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Middle-school students suspended for not standing during pledge MINNEAPOLIS -- Three small-town eighth-graders in Minnesota were suspended by their principal for not standing Thursday morning for the Pledge of Allegiance, violating a district policy that the principal now says may soon be reworded to protect free speech rights.
"My son wasn't being defiant against America," said Kim Dahl, mother of one of the students, Brandt, who attends Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Junior High School in northwestern Minnesota. Brandt told the Forum newspaper in Fargo that Thursday's one-day in-school suspension, "was kind of dumb because I didn't do anything wrong. It should be the people's choice." Kim Dahl said the "punishment didn't fit the crime. If they wanted to know why he didn't stand, they should've made him write a paper." She said her son has been declining to stand all school year, offered no reason for sitting and was not obligated to explain his actions. The school's handbook says all students are required to stand but are not required to recite the pledge. The same is true for all four schools in the district, a school official said. "These three [students] didn't, and they got caught," said Mel Olson, the district's community education director. He said he backs the punishment, "being a veteran and a United States of America citizen, absolutely." Olson served in the Marines in Japan during the Vietnam War. The head of the Minnesota American Civil Liberties Union said that the school's actions against the students are unconstitutional, and his office informed the district of that Friday in a strongly worded letter.
Man dies when storms slam Georgia MACON, Ga. -- The storms that swept across Middle Georgia before dawn Sunday killed a man in Laurens County, according to County Administrator Bryan Rogers. The man was killed by storms that ripped through the Evergreen Road area north of Dublin, he said. His wife, who was incorrectly reported dead early Sunday afternoon, is in critical condition. Two others were injured. Rogers said there has been conflicting information about the number of dead and injured. "We've identified so far about 90 homes that have sustained minor damage to totally destroyed, " Rogers said. "I'm sure that number's going to grow." The most severe damage across the midstate likely was caused by two separate tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service. That has not been confirmed but "based on the radar data it certainly looks like, in all likelihood, we had a tornado," said Mike Griesinger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Ga.. The first moved from Lizella into the city of Macon, Griesinger said. The second hit north of Dublin in Laurens County. The weather service has a staff member en route to Macon, Griesinger said.
President calls Jenna's wedding "spectacular" WACO, Texas -- President Bush spent months joking about being a father of the bride, but on Sunday he was downright wistful about giving his daughter Jenna away to her longtime beau. "Our little girl, Jenna, married a really good guy, Henry Hager," Bush said, standing next to Mrs. Bush at an airport in Waco, where he boarded Air Force One for his flight back to Washington. "The wedding was spectacular. It's just -- it's all we could have hoped for." Unlike other first-family weddings that have been broadcast live, the Bushes didn't share their daughter's nuptials with the nation. The day after, however, they briefly shared their joy. "The weather cooperated nicely," Bush said about the wedding at his 1,600-acre Texas ranch. "Just as the vows were exchanged, the sun set over our lake, and it was just a special day and a wonderful day, and we're mighty blessed."
Woman pays off 1976 parking ticket in Mich. CALUMET, Mich. -- Police in this Upper Peninsula town had forgotten about the $1 parking ticket written on Sept. 1, 1976. But the woman who had found it on her windshield hadn't. The ticket, a $20 bill and a note arrived at police headquarters last month in a plain white envelope with no return address. The note read: "I always had good intentions of paying it. I put it aside and every once in a while I would come across it and said 'someday I'm going to pay it.' Now I think it's time." The fine for an unpaid meter violation increased to $5 after 72 hours, said Police Chief David Outinen, but it hadn't increased beyond that. He told The Daily Mining Gazette of Houghton that he couldn't remember someone making good on an unpaid ticket after so much time. The woman apparently hopes her payment closes the matter. "Please don't try and track me down. I am a respectable lady," she wrote.
Crew members lost in medical helicopter crash identified MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics officials Sunday identified the three crew members lost in the crash of a Med Flight helicopter Saturday night. The crewmembers were identified during a morning news conference as Darren Bean, a physician; Mark Coyne, a flight nurse; and Steve Lipperer, the pilot. Preliminary reports indicate that the chopper may have flown into a hill and/or struck some trees. The wreckage was found on a wooded hillside in La Crosse County four to five miles from the airport. "Our hearts and minds and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of those lost in this tragic accident. Darren, Mark and Steve represented the very best in compassionate patient care, and they will be deeply missed by all members of the UW Health family who knew and respected this courageous and committed Med Flight crew," UW officials said in a statement. The helicopter left Madison, Wis., about 8:30 p.m. Saturday to transfer a patient to Gundersen Lutheran hospital in LaCrosse, Wis., officials said. After transferring the patient, the crew left the LaCrosse Airport about 10:30 p.m. to return to Madison and no further communication was received. |
