Gibbs, Beth

This analysis focuses on an article written for the Star Tribune titled, “The Informant.”

According to the source list, the reporters used public and confidential documents, interviews and audio recordings of federal wiretaps.

They would have had to find transcripts, depositions, memos, letters and sources to interview.

The story also includes a mugshot of Taylor Trump, which the report would also have had to acquire.

The reporter would need multiple computer skills to create this story.

First, the reporter would need to research online to find past information reported.

Second, the reporter would need to know how to create multimedia stories.

Third, the reporter would have to know how to create links to other stories.

Posted by gibb0138 at 11:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to the Star Tribune, Forest Lake teachers rejected a revised version of the quality compensation, or “Q Comp,” teacher merit pay program and will vote on a proposed contract that could freeze their wages for two years.

58 percent of Forest Lake teachers who voted refused a revised Q Comp program that would lower the amount teachers would be eligible to earn.

The proposal reduced the maximum potential payout to teachers from $3,000 this year to $1,800 next year. The plan cost will cost the district $300,000 more this year than anticipated, so district official wished to change it.

The new contract freezes salaries and saves the district $2.4 million over each year and has been tentatively approved by district and teachers union leaders.

"We were surprised and feel a little disappointed that this program, which we feel is quite innovative, was rejected," said Larry Martini, the district's business services director. "It puts extra money in the pockets of teachers, and that's especially important given these economic times,” the Pioneer Press reported.

Teachers in the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale schools also voted against the “Q Comp” program in 2006. That decision was reversed six months later, after the district needed to make budget cuts.

Posted by gibb0138 at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to the Star Tribune, Indian police said they would not charge the father of a 9-year-old actress in “Slumdog Millionaire,” who was being investigated on the accusation that, posing as a wealthy sheik, he tried to sell the girl to a reporter.

After a British tabloid, News of the World, claimed the actress, Rubina Ali, was offered to adoption on Sunday in exchange by her father, Rafiq Qureshi, for $400,000, her estranged mother, Khurshud Monish Dewade, filed a complaint, police said.

The deal was offered to a News to the World reporter, according to News International Ltd., which also owns Fox Searchlight Pictures that distributes “Slumdog Millionaire.”

Qureshi denied allegations while police questioned him.

"We have interrogated Rubina's father at length and have not found any evidence against him indicating that he was trying to sell Rubina," said senior police officer Nishar Tamboli to the Associated Press.

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The Star Tribune reported that the sponsor of a gay marriage bill in Maine received a standing ovation at a public hearing regarding gay marriage.

The crowd at a public hearing concerning same-sex marriage stood and applauded Sen. Dennis Damon on Wednesday, after he said the time had come to recognize gay marriages.

Damon said his proposal is backed by 60 co-sponsors and "recognizes the worth of every man and woman among us."

It is the goal of gay rights activists to legalize gay marriage in all six New England states by 2012. They are halfway there with legalization in Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

According to the Boston Herald, the hearing received more attendants than originally planned and was moved to the Augusta Civic Center.

Posted by gibb0138 at 5:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to the Star Tribune, the Minneapolis police department released statistics on Tuesday that the number violent crimes have been going down during the past two years.

Only three homicides occurred in Minneapolis between January 1 and April 20 this year, compared to 11 during the same time period in 2008 and 18 in 2007.

In 1995, there were 97 homicides in the same time period, leading one journalist to call it “Murderapolis.”

The rates of rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults have also dropped in the past two years, but not as dramatically as homicides.

Violent crime has dropped in Minneapolis more than 25 percent since 2007 and nearly 18 percent in the past year alone.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak was satisfied with the statistics, but is still dedicated to making Minneapolis a safer city.

"This is fantastic, the result of a community-wide effort to make this a safe place to call home," said Rybak. "But we've still got a long way to go."

Posted by gibb0138 at 6:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reported that Democrat Al Franken has began putting together a Senate office staff, although he has not yet been officially seated as Minnesota’s U.S. Senator.

Franken’s staff announced Monday that he plans to hire Alana Peterson, a longtime DFL activist, as his state director.

Peterson has worked in politics in a variety of roles. Peterson served most recently as political director and state field director for Rep. Jim Oberstar, who is dean of the state's congressional delegation.

Peterson will allow Franken to "hit the ground running on Day One,” Franken said in a press release.

Republicans called this move a “publicity stunt” because Franken has not officially been seated as Senator.

Franken is up 312 votes in most current recount case between Franken and Republican Norm Coleman.

Posted by gibb0138 at 8:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reported that according to Minnesota health officials, a Twin Cities woman has rubella, also known as German measles, and is the first case of rubella in Minnesota in nine years.

The woman, who has not been identified, is in her 30s and has not been vaccinated against rubella. She is now recovering, Kris Ehresmann, head of the state immunization program, said.

Rubella is an infection, which causes a rash, low fever, cough and swollen glands. It is most threatening to pregnant women and their unborn children.

Since 1992, only six cases have been reported in Minnesota, the health department said. The last reported case in Minnesota was in 2000.

"We used to see dozens and hundreds and thousands of cases in the prevaccine era," Ehresmann said.

A vaccine for Rubella is available, but some parents have refused to vaccinate their children, in fear the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is linked to autism. That link has not been proven.

The Health Department is encouraging parents to have their children vaccinated, in order to prevent illness and spread of the infectious disease.

"Clearly when we let our guards down in terms of vaccination, it allows the disease to regain a foothold," Ehresmann said.

Posted by gibb0138 at 2:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reported that officials in a small village in England are considering leaving potholes unfilled as an attempt to slow down speedy drivers.

Mike Parrish, the city councilor in Navestock, said the potholes would help return the town’s small roads to country lanes, as they once were. It will also save the town money in roadwork fees.

"It seems potholes are good on our quiet little back roads," he said. "Not fixing those might save us time and cost and also be a traffic calming measure."

Parrish said some residents have asked for speed bumps, but the potholes serve the same purpose at a cheaper price.

There is some debate in the town whether the plan is a good idea. The town will invite residents to discuss the plan before a decision is made.

According to Telegraph.co.uk, local retired police officer, Roy Tyzack, said the potholes will not slow drivers down, but become a hazard.

"Potholes, and we have a great deal of them, are very dangerous,” Tyzack said.

Posted by gibb0138 at 7:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Associated Press reported that DirecTV Inc. and Comcast will pay $3.2 million to settle claims that they called people who asked that the companies not call them, breaking the law.

The Federal Trade Commission announced Thursday, DirecTV Inc., a satellite television provider and Comcast, a cable company, will need to pay the fines for not following the Do Not Call registry law.

This is the second time DirecTV has paid such a fine, paying $5.3 million in a 2005 settlement.

After the registries creation in 2003, the FTC has brought more than 40 cases for company violations.

The registry has more than 167 million phone numbers. It prohibits telemarketers from calling those listed numbers and companies might be fined up to $16,000 for each violation.

Companies may call customers up to 18 months after their last purchase, payment or delivery. Political, charitable and survey work organizations are also exempt.

Posted by gibb0138 at 6:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reported a Faribault, Minn., man was placed in jail Wednesday after allegedly approaching two girls in Edina, on separate occasions, and attempting to lure them in to his vehicle, authorities said.

The man, 21, approached an 8-year-old girl and then another on Tuesday and asked them to get in his vehicle and show him how to get to Concord Elementary School.

District spokesman Doug Johnson said both girls refused and went home to alert their parents.

Jeff Long, Edina deputy police chief, said the girls were walking home from school when the man approached them.

According to Kare 11, a teenage boy stopped his car after spotting one of the girls speaking with the man and an Edina mother, Erica Oberlein, followed the vehicle to get the license plate number before calling the police.

“I'm glad this teen had the foresight to stop and ask the guy what he was doing," Oberlein said. "Had he not, I would not have stopped."

The police found and arrested the suspect on suspicion of attempted kidnapping.

The man told authorities he was simply looking for directions.

"The problem we saw with that was that he claimed he talked to a couple people, including a man, but we have not had anyone step forward to say that,“ Long said.

Long said the suspect has a criminal history that includes burglary and assault.

Posted by gibb0138 at 6:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reported that a soldier testified Tuesday that an Army sergeant chased a superior officer at base in Iraq and shot him twice.

According to witnesses, Sgt. Joseph Bozicevich sho and killed fellow soldier at their Army base near Baghdad. Staff Sgt. John Dresel was the first witness to testify in the Article 32 hearing.

Bozicevich, 39, who is from Minneapolis, is charged with killing fellow soldiers, Sgt. Wesley Durbin and Staff Sgt. Darris J. Dawson on Sept. 14.

According to Dresel, he heard gunfire and ran towards it. He then saw Bozicevich run toward Dawson, who had fallen on the ground, and shot him twice.

Dresel said he then tackled Bozicevich to the ground and with the help of at least one other soldier, held him down until he could not get up.

According to Army Times, later in the day, staff Sgt. Michael Muci testified he heard an argument between Dawson and Bozicevich.

Posted by gibb0138 at 7:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This analysis focuses on an article titled, "A Cleansing for a Holiday, in the Spirit of a Campfire ," written for the New York Times.

The article is about how a small group of people in New York celebrated Passover. The article moves beyond stereotype by explaining the actions and the statements of the people involved in the story. It also gives some cultural background to inform the reader about Passover and Birkat Hachamah.

The article was informative, explaining that observant Jews burn chametz, or leaved bread, as a tradition before Passover and it has caused issues with fires in the past. The story shows this through data and events.

Posted by gibb0138 at 12:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reported that a University of Minnesota official said that tap water in three research and clinical buildings on campus might be unsafe to drink.

University spokesman Daniel Wolter said more than 600 dentist appointments were cancelled by the university after discolored and foul-smelling water was reported on Wednesday in Moos Towers and the Phillips-Wagensteen building.

The university found that the tap water was also tainted in Diehl Hall after further investigation on Thursday. The three buildings are at the end of a water main and the university has been working to clean the systems since Wednesday night, Wolter said.

The cause of the contamination is unknown and the rest of the university’s water is believed to be safe, Wolter said.

According to the Minnesota Daily, Wolter said water contaminations are common in the spring and the university is being cautious.

Posted by gibb0138 at 11:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reported that after cable news television stations and mobile phone networks went down as requested by the communist leaders of Moldova on Tuesday, protesters kept in contact through Twitter.

Some protesters stormed Parliament and the offices of President Vladimir Voronin on Tuesday due to what they say were rigged elections. A total of 10,000 people protested and in violent riots more than 90 were injured and 200 were arrested.

Cable news stations in Moldova did not play any footage of the riot, so the protesters use the social network Web site, Twitter, to keep in touch.

"We sent messages on Twitter but didn't expect 15,000 people to join in. At the most we expected 1,000," said Oleg Brega, the head of the non-governmental pro-democracy group Hyde Park.

The New York Times reported that after hundreds of messages were sent through Twitter, the internet was cut off in Chisinau, the country’s capital.

Posted by gibb0138 at 9:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reported that Democrat Al Franken extended his lead on Tuesday over Republican Norm Coleman in the U.S. Senate election.

After a three-judge panel counted about 350 formerly rejected absentee ballots on Tuesday morning, Franken, unofficially, added about 87 votes to the recount lead. These votes give Franken a margin of about 312 votes.

According to the Star Tribune, Franken added 198 ballots and Coleman added 111.

This result makes it likely that Franken will win the election lawsuit filed by Coleman in January that contests Franken’s 225-vote recount lead.

Coleman’s lawyer Ben Ginsberg said Coleman will appeal the case to the Minnesota Supreme Court. Ginsberg said one of the grounds for the appeal will be unequal treatment of the ballots.

According to the Pioneer Press, neither candidate contested the results and both kept a close eye on the three-judge panel.

Posted by gibb0138 at 7:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)