about the only recognizable feature of the new feng shui style McDonald's in Hacienda Heights, Calif., reported USA Today.
The local McDonald's became revamped following the style and principales of feng shui, adding such things as leather seats, bamboo plants and even two waterfalls.
The new makeover included elements designed at helping diners achieve happiness and fortune, whether they realize that or not. The ancient Chinese principales of feng shui uses the practice of arranging numbers and objects to promote health, harmony, and prosperity.
The makeover was an attempt by McDonald's to attract more patrons with unique decor and amenities that might entice them to stay a while. It also fits into McDonald's larger corporate practice of catering to local tastes.
Eastern Los Angeles is home to a growing Asian population and one of the nation's largest Buddhist temples, reported the New York Times.
From 1990 to 2000, census figures show, the number of Asians as a proportion of the 53,000 residents in the unincorporated town increased to 36 percent from 27 percent. The number of Hispanics, 38 percent of the population in 2000, also grew in that time, though less significantly.
Although the style reflects the population and culture of this area, the idea is to help people tap into their inner zen, reported USA Today.
The basic principles of feng shui include placing strategic representations of five natural elements — earth, water, fire, metal and wood — around the room to increase the flow of chi, or energy.
The McDonald's included red accents throughout the dining area to symbolize fire and "good luck, laughter and prosperity," said Brenda Clifford, who designed the dining area. The textured walls patterned after ocean waves symbolize "life and relaxation — the balanced things that you want in your life," she said.
The walls are now curved, the ceiling and floor tiles are placed at distinctive angles, and the doors swing open and shut in opposite directions, all in the name of keeping luck within the restaurant, reported the New York Times. The number 4, considered bad luck in some Asian cultures and in feng shui, is absent in the street address and the phone number.
“A lot of things are subliminal,� Clifford said. “Balance in life, that’s what you want.�
While the menu remains the same, there is a McCafe offering lattes and gourmet coffee drinks.
Customers are responding positively, whether or not they recognize the feng shui elements. The new design created a relaxing atmosphere, that entices people to stay longer.
“We wanted to make the restaurant a little bit more of a destination,� said Bryan Carmack, one of its franchisees, who runs 23 McDonald’s restaurants with other members of his family around Southern California, reported the New York Times. “It’s not so much décor as a theme, our theme being we want this to be a harmonic, peaceful place for people to be.�

Posted by gagli004 at 5:32 AM | Permalink