1. Who is the new Speaker of the house and what political party are they aligned with? Page A1 "GOP taps new speaker..."
The new speaker of the house is Paul Ryan and he is aligned with the republican party
2. What does the law in Texas specifically say regarding a persons failure to identify themselves? QUOTE directly from the story on Page B1 "Video taker sues in arrest"
"According to Texas law, failure to identify becomes an offense if the person 'intentionally refuses to give a name, residents address, or date of birth to an officer who has lawfully arrested the person and requested the information.'"
3. What two teams are playing in the world series? Page C1
The mets and the royals
4. What are 2 Do's and 2 Don'ts when trying to bring autumn into your home decor? Page SA2 "Bring autumn indoors"
Do's
- Do purchase seasonal items in unexpected color combinations
- Do consider incorporating the season into your decor using accent pieces such and toss pillows and throws
Dont's
-Don't buy seasonal items in colors that aren't part of your current decor
-Don't go over board with seasonal decor.
5. Of the 5 weekend suggestions, which would you like to do most? Page D2 "The Long Weekend"
Of the suggestions I would choose I would like to do the Treaty Oa Distilling's Halloween the best. I choose this because I think it would be something fun to do with my friends for a day.
Short answer:
I have seen the video to this story and I was scared when I saw this. After reading the story it seems the girl didn't do anything illegal or bad enough to have to get thrown. I have never seen a officer act like that to a child and it scared me to see that. I do think that police brutality is a problem in the country because every once and a while there will be a police man or women who gets to caught up in having power and they decide to take advantage of that. Some will also become to cautious and they will brutally hurt or injure a person just because they look suspicious. I think racism is a big factor in the issue of the law. People have been labeled by the color of their skin and some people automatically still think of it in that way and they can't help it, so police men or women can be more attacked to seeing suspicions with people who have colored skin because of the way they were labeled. I believe sometimes social media and technology can be the cause of a illegal or lawful issue, but sometimes like in this case it can be helpful. Cell phones allow you to be able to call for others when you need help and get proof like how a student did for this girl in the situation so they can have justification. If no one had recorded the situation that deputy may not have been fired and he could have done what he did to that one girl to other people. I do think it is a good thing that this story and others like it get exposed because with out these videos some people could get away with bad stuff and never get caught. Not getting caught one time could cause them to try to do what they did over and over again and again.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Commentary Article
The schedule at Bowie High School had been an issue that everyone has been talking about this past year. This summer the faculty was discussing about changing the schedule to every Monday and Wednesday a "A" day and every Tuesday and Thursday a "B" day with Friday alternating, there was also a consideration of having fit be everyday. Although I disagree with the "A" and "B" day schedule I completely agree with having fit everyday
With the school year starting in September the school had originally planned for Monday and Wednesday to be "A" days and Tuesday and Thursday being "B" days while Fridays would be alternating between "A" and "B" days. All summer everyone had been talking about the schedule and if the school was actually going to go through with it.
Most students including myself disagreed with this schedule, especially with the times of the start, finish and passing periods of the school changing. This would just be too confusing. It would be to difficult to remember what Friday would be and "B" days would fall way behind.
With school getting out so late it is hard to try and get all your homework and other things done at a reasonable time, so you can eat and go to bed. Students will get home, depending on where you live, from 4:20 to possibly 5:30 or later. Getting home any later than about 5:20 can be a hung hassle. Students only get 3 hours to finish their homework and eat there dinner, so they can go to bed at a good time. Sometimes you will have longer than 3 hours of homework not including dinner and distractions.
With the new schedule talk there were also rumors that fit would be everyday, this is what some students got excited about. With having 4 classes a day and seeing them every other day the teachers load you up with homework. Being able to have free time to work on homework and get help on subjects you don't understand would be very nice to have everyday.
Bowie tries to be a student voice school and if they want the students to be apart of the decisions that are going on they need to let us have a voice about them. There was no one that asked the students what they want there schedule to be. The school does a good job of letting the students choose, but I feel they could do better with letting us have a voice in other subjects.
There are always people who won't take advantage of the opportunity to have fit everyday, but that is their loss. Students who don't get a lot of homework may think it is stupid to have fit everyday day because they would have nothing to do, but there are many fit sessions where you don't have to just do homework. Most of the students will take advantage of this opportunity to be able to do there homework.
I realize some teachers may not want fit everyday because it takes time out of their class time, but there is a solution to this. Have fit be three or four times a week and if the students seem to be benefiting from this the school can change to more days a week and if they don't you can change it back. If students do end up benefiting from fit more times a week it would help the teachers in the long run because they can help those who need help the most and students would be able to focus on the subjects they are struggling the most in.
The school did change the schedule back to alternating "A" and "B" days for the benefit of the students and teachers, but they did not allow fit everyday this year. In the future with criteria becoming harder and harder I think the school should consider giving the students fit everyday or at least three days a week.
With the school year starting in September the school had originally planned for Monday and Wednesday to be "A" days and Tuesday and Thursday being "B" days while Fridays would be alternating between "A" and "B" days. All summer everyone had been talking about the schedule and if the school was actually going to go through with it.
Most students including myself disagreed with this schedule, especially with the times of the start, finish and passing periods of the school changing. This would just be too confusing. It would be to difficult to remember what Friday would be and "B" days would fall way behind.
With school getting out so late it is hard to try and get all your homework and other things done at a reasonable time, so you can eat and go to bed. Students will get home, depending on where you live, from 4:20 to possibly 5:30 or later. Getting home any later than about 5:20 can be a hung hassle. Students only get 3 hours to finish their homework and eat there dinner, so they can go to bed at a good time. Sometimes you will have longer than 3 hours of homework not including dinner and distractions.
With the new schedule talk there were also rumors that fit would be everyday, this is what some students got excited about. With having 4 classes a day and seeing them every other day the teachers load you up with homework. Being able to have free time to work on homework and get help on subjects you don't understand would be very nice to have everyday.
Bowie tries to be a student voice school and if they want the students to be apart of the decisions that are going on they need to let us have a voice about them. There was no one that asked the students what they want there schedule to be. The school does a good job of letting the students choose, but I feel they could do better with letting us have a voice in other subjects.
There are always people who won't take advantage of the opportunity to have fit everyday, but that is their loss. Students who don't get a lot of homework may think it is stupid to have fit everyday day because they would have nothing to do, but there are many fit sessions where you don't have to just do homework. Most of the students will take advantage of this opportunity to be able to do there homework.
I realize some teachers may not want fit everyday because it takes time out of their class time, but there is a solution to this. Have fit be three or four times a week and if the students seem to be benefiting from this the school can change to more days a week and if they don't you can change it back. If students do end up benefiting from fit more times a week it would help the teachers in the long run because they can help those who need help the most and students would be able to focus on the subjects they are struggling the most in.
The school did change the schedule back to alternating "A" and "B" days for the benefit of the students and teachers, but they did not allow fit everyday this year. In the future with criteria becoming harder and harder I think the school should consider giving the students fit everyday or at least three days a week.
Friday, October 23, 2015
SNO Online Papers
Polaris, North McKinney High school
Sleep deprivation affects student performance
1. Amanda Morton
Sleep deprivation affects student performance
2.There story is about how there school starts at such an early time that it is almost impossible especially for kids in extra circular or sports can't get enough sleep that is needed for there body to function properly.
3."It's nearly impossible for students who participate in sports or extra curricular activities to get to sleep by 9:30"
4. Yes.
5. No they stated the other side of the opinion and benefits, but they had great information that clearly showed their opinion and a good reason why their opinion is right.
6. No.
7. 1st
The Drumbeat, Jacksonville High School
Superman Vs. Society
1. Michelle Raissi
2. This story is about superhero movies and how society gets so attached. It talks about why society gets so attached and they effects of the movies on us.
3."So if our generation has to be consumed by anything, why not super heros? Why not look to our best, brightest example of humanity for answers? Like it or not, pop culture has always serve as a good reminder of who were are and who we hope to become."
4. Yes.
5. No they stated their opinion well as stuck with it.
6. No.
7. 1st
Cougar Connection, Cypress Creek High School
Love at first sight?
1. Caline Forward
2. This is about love at first sight and how this one girl said she believes in it and she doesn't think it has to be in a romantic sort of way. It can also come in friend and family bonds.
3."No, this will be a very important reason as for why those who do not believe should change their perspective."
4. No.
5. They were firm with their opinion but they never stated the other persons opinion.
6. NO.
7. 1st
Personal Essays
1.Be sure that your essay is over something you care about strongly and passionately. The readers want to know what you know and feel what you feel.
2.Be specific, add details, use support and statistics, and make the emotions real for the reader.
3. Make connections, avoid philosophical rants, and think of your essay as a camera lens
2.Be specific, add details, use support and statistics, and make the emotions real for the reader.
3. Make connections, avoid philosophical rants, and think of your essay as a camera lens
Current Event Quiz 2.2
1. What are the two potential causes of the Hidden Pines fire in Bastrop? Page A1 "New Hidden Pines..."?
Two potential causes for the hidden Pines fire are an overheating shredder and possible an intentional burn that got out of hands.
2. Why was Alan Guckian nominated for a music educators award from the Grammy Foundation, according to the man who nominated him? Page B1 "Eastside band director...."
Guckian was nominated by SualPaul. SaulPaul thought Guckian was an obvious choice because "he's awesome, he had a natural passion, they go above and beyond and he interacts with his kids really well".
3. Who is the favorite to win the F1 race to be held in Austin at the Circuit of America this weekend? Page C1 "Hamilton nearing F1 season crown"
Lewis Hamilton
4. Name 3 types of apples mentioned in the story on page SA1 "Fall in love with apples"
Ginger Golds, honey crisps, and jonagold are all apples mentioned on "Fall in love with apples"
5. Which of the 8 items in the "worthy of splurging" sounds like something you would like to try? Page D3 "Healthful foods are worth price tag"
Good dark chocolate, parmigiano-regiano, smoked paprika, real vanilla, pure maple syrup, wild rice, extra-virgin olive oil, wild rice, balsamic vinegar,
My parents and I have considered buying an actual textbook not online to replace ones online. We did this because it is to hard to remember to get to the textbook online and figure out ow they whole thing works. My house does not have the best wifi and it does out a lot so I have needed a real textbook a few times. I got a real textbook for english because I knew it would be easier that way.
Yes, not having a textbook has hurt my grades. One time I got assigned a textbook(online textbook) assignment in math and I did not know the question numbers we were supposed to do on the assignment so I could not do all the homework. Therefore I ended up missing so many that I would get a better grade if I did the questions and turned the paper in late so that is what I did.
I do not think going all digital is a good idea because not every one had access to the internet and things get messed up way easier on a electronic device. It is also easier for kids to gat away with things when they have their homework on they computer because they can say it was broken and the teacher would never know.
I do think the trend is going to continue in the united states because people think that students need to get educated in electronics more because there whole live is going to revolve around them. Using electronics also helps to save trees and paper.
The district decided to get rid of textbooks because they cost so much money and they are a hassle to keep up with.
Two potential causes for the hidden Pines fire are an overheating shredder and possible an intentional burn that got out of hands.
2. Why was Alan Guckian nominated for a music educators award from the Grammy Foundation, according to the man who nominated him? Page B1 "Eastside band director...."
Guckian was nominated by SualPaul. SaulPaul thought Guckian was an obvious choice because "he's awesome, he had a natural passion, they go above and beyond and he interacts with his kids really well".
3. Who is the favorite to win the F1 race to be held in Austin at the Circuit of America this weekend? Page C1 "Hamilton nearing F1 season crown"
Lewis Hamilton
4. Name 3 types of apples mentioned in the story on page SA1 "Fall in love with apples"
Ginger Golds, honey crisps, and jonagold are all apples mentioned on "Fall in love with apples"
5. Which of the 8 items in the "worthy of splurging" sounds like something you would like to try? Page D3 "Healthful foods are worth price tag"
Good dark chocolate, parmigiano-regiano, smoked paprika, real vanilla, pure maple syrup, wild rice, extra-virgin olive oil, wild rice, balsamic vinegar,
My parents and I have considered buying an actual textbook not online to replace ones online. We did this because it is to hard to remember to get to the textbook online and figure out ow they whole thing works. My house does not have the best wifi and it does out a lot so I have needed a real textbook a few times. I got a real textbook for english because I knew it would be easier that way.
Yes, not having a textbook has hurt my grades. One time I got assigned a textbook(online textbook) assignment in math and I did not know the question numbers we were supposed to do on the assignment so I could not do all the homework. Therefore I ended up missing so many that I would get a better grade if I did the questions and turned the paper in late so that is what I did.
I do not think going all digital is a good idea because not every one had access to the internet and things get messed up way easier on a electronic device. It is also easier for kids to gat away with things when they have their homework on they computer because they can say it was broken and the teacher would never know.
I do think the trend is going to continue in the united states because people think that students need to get educated in electronics more because there whole live is going to revolve around them. Using electronics also helps to save trees and paper.
The district decided to get rid of textbooks because they cost so much money and they are a hassle to keep up with.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Opinions writing preview activity
Student sharing, too much change or great opportunity?
1.Author:
2. The story is about students schedule and how the FIT schedule was determined by the staff and the students did not get a say.
3. "I think it more likely would have gone the other way, with most students favoring the everyday FIT schedule.""If administration really really wants to prepare its students for the future, start by giving them a voice now."
4.Yes they did address the other side of the topic.
5. No they talked about their opinion well.
6. No.
7. They wrote it in 1st person
The office welcomes the dawn of the technology age
1. Author: Kelsie Stella
2. This story is about how the office has made a website where you can apply for a parking permit and a VOE.
3. "I think that moving toward a more technology-based system for these tow documents, especially at a school like this, is going to prove to be extremely successful."
4. Yes.
5. No they were very good at stating their opinion.
6. No.
7. 1st
I scream, you scream...
1. Author: Nya Martin
2. This story is about the Blue Bell incident. Listeria was found in some of Blue Bells ice creams which caused 10 people to get the disease and 3 to pass away.
3. "I will not be consuming any of Blue Bell's products. I would prefer my money going to a more humbled creamery."
4. Yes.
5. No they stated their opinion well.
6. No.
7. 1st
The problem with pep rallies
1. Author: Annika Holm
2. This story is about the pep rallies
3. "The problem with pep rallies is that they don't inspire pep, nor do they rally support for the school.""The second problem with pep rallies is the limited representation of sports."
4. Not really.
5. No, but they never really addressed the other opinion.
6. No.
7. 1st
Emotional learning effective?
1. Author: Melissa Weprin
2.The story is about social emotional learning skills (SEL)
3."I believe the way the skills are being taught makes them ultimately unmemorable and unhelpful."
4. No.
5. No they stated their opinion well.
6. No.
7. 1st
Athletic teams represent bulldog pride but are not represented on campus
1. Author: Amaya Marquez
2. This story is about the athletic teams that are represented well like football and volleyball while cross country and lacrosse are not getting any credit.
3. "We have our basic school sports; basketball, volleyball, football, baseball. soccer and so on. Those sports represented our bulldog pride, they have their classes and everyone is happy right? Wrong."
4. Yes.
5. Kind of they were no super there topic is the right one kind of thing.
6. No.
7. 1st
a) Opinions piece had opinions, hard news story doesn't. Opinions piece written in 1st person, hard news story is not. Opinions piece does not have to have quotes, hard news story does.
b) All the stories are longer and they are more of peoples opinions not just facts.
c)Dress code, schedule, times of the school
1.Author:
2. The story is about students schedule and how the FIT schedule was determined by the staff and the students did not get a say.
3. "I think it more likely would have gone the other way, with most students favoring the everyday FIT schedule.""If administration really really wants to prepare its students for the future, start by giving them a voice now."
4.Yes they did address the other side of the topic.
5. No they talked about their opinion well.
6. No.
7. They wrote it in 1st person
The office welcomes the dawn of the technology age
1. Author: Kelsie Stella
2. This story is about how the office has made a website where you can apply for a parking permit and a VOE.
3. "I think that moving toward a more technology-based system for these tow documents, especially at a school like this, is going to prove to be extremely successful."
4. Yes.
5. No they were very good at stating their opinion.
6. No.
7. 1st
I scream, you scream...
1. Author: Nya Martin
2. This story is about the Blue Bell incident. Listeria was found in some of Blue Bells ice creams which caused 10 people to get the disease and 3 to pass away.
3. "I will not be consuming any of Blue Bell's products. I would prefer my money going to a more humbled creamery."
4. Yes.
5. No they stated their opinion well.
6. No.
7. 1st
The problem with pep rallies
1. Author: Annika Holm
2. This story is about the pep rallies
3. "The problem with pep rallies is that they don't inspire pep, nor do they rally support for the school.""The second problem with pep rallies is the limited representation of sports."
4. Not really.
5. No, but they never really addressed the other opinion.
6. No.
7. 1st
Emotional learning effective?
1. Author: Melissa Weprin
2.The story is about social emotional learning skills (SEL)
3."I believe the way the skills are being taught makes them ultimately unmemorable and unhelpful."
4. No.
5. No they stated their opinion well.
6. No.
7. 1st
Athletic teams represent bulldog pride but are not represented on campus
1. Author: Amaya Marquez
2. This story is about the athletic teams that are represented well like football and volleyball while cross country and lacrosse are not getting any credit.
3. "We have our basic school sports; basketball, volleyball, football, baseball. soccer and so on. Those sports represented our bulldog pride, they have their classes and everyone is happy right? Wrong."
4. Yes.
5. Kind of they were no super there topic is the right one kind of thing.
6. No.
7. 1st
a) Opinions piece had opinions, hard news story doesn't. Opinions piece written in 1st person, hard news story is not. Opinions piece does not have to have quotes, hard news story does.
b) All the stories are longer and they are more of peoples opinions not just facts.
c)Dress code, schedule, times of the school
Monday, October 19, 2015
Earthquake Story
On Monday morning at 8:12a.m. a earthquake rumbled the San Francisco Bay area. The earthquake was found to have a magnitude of 6.4. The earthquake was felt as far South as Los angeles and as far North as Redding.
The earthquake was found to have a 6.4 magnitude on the Richter scale. The earthquake was also found to occur on the Hayward Fault, which runs under the hills.
"The earthquake was a strong one," Penny Getz, a scientist from the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park said.
The epicenter of the earthquake was under Hayward Hills, this is were McHenry's Auto Supply on 2342 Plum St. partially collapsed killing two people and injuring six others.
"Three of the six people injured were hurt seriously enough to require hospitalization and were transported to Hayward General Hospital," Jennifer Vu a public information officer said.
Twenty one fire personnel, 12 police and five American Red Cross workers responded to the collapsed building by arriving about 4 minutes after the quake. All the officials went through the building trying to find, save, and help as many people as they could.
"Names of the dead are being withheld pending notifications of families," Vu said.
The officials were able to conduct a search in the building by using ropes to stabilize the auto shop. They capped a gas line after detecting a gas leak at the site.
"No other serious injuries have been reported in Hayward," Vu said.
Mike Beamer, a Hayward resident whose apartment is across the street from McHenry's stated that he felt the earthquake suddenly for about 30 seconds.
"I was eating breakfast when the room started rolling. I dove under the table just as I heard an explosion outside and a chunk of cement flew through my kitchen window. Thats when the screaming started across the street," Beamer said.
The earthquake was found to have a 6.4 magnitude on the Richter scale. The earthquake was also found to occur on the Hayward Fault, which runs under the hills.
"The earthquake was a strong one," Penny Getz, a scientist from the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park said.
The epicenter of the earthquake was under Hayward Hills, this is were McHenry's Auto Supply on 2342 Plum St. partially collapsed killing two people and injuring six others.
"Three of the six people injured were hurt seriously enough to require hospitalization and were transported to Hayward General Hospital," Jennifer Vu a public information officer said.
Twenty one fire personnel, 12 police and five American Red Cross workers responded to the collapsed building by arriving about 4 minutes after the quake. All the officials went through the building trying to find, save, and help as many people as they could.
"Names of the dead are being withheld pending notifications of families," Vu said.
The officials were able to conduct a search in the building by using ropes to stabilize the auto shop. They capped a gas line after detecting a gas leak at the site.
"No other serious injuries have been reported in Hayward," Vu said.
Mike Beamer, a Hayward resident whose apartment is across the street from McHenry's stated that he felt the earthquake suddenly for about 30 seconds.
"I was eating breakfast when the room started rolling. I dove under the table just as I heard an explosion outside and a chunk of cement flew through my kitchen window. Thats when the screaming started across the street," Beamer said.
Huntington Story
53 year old Jancie Jones from Barstow California, was eating in her motor home on Wednesday night at 10p.m. when her dog knocked over her handgun. The gun hit the floor and it discharged and went through her right leg.
Jones was transported by the ambulance to Huntington Beach Hospital, then later that night she was transported to Irvine Medical Center. Jones' dog was placed in the hands of Huntington Beach Animal Control officers. The dog seemed to be malnourished and had fresh cigarette burns on its forehead. The Animal Control officers are considering filing papers for abuse. Jones was also found to have expired plates and no gun permit.
"Jones was eating pork chops in the back of her motor home, which was parked on Beach Boulevard by Highway 1, when her dog knocked over her 9mm hand gun off a seat. The bullet then went through Jones' motor home and leg," California Highway Patrol press liaison Tammy Rye said.
Although the shoot was bad and it went through Jones' leg other things could have happened.
"It could have been worse," Rye said. "The bullet was 2 inches away from hitting the gas tank. That would have been a catastrophe."
Jones' dog, a Pomeranian named Tombo, was supposedly the cause of the accident. People seem to think that it was no the dogs fault though.
"Tombo may have knocked the gun to the floor, but it wasn't her fault because Jones should not have had the gun in the first place. I know the police are already thinking of charging her for not having a gun permit and Jones' license plates were expired. She will also most likely be charged for that," Rye said.
Jones was also found to be abusing her dog. Tombo seemed to be malnourished when put into the hands of the Huntington Beach Animal Control officers.
"The dog was abused and we are thinking of filing charges against Jones'. We don't want to keep the dog in danger, so we are also thinking about trying to find the dog another home," Janet Ngo a Animal Control officer said.
Jones was transported by the ambulance to Huntington Beach Hospital, then later that night she was transported to Irvine Medical Center. Jones' dog was placed in the hands of Huntington Beach Animal Control officers. The dog seemed to be malnourished and had fresh cigarette burns on its forehead. The Animal Control officers are considering filing papers for abuse. Jones was also found to have expired plates and no gun permit.
"Jones was eating pork chops in the back of her motor home, which was parked on Beach Boulevard by Highway 1, when her dog knocked over her 9mm hand gun off a seat. The bullet then went through Jones' motor home and leg," California Highway Patrol press liaison Tammy Rye said.
Although the shoot was bad and it went through Jones' leg other things could have happened.
"It could have been worse," Rye said. "The bullet was 2 inches away from hitting the gas tank. That would have been a catastrophe."
Jones' dog, a Pomeranian named Tombo, was supposedly the cause of the accident. People seem to think that it was no the dogs fault though.
"Tombo may have knocked the gun to the floor, but it wasn't her fault because Jones should not have had the gun in the first place. I know the police are already thinking of charging her for not having a gun permit and Jones' license plates were expired. She will also most likely be charged for that," Rye said.
Jones was also found to be abusing her dog. Tombo seemed to be malnourished when put into the hands of the Huntington Beach Animal Control officers.
"The dog was abused and we are thinking of filing charges against Jones'. We don't want to keep the dog in danger, so we are also thinking about trying to find the dog another home," Janet Ngo a Animal Control officer said.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
The Lone Star Dispatch #1
Age old battle still on going
1.Who: girls, specifically Parker Smith and her parents, but also some of the schools staff
What:dress code
When:September 4, 2015 and while school is taking place
Where:James Bowie High School
Why:Parker Smith believes she was dress coded inappropriately and some other students at the school agree. The staff seems to think that they dress code everyone the same.
How:Students at Bowie are trying to get the school to change their dress code policy by talking to the staff.
2.Summary: This article is about all the girls that attend Bowie HS specifically Parker Smith and all the girls that get dress coded. They believe that they are getting dress coded unfairly, while many people agree some do not. The staff specifically thinks that they are dress coding everyone fairly and the same.
3.Parker Smith was quoted directly.
Parker Smith was also quoted indirectly.
Marley Neth was quoted directly.
Principal Stephen Kane was quoted directly.
Parker's mother Jennifer Smith was quoted directly.
Brandon Smith, Parker's dad was quoted directly.
4.I think the first transition that talks about how life isn't fair is somewhat a opinion. There could be someone is the world who thinks life is perfectly fair. There are others who may think that there are not any people who speak out against injustice.
5.The head line does summarize the plot of the article sufficiently.
6.yes
Building a better education thanks to AISD bond
1.Who: Students and staff of Bowie HS and AISD members
What:Aisd's bond is helping Bowie HS to make improvements around the school
When:This year
Where:James Bowie HS
Why:voters got Aisd a bond package that they are using to help the school make improvements so the kids can have a better experience.
How:Voters voted on it and Aisd helped to make it happen
2.Summary:Aisd has gotten a bong package that is allowing them to have Bowie make improvements. Bowie has so far gotten the athletic department a bigger training room so the kids will be able to have the right help. The Nutrition department got a new kitchen so they can teach their students real things in a kitchen so they could start a career.
3.Pablo Riera was quoted directly.
Brittani Thilbodeaux was quoted directly.
Richard Winemiller was quoted directly.
Janelle Seay was quoted directly.
4.The last statement can be thought of as a opinion
5.The title seems to fit the article sufficiently.
6.yes
SAT and ACT will change in March
1.Who: Students
What:Students are preparing for the SAT's and The ACT's as the year is beginning. There is going to be a newer version of the ACT and SAT after March
When:All year
Where:Schools
Why:The tests are taken so kids can get into college
How:The students have to make good grades of their tests
2.Summary: Students are already preparing of their ACT's and SAT's even thought the school year has just taken off. The students are worrying about the grade they will get and the teachers are doing the bet they can to help them. The students are also worrying because the test are being changed in March
3.Judd Pfieffer was quoted directly and indirectly
Isabela Doberenz was quoted directly
Ricky Ramirez was quoted directly and indirectly
4. I did not find any opinions
5.The title seems to fit the article sufficiently.
6.yes
Fit bell schedule remains the same after proposals last year
1.Who:Students at Bowie
What:the school has kept its original schedule of alternating a and b days and they have kept fit the same way.
When: This year.
Where: James Bowie HS
Why:The staff figured it would be easier to have the schedule stay the same. Now that the school already changed times it would be to hard to change the schedule too.
How:Changing the time that school starts
2.Summary: Bowie has moved school to start 10 minutes later than it did last year. They were debating if they should also change the schedule, but they didn't. They were also debating if they should change fit and its times, but they did not.
3.Emily Heim was quoted directly.
Nicole Moore was quoted directly.
Kalia Aquino was quoted directly.
Patricia Conroy was quoted directly and indirectly.
Matt Saucier was quoted directly and indirectly.
Lili Benitez was quoted directly.
Sahaj Mann was quoted directly.
4. A statement says that the schedule that was going to happen did not sit well with students is an opinion because some people could have wanted it to be the other way then what it is now.
5.The title seems to fit well with the article, but it could have talked about the original schedule because that was the articles main idea it seems.
6. yes
AISD gives school bond for campus renovations
1.Who:Bowie HS and AISD
What:Aisd gave Bowie an 16.5 million dollar bond to renovate the school
Where: Bowie HS
When:started 2013 and is still happening
Why:The school has become old enough that it needs changes done to it to make it a better school for students
How: Aisd gave bowie a 16.5 million dollar bond
2.Summary: Aisd gave Bowie HS a 16.5 million dollar bond to help fix the school so students can have a better learning experience at the school. Big renovations have already happened and their are more to come.
3.Vicki Herbert was quoted directly.
Tanner Howell was quoted directly and indirectly.
Robert Rasmus was quoted directly.
4. In the article their is a statement that says with the end of summer people are getting ready to get out of the heat, but that could be an opinion because some people may not agree with that statement. They may want to stay in the heat.
5.The title is very relevant to the article
6. none
1.Who: girls, specifically Parker Smith and her parents, but also some of the schools staff
What:dress code
When:September 4, 2015 and while school is taking place
Where:James Bowie High School
Why:Parker Smith believes she was dress coded inappropriately and some other students at the school agree. The staff seems to think that they dress code everyone the same.
How:Students at Bowie are trying to get the school to change their dress code policy by talking to the staff.
2.Summary: This article is about all the girls that attend Bowie HS specifically Parker Smith and all the girls that get dress coded. They believe that they are getting dress coded unfairly, while many people agree some do not. The staff specifically thinks that they are dress coding everyone fairly and the same.
3.Parker Smith was quoted directly.
Parker Smith was also quoted indirectly.
Marley Neth was quoted directly.
Principal Stephen Kane was quoted directly.
Parker's mother Jennifer Smith was quoted directly.
Brandon Smith, Parker's dad was quoted directly.
4.I think the first transition that talks about how life isn't fair is somewhat a opinion. There could be someone is the world who thinks life is perfectly fair. There are others who may think that there are not any people who speak out against injustice.
5.The head line does summarize the plot of the article sufficiently.
6.yes
Building a better education thanks to AISD bond
1.Who: Students and staff of Bowie HS and AISD members
What:Aisd's bond is helping Bowie HS to make improvements around the school
When:This year
Where:James Bowie HS
Why:voters got Aisd a bond package that they are using to help the school make improvements so the kids can have a better experience.
How:Voters voted on it and Aisd helped to make it happen
2.Summary:Aisd has gotten a bong package that is allowing them to have Bowie make improvements. Bowie has so far gotten the athletic department a bigger training room so the kids will be able to have the right help. The Nutrition department got a new kitchen so they can teach their students real things in a kitchen so they could start a career.
3.Pablo Riera was quoted directly.
Brittani Thilbodeaux was quoted directly.
Richard Winemiller was quoted directly.
Janelle Seay was quoted directly.
4.The last statement can be thought of as a opinion
5.The title seems to fit the article sufficiently.
6.yes
SAT and ACT will change in March
1.Who: Students
What:Students are preparing for the SAT's and The ACT's as the year is beginning. There is going to be a newer version of the ACT and SAT after March
When:All year
Where:Schools
Why:The tests are taken so kids can get into college
How:The students have to make good grades of their tests
2.Summary: Students are already preparing of their ACT's and SAT's even thought the school year has just taken off. The students are worrying about the grade they will get and the teachers are doing the bet they can to help them. The students are also worrying because the test are being changed in March
3.Judd Pfieffer was quoted directly and indirectly
Isabela Doberenz was quoted directly
Ricky Ramirez was quoted directly and indirectly
4. I did not find any opinions
5.The title seems to fit the article sufficiently.
6.yes
Fit bell schedule remains the same after proposals last year
1.Who:Students at Bowie
What:the school has kept its original schedule of alternating a and b days and they have kept fit the same way.
When: This year.
Where: James Bowie HS
Why:The staff figured it would be easier to have the schedule stay the same. Now that the school already changed times it would be to hard to change the schedule too.
How:Changing the time that school starts
2.Summary: Bowie has moved school to start 10 minutes later than it did last year. They were debating if they should also change the schedule, but they didn't. They were also debating if they should change fit and its times, but they did not.
3.Emily Heim was quoted directly.
Nicole Moore was quoted directly.
Kalia Aquino was quoted directly.
Patricia Conroy was quoted directly and indirectly.
Matt Saucier was quoted directly and indirectly.
Lili Benitez was quoted directly.
Sahaj Mann was quoted directly.
4. A statement says that the schedule that was going to happen did not sit well with students is an opinion because some people could have wanted it to be the other way then what it is now.
5.The title seems to fit well with the article, but it could have talked about the original schedule because that was the articles main idea it seems.
6. yes
AISD gives school bond for campus renovations
1.Who:Bowie HS and AISD
What:Aisd gave Bowie an 16.5 million dollar bond to renovate the school
Where: Bowie HS
When:started 2013 and is still happening
Why:The school has become old enough that it needs changes done to it to make it a better school for students
How: Aisd gave bowie a 16.5 million dollar bond
2.Summary: Aisd gave Bowie HS a 16.5 million dollar bond to help fix the school so students can have a better learning experience at the school. Big renovations have already happened and their are more to come.
3.Vicki Herbert was quoted directly.
Tanner Howell was quoted directly and indirectly.
Robert Rasmus was quoted directly.
4. In the article their is a statement that says with the end of summer people are getting ready to get out of the heat, but that could be an opinion because some people may not agree with that statement. They may want to stay in the heat.
5.The title is very relevant to the article
6. none
Friday, October 9, 2015
Curent Event 2.1
1. What is the potential conflict of interest with Austin City Council members and some parks and recreation board members getting free ACL passes? Page A1 "For City Council, ACL..."
A potential conflict of interest with the Austin City Council members and some parks and recreation board members getting free ACL passes is that some of the members believe it is wrong for them to be getting these passes that cost up to $1000. Other members of Austin may believe it is wrong for them to be receiving these too.
2. What message is Tom Steglich's political cartoon trying to send to viewers? Page A13 Political cartoon on the bottom right of the page.
He is trying to tell readers that law makers and other officials, or anyone who has a good amount of money is getting to caught up in all the money and they believe it is the most important thing they have. While other people like moms are holding on to there families and taking care of them as they are the first priority which seems right.
3. Why did a UT professor plan to resign later this year? Page B1 "UT prof fears for safety..."
The professor had decided to resign because he does not feel safe on the campus anymore because members of the school are allowed to carry guns with them now. The professor is nervous because there are so many students in his classes that he could not tell about how they were feeling that day and he feels unsafe.
4. What is new for Amazon and local Austin artists? Page B6 "Austin artisans sell on Amazon..."
Amazon is now allowing artists to sell their handcrafted work no the website. Austin is one of the four cities that was chosen to have local artisans featured in a pictorial and video project.
5. Why is Metal Gear's new release rated so highly according to the reviewer? Page SA2 "Newest Metal Gear..."
Metal Gear is rated so highly because it is much better than the other ones and because it emphasized the dynamic game play and puts the saga of Big Boss and his sons in the background.
Short Answer:
1. The industries has seen such growth because the items can be delivered so fast now. It is easier and more relaxing for people to just order the stuff they want online and have it be delivered within the same amount of time it takes to go to the store pick up what they want and get home. Electronic devices have also made it a lot easier for people to order things quickly and efficiently online, so it is really easy to do so.
2. My family and I use mobile delivery when we order things on amazon or things that we find online. Most of the time we buy things in an actual store and we never buy food online. We we order things usually we don't use like amazon prime and etc., so the things that we ordered usually do not get here until about a week or a little less later.
3.Millennials have been targeted because thousands of people have started to buy products or food online and they are having it delivered to their house in only a short time. There are thousands of people doing this and there are still thousands more who will join in the future.
4.I do think I will use online ordering, but I may not use it super constantly. I do not trust the people giving me the food or product as much and I don't know if it is well made or if it fits so i prefer to go to a real store. It is very handy though and I'm sure it is going to because such a big deal in the future that it will soon be the normal thing that everyone is doing, so I will be doing it more than I don know. I just will probably not use it as much as some other people will use this opportunity.
A potential conflict of interest with the Austin City Council members and some parks and recreation board members getting free ACL passes is that some of the members believe it is wrong for them to be getting these passes that cost up to $1000. Other members of Austin may believe it is wrong for them to be receiving these too.
2. What message is Tom Steglich's political cartoon trying to send to viewers? Page A13 Political cartoon on the bottom right of the page.
He is trying to tell readers that law makers and other officials, or anyone who has a good amount of money is getting to caught up in all the money and they believe it is the most important thing they have. While other people like moms are holding on to there families and taking care of them as they are the first priority which seems right.
3. Why did a UT professor plan to resign later this year? Page B1 "UT prof fears for safety..."
The professor had decided to resign because he does not feel safe on the campus anymore because members of the school are allowed to carry guns with them now. The professor is nervous because there are so many students in his classes that he could not tell about how they were feeling that day and he feels unsafe.
4. What is new for Amazon and local Austin artists? Page B6 "Austin artisans sell on Amazon..."
Amazon is now allowing artists to sell their handcrafted work no the website. Austin is one of the four cities that was chosen to have local artisans featured in a pictorial and video project.
5. Why is Metal Gear's new release rated so highly according to the reviewer? Page SA2 "Newest Metal Gear..."
Metal Gear is rated so highly because it is much better than the other ones and because it emphasized the dynamic game play and puts the saga of Big Boss and his sons in the background.
Short Answer:
1. The industries has seen such growth because the items can be delivered so fast now. It is easier and more relaxing for people to just order the stuff they want online and have it be delivered within the same amount of time it takes to go to the store pick up what they want and get home. Electronic devices have also made it a lot easier for people to order things quickly and efficiently online, so it is really easy to do so.
2. My family and I use mobile delivery when we order things on amazon or things that we find online. Most of the time we buy things in an actual store and we never buy food online. We we order things usually we don't use like amazon prime and etc., so the things that we ordered usually do not get here until about a week or a little less later.
3.Millennials have been targeted because thousands of people have started to buy products or food online and they are having it delivered to their house in only a short time. There are thousands of people doing this and there are still thousands more who will join in the future.
4.I do think I will use online ordering, but I may not use it super constantly. I do not trust the people giving me the food or product as much and I don't know if it is well made or if it fits so i prefer to go to a real store. It is very handy though and I'm sure it is going to because such a big deal in the future that it will soon be the normal thing that everyone is doing, so I will be doing it more than I don know. I just will probably not use it as much as some other people will use this opportunity.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Car Accident
At 4:45pm on October 7 there was a car accident on the intersection of First Street and Slaughter Creek. The police and paramedics came to the scene at 4:55pm to find 13 year old Roger Clementine in his uncles stolen car. The young boy had been speeding down the eastbound lane of Slaughter at 60 miles per hour. Clementine had crashed into 91 year old John Jacob Jingleheimer-Smith and his 67 year old wife, Melba. Melba and Clementine had both been lucky and gotten released from the hospital that night after being rushed their earlier. Smith was in a different situation though. With a injured head he had been rushed to the hospital and they tell us he is in serious condition with a time pressing matter.
"I was having a bad day and I just wanted to leave the house. So I took my uncles car. I figured I could drive it easy, I mean I'm an amazing golf cart and bumper car driver, real driving can't be that different. My dad had also taken me for a short spin in his 4 wheeler before. So, I got into the car and started driving, once I got the hang of it I got excited and decided to go for a longer spin around the neighborhood and maybe show my friends, I didn't realize that I was going to hurt someone," Clementine said.
Smith and his wife had been in a 1989 Yugo Firebelcher. The couple had been heading East down the far eastbound lane on Slaughter. They were making their way at about 10 miles per hour. Clementine, in his 1948 Studebaker, had been heading west in the far eastbound land on Slaughter Lane.
"All I remember is just having a nice conversation with my husband, then I looked ahead and all I remember is seeing headlights facing towards us. My husband tried to get out of the way, but it was already too late. The boy was going to fast. It was a head on collision. I got very lucky, but my husband is still in the hospital in critical condition because of a stupid mistake," Melba said.
The police revealed that a witness had called them to tell them about the accident about 1 minute after seeing the collision. Once they received the call they made their was to the scene as fast as they could.
"I remember getting the call and the witness saying that there was a small boy who looked to be the age of about 12 being involved. They said he had been driving a car on the wrong side of the road. I just remember thinking that this is crazy. A 12 year old can't even reach the pedals to the car," Officer Johnson said.
Once Clementine had been released from the hospital with small cuts on his face the police cited him.
"I didn't think I would be going too a main street. I was just going to drive around my neighborhood, but then some cars came up behind me and I didn't know how to turn around so I just kept going straight and ended up on Slaughter Lane. I didn't think that there were different colored lines on the road that you had to follow. I just assumed I was going the right way," Clementine said.
Clementines parents were called to the scene as soon as he was identified. The police talked to them and told them what there son had done.
"We feel so bad. I can't believe that Roger would even thing of doing something like this. I was honestly having a really bad day and I was having a little trouble with everyone and I got so distracted I didn't realize that Roger was having such and bad day. Roger is not as bad of a kid though just bad things seem to happen to him a lot and I feel like thats partly my fault so I am every sorry to anyone who was affected by this. I will do everything I can to make it up to the Smiths," Clementine's mom said.
All we can hope is that Mr. Smith will be okay. Melba is going to keep praying for her husband and hope that he will be okay.
"I do really, really hope that my husband will be okay. I also hope that others will think before they get behind the wheel, it is a big responsibility. Hopefully this accident can keep others thinking about how driving is not a game and it is not a time to have fun and mess around," Melba said.
"I was having a bad day and I just wanted to leave the house. So I took my uncles car. I figured I could drive it easy, I mean I'm an amazing golf cart and bumper car driver, real driving can't be that different. My dad had also taken me for a short spin in his 4 wheeler before. So, I got into the car and started driving, once I got the hang of it I got excited and decided to go for a longer spin around the neighborhood and maybe show my friends, I didn't realize that I was going to hurt someone," Clementine said.
Smith and his wife had been in a 1989 Yugo Firebelcher. The couple had been heading East down the far eastbound lane on Slaughter. They were making their way at about 10 miles per hour. Clementine, in his 1948 Studebaker, had been heading west in the far eastbound land on Slaughter Lane.
"All I remember is just having a nice conversation with my husband, then I looked ahead and all I remember is seeing headlights facing towards us. My husband tried to get out of the way, but it was already too late. The boy was going to fast. It was a head on collision. I got very lucky, but my husband is still in the hospital in critical condition because of a stupid mistake," Melba said.
The police revealed that a witness had called them to tell them about the accident about 1 minute after seeing the collision. Once they received the call they made their was to the scene as fast as they could.
"I remember getting the call and the witness saying that there was a small boy who looked to be the age of about 12 being involved. They said he had been driving a car on the wrong side of the road. I just remember thinking that this is crazy. A 12 year old can't even reach the pedals to the car," Officer Johnson said.
Once Clementine had been released from the hospital with small cuts on his face the police cited him.
"I didn't think I would be going too a main street. I was just going to drive around my neighborhood, but then some cars came up behind me and I didn't know how to turn around so I just kept going straight and ended up on Slaughter Lane. I didn't think that there were different colored lines on the road that you had to follow. I just assumed I was going the right way," Clementine said.
Clementines parents were called to the scene as soon as he was identified. The police talked to them and told them what there son had done.
"We feel so bad. I can't believe that Roger would even thing of doing something like this. I was honestly having a really bad day and I was having a little trouble with everyone and I got so distracted I didn't realize that Roger was having such and bad day. Roger is not as bad of a kid though just bad things seem to happen to him a lot and I feel like thats partly my fault so I am every sorry to anyone who was affected by this. I will do everything I can to make it up to the Smiths," Clementine's mom said.
All we can hope is that Mr. Smith will be okay. Melba is going to keep praying for her husband and hope that he will be okay.
"I do really, really hope that my husband will be okay. I also hope that others will think before they get behind the wheel, it is a big responsibility. Hopefully this accident can keep others thinking about how driving is not a game and it is not a time to have fun and mess around," Melba said.
Monday, October 5, 2015
The Big Day
A frustrated young an is driving in his car (Volkswagen) as he races to the church where the women he is in love with is about to get married. The bride is getting married, but she doesn't look happy and keeps looking out the window as she is getting ready. The man keeps getting stuck in traffic, but finally he gets there. The man who was driving opens the church doors to see the women getting married to another man. He looks at them both with an astonished face. The women looks ashamed while looking down at the ground, but then she looks into the mans eyes who just arrived and she looks confused. The man who arrived seemed as though he was going to stop the wedding he had a look of yearning in his face. He was dressed in a suit and looked as though he was going to be the best man though. When he walks in the bride and the man stare at each other and the man seems as though he was going to stop the wedding and the women looks like she almost wants him to, but yet at the same time she is glad he has not stopped the wedding yet.
Who: Bride: Isabella Groom: Brayden Other guy/Isabellas ex fiance: Benjamin
What:The day Isabella and Brayden are getting married Ben decides he needs to stop it because he has feelings for her. He is trying to get to the wedding but he keeps getting held up. When he gets in there everyone looks astonished and the groom seems to not know that Ben had feeling towards Isabella, but she seems to know.
When:On a rainy day in May 19
Where:In a chapel and on the wet slick roads
Why:Ben does not want Isabella getting married to Brayden because he loves her and she seems to somewhat seem the same way.
How: Ben drives to the wedding on the wet slick roads.
On a wet curvy mountain road a frustrated young man, was driving fiercely to his true love. It's May 19, 2013 and it's Isabella White's (Soon to be Isabella Scott) and Brayden Scott's wedding day.
"I was so excited! I have been waiting for this day to come pretty such since I had met Brayden!" Isabella said.
Benjamin Green had been struggling ever since he heard the news of the marriage. Being Isabella's ex-finance was hard enough as it is, now she was getting married to someone else, that was one of Ben's good friends.
"When I was younger I was engaged to Isabella. It was going great, but i made a huge mistake. I started keeping things from Isabella that I thought weren't that big of a deal. They were a really big deal and I was just to young and immature to understand. That led to us breaking up. I would do anything to take back what I did," Ben said.
Brayden and Isabella have been dating for 2 years and they have been engaged for about 10 months. They have been looking forward to this big day for many months, and know it was finally happening. Little did they know they were about to have a huge surprise that was not necessarily a good one. Ben decided that day that he needed to do something about what was happening, he decided to try and stop the wedding.
"Finally when I heard the news of the wedding I couldn't take it. I decided I had to do something about it. I mean nothing that bad could happen right, all that I was planning on doing was talking to Isabella and letting her know how I felt about her. Maybe she would feel the same way, I wasn't sure though. I mean maybe she really did love the man she was marrying," Ben said.
On the same day of the marriage Ben drove for 5 hours to get to Isabella wedding in a chapel in the mountains of Utah. It was a cool rainy day. Ben spent his day speeding down the slick wet roads in the damp air. He kept stressing about not making it to the wedding on time, checking his watch every 3 minutes.
"I wanted to get to the wedding early so I could be more sutile about my appearance. It seemed like all the odds ere against me though because I kept getting stuck in traffic," Ben said.
At the same time Isabella was getting ready for the ceremony. Isabella could sense a strange feeling, but she assumed she was just getting worked up about the wedding. She looked at her dress in awe and enjoyed the time she was having with her friends while preparing.
"I don't know, but I could feel that something was wrong. My stomach was turning and I was shaking. I just assumed it was because I was getting married. Getting married is a big deal and everyone said that they were nervous before their wedding. They told me to just not think about it and have fun. I just thought I was being paranoid," Isabella said.
Ben continued to drive as fast as he could through the vastly mountains. Isabella could not shake the feeling that something was wrong, she kept fidgeting with her ring as she impatiently waited for the time of the ceremony to start. When Isabella was done getting ready her dad, Chase White, came to speak to her. He kept her calm while she was waiting. He too could sense that something was off about the day. He knew that Ben was still in love with Isabella and he thought he was acting out, yet he kept looking at the door to make sure there were no surprise guests coming in.
"I too felt as if though something strange was going on. I also knew that Ben was in love with Isabella still, it was on my mind. I just tried to keep my cool. I thought as long as he doesn't show up before the ceremony starts everything was going to get married. I also just thought that maybe it was just me, I mean my daughter was getting married today, its a little nerve racking," Chase said.
As Ben was driving he kept getting stuck behind traffic, but he was determined and kept finding ways to get around the traffic. He continued to drive as fast as possible. Ben tried to think of ways he could sutiley stop the wedding, but he couldn't think when all of his nerves were so off balance from him being so scared, excited, and nervous.
"I knew that some people might not be happy, but you have to take risks in your life if you want to get anywhere and get what you want," Ben said.
Intently Isabella looked out the window, she didn't know what she was looking for, but it kept drawing her attention. She peered out the window, but she did not see anything. Finally the ceremony began. She walked quietly through the doors to the chapel as her dad closed the large wooden doors behind her.
"My heart was racing I was so, so excited to get married to the man I love! I just kept telling myself don't trip, don't trip as I walked down that aisle. I could barley keep all my feelings in though. There were so many different emotions I was feeling and it was really hard to try and stay content," Isabella said.
Aggressively Ben drove up to the church and parked in front of the doors he ran up the steps and busted into the chapel where the ceremony was taking place.
"I knew I was doing this, I had come this far and I couldn't give up know," Ben said.
Glancing at Ben, Isabella looked at him and then quickly looked to Brayden and then the ground with fear, disappointment, and astonishment. Isabella looked as if she had done something wrong.
"I just cannot believe he was here. My heart started beating faster then it ever has and all these different scenarios about what could happen kept going on in my head. I was so nervous, what was Brayden going to think? How could he get here? Why was he here? I mean he had the chance to be with me and he ruined it," Isabella said.
Brayden looked at Ben confused before he realized what was about to happen. Brayden looked to Isabella sad, confused and mad at what was happening.
"At first I thought who is this guy? Why is he at my wedding and why now? But then I realized who it was. It was my old friend Ben. Ben and I used to be friends in the old days, but we just went on different paths. I knew Isabella had been engaged to him, but she didn't like to talk about it, so I never brought it up. I thought it was completely ended though, so I got angry that Isabella never told me he still had feelings for her. I knew it wasn't her fault though, but I couldn't help being upset with pretty much everyone," Brayden said.
Ben had ran into the chapel before he knew what was happening and what was going on.
"When I went into the chapel I saw Isabella and Brayden Scott. I knew Isabella was getting married, but I had no idea it was to Brayden. I was shocked and I couldn't help but just stare," Ben said.
Isabella could barley take in what was happening. She looked to the ground then back to Ben with her giant brown eyes. Terrified and overwhelmed Isabella's thoughts about what was about to happen ran wild.
"I was so nervous about what could happen that I couldn't even speak, I could only stare and imagine the outcomes of what was going to happen," Isabella said.
Who: Bride: Isabella Groom: Brayden Other guy/Isabellas ex fiance: Benjamin
What:The day Isabella and Brayden are getting married Ben decides he needs to stop it because he has feelings for her. He is trying to get to the wedding but he keeps getting held up. When he gets in there everyone looks astonished and the groom seems to not know that Ben had feeling towards Isabella, but she seems to know.
When:On a rainy day in May 19
Where:In a chapel and on the wet slick roads
Why:Ben does not want Isabella getting married to Brayden because he loves her and she seems to somewhat seem the same way.
How: Ben drives to the wedding on the wet slick roads.
On a wet curvy mountain road a frustrated young man, was driving fiercely to his true love. It's May 19, 2013 and it's Isabella White's (Soon to be Isabella Scott) and Brayden Scott's wedding day.
"I was so excited! I have been waiting for this day to come pretty such since I had met Brayden!" Isabella said.
Benjamin Green had been struggling ever since he heard the news of the marriage. Being Isabella's ex-finance was hard enough as it is, now she was getting married to someone else, that was one of Ben's good friends.
"When I was younger I was engaged to Isabella. It was going great, but i made a huge mistake. I started keeping things from Isabella that I thought weren't that big of a deal. They were a really big deal and I was just to young and immature to understand. That led to us breaking up. I would do anything to take back what I did," Ben said.
Brayden and Isabella have been dating for 2 years and they have been engaged for about 10 months. They have been looking forward to this big day for many months, and know it was finally happening. Little did they know they were about to have a huge surprise that was not necessarily a good one. Ben decided that day that he needed to do something about what was happening, he decided to try and stop the wedding.
"Finally when I heard the news of the wedding I couldn't take it. I decided I had to do something about it. I mean nothing that bad could happen right, all that I was planning on doing was talking to Isabella and letting her know how I felt about her. Maybe she would feel the same way, I wasn't sure though. I mean maybe she really did love the man she was marrying," Ben said.
On the same day of the marriage Ben drove for 5 hours to get to Isabella wedding in a chapel in the mountains of Utah. It was a cool rainy day. Ben spent his day speeding down the slick wet roads in the damp air. He kept stressing about not making it to the wedding on time, checking his watch every 3 minutes.
"I wanted to get to the wedding early so I could be more sutile about my appearance. It seemed like all the odds ere against me though because I kept getting stuck in traffic," Ben said.
At the same time Isabella was getting ready for the ceremony. Isabella could sense a strange feeling, but she assumed she was just getting worked up about the wedding. She looked at her dress in awe and enjoyed the time she was having with her friends while preparing.
"I don't know, but I could feel that something was wrong. My stomach was turning and I was shaking. I just assumed it was because I was getting married. Getting married is a big deal and everyone said that they were nervous before their wedding. They told me to just not think about it and have fun. I just thought I was being paranoid," Isabella said.
Ben continued to drive as fast as he could through the vastly mountains. Isabella could not shake the feeling that something was wrong, she kept fidgeting with her ring as she impatiently waited for the time of the ceremony to start. When Isabella was done getting ready her dad, Chase White, came to speak to her. He kept her calm while she was waiting. He too could sense that something was off about the day. He knew that Ben was still in love with Isabella and he thought he was acting out, yet he kept looking at the door to make sure there were no surprise guests coming in.
"I too felt as if though something strange was going on. I also knew that Ben was in love with Isabella still, it was on my mind. I just tried to keep my cool. I thought as long as he doesn't show up before the ceremony starts everything was going to get married. I also just thought that maybe it was just me, I mean my daughter was getting married today, its a little nerve racking," Chase said.
As Ben was driving he kept getting stuck behind traffic, but he was determined and kept finding ways to get around the traffic. He continued to drive as fast as possible. Ben tried to think of ways he could sutiley stop the wedding, but he couldn't think when all of his nerves were so off balance from him being so scared, excited, and nervous.
"I knew that some people might not be happy, but you have to take risks in your life if you want to get anywhere and get what you want," Ben said.
Intently Isabella looked out the window, she didn't know what she was looking for, but it kept drawing her attention. She peered out the window, but she did not see anything. Finally the ceremony began. She walked quietly through the doors to the chapel as her dad closed the large wooden doors behind her.
"My heart was racing I was so, so excited to get married to the man I love! I just kept telling myself don't trip, don't trip as I walked down that aisle. I could barley keep all my feelings in though. There were so many different emotions I was feeling and it was really hard to try and stay content," Isabella said.
Aggressively Ben drove up to the church and parked in front of the doors he ran up the steps and busted into the chapel where the ceremony was taking place.
"I knew I was doing this, I had come this far and I couldn't give up know," Ben said.
Glancing at Ben, Isabella looked at him and then quickly looked to Brayden and then the ground with fear, disappointment, and astonishment. Isabella looked as if she had done something wrong.
"I just cannot believe he was here. My heart started beating faster then it ever has and all these different scenarios about what could happen kept going on in my head. I was so nervous, what was Brayden going to think? How could he get here? Why was he here? I mean he had the chance to be with me and he ruined it," Isabella said.
Brayden looked at Ben confused before he realized what was about to happen. Brayden looked to Isabella sad, confused and mad at what was happening.
"At first I thought who is this guy? Why is he at my wedding and why now? But then I realized who it was. It was my old friend Ben. Ben and I used to be friends in the old days, but we just went on different paths. I knew Isabella had been engaged to him, but she didn't like to talk about it, so I never brought it up. I thought it was completely ended though, so I got angry that Isabella never told me he still had feelings for her. I knew it wasn't her fault though, but I couldn't help being upset with pretty much everyone," Brayden said.
Ben had ran into the chapel before he knew what was happening and what was going on.
"When I went into the chapel I saw Isabella and Brayden Scott. I knew Isabella was getting married, but I had no idea it was to Brayden. I was shocked and I couldn't help but just stare," Ben said.
Isabella could barley take in what was happening. She looked to the ground then back to Ben with her giant brown eyes. Terrified and overwhelmed Isabella's thoughts about what was about to happen ran wild.
"I was so nervous about what could happen that I couldn't even speak, I could only stare and imagine the outcomes of what was going to happen," Isabella said.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
News Values
Timeliness
This article is an example of timeliness because it is talking about something new that is happening in Austin now.
Texas Mutual fraud until suspended
A controversial agreement between the Travis County district attorney’s office and Texas Mutual Insurance, under which the company pays prosecutors to pursue its fraud cases, will be suspended — at least for now, officials said Wednesday.
The decision comes after a joint American-Statesman and Texas Tribune series exposed the unusual and cozy arrangement, which sparked concern and objections by some law makers and county leaders.
District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg said in a statement that a contract between her office and the mega-insurer — set to be renewed Thursday — will be placed on hold. The insurer will continue to finance the four-person fraud unit handling Texas Mutual’s cases through the end of the year “to avoid unnecessary hardship” on the county, the company said.
While pointing out that the agreement is legal, “nonetheless, understanding the perception questions that have been raised, my office is exploring how to continue our important work in the area of workers’ compensation insurance fraud,” Lehmberg said.
“I intend to ask a group of public officials to work with me to evaluate funding options and work through the issues,” she said in a statement.
In a letter to Lehmberg, Mary Nichols, Texas Mutual’s general counsel, wrote that the annual contract was being postponed “to provide time to study the agreement and consider amendments to its terms.”
In an email, Texas Mutual’s vice president for public affairs, Terry Frakes, said, “We welcome the opportunity to discuss the program with interested parties.”
Texas Mutual, the largest provider of workers’ compensation insurance in Texas, has contracted with the Travis County district attorney’s office since at least 2000. In fiscal 2014, the company authorized payments of $430,000 to the district attorney’s office to prosecute alleged “crimes committed against the company.”
As part of the arrangement, a team of 21 investigators employed by Texas Mutual — not sworn peace officers — conducts the probes and gathers the information for direct referral to the district attorney’s office.
Last week, Travis County commissioners considered providing more oversight of the agreement, but made no formal changes. Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt has expressed particular concerns about the agreement, calling it a “pay to play” setup by the Legislature.
Found at the Austin American Statesman
Proximity
This article is an example of proximity because it is talking about all the roads in Austin and how we may need to add more of redo roads that have already been built.
Report, former steer talk on traffic
The thick document from the U.S. Department of Transportation, in its opening paragraphs, lays out a tantalizing premise for Austinites — and tens of millions of other Americans — whose daily life is plagued by clogged urban roads and interstate highways.
“Can we imagine a future in which traffic jams decline? Yes,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx writes in “Beyond Traffic 2045, Trends and Choices,” a 322-page draft report that is the centerpiece of 11 forums around the country this fall. The fourth of those meetings, hosted by Austin Mayor Steve Adler and fashioned as a vehicle for regional perspectives on the way to a final version of the study, will occur Wednesday in North Austin.
The report, however, is a studiously neutral document, stuffed with statistics and potential transportation policies but largely free of polemics. The document isn’t an action plan, Foxx writes.
“‘Beyond Traffic’ is intended to open a national dialogue about what our country really needs and why we need it,” he said.
With President Barack Obama’s administration in its seventh year, and the public’s focus increasingly turning to who gets to next occupy the Oval Office, the question is what such an effort could accomplish at this point. Michael Morris, director of transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments in Arlington, points to Congress’ repeated and unsuccessful efforts over the past few years to pass a longterm transportation funding bill.
Transportation officials, eager to have the certainty of a multi-year federal game plan, have looked on in frustration while lawmakers, as Foxx notes in the report, passed 32 short-term transportation funding bills.
“I sense the federal government at the administration level is at its wit’s end to get back to a longer-term, six-year initiative,” Morris said. “If I were at the federal level, I’d say, ‘Let’s take the case directly to the people. We’ve been taking it to Congress, and it hasn’t materialized.’”
The challenge, the report says, is simple: take better care of exist ing transportation infrastructure, build what is “new and necessary,” and use emerging technology and better design to maximize use of both old and new transportation facilities. But as the report outlines, beneath that uncomplicated mission is a massive and tangled policy system challenged by explosive population growth concentrated in the country’s 11 most densely populated regions.
For example, one map in the report shows what roads would experience regular rush hour congestion in 2040. The map shows that slow traffic would seize the entire “Texas Triangle,” formed of Interstates 10, 35 and 45 as they connect Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.
Absent wise policymaking in the short run and over the next three decades, the report envisions an America stifled by the inability to move Americans and the goods they need to live and work.
“The combination of those forces — inconsis tent, unreliable funding and static policies in an era of change — has left our transportation infrastructure in an increasingly deteriorated and fragile state,” the report says. “It has left the United States on the precipice of losing its historical advantage in moving people and things faster, safer and more reliably than any other nation in the world.”
Tim Lomax, a research fellow at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and author of a series of urban mobility reports, said the administration might be issuing a late call for action on a subject that has remained on a back burner during Obama’s years in office.
“The administration is trying to resolve some issues before they turn over the keys to the next president, and one of those is transportation,” Lomax said. “It’s very clear there isn’t a consensus among the public on what sorts of projects and programs we want to have, and how to pay for them.”
Adler said he couldn’t exactly say what the federal agency has in mind, but that laying out the nation’s transportation problems in stark terms can’t be anything but good.
“The immediacy of the need to act on that challenge is coming into ever greater relief,” Adler said. “I do know that we have to focus people’s attention on this tsunami of traffic. We’re going to deal with this stuff head-on, and in creative ways.”
Contact Ben Wear at 512-445-3698.
In 10 years: U.S. fuel economy standards for new cars and trucks will increase to 54.5 miles per gallon, up from 30.8 miles per gallon in 2013.
In 15 years: The backlog of spending needed to maintain transit systems around the country will reach ›141 billion.
In 20 years: The number of robotic aircraft systems, or drones, is expected to reach 250,000.
In 25 years: Nearly 30,000 miles of U.S. highways will be clogged daily.
In30years:The U.S. population is expected to grow by 70 million—adding more than the current populations of Texas,New York and Florida combined.
SOURCE: ‘BEYOND TRAFFIC 2045’ U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
OREGON is looking at other ways of raising money for roads: Volunteers in a pilot program pay 1.5 cents per mile driven, then get a credit toward paying the state gas tax at the pump. If successful, charging per-mile fees instead of a gas tax could prevent transportation revenue from slipping as cars continue to get better gas mileage.
CHICAGO, the busiest U.S. rail hub, is in the midst of ›3.8 billion in improvements to build 50 miles of new track to relieve congested lines; add overpasses and underpasses to eliminate 25 road-level crossings; and make other improvements that so far have reduced the average rail travel time through the Chicago region from 48 hours to 32 hours.The funding comes from federal, state and local agencies as well as private rail carriers.
Found at the Austin American Statesman
Prominence
This article is an example of prominence because it is talking about something new that is happening in Afghan right now.
Fear grows another Afghan city could fall
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — The test facing the Afghan government now is not just whether it can quickly mount a counterattack and retake Kunduz, the northern city that fell to the Taliban on Monday, but whether it can prevent a nearby provincial capital from falling as well.
The collapse of government forces in Kunduz against less numerous Taliban forces was prompting a crisis of confidence in neighboring province of Baghlan, where wealthier citizens and those with government connections have begun to leave for the relative safety of their hometowns.
In the midst of one of the gravest moments for the U.S.-backed government in Kabul, military leaders spoke for a third day about launching a decisive counterattack against the Taliban in Kunduz. But it was becoming clear that most of the reinforcements for such an attack had been waylaid in Baghlan.
The reinforcements “will not be able to reach Kunduz without a big fight,” said Ted Callahan, a Western security adviser based in northeastern Afghanistan.
The Taliban have proven in the last few days just how tight a grip they hold on a stretch of northern Baghlan that abuts Kunduz province. Reinforcements coming from either Kabul or the government stronghold in Mazar-i-Sharif must pass through the area to reach Kunduz city, and a number of convoys have been ambushed there.
It was not clear Wednesday whether the front line in the north was still in Kunduz or was rapidly shifting south into Baghlan. That, at least, was how residents of Baghlan’s provincial capital, Pul-i-Kumri, were feeling.
“It is true, people are evacuating the city today,” Zabihullah Rustami, a former member of the provincial council, said by telephone. He had done so himself, he said, relocating to his rural district to the east. “People who are enemies of the Taliban are leaving,” he said, and the city was rife with “rumors that the Taliban might attack and take over the city.”
Pul-i-Kumri, about 90 miles north of Kabul, could become the next flashpoint if the Taliban’s momentum in the north is not checked in the next few days.
Taliban fighters have been creeping up to the city’s outskirts over the last six months. Gun and mortar fire are frequently heard, and skirmishes have become regular occurrences on three sides of the city.
“In Pul-i-Kumri, the situation is not in the favor of the government,” Rustami said. “If any Taliban come out and shout ‘Allahu akbar,’ the city will fall. The Taliban are close to the city.”
In a worrisome sign, two units of the Afghan local police surrendered their bases just outside Pul-i-Kumri to the Taliban on Wednesday and joined the insurgents, while a third base there was overrun, according to Mohammad Leqaa, a former general who commanded police forces in several provinces. Other military units in the area were also said to have fled.
Leqaa estimated that as much as 10 percent of the city’s population left on Wednesday alone.
“The residents were influenced by waves of people fleeing Kunduz by way of Baghlan,” he said. “We tried to announce to people not to panic and don’t leave. They weren’t listening.”
Callahan, the security adviser, said he expected government forces to put up more of a fight in Puli-Kumri than they did in Kunduz.
Found at the Austin American Statesman
Impact
This article is an example of impact because if they two political parties keep going against each other and never come up with a agreement or solution it will affect everyone living in the US.
When both sides are turning deaf ears
1850s-style polarization leaves U.S. unable to act
Political polarization is a serious problem for the United States because it impedes steps necessary to solve mounting national problems. These problems include rising levels of government debt; illegal immigration; spending on entitlement programs; the deterioration of America’s roads, bridges, railways and airports; the impending failure of employee pension systems; and lackluster economic growth, not to mention various pressing international issues.
If the two parties cannot compromise to address these issues, then they will gradually grow to a point of crisis, at which point it may be too late to do very much about them.
Political polarization between the two parties has grown to a point that Americans have not seen since the 1890s — and perhaps not since the 1850s, when the nation was in the process of coming apart over the slavery issue.
Scholars have found that Republican voters and officeholders have become much more conservative since the 1970s, while Democrats have grown increasingly liberal. From the late 1930s into the 1960s, roughly half the members of the House and Senate were “moderates” as measured by their voting records.
The existence of a large body of moderates in Congress facilitated compromise and a fair degree of consensus between the two parties. Thus, it was necessary to craft bipartisan coalitions in order pass important legislation. All of the important legislative achievements of that era were passed with bipartisan majorities, including the Civil Rights Bill of 1964, Medicare and Medicaid (1965), the Kennedy tax cuts (1964), the highway bills of the 1950s, and the nation’s Cold War policies from the late 1940s through the mid-1960s. There were no threats of “government shutdowns” during that entire era.
Since that time, the number of moderates has steadily declined as the parties have moved in opposite ideological directions, dividing into liberal and conservative camps.
In the early 1980s the proportion of moderates in Congress dropped below 40 percent for the first time in the postwar era; by the late 1990s it had fallen below 20 percent. Today, fewer than 10 percent of the members of Congress can be called moderates on a liberal-conservative scale.
By the same process, the ideological distance between Democrats and Republicans has increased year by year. Students of public opinion have observed a similar pattern among voters: They are now sharply polarized, express strong dislike for the opposing party and its voters, and do not trust the government to enact policies in the public interest.
There was a time in America when parents feared that a son or daughter might marry someone of a different religious faith; today, they tend to worry more that a child might marry someone of a different political faith.
In addition, the various states in the union have moved in opposite political directions, some becoming safe havens for Democrats and others for Republicans. A polarized and distrustful political system will never yield the compromises needed to address the serious problems the country is now facing.
It is true that President Obama achieved some victories in this polarized environment, but at a high cost to his popularity and the Democratic Party’s standing in Congress. In addition, some of his signal achievements — such as his health care bill and the nuclear treaty with Iran — will be reversed as soon as a Republican president is elected.
It is hard to know exactly what has caused political polarization in America. To some extent, people “vote with their feet” and gradually separate into different jurisdictions based upon political views and lifestyle preferences. This process is aided by technology that allows citizens to communicate only to those already in agreement.
Over time in any political system, the rival “teams” will accumulate grievances against one another to the point where they lose any interest in communicating across party lines. This happened in the 1850s: We know what happened as a consequenceof that development. Things are not going to get that bad in America this time around — but they could get plenty bad if and when we have another serious recession or if the stock market loses 30 percent or 40 percent of its value. Sadly, it appears that as a nation we are no longer capable of making preparations for such events.
Found at the Austin American Statesman
Conflict
This article is an example of conflict because the community of Oklahoma was having arguments about getting the ten commandments monument removed while some wanted it to stay. There was also conflict about other religions not getting plaques of what they believed put up somewhere. So finally everyone agreed on the removal of it, which is an example of conflict because people who were in conflict came to a conclusion about the situation.
Ten commandments to be removed from Oklahoma Capitol
OKLAHOMA CITY — A 6-foot-tall granite monument of the Ten Commandments that has sat outside the Oklahoma State Capitol for several years is on its way out.
A panel that oversees artwork at the statehouse voted 7-1 on Tuesday to authorize the privately funded monument’s removal after the state’s highest court ruled that it violated the Oklahoma Constitution.
The Capitol Preservation Commission, which was named as a defendant in a lawsuit seeking the monument’s removal, voted to authorize the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to remove the one-ton monument.
“We’re going to meet with the builder who installed it and figure out the best way to remove it,” said OMES spokesman John Estus. “We’re also going to coordinate with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to address some ongoing security concerns that they have.”
The monument has been a source of controversy since it was erected in 2012. Several groups have made requests to have their monuments installed, including a satanic church in New York that wants to erect a 7-foot-tall statue that depicts Satan as Baphomet, a goat-headed figure with horns, wings and a long beard. A Hindu leader, an animal rights group and the satirical Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster also made requests.
The original monument was smashed into pieces last year when someone drove a car across the Capitol lawn and crashed into it.
Found at the Austin American Statesman
Human Interest
This article is an example of human interest because it talks about all the drama that is going on with a murder and they peoples emotional struggle as they are trying to deal with how this murder got let out.
Presiding juror: We let family down
It seemed plain as day to Bill Wooden, the presiding juror in the Daniel Willis trial. From the first day of testimony, he had decided the former Bastrop County sheriff’s deputy was guilty of murder.
“He was guilty as hell,” Wooden said. “And we let him walk right out of there.”
Wooden, 45, was one of five men and seven women who became deadlocked last week in Willis’ trial for the on-duty shooting death of Yvette Smith last year. After deliberating for nearly 20 hours, each juror had become set in their judgment of Willis. Eight thought he was guilty. Four favored acquittal.
When reached by the American-Statesman, Wooden said the trial had taken its toll. The Bastrop mechanic said he hadcontemplated the trial over the weekend and shed a few tears.
“I felt like we let Yvette Smith’s family down,” Wooden said. “I felt like I let them down.”
As soon as he saw a patrol vehicle’s dashboard camera video that showed Willis opening fire just a second after yelling “police” at Smith, Wooden said he decided Willis was guilty of murder. And as he listened to statements from Willis in which he gave details about the moments leading up to the shooting, even surmising at one point that Smith had committed “suicide by cop,” Wooden grew angry.
“None of us would have had to go through this if he had been a man and admitted his mistake,” Wooden said.
On Feb. 16, 2014, then-Deputy Willis was responding to a domestic disturbance at a home on Zimmerman Avenue in Camp Swift. Willis was talking to the homeowner outside the residence when he received information from a dispatcher that someone inside the house had a gun and was loading it.
Willis retrieved an AR-15 assault weapon from his patrol vehicle and took up a position behind a car. When Smith opened the front door of the house, Willis stood up and fired.
The special prosecutor in the case, Forrest Sanderson, consistently said the facts in the case only supported one charge: murder.
“There is no question this defendant shot and killed another human being intentionally and knowingly, and by Texas law that is murder, unless there is some justification for it,” Sanderson said last week.
But throughout the trial, Willis’ defense had focused on the perception of danger. Defense attorney Robert McCabe’s expert witnesses argued that any police shooting is justified if officers feel their lives are in danger.
The defense also tried to show there was a possibility that Smith was armed, after witnesses said there was a struggle for a shotgun between Smith and a man inside the home.
The entire jury, though, agreed that Smith was unarmed when she opened the door to Willis, Wooden said.
But the four dissenting jurors — three women and one man — couldn’t be swayed in their belief that Willis had shot Smith twice under a reasonable belief that she posed a danger to his life.
In picking a jury of 12 and two alternates, Sanderson said his chief concern was people’s preconceived notions about police shootings.
Since Smith’s death, people’s opinions have become polarized about police shootings, Sanderson said, so he sought jurors he thought could look at the case objectively.
“It turned out to be a large percentage who were pretty opinionated,” Sanderson said.
McCabe wouldn’t discuss strategies in picking the jury because of Sanderson’s intentions to retry Willis on the murder charge.
But McCabe told the Statesman that he will ask the court to move the next trial out of Bastrop County.
“There’s been too much media coverage and too much local interest for Mr. Willis to get a fair trial in Bastrop,” he said.
Many recent cases of deadly police force have centered on the racial divide between mostly white officers involved in the deaths of mostly black suspects. Willis, 30, is white, and Smith, 47, was African-American.
But Wooden said he wasn’t aware of race playing a part in the jury’s deliberations, noting that six of the eight jurors in favor of Willis’ guilt were white. Only two of those jurors weren’t white.
“It could have been anyone of any color and he still would be guilty,” he said.
When they first began deliberating, the jury was split 6-6. By the end of the first day of deliberations, it had moved to 8-4 in favor of guilt.
No one changed their mind after that point, despite deliberating for another full day and the following morning.
Sanderson credited the jury for working hard and reviewing the extensive amount of video and audio evidence. But things got emotional in the jury room. Some shed tears, but no one ever raised their voices, Wooden said.
The experience did take a toll on Wooden, but it also gave him some perspective: On Monday, he quit his job as a mechanic — that he didn’t particularly enjoy — in part because of his experience at the trial.
“Life’s too short,” he said.
Found at the Austin American Statesman
Novelty
This article is an example of a novelty because it is a article about a random thing that people are attracted too, because it is something fun and interesting to read about.
Church's rainbow flag stolen a fifth time
As your prime provider of news about Cedar Park Unitarians, it troubles me to have to bring you this update.
First, some background. Back in August, I told you about what unfortunately had become the ongoing saga of Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church’s unflagging effort to keep a rainbow flag — signifying support of the gay and trans-gender communities — on its sign at the church on El Salido Parkway in Cedar Park.
The flag had been stolen four times, and I was happy to be at the church on Aug. 23 as the congregation, undaunted, followed Rev. Joanna Fontaine Crawford to the curbside sign for the posting of the fifth flag. It was very upbeat and very uplifting to see folks not giving up on what they see as an important public display of their beliefs.
Regardless of whether you agree with their belief on this topic, you support their right to use a flag to proclaim their belief on any topic.
All went well, until it didn’t. The bad news came in a Saturday email from Crawford in which she told me the fifth flag disappeared the night before.
“The attached picture is all that was left of our flag after last night,” she told me. “Someone ripped it down, bent the flagpole and left a beer can.”
The apparent theft occurred during a youth overnight event at the church, which meant there were cars in the parking lot and kids in the building.
“I’m not surprised the kids didn’t hear anything, with it being out on the road,” Crawford said of the sign from which the flag was snatched. “But the nerviness is a little discomfiting, as is knowing that our kids were in the building while this was happening.”
The Unitarians, an optimistic bunch, are moving forward.
“Once we get the holder replaced, up goes another flag,” Crawford said, reporting that the church has “a pile of flags,” including a previously stolen one that turned up at a local school and was returned.
Crawford said the church is planning to make a statement at its services Oct. 11, which is National Coming Out Day.
“We are going to make a big deal, not only about people coming out with their own identities, but coming out as an ally and supporter” of folks who do that, Crawford said.
It seems to me the repeated flag thefts are a result of one of two possible motives: 1. Idiotic and intentional effort to deny the church’s right to display its beliefs. 2. Dumb prank.
I’m not sure which is worse. Cut it out.
One more thing that might be of interest to anyone thinking of stealing the next flag: The Williamson County sheriff’s office is using cameras to monitor the flag. They were in place last week but were needed elsewhere and gone by Friday.
“Well,” Crawford told me Tuesday, “that’s a bummer.”
But the cameras will be back when the next flag is posted. You have been warned. kherman@statesman.com ;
Found at the Austin American Statesman
This article is an example of timeliness because it is talking about something new that is happening in Austin now.
Texas Mutual fraud until suspended
A controversial agreement between the Travis County district attorney’s office and Texas Mutual Insurance, under which the company pays prosecutors to pursue its fraud cases, will be suspended — at least for now, officials said Wednesday.
Found at the Austin American Statesman
Proximity
This article is an example of proximity because it is talking about all the roads in Austin and how we may need to add more of redo roads that have already been built.
Report, former steer talk on traffic
The thick document from the U.S. Department of Transportation, in its opening paragraphs, lays out a tantalizing premise for Austinites — and tens of millions of other Americans — whose daily life is plagued by clogged urban roads and interstate highways.
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
In 5 years: Online purchases could account for 10 percent of retail sales, up from 6.6 percent now, potentially taking some shoppers off the roads while adding more delivery truck trips.
WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING
DENVER outlined a specific strategy for building protected bike lanes in its downtown, as part of an effort to attract younger workers and the companies that employ them.A national study by the American Planning Association noted only 8 percent of millennials would prefer to live in a car-dependent suburb.
IF YOU GO
The BeyondTraffic forum starts at 1:30 p.m. Wednesdayat theAsian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Road in Austin.The eventwill be hosted byU.S.Transportation UndersecretaryPeterRogoff aswell asAustin MayorSteve Adler,Harris Countytransit officialTom Lambert and Waco transportation planning official ChristopherEvelia.Found at the Austin American Statesman
Prominence
This article is an example of prominence because it is talking about something new that is happening in Afghan right now.
Fear grows another Afghan city could fall
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — The test facing the Afghan government now is not just whether it can quickly mount a counterattack and retake Kunduz, the northern city that fell to the Taliban on Monday, but whether it can prevent a nearby provincial capital from falling as well.
Found at the Austin American Statesman
Impact
This article is an example of impact because if they two political parties keep going against each other and never come up with a agreement or solution it will affect everyone living in the US.
When both sides are turning deaf ears
1850s-style polarization leaves U.S. unable to act
Political polarization is a serious problem for the United States because it impedes steps necessary to solve mounting national problems. These problems include rising levels of government debt; illegal immigration; spending on entitlement programs; the deterioration of America’s roads, bridges, railways and airports; the impending failure of employee pension systems; and lackluster economic growth, not to mention various pressing international issues.
Found at the Austin American Statesman
Conflict
This article is an example of conflict because the community of Oklahoma was having arguments about getting the ten commandments monument removed while some wanted it to stay. There was also conflict about other religions not getting plaques of what they believed put up somewhere. So finally everyone agreed on the removal of it, which is an example of conflict because people who were in conflict came to a conclusion about the situation.
Ten commandments to be removed from Oklahoma Capitol
OKLAHOMA CITY — A 6-foot-tall granite monument of the Ten Commandments that has sat outside the Oklahoma State Capitol for several years is on its way out.
Found at the Austin American Statesman
Human Interest
This article is an example of human interest because it talks about all the drama that is going on with a murder and they peoples emotional struggle as they are trying to deal with how this murder got let out.
Presiding juror: We let family down
It seemed plain as day to Bill Wooden, the presiding juror in the Daniel Willis trial. From the first day of testimony, he had decided the former Bastrop County sheriff’s deputy was guilty of murder.
Novelty
This article is an example of a novelty because it is a article about a random thing that people are attracted too, because it is something fun and interesting to read about.
Church's rainbow flag stolen a fifth time
As your prime provider of news about Cedar Park Unitarians, it troubles me to have to bring you this update.
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