Austin Wiebe's JOUR3101 News Blog

The chief executive of Europe's largest budget airline said in an interview that the company might consider charging passengers to use the restrooms on their planes.
Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, said the airline is considering adding a coin slot that would charge passengers 1 pound ($1.43) to enter the lavatory.
A spokesman for the company, however, told Reuters there was no reason to believe the company was going to take such measures.
"Michael makes a lot of this stuff up as he goes along, and while this has been discussed internally, there are no immediate plans to introduce it," Reuters reported Stephen McNamara as saying.
Ryanair is focused on providing low-cost air travel to passengers, and recently announced it would close all check-in counters and replace them with online check-in.
O'Leary insisted that adding toilet charges would not cause an inconvenience for passengers without cash.
"I don't think there is anybody in history that has got on board a Ryanair aircraft with less than a pound," O'Leary told Reuters.

Posted by wieb0055 at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dr. James Dobson, conservative minister and radio host, announced Friday he will step down as chairman of the religious group Focus on the Family.
The announcement comes on the wake of much criticism and scrutiny the organization has faced for its recent political involvement and staunch conservative views.
Dobson will remain a key figure at Focus on the Family and will continue hosting his radio show, writing books, and speaking on family issues, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Patrick P. Caruana, a retired Air Force lieutenant general, will replace Dobson as chairman.
Though Dobson was criticized for first opposing then choosing to support Sen. John McCain in last year's presidential election, he maintained that his decision had nothing to do with politics.
"One of the common errors of founder-presidents is to hold to the reins of leadership too long, thereby preventing the next generation from being prepared for executive authority," Dobson said in a statement.
Before founding Focus on the Family, Dobson worked as a psychologist at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles and as pediatrics professor at the University of Southern California.
Though he will no longer hold the reins at Focus on the Family, Dobson's legacy will live on at the organization.
"He'll continue to be a voice to be reckoned with," Gary Schneeberger, a spokesman for Focus on the Family, told the Los Angeles Times. "He'll still be very front and center."

Posted by wieb0055 at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two teenage boys were shot Friday evening in a gang-related fight outside an Edina mall.
The boys, 15 and 18, were shot in the parking lot outside the J.C. Penney store at Edina's Southdale Center. Their names have not been released.
Police said the fight was between two rival Hispanic groups of unknown sizes.
Both teens were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis for treatment. One was treated for a bullet wound in his leg, and the other underwent surgery for an abdominal wound.
The suspect, believed to be between 16 and 18 years old, fired at least four shots from a .45-caliber handgun before fleeing the scene.
Police and mall security are examining security camera footage in attempts to identify the shooter.
No arrests had been made by late Friday, Edina Police Chief Mike Siitari told the Star Tribune.

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A local jazz musician and educator was hit and killed by a bus at Minnehaha Avenue and 46th Street on Wednesday evening.
Mary Ann O'Dougherty, 55, had just gotten of the light rail train and only a block and a half form home when she was killed, her husband, Steve Alm, told the Star Tribune.
The driver of the bus told investigators he was unaware he hit anyone, and the bus's single passenger verified this account, Metro Transit spokesman Bob Gibbons said.
The driver has been placed on paid administrative leave, Gibbons said.
O'Dougherty was well known in the for her Brazilian music as well as French and Portuguese songs.
She was "a significant figure in the Twin Cities music community," Tim Sparks, who played with O'Dougherty in the group Mandala, told the Star Tribune.
She performed in over 30 countries in her career as well as teaching in the St. Paul schools, Alm said.
Investigators are currently examining the video from two cameras on the bus.

Posted by wieb0055 at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nine people died and more than 50 were injured when a Turkish Airlines flight crashed into a field outside Amsterdam Wednesday morning.
The Boeing 737-800 was headed to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport from Instanbul and was carrying 134 people. No cause of the accident has yet been released.
Among those dead are two pilots and an apprentice pilot. Of the 55 people reported reported injuried, six were in critical condition and 25 seriously wounded, a local health spokesperson told USA Today.
The crash comes in a wave of bizarre plane accidents that have occurred in recent months, including one in Italy and three more in the United States.
Most recently, a Continental Connection plane crashed into a house near Buffalo, New York, killing 50.
Bill Voss, president of the non-profit Flight Safety Foundation, said that the industry needs to examine the string of accidents to see what can be learned.
"We have to start questioning ourselves about whether we are doing all that we can do to apply the lessons learned and take advantage of safety information to eliminate these crashes," he told USA Today.

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This weekend two articles appeared on the Pioneer Press website about a shootout at a house wedding in Roseville. The first-day article talks about the case going to court and the proceedings, and the second-day article outlines the jury's decision and the overall outcomes. The headline and lead of the first explained the case and what happened at the shootout. The article gives basic details as well as outlining the charges in the court case. The second article starts out with a headline and lead that explain how the defendant was acquitted in court. It then goes into further detail about the shootout, based on the testimonies of those present. The first included a dialogue from the court case, while the second was more descriptive of the overall scene. The first seemed to get the information out with the details that were known at the time. The second, on the other hand, served to give established details and make sense of the case, including laying out the verdict. An article in the Star Tribune on the case was not published until one day after the second article in the Pioneer Press.

Posted by wieb0055 at 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A young Indian boy was married Wednesday to his neighbor's dog to protect him from attacks from wild animals.
The ritual ceremony was held in the Jajpur district of Orissa by a priest of the Munda tribe. Over 250 tribespeople participated in the wedding service.
The marriage was prescribed after the boy, Sagula, grew a tooth on his upper gum, a bad omen which, in Munda culture, represents a vulnerability to attacks by tigers and other wild animals.
By performing the ceremony, tribespeople asked their god to bless the child and ward off evil spirits.
The boy's father told reporters that they also hoped to deflect any curse that might fall upon their family.
According to Reuters, there was no dowry exchanged for the marriage, and the boy will not have to divorce before marrying a human bride.

Posted by wieb0055 at 2:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Wisconsin man in declining health had his wish granted when he watched his son get married in a St. Paul hospital Saturday.
Bob Vesperman, 70, was not expected to live to see his son, Christopher Vesperman, marry his fiancee Anne Gibbons this September.
His wife, Kathy Vesperman, decided three weeks ago that the family should first be planning a wedding, not a funeral. When the couple agreed, they quickly made plans to move up the ceremony and hold it at Bethesda Hospital where their beloved husband and father was being treated.
The wedding was held Saturday in the hospital's chapel, where Bob Vesperman, excited and emotional, was joined by about 25 family members and friends.
Bob Vesperman was the principal at Osceola High School in Wisconsin until a stroke left him paralyzed fifteen years ago. Last September, he had a heart valve replaced, which led to three more surgeries to fight internal bleeding and infections.
In January, his health began to seriously decline, and doctors prepared the Vesperman family for the worst.
"A doctor told me he could have a heart attack any day, and he'd be gone." Kathy Versperman told Pioneer Press.
At the wedding ceremony, in painful speech, Bob Vesperman thanked hospital staff and family members for helping him through the recent months and for making his wish of attending the wedding come true.

Posted by wieb0055 at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An Australian writer sentenced to three years in a Thai prison returned home Saturday after receiving a pardon from the Thai royal family.
Harry Nicolaides, 41, was imprisoned in January for allegedly defaming a Thai monarch in a fictional book, "Verisimilitude," that he wrote in 2005.
The passage in question, which made reference to an unnamed crown prince, was deemed dishonorable to the Thai royal family.
Only seven of the 50 printed copies of Nicolaides's book were ever sold.
Nicolaides's release came at the urging of the Australian government, which fervently lobbied the Thai government for an official pardon.
According to an AP correspondent, the case had been widely publicized in Australia, where shocking prison photos of Nicolaides were circulated on television.
Upon his release, Nicolaides learned that his mother had suffered a stroke during his imprisonment. His father told reporters that they would immediately visit her in the hospital upon leaving the airport.

Posted by wieb0055 at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Mounds View City Council will consider new licensing policies on Monday for the massage business after recent arrests involving the owner and an employee of a city massage parlor.
A new ordinance proposed by the council would require that those seeking massage licenses from the city would have to remain in "good, moral character," according to the Star Tribune.
Mounds View Mayor Joe Flaherty explained that any sort of legal infraction could warrant the revocation of a massage license.
The policy considerations come in response to the December arrests of Xiu Ji Li, owner of Jian Kang Massage in Mounds View, and an unidentified male employee.
Police conducted a series of undercover visits to the business after an anonymous informant said sexual acts were being performed there.
On one such visit, a female employee began to massage the undercover officer's genitals as part of a "standard" massage.
A police affidavit also said that surveillance showed only male customers entering and leaving the establishment, according to the Star Tribune.
Li and the male employee were booked at the Ramsey County jail on Dec. 29.

Posted by wieb0055 at 12:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Girl Scouts across the country are seeing lower numbers in the pre-order sales of their famous cookies.
Councils of scouts nationwide have reported sales declines as large as 19 percent, according to USA Today.
Though not all councils have seen sales drop, the figures are enough to concern supporters of the scouts.
Many longtime supporters are cutting back or eliminating their orders altogether in light of recent economic hardships.
Girl Scout cookie sales take place largely in the spring, with about a third of councils selling in the fall. Pre-order sales make up nearly 70 percent the overall cookie sales, with the remainder coming from shopping center booths.
Proceeds from cookie sales go to fund Girl Scout troops' community projects, trips, and scholarships.
Denise Pesich, vice president of communications for Girl Scouts of the USA, believes the troops can make up the deficit through booth sales.
"We're hopeful right now," Pesich told USA Today. "The country, when in situations like this, goes back to what's nostalgic and gives them pleasure."

Posted by wieb0055 at 11:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In CNN's article on Norah al-Faiz becoming Saudi Arabia's first woman minister, the structure has a very clear inverted pyramid format. The author starts with the most important information: That al-Faiz was chosen for the position and that some are questioning whether she will truly have power on the council. He sidetracks a bit with a quote from an activist, then gives the hard facts on the appointment. I believe the quote is affective, because it notes the gravity of the decision without distracting from the important facts. The author then leads into a quote from al-Faiz herself, which arguably could have been used before the activist's out of respect. However, the story flows logically. After this, the author describes women's rights in the country, which is still very pertinent to the story. After a couple of quotes on this subject, the author moves on to information on the king and his politics, which is clearly the least "important" subject in this article. I think the organization works well- it goes from most to least news-worthy, with quotes inserted to give personality and perspective on the issue. The only difference I noticed was possibly not quoting the activist at the very beginning, and sticking to the hard news.

Posted by wieb0055 at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a groundbreaking decision Saturday, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah appointed the first woman in Saudi history to the nation's council of ministers.
Norah al-Faiz will serve as the deputy minister for women's education, a newly-created position that is a part of a major set of changes enacted by the king.
The appointment comes as a victory for women's rights advocates, who have been counting on Abdullah to act on his promises of reform.
Many see this as a first step towards equality in the country, where women are still seen as the property of men and are not allowed to drive cars.
"This is the main thing that is controlling our life," activist Wajeha al-Huwaider told CNN. "We want to be able to drive our cars, you know, to feel like we are just like the rest of the world."
Al-Faiz assured Saudi women that she will stand up for them and not be a token member of the council.
"I'm very proud to be nominated and selected for such a prestigious position," al-Faiz told CNN. "I hope that other ladies, females, will follow in the future."

Posted by wieb0055 at 11:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

St. Paul's Hazel Park Middle School Academy is home to a new style of grading that has many parents raising eyebrows.
The system, referred to as "standards-based grading," weighs the entirety of students' grades on how well they understand the material.
Homework is optional, and students can prove knowledge of the subject matter through tests, projects, or a variety of other activities.
The system rates students' understanding on a number scale. A zero represents no understanding whatsoever, and a "4" indicates a level above proficiency.
The new system is a response to the school's recent low scores on statewide standardized tests. It is meant to better shape learning to match the education standards expected by the state.
Similar systems are in place across the country, including elementary schools in Edina.
Some parents are responding favorably, while others question the new system. However, teachers and administrators stand behind the new principles.
"I'd love to get away from the idea of a report card," Jenni Norlin-Weaver, director of teaching and learning for the district, told Pioneer Press. "I'd love to think about a continuous process in which parents, students and teachers have a great sense of how the student is progressing."

Posted by wieb0055 at 10:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In spite of economic hardships and potential budget cuts, local libraries are thriving with business.
As conditions seem to worsen with the economy, more and more people are turning to their libraries for support- from Internet access to job searching to free entertainment.
Though the advent of technology may seem a threat to libraries, their mission to provide information to the public has been reshaped and reinvented to evolve with the times.
Since 2000, library circulation in Minneapolis alone has increased by a staggering 37 percent. Economic downfalls have only strengthened this growth.
The projected $6 billion to $7 billion state budget deficit, however, is threatening to leave libraries with huge cuts in funding.
Library supporters argue that the local hubs are becoming more and more important for residents who can't afford to maintain Internet connections, purchase literature, or rent movies from expensive chain stores.
Eagen resident Heidi Ohlander, 31, is a strong advocate for local libraries. She told the Star Tribune that the library helped her plan her own wedding, start a small business, and begin her first novel, among other things.
"I just want you to know that the library is not only essential to me but to all my fellow Minnesotans,'' Ohlander recently wrote to her legislators. "Libraries are the place Minnesotans turn to during tough times."

Posted by wieb0055 at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A bizarre crime sweep in Colorado this month left several horses without their tails, leaving owners to question theives' motives.
Intruders entered local farms and ranches, cutting off several horses' tails with knives or scissors.
The incident left local residents stunned and confused, as the tails hold little monetary value. Though horsehair is used in various consumer products, manufacturers generally purchase the hair in bulk from overseas distributors.
According to Los Angeles Times, some residents have even suggested cult usage to explain the strange crimes.
Motives aside, horse owners affected by the crime are indignant.
In addition to their aesthetic value, horses' tails help the animals insect-free in warmer months. Owners now must consider other insect repellents or tail extensions.
Elbert County residents Tom Johnson and Jim Hoff, owners of Happy Trails Horse Drawn Rides, have reported several horses and ponies missing tails. Around five other neighborhood horses have also lost their tails.
"I was sick to my stomach," Johnson told Los Angeles Times. "I love shampooing them and getting them dressed up for the shows."

Posted by wieb0055 at 2:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chicago researchers have made a breakthrough in prosthesis technology with a new prosthetic arm controlled only by the patient's thoughts.
The new technology connects muscles in the chest to truncated nerves from the amputated arm. Sensors in the chest then pick up nerve signals as they come from the brain.
The nerve impulses are transmitted to the prosthetic arm, which triggers the arm to perform a variety of motions. This process is called targeted muscle reinnervation.
In traditional prosthetic arms, the patient flexes a back muscle, which in turn enables awkward mechanisms to move the limb. Many amputees prefer no prosthesis to these models.
A recent study tested the reaction times of five patients who received the new prostheses against those of non-amputees. The results showed only a slight difference in the time it took both groups to initiate and complete arm motions- a mere fraction of a second.
The new technology is still being developed and is not widely available. However, those who have received the surgery have generally been very pleased with the results.
"I was amazed at the level of hand function and how fast I was able to control the arm and hand," Amanda Kitts, a recipient of the new prosthesis, told Los Angeles Times. "I was able to pick up a penny off the table and could catch an object in motion, like a checker that was rolling across the table."

Posted by wieb0055 at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the Reuters article on the drug-dealing milkman, over 75% of the copy was made up of quotes or paraphrasing. Overall, five sources were attributed: the prosecutor, the defendant, the defense lawyer, the judge, another prosecuting lawyer, and the Press Association. All but the last were quoted directly. They appear throughout the story, from the third paragraph to the last. Of the thirteen total paragraphs, only three did not contain a quote or attribution. This construction made reading the article cumbersome, because the reader had to continually be aware of who was speaking and from what point of view. The author had to start several paragraphs with an introduction of the quoted person and his or her title. More paraphrasing or original copy with fewer direct quotes would have made the article much easier to manage.

Posted by wieb0055 at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A 72-year-old milkman in Burnley, England, was sentenced Friday on the conviction of selling and delivering marijuana to his elderly patrons.
Robert Holding admitted to selling the drug to 17 of his customers. He claimed the sales were to aid his elderly patrons with their aches and pains.
Upon investigation, detectives found nearly six ounces of cannabis in Holding's delivery van.
According to Rueters, Holding received a 36-month prison sentence suspended for a year at Burnley Crown Court.
Holding's defense lawyer claimed there was no profit garnered from the marijuana sales and that Holding only had his customers' best interests in mind.
However, prosecutors argued that Holding was indeed profiting from the endeavors, adding that there was no proof he was selling the drug exclusively to the elderly.
"You were not some philanthropist helping out the elderly out of the good of your heart. You dealt drugs for profit in a calculated way. It was a business," Judge Beverly Lunt was quoted as saying.
Holding's oldest client was 92 years old.

Posted by wieb0055 at 7:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The largest municipal Wi-Fi area in the United States will soon be finished here in Minneapolis.
The network, owned and operated USI Wireless, has already been in use for over a year in parts of the city.
Some of the last neighborhoods to be included into the network are those around the University of Minnesota.
USI and city representatives announced that the service will be available in the Prospect Park neighborhood by the end of March, The Minnesota Daily reported.
Other areas close to the university, such as Marcy-Holmes and Southeast Como, will have to wait longer- possibly several months.
The development of the citywide network follows in the footsteps of Philadelphia, where a similar network was implemented but ultimately failed. This is likely because the city offered free Wi-Fi to everyone, Lynn Willenberg, the city's chief information officer, told The Minnesota Daily.
The cost to access USI's service for one year at the six-megabyte level will be $397. A comparable service from Comcast costs users $851.
The Wi-Fi network will also include a public safety network for the benefit of the city's police and fire departments. A similar network proved a boon to city officials responding to the Interstate 35W bridge collapse in 2007.

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A Brooklyn Park man was convicted Thursday of second-degree murder in the death of his wife last July, a victory for defense lawyers who argued his actions were emotional and not premeditated.
According to the Star Tribune, Michael Collins Iheme, 51, will now face a likely sentence of around 30 years in prison, as opposed to the life sentence tied to a conviction of first-degree murder, as he was charged.
Iheme never denied that he shot his wife on her way home from work that day. In fact, he called police shortly after to admit his crime.
Anthonia Iheme, the convicted's 28-year-old estranged wife, was sitting in her car outside the nursing home where she worked when Iheme shot her seven times.
Though some evidence pointed towards premeditation-- he had signed his car title over to his roommate and changed the emergency contact information at his children's preschool-- defense attorneys convinced jury members that Iheme's actions were prompted by a fit of passion.
The defense claimed that Iheme's wife had just told him that he was not the father of their youngest child, triggering the passionate response.
Iheme is being held in the Hennepin County jail pending sentencing on March 4.

Posted by wieb0055 at 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new government program in Germany awards car owners over $3,000 to scrap their old vehicles in favor of new, environmentally-friendly cars.
The program comes as part of efforts to stimulate the country's struggling economy by encouraging purchasing as well as improving environmental conditions.
In addition to the government stipend, Volkswagen car dealerships are offering special discounts and lower financing for customers participating in the program, MSNBC reported.
To qualify for the program, consumers must own cars at least nine years old that have been registered in Germany at least a year.
The cars purchased must be new or less than a year old and meet the strictest emission standards set by the European Union.
Critics of the program argue that the incentives might benefit other countries' economies more than Germany's, as the cars purchased need not be German.
However, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel argues that even cars purchased from other nations will bring round-about benefits to Germany.
"It's our common goal to get all of Europe back on its feet, because in the end, that's good for us," Merkel told MSNBC.

Posted by wieb0055 at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Customers who rely on analog TVs will have four more months to prepare for the national transition to digital broadcasting, thanks to a bill passed in Congress Wednesday.
The new bill refers to the Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005, which mandated that all television stations cease broadcasting analog signals on February 17, 2009.
The original bill, however, contained a loophole that allowed Congress to delay the digital transition deadline to June 12, 2009.
The delay was passed in Senate last week, and the House voted Wednesday to secure the legislature.
The new bill also allows those who received government coupons for digital-to-analog converter boxes to reapply if their coupons expire.
However, the coupon program reached the cap of its funding in late December. Thus, customers applying for coupons are now placed on a waiting list pending the expansion of the program's funds.
Congress is currently considering an $800 million stimulus package proposed by President Barack Obama which would give an additional $650 million to the coupon program, according to USA Today.
Since early January, the waiting list has grown from 100,000 to nearly 3.5 million requests.

Posted by wieb0055 at 9:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In an effort to make itself more attractive and accessible to tourists, the city of Venice has implemented a system that allows visitors to purchase restroom access cards on the Internet.
The cards allow for a discounted rate at public toilets throughout the city, which generally cost one Euro coin to use for tourists.
The rate for Venice citizens is only 25 Euro cents per visit.
In high tourist seasons, a five-day, ten-use restroom pass can be purchased online for 7 Euros. The cost in low season drops to 5 Euros.
The cards also eliminate the need to carry change to use the restroom.
A spokesperson for the city told Reuters, "For people who want some security, who don't want to go into a bar to buy a coffee or a roll, so they can go to the bathroom, this is a solution."
The restroom access cards went into effect Sunday, and must be purchased at least 15 days in advance.
The new system was implemented in an attempt to reduce instances of tourists urinating in streets.
Venice hosts about 20 million tourists a year.

Posted by wieb0055 at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A St. Paul man was murdered early Saturday morning while trying to defend his cousin from an attempted robbery.
Jeffery Lamont Logan, 44, was shot outside the Attucks-Brooks American Legion Hall in St. Paul after he confronted three men who were accosting his cousin.
The police responded to calls from the American Legion and arrested the three suspects after a brief chase.
The (Minneapolis) Star Tribune reported the suspects as a 20-year-old man from West St Paul and two men, 27 and 28, from St. Paul. The three are being held in the Ramsey County jail and await formal charges.
Logan was a regular at the American Legion, and those who knew him said he was kind-hearted and always looked out for his friends and family.
Though he had no children, Logan treated his nieces and nephews as his own. He was the oldest of eight siblings and was close to his many cousins.
Logan's brother, Charles Walker Jr., described him as a "mother hen."
"He watched over everybody," Walker told the Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
Logan's death comes as the third in St. Paul this year.

Posted by wieb0055 at 8:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A burst pipe in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) Building caused an estimated $1 million in damages and forced professors to cancel or relocate their classes Friday.
Around 3 a.m., a pipe connected to the cooling system burst and flooded all five floors of the building with chemical-filled water.
After examining the situation, the Department of Environmental Health and Safety, along with Facilities Management, Emergency Management, and the University of Minnesota Police, determined it was safe to dispose of the water in the sewer system.
Crews worked for several hours, but all Friday and Saturday classes in the building were either canceled or relocated.
Many students arrived at their classes only to discover that they had been canceled.
"We heard that maybe some classes might still be open, so we figured we had to check it out first," electrical engineering sophomore Kevin Lammi told The Minnesota Daily.
This is the second instance of pipes bursting at the university this season. Over winter break, a pipe also burst in the Bell Museum of Natural History; however, the damages there were minimal.
Several classes will return to the EECS Building Monday, while many others will continue to be relocated.
Officials predict it will take a week to 10 days for crews to repair walls, replace carpets, and thoroughly dry out the building to prevent future problems with mold.

Posted by wieb0055 at 7:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)