| Four killed, more than 20 hurt as storms slam region
Unseasonably warm temperatures and a cold front triggered heavy rains, high winds and at least one tornado that left four people dead and more than 20 injured Tuesday night in West Tennessee, according to emergency officials. Madison County Sheriff David Woolfork said two people were killed in the Huntersville community in western Madison County. The two were killed in their homes, officials said. Their names were not released. U.S. 70 was closed in that area because of propane leaks. .
Lazing in a luxury island paradise
I kid you not. We slide into Aitutaki's amazingly turquoise lagoon for a snorkel, then shoot to the surface yelping. Hundreds of tiny, electric-hued fish have just nibbled all over us. Shock subsiding, we flipper on and for an hour revel in the nibbles, the coral formations and other exotic marine life that weave their way through these waters. This South Sea island paradise – part of the Cook Islands group – is made up of 14 motus, or islets, set in a spectacular and fairly shallow 12km by 20km (5058ha) lagoon. The deepest part is just 10m and the bonus here is... no sharks. That's guaranteed – just kilometres of brilliantly coloured coral reefs and palm-fringed white-as-white sand beaches. Aitutaki is an "almost atoll" – part volcanic and part atoll, with Polynesian myth contending it's a giant fish tethered to the seabed by a vine from the air.
Cyclist, truck collide near OHSU
Twenty five years ago I was an avid bicycle enthusiast and rider. I realized how dangerous it is to mix cars and bikes and gave up bicycle riding on the public streets. It is just not worth the risk. Proponents of bicycles as a major transportation choice are deluding themselves. How many of our fine City workers go about their daily business on bicycles? Save for a few bike cops and the like, the rest of them use motor vehicles to conduct business. The idea that the rest of us are somehow supposed to commute to work on bicycles is irrational thinking. Painting boxes and lines on the roadways just encourages more people to use this dangerous and inefficient form of transportation and does not provide enough safety. Bicycles are regressive, not progressive. Doing the wrong thing harder never works.
Old school Motto gets Sydney hearts racing
OUTSIDE the top floor of the North Cronulla Surf Club, it's cool and it's raining. Inside, behind the fogged-up windows, the Sydney FC players are dripping sweat. John Kosmina, who is expected to sign a new two-year deal with the club early next week, has delved deep into his past to prepare for their biggest game this season and the message has lost none of its relevance. Winning finals is about playing through the pain barrier, and players are being pushed into unchartered territory by legendary trainer Les Motto. Truth is, they're loving it. Motto, who claims with a smile his age is "between 48 and 60", has been punishing footballers for almost 40 years. Tutored by George Daldrey, he became the first full-time conditioner in rugby league when he was put on staff by Manly in 1973.
Weather: P/CLOUDY
AUTRYVILLE — Twelve-year-old Jonathan Pounders probably just wishes everybody would leave him alone. After all, it’s kind of embarrassing when your little sister’s friends call you ‘superhero’ and ask for your autograph. And then there’s all those newspaper people hanging around, wanting to take pictures of you and ask you all those weird questions. But Jonathan takes it in stride — ducking his head and smiling shyly. By now he knows that that’s what you get for being a good Samaritan. Jonathan, a seventh-grader at Roseboro/Salemburg Middle School, was standing outside his grandmother’s house in Autryville on Nov. 5 when he heard what sounded like a donkey braying in a nearby cornfield. It was noon on a school day, but Jonathan, who has ADHD and bipolar disorder, had been suspended for acting up, and he was waiting for his mother to take him to a doctor’s appointment in Chapel Hill.
CCISD ponders schools' future
CORPUS CHRISTI Three possible bond dates. Four possible bond options. Corpus Christi Independent School District trustees Friday learned scenarios for a possible multimillion-dollar bond election within the next year and a half to renovate facilities. The district's chief financial officer, R. Xavier Gonzalez, presented bond-package options for $70 million, $95 million, $116 million and $166 million. While taxpayers wouldn't see an increase with the first three options, they would with the $166 million plan. Board President Bill Clark said the presentations, which also included a look at the district's student population, will guide discussions on financing possibilities. "We're seeing a migration to the Southside," he said. "That could mean addressing facilities there and consolidating other campuses." While trustees and Superintendent Scott Elliff said Friday's preliminary discussions were the first step at looking at needs and financing them, Gonzalez also presented three dates for when a bond election could be presented to taxpayers: May 10, 2008, Nov.
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