Coming Thursday on the editorial/op-ed pages

The Star's editorial board is opining Thursday on President Bush's speech Wednesday before a Veterans of Foreign Wars conference:

The president even went on to make a comparison to the war in Vietnam. It was not the one so many think of — the quagmire comparison — but an altogether different version. We left Vietnam and chaos and death descended in the form of the Khmer Rogue and re-education camps, the president reminded us.
He got that right. But he also failed to mention that Vietnam was essentially un-winnable, just as this war is essentially un-winnable. And for what it’s worth, mainstream historians immediately and widely disagreed with the president Wednesday about the comparison of the wars in Iraq and Vietnam.

We're also discussing the No Child Left Behind legislation, and one of the many effects it is having:

If you have not familiarized yourself with No Child Left Behind and the movement to establish a federal graduation standard, now is a good time to try. No Child Left Behind is moving this nation closer to a national system of testing and grading schools, with sanctions for those states and systems that do not meet goals set in Washington.
The act is up for renewal. And unless Congress makes significant changes, this is the direction education in America is going.

As a sidebar, we're also diving into how the act deals with Alabama students who aren't among their classes' top scholars:

While no one disagrees with NCLB’s goal of bringing up struggling students who are not reaching their full potential, the act does little or nothing to encourage excellence among students at or near the top. Or to put it as a recent study did, NCLB has “forced schools to deeply subsidize the education of the least gifted” and other programs, including those for the most gifted, have suffered.

And on the op-ed page, we're featuring New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman:

Have your eyes recently popped out of your head when you opened your electric bill? Do you, like me, live in one of those states where electricity has been deregulated and the state no longer oversees the generation price so your utility rates have skyrocketed since 2002?
If so, you need to listen to a proposal being aired by Jim Rogers, the chairman and chief executive of Duke Energy, and recently filed with the North Carolina Utilities Commission. (Duke Energy is headquartered in Charlotte.) It’s called “save-a-watt,” and it aims to turn the electricity/utility industry upside down by rewarding utilities for the kilowatts they save customers by improving their energy efficiency rather than rewarding them for the kilowatts they sell customers by building more power plants.
Rogers’ proposal is based on three simple principles. The first is that the cheapest way to generate clean, emissions-free power is by improving energy efficiency. Or, as he puts it, “The most environmentally sound, inexpensive and reliable power plant is the one we don’t have to build because we’ve helped our customers save energy.”

Oh, and don't miss a whole mess of letters to the editor about the on-going Bill Meehan-plagiarism story at Jacksonville State.

Tuesday's top online reads

1. Anniston has new engineer: Byrd was appointed after city received no responses for position by Dan Whisenhunt

2. Elder Castille: Son's arrest not warranted by the Associated Press

3. State Troopers: ‘Take Back our Highways’ was a success by Nick Cenegy

More on Meehan

I admit it: I'm amazed at how much feedback The Star is receiving from our readers on the Bill Meehan-plagiarism story.

Thursday's Speak Out column may contain a collection of letters to the editor -- from all sides of the spectrum -- about the Meehan story. I'm not going to be surprised if we continue to get letters on that subject.

And, remember, we published a lengthy Speaker's Stand on this story in today's edition. You can read it here.

The 'stickiness' of newspapers

While searching our wire services today for interesting stuff for Thursday's op-ed page, I ran across this column by Washington Post blogger Joel Achenbach about the future of the newspaper industry.

Here's a portion:

Newspaper journalism is different these days: Suddenly everyone is obsessed with eyeballs, page views, “stickiness,” “click-through rates,” and so on. No one shouts “Stop the presses!” anymore, but they do whimper “Why aren’t I on the home page?” The noble product that we manufacture and distribute throughout the metropolis — the physical thing so carefully designed, folded and bagged — is now generally referred to in our business as the “dead-tree edition.” It gets little respect.
And indeed, so often the print version of the news is Old on Arrival. (By the time Karl Rove’s resignation made the front page last Tuesday, the only people who didn’t already know about it were the ones who didn’t care anyway.) The motto in the corner should be What Happened Yesterday or Maybe the Day Before.

Something for all of us to think about, isn't it?

You can check out Joel's work here.

Coming Wednesday

Here's a bit of what the metro staff has in the way of local news for tomorrow's paper:

• As teachers, students and the rest of us sweat out another week with 100-degree-plus temperatures, some may be asking, is this really the best time to be starting school? Intern staff writer Sara Polsky talks with school administrators about August power bills, and what it might cost to cool a school in June if we decided to start the academic year later and end it earlier.

• The arrival of Honda's 6,000-worker plant in Lincoln in 2001 fueled what seemed like a justifiable building boom in the small town. But the optimism may have been misplaced. Lincoln has grown, to be sure, by about 10 percent since 2000. But many of the homes in 20 subdivisions there are empty, with the asking prices falling as the months go on. In her final story for The Star intern staff writer Cynthia Dizikes tells us about the difficulty of trying to sell homes in Lincoln.

• In his "Of to Work" column tomorrow, Senior Editor George Smith visits Johnny's Barbecue in Gum's Crossroads, where loggers passing through the Clay County community stop to fill their gullets with biscuits, chicken tenders or ribeye steaks.
  

Coming Wednesday on the editorial/op-ed pages

Like baseball? The Star's editorial board does, so Wednesday we're opining on the possibility of doing more than honoring baseball legend Ty Cobb in Anniston:

In all fairness to Cobb, there’s much more to Anniston’s baseball history than a future hall-of-famer who played only a handful of games here.
So, a suggestion: Why not honor all of Anniston’s professional baseball history? How about a plaque at Johnston Field — where Anniston High School plays its games — that brings attention to the professionals who played there and the fans who cheered Anniston’s teams on sultry summer nights?

We're also taking a look at the health of the State Children's Health Insurance Program:

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program is a success story. For 10 years, it has helped families stuck in the middle — they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but can’t afford private insurance. While SCHIP has worked at keeping kids healthy, particularly in Alabama, more work remains.

On the op-ed page, columnist Hardy Jackson is diving into evolution and the Bible. Watch out:

It almost made me want to retreat into the certainty of Biblical literalism, which has everything starting with man and woman in the garden and coming up from there. Only (author Hal) Crowther says that won’t work because after Cain slew Abel he took off east for the land of Nod where he “knew” a lady.
Now, where did she come from? I thought everybody was supposed to be back with Adam and Eve?

And columnist Cal Thomas is weighing on Democrats, Republicans and the British government:

Democrats love it when Republicans focus only on cutting taxes, because it cedes to them the “fairness issue.” Focusing on waste, fraud and abuse, which admittedly some Republicans have been guilty of in the recent past, could restore the GOP to its previous position as guardian of our pockets and purses against the overreaching hand and insatiable appetite of government. To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, government never thinks it spends too little or taxes too much.

It's all there Wednesday, plus the survey results from the Pew Center we mentioned in an earlier post.

What's for lunch update

If you ever wanted to know if eating grilled spam -- two pieces, with mustard -- between slices of white bread is fine eating, all you need to do is come by The Star's editorial department this afternoon.

I've had my first and last spam sandwich.

It's time to get back to work. If I can.

Our social values

I came across an interesting study today from the Pew Research Center, which has released information on Americans' public and social values.

Here's a snippet:

The percentage of Americans who completely agree that we will all be called before God on Judgment Day : In 1994 it was 61 percent. In 2007, it is 54 percent.

We're gonna try and get the entire study on Wednesday's op-ed page. I think you'll like it.

What's for lunch?

Hint: It went from a can to the grill.

Monday's top online reads

1. Early morning accident kills Weaver man by Dan Whisenhunt

2. Preseason All-America Tider Castille arrested by Creg Stephenson

3. Jacksonville poet writes about mental illness by Dan Whisenhunt

Coming Tuesday on the editorial page

The Star's editorial board is weighing in on recent alcohol-related voting measures in three different locations in Alabama:

The fact remains that in two instances voters were more comfortable with progress as defined by once-taboo liquor sales than with the more traditional sales taxes.

Also, our editorial board is tackling the issue of the difference between Republicans and Democrats -- if there is a real difference, that is:

A lot of folks used to think George Wallace was right when he said there “wasn’t a dime’s worth of difference” between Republicans and Democrats, and maybe back then there wasn’t. But today, in the heated partisan atmosphere on Capital Hill, you can see party lines forming and holding. And no state’s divided delegation holds to party loyalty more than Alabama’s.

We also have our normal letters to the editor package, Eugene Robinson's Tuesday column, and an absolutely hilarious editoral cartoon about Hillary Clinton's cleavage. Really.

One hot topic

I've been gone a week -- a great vacation; stayed home for a week to watch heat radiate off my patio -- only to return and see one thing hasn't changed:

The Bill Meehan/plagiarism story remains just as heated as the weather.

When I returned to work this morning, what I found was a folder full of letters to the editor concerning the controversy of the Jacksonville State University president's column and the charges of plagiarism levied against the column's ghostwriter, former JSU employee Al Harris.

So we're gonna give 'em to you -- some letters pro, some letters con. Look for them as the week progresses.

By the way, it's good to be back.

A weighty tome

One of the many cool things about working at a newspaper is the mail. You never know what the marketing departments at companies across the land are going to send you in an attempt to get their product in your pages. Of course, these unlooked-for packages often have unintended consequences; I recall one recent day on which newsroom productivity took a nose dive thanks to the dry ice that came as the refrigerant for a package of vegan soy ribs. But that's a whole other story.

Today the folks from the mailroom wheeled up six identical VCR-sized boxes, all of them suspiciously heavy. Each was addressed to a different editor and marked "Complimentary Gift." Since I wasn't one of the lucky few, I had to wait for Bob Davis to open his to satisfy my curiosity.

Turns out The Star is the lucky beneficiary of six copies of The Atlas of Creation by Harun Yahya. Yahya, it turns out, is the pen-name of Adnan Oktar, a Turkish "scholar" who, on the book's back cover, is said to have written "many books on political, faith-based and scientific issues." The Atlas is a refutation of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, and of much of the modern science that's based on it, all from an Islamic point of view. Fun.

According to a New York Times story I happened to read back in July, Atlas was shipped to colleges and science museums around the world. And now us. "Flawed" seems like a kind way to describe the book's logic. One chapter, for instance, wonders why there aren't hordes of mutated people and animals wandering the earth, and uses illustrations of human skeletons with six legs and three spines as examples that should exist if Darwin's theory is correct.

According to the shipping label, the book weighs in at 12 pounds, and runs nearly 800 11"x17" pages. A press release that came with the book said it's the first of seven volumes. I'd hate to pay Yahya's postage.

So easy a caveman could do it

The Guardian has a story this morning that gives us plenty to chew on.

The British newspaper reports:

A 5,000-year-old piece of chewing gum - one of the oldest ever to be discovered - has been found by a British archaeology student.
The discovery of the Neolithic gum, made from birch bark tar, was made by Sarah Pickin, 23, during a dig in Finland. The gum had tooth prints in it.
Trevor Brown, her tutor at the University of Derby, said: "Birch bark tar contains phenols, which are antiseptic compounds. It is generally believed that Neolithic people found that by chewing this stuff if they had gum infections it helped to treat the condition."

Hmmmm, that reminds me of this Anniston Star column from March.

Weekend's top online reads

FRIDAY
1. Anniston BOE votes down another assistant principal by Steve Ivey

2. New bank clears first hurdle in Anniston by Sara Polsky

SATURDAY
1. McCartney settles suit with 8 area residents by Nick Cenegy

2. Joseph L. Galloway's column Good riddance, Karl

SUNDAY
1. A Star Special Report: Home schooling today — The new home school by Joan Garrett (Special to the Star)

2. $65,000 water fee slows Intellimed deal by Dan Whisenhunt

Home school update

Joan Garrett's series on home schooling continues today.

As part of today's story Joan has a video extra that is not to be missed.

Weekend opining

Saturday's editorial page weighs in on the continuing sage with the Anniston school board and its superintendent:

A surprising ambivalence bubbled up during the Anniston Board of Education meeting on Thursday night.

Also Saturday, Columnist Joe Galloway doesn't hold back when writing about Karl Rove's exit:

The man has all the charisma and charm and inherent kindness of a spitting cobra and nothing so graces the White House in six years as Karl Rove leaving it.

In Sunday's Insight section, Laura Tutor writes about the Coosa Valley Youth Services:

This is home, for a time, and it’s a spot in Alabama that state and regional criminal justice officials look at to see how successful gender-specific reform programs are at interrupting cycles of crime.
The only problem, its director says, is that no one with the program has come up with a way to consistently measure that success. They don’t have the money or the people to track the dozens of girls who come through, and the state of Alabama can’t afford to measure its success, either.

Also, in connection with the start of The Star's series starting on Page 1A Sunday, the LaRue family of Anniston gives us a first-hand account of home schooling. Parents Mark and Amy write:

Home schooling had always been in the back of our minds as an option but we wanted to explore the traditional public and private education choices first. Like most parents, we wanted our little nuclear family to become a more centered and closer unit. To do this we needed to exercise our faith together but, we, also needed to spend more quality time as well as increase the quantity of time together. That just wasn’t happening.

Thursday's top online reads

1. Speaker’s Stand: Words on a ghost-written column by Jeff Youngblood

2. Letters to the editor

3. Honda workers explore union by Todd South

4. Making a pitch: Henderson wants to install plaque for legendary baseball player Ty Cobb by Andy Johns

Coming Friday

Here's what the metro staff is working on for tomorrow's paper:

• The Anniston Board of Education meets tonight at 6 p.m., and the job of Superintendent Sammy Lee Felton could hinge on what happens there. Two weeks ago, two members of the board voted for a motion to explore ways to end Felton's contract, tying with two who voted against the measure. Board member Bob Etnire, who missed that meeting and has sided in the past with the members seeking to oust Felton, is back. Board President Vivian Thompson, who has supported Felton, will miss tonight's meeting. Education writer Steve Ivey will be there to see what happens. Check tonight at annistonstar.com for the latest.

• The price per gallon just keeps going up, forcing some families to adjust their habits. Gasoline? No, we're talking about milk. Staff writer Sara Polsky examines why what does a body good isn't doing a wallet any good right now.

• There's someone new at the wheel of the region's economic engine today. Col. Alexander Raulerson handed over command of the Anniston Army Depot to Col. Sherry Keller, who will be the 31st person - and the first woman - the lead the Army post. Staff writer Dan Whisenhunt was there for the passing of the torch today.
  

Coming for Friday's opinions pages

The editorial board weighs in on Alabama's ability to attract jobs:

Of all the imprints the Riley administration is likely to leave when the governor goes out of office, right up there with a scandal-free eight years(assuming he makes it through the next two) will be the success of Bob Riley as an industrial recruiter.

Phillip Tutor writes in his column:

What I imagine – and it’s wildly farfetched, but hang with me – is having our own multi-county alliance in northeast Alabama. An alliance that would bring the influential from, say, Calhoun, Etowah, Talladega and Cleburne counties together, all charged with recruiting billion-dollar industries and high-paying jobs – some assembly line, some research-based – to our neck of Alabama’s woods.

Syndicated columnist James Evans writes:

Of course, I wouldn’t mind a theocracy, which literally means "rule by God," if God was in fact the one who ruled. But what usually happens in theocratic states is someone who claims to speak for God ends up running things, and normally not too well.

Wednesday's top online reads

1. Center causes tension: Program for sex offenders has Morrisville Road on edge by Cynthia Dizikes

2. George Smith's column, A man of uncommon decency ...

3. Croyle cool under the pressure of Chiefs' QB battle by Jason King of the Kansas City Star

Opinion items were among the best-read online items yesterday including Wednesday's Speak Out, The Star's editorial on remarks made about Bradley Byrne (Joe Reed's slur out of bounds: Bradley Byrne owed apology) and Hardy Jackson's column (Redneck Riviera and gub'ment).

Tuesday's top online reads

Woodland man hospitalized with heat stroke, expected to make full recovery by Andy Johns


Ex-wrestler Crush Adams is found dead by the Associated Press

Anniston Star editorial Double-dipping: Is there a problem?

Coming Wednesday on our editorial pages

We probe deeply into the Karl Rove resignation with an editorial, column and roundup of other newspaper editorials.

Conservative Grover Norquist writes:

[Rove] managed four campaigns that will define America for a generation. None of these campaigns was easy or obvious, and that is why Rove will rightfully be remembered for his role in American politics. Who, after all, recalls who ran LBJ’s 1964 presidential campaign or Ronald Reagan’s reelection bid in 1984?

The Star's editorial counters:

During a press conference on Monday dealing with his resignation, Karl Rove turned to the president and said, "I'm grateful for the opportunity you gave me to serve our nation..."
Mr. Rove, George W. Bush's long-time top political adviser and the architect of his presidency, could have put it more accurately by saying that he was grateful for the opportunity to serve the Republican Party.
For serve the nation he most certainly did not. What he did was to undermine the Republic, foster discord, divide our nation like never before and sow a deep distrust of government in the American people.

Meanwhile, Hardy Jackson weighs in on changes along the Gulf Coast:

For a while now I have been studying ways the northern rim of the Gulf of Mexico – the fabled Redneck Riviera – has evolved since World War II.
I have examined how a string of “little fishing villages that reminded the visitor of the southern coast of France” became a playground for middle class Alabamians only to morph again into a getaway for flotsam and jetsam from places like Mountain Brook. I have chronicled the evolution of recreational activities from goofy-golf to Flora-Baming to outlet shopping, and witnessed fashion changes from flip-flops and cut-offs to "resort wear." Food once fried is now sautéed. Beverages have gone from Budweiser to Beaujolais. Folks have even cut back on raw oysters and started eating raw fish.
But the biggest change of all, and the change that may well be at the center of the story I hope to tell, is the change in government.
Gub’ment.

The power of literature

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, all dark and stormy nights. And The Star's book reviewers get to read about it all. I like to think that we have the greatest jobs ever (that's because we like to read, and we get to do it for a small living, or at least free books).
We get to read some amazing new stuff -- talented new voices or satisfying recent additions from established titans in fiction, fascinating true stories of real-life adventures, in-depth analyses of current important issues. We also sometimes slog through some dreck that makes us wonder how an editor could have possibly decided to invest in it. Believe me, it's a real mystery sometimes.
That means that The Star's readers get to hear about what's really good. There are so many great books out there, and so little time to read them (I have four daughters at home -- three in school and one infant, so I am busy but still fit in plenty of reading time), that it's nice to know what's really worth your time.
Several of us, for instance, feel it is definitely worth any reader's time to read all the Harry Potter books. Shawn Ryan very enthusiastically reviewed The Deathly Hallows; I myself even dressed up as Rita Skeeter for the Books-a-Million HP party.
Recently we had two books about schools and teaching reviewed by a schoolteacher and a superintendent; they were recommended as great reading for anyone in education or concerned about education. We've had some good new fiction and some interesting current-events topics. This weekend we'll have some short stories and two Southern novels reviewed. They come highly recommended.
So here's to great books. They transport us to other times and places and dark and stormy nights that are so real you can feel the rain pouring down your hair and dripping past your lashes into your eyes. Grab an umbrella, if necessary, and enjoy your book. Trust us to give you some ideas of what to read.

The right person for the job

Regular readers of the bog probably have noticed I refer to some of our writers as interns. These aren't coffee-fetchers rewarded with the occasional story. At The Star we tend to recruit interns we might just as readily hire for a full-time position. They typically spend 12 weeks with us in the summer, working as regular members of the metro staff. They're just as likely to get big, important stories as any of our other reporters.

Sara Polsky is a fine example. Since last week Sara has been covering one of our most important stories, the allegations of plagiarism leveled at Jacksonville State University President Bill Meehan and the school's former New Bureau director Al Harris. Not only had she already proved herself a capable reporter and writer, she already had experience covering a scandal involving a university president. A recent graduate of Harvard University, Sara was working for The Harvard Crimson, the campus daily, when Harvard President Lawrence Summers, at a January 2005 academic conference, made remarks suggesting that woman were not as well-suited for scientific endeavors as men. As a faculty beat writer, Sara was responsible for several stories on the storm of protest from professors that eventually cost Summers his job.

Sara's latest story on the JSU controversy was published today.

Coming Tuesday

Welcome back to the work week, faithful readers. Here's what's the staff's bringing you tomorrow:

• The Jacksonville State University established a panel to examine its communication practices in the wake of plagiarism allegations leveled at JSU president Bill Meehan and retired PR director Al Harris over columns published in the Jacksonville News. (Whew ... that's a lot of explainin') Well, the committee met for the second time today, the first time all members were able to attend. Staff writer Sara Polsky, one of our summer interns, was there.
  

• Lots of us stare at computer screens all day for a living (or for entertainment). Not all of us have people's lives depending on that act. Staff writer Cynthia Dizikes, another intern, visited with the crew in Regional Medical Center's monitor room, where 13 screens display heart monitor readings from up to 130 patients, 24 hours a day.
  

• With the state in the midst of a drought, Alabama's Water Resources Commission met in Montgomery to discuss the status of the "Water War" with Georgia, over access to resources from the Coosa, Tallapoosa and Chattahoochee rivers. Capital Correspondent Markeshia Ricks was there.

We'll also have an update from Andy Johns on the 100-degree-plus heat wave that's got us all sweating, plus council meeting coverage from Jacksonville and Hobson City.

Coming on Tuesday's editorial page

The Star's editorial board weighs in on an energy proposal before Congress as well as offering more on Alabama's two-year college system and its employment of state lawmakers.

Columnist Eugene Robinson writes about Iraq's future:

You might have thought that now isn't the most opportune time for the elected leaders of both the United States and Iraq to pack up and head to the beach, ranch or villa for a nice, long vacation. Silly you.
You probably reasoned that with 162,000 U.S. troops sweltering in the war zone, with the Iraqi government fracturing along sectarian lines and with what is billed as a make-or-break report from the U.S. commander, Gen. David Petraeus, due next month, maybe tradition ought to be ignored and the summer heat withstood just this once. You doubtless pointed out that no matter how uncomfortable triple-digit temperatures might be for the grandees of Washington and Baghdad, soldiers burdened with body armor and combat boots -- and the constant threat of getting shot or blown up -- have it a bit worse.

Weekend top online reads

FRIDAY
Area parents jailed after leaving kids in hot cars by Andy Johns (This story had the most online readers of any over the week of Aug. 5-11)

Mixed emotions: School days return for area students from staff reports

SATURDAY
All troopers to be on duty for week-long traffic blitz by Nick Cenegy

Grape expectations: New vineyard to harvest first fruits by Christina Smith

SUNDAY
Plan to pave road in Choccolocco has some residents upset
By Dan Whisenhunt

'Buffy' is boss at new Lowe's ... by George Smith

Full of wonder

The wonders keep on coming. A few weeks back, The Star published our readers' picks for the 7 Wonders of Alabama. (Hat tip to Commentary Editor Phillip Tutor for coming up with this idea.) At the same time, The Tuscaloosa News published its 7 Wonders of West Alabama.

The regional wonders keep on coming. Yesterday Florence's Times Daily published its 7 Wonders of the Shoals. Today's Anchorage Daily News (see page above) follows suit.

Coming Sunday in The Star's Insight section

Remember the cool tease I blogged about a few posts ago? Here's the more that I promised:

Sunday's cover story in the Insight section is penned by Katie Adams, a rising senior at the Alabama School of Math and Science in Mobile. She's from Saks; she's one of us. And she's written a particularly good essay on the pressures of applying for college and trying to decide which school to attend. Too bad she's gone back to Mobile; I'd love to have her on our staff.

Our Insight section also will have:

-- An op-ed written by Bradley Byrne, chancellor of the embattled Alabama two-year college system.
-- Star Publisher H. Brandt Ayers' weekly column.
-- Syndicated columns by Nicholas Kristof and Paul Krugman of The New York Times.
-- And our weekly Bookshelf page.

It's all there Sunday.

An early hint from the editorial department

It's dirty pool here, but I'm gonna tease our Sunday Insight section by not teasing our Sunday Insight section.

A local high school student spent a few days with The Star's editorial department this summer. (How nerdy, right?) Anyway, she had a passion about a certain subject, so we gave her an assignment to write us a long-form essay -- and it rocks.

(Plus, Tosha Jupiter, one of our design whizzes, brainstormed a really cool-looking page. Much better than I would have done.)

Trust me here. You'll like it. Even if you're not a teenager from Saks.

More on this later.

Coming Saturday on the editorial page

Like moonshine? Got a still in your backyard?

Then stick two quarters in the box or click over to our Web site on Saturday. Our lead editorial is all about moonshine, stills and Southerners. What a combination.

By the way, we also have two eloquent letters to the editor in support of Jacksonville State University President Bill Meehan, who has been involved in a difficult situation this week.

Oh, and did I mention the moonshine?

Thursday's top online reads

Oxford eatery fined for violating city’s smoking ordinance by Todd South

Schools' in: the newspaper's central online point for back-to-school news

Plagiarism and expectations: Honesty is paramount: an Anniston Star editorial

Vacation time for columnists

If you're a regular reader of The Star's op-ed pages, you've noticed that things have been a little different the last few weeks. Here's why:

Everyone is on vacation. Or so it seems.

Like most op-ed pages, The Star's page features a semi-regular lineup of columnists, some local, some syndicated. And it seems that for the last month all, or nearly all, of our syndicated writers have been doing 12-ounce curls on the beach.

These faces have been absent from our pages:

- Thomas Friedman, New York Times.
- Maureen Dowd, New York Times.
- Bob Herbert, New York Times.
- George Will, Washington Post.
- Leonard Pitts, Miami Herald.
- And a few others that I can't remember right now. (Not enough coffee yet.)

So, we've searched for a few temporary replacements, and will have to do so for the next few weeks, as well. We'll get back to normal soon.

I hope.

Now back to my coffee.

Breaking news in the Speak Out department

Normally, The Star's large staff of editors in the letters department works days in advance on our Speak Out submissions. It's more than rare -- ultra-rare, to use a bad phrase -- to have breaking news in Speak Out.

Until Thursday.

Al Harris, the retired former director of the Jacksonville State News Bureau, sent in a lengthy letter after quitting time. It took our crack staff of Speak Out editors all of 30 seconds to make a decision. Imagine yelling "Stop the presses!" So we did.

We tore up the page, removed our normal letters and published the letter of Harris, who is involved in the story of plagiarism involving JSU President Bill Meehan.

Go to our Web site and read Harris' letter, or read it in our print edition. You'll be glad you did.

Coming Friday on the editorial/op-ed pages

Between cooking eggs (or trying to) on the pavement and slurping down ice cream in the middle of the newsroom, we've put together two pages worth the price of admission for Friday. I promise; no lie.

-- On the editorial page, The Star is offering its take on the Minnesota bridge collapse -- a clear sign of what happpens when the upkeep of our nation's infrastructure is ignored. And don't miss the accompanying chart that explains how our state's infrastructure measures up. We're also opining on the need for coal-mine safety, considering parts of our state are heavily invested in the mining industry.
-- Pastor James Evans, one of our syndicated columnists, takes a look at hate-crime legislation and the church.

-- On the op-ed page, my column examines a critical back-to-school issue for parents -- the importance of parental involvement. We also have an interesting story on the legacy-to-be of Alabama's-own Condi Rice and a collection of national editorials on the tainted, or not-so-tainted, home-run record of Barry Bonds.

Reporters get the scoop

The ice cream scoop, that is.

It's too hot - way, way too hot - to grill anything here at The Star, as is our usual Thursday routine.

Instead we popped open some ice cream and cooled down. Sure beats trying to fry an egg on the pavement.

Wednesday's top online reads

Column of JSU president copied content from health Web site by Sara Polsky

The last lunch: Terra Café will close Friday by Dan Whisenhunt

Area under heat advisory until Thursday night by Nick Cenegy

Four members of Huntsville family rescued from Gulf of Mexico by the Associated Press

Bobcasting

Don't miss Thursday's Bobcast, my regular podcast. Look for the player on the right-hand side of this page.

Andy Johns discusses our plans for covering the first day of school. Don't miss the blog set up to cover the scene. The link is here.

Hardy Jackson drops by to fill us in on his trip to the dog track, the topic of his Wednesday column. Hardy, gambling on greyhounds and panhandle Florida - what a combination!

No, it's not that hot.

Apparently, it's not hot enough to fry an egg on the pavement. Or even in a cast-iron skillet on the pavement. We greased up a pan (left out a few hours to heat it up) & some asphalt with margarine, which melted right away. But neither apparently was hot enough to cook our incredible, edible eggs. The Web site of Food Services of America tells us that we needed to get to at least 144 degrees Fahrenheit to get the whites to coagulate.

Below are the results of our attempts. As you can see, no coagulation. And no tasty afternoon snack, either. (Photos by Andy Johns)

Coming Thursday

Our eggs-periment now behind us, the metro staff is now focused solely on tomorrow's local news offering. Here's what we've got:

• It's hot, and getting hotter. Staff writer Nick Cenegy spent the day sweating around Calhoun County with people who have the hottest of hot jobs: paving contractors, grocery-store cart retrievers and a guy in a gorilla suit selling pizza from the back of a truck.

• Capital correspondent Markeshia Ricks is digging deeper into the roles two state representatives play at Gadsden State Community College. Reps. Jack Page and Blaine Galliher, both of Gadsden, each earn more than $72,000 per year from the school. Page's job as director of external affairs consists in part of securing government grants for the school. Galliher's job is similar but focused on the business community. Gov. Bob Riley and new college system Chancellor Bradley Byrne have proposed a new rule that would keep legislators from holding jobs with the system.

• Thursday's the first day of school for many in Calhoun County. Education writer Steve Ivey looks at how teachers tried to keep kids from forgetting this summer what they learned last year. Meanwhile, intern Sara Polsky spent time with brand-new teachers who will be manning blackboards for the first time. How do they prepare for the first day of their new careers? Also, the staff will be fanning out across the area to capture the sights and sounds of the first day of school as a kickoff for our new education blog, Star Classroom. Check it out at starclassroom.blogspot.com.

Coming Thursday on the editorial/op-ed pages

If you like to sink your teeth into meaty subjects -- OK, that's a bit over the top, but it sounds good -- then pick any of The Star's offerings on Thursday.

On the editorial page:
-- Our editorial on the news that a column ghost-written for Jacksonville State University President Bill Meehan contained plagiarized material. Meehan himself did not plagiarize, but doesn't it open a serious discussion about the negative light such a story places on Meehan and the university?
-- Our editorial on last Sunday's GOP presidential debate and the needless tendency to scare Americans with rhetoric about terrorism.
-- A well-done Speaker's Stand about last weekend's Woodstock 5K in Anniston.

On the op-ed page:
-- Columns on important international issues from The Star's wire services and the popular Views of the World -- a collection of editorial cartoons from around the globe.

And permit us to offer a shameless plug for two of Friday's offerings: My weekly op-ed column (as yet unwritten, but I'll make deadline, I promise), and the column by Baptist Pastor James Evans, one of our syndicated columnists.

Huevos plus Sol equals ???

Is it hot enough to fry an egg in the parking lot? Inquiring minds here at The Star want to know.
More later.

Tuesday's top online reads

2006-07 results of public schools' reports are released by Steve Ivey

Man walks away from attempted robbery by Nick Cenegy

Bridge status for Calhoun could use improvement, officials say by Dan Whisenhunt

Monday's top online reads

Calhoun County Commission mulls banning brick mailboxes by Dan Whisenhunt

Boy drowns but others rescued at Lake Martin by the Associated Press

City’s depleted work force struggles to keep up by Dan Whisenhunt

Where to play Barry?

How to play the new homerun record? That's easy enough if your Barry Bonds' hometown paper. But what about here in Alabama? It's front-page news, but just how big is it compared to the state's heat wave? Or the start of high school and college football practice? (It is Alabama, after all.)
A survey of Alabama papers at the Newseum's Web site showed that most papers in the state put the record-setting homer on page one, but not as the dominant item, which is what The Star did. Others -- Mobile and Tuscaloosa - made an equally valid call in putting Bonds' achievement as the top item on the front page.
What would you have done? Leave us your comments
One other note: We'll ask Bill Edwards, the master of our archives, to search back to the April 9, 1974 edition to see how The Star played Hank Aaron beating Babe Ruth's HR record.

Where are the letters?

OK, it's hotter than a Tabasco-stained jalapeno. And it's August. And its back-to-school week. And everyone has better things to do.

But where are The Star's letter writers?

Based on the online reports we receive each day, The Star's "Speak Out" feature is one of the best-read parts of the newspaper. People enjoy having their letters published, and they like to see what others have to say. It's community journalism at its core.

But we're struggling this week; what we've published has quality, but there just hasn't been enough of it.

So come on, letter writers. Log on, write, and hit send. We miss your input -- even if we don't agree with what your letters say.

Coming Wednesday on the editorial/op-ed pages

Sometimes things are planned. Sometimes they fall together with little, or no, planning on editors' parts. We'll let our readers decide which one it is Wednesday.

Our editorial page is carring a three-part package about the on-going situation involving the revamping of Alabama's two-year college system. We're publishing two editorials that try to explain what's gone on so far and what we feel should happen in the coming weeks. See what you think.

But that's not all. (Here's the planning part.) We've also received an op-ed column by Paul Hubbert, the Alabama Education Association executive secretary, who doesn't necessarily agree with our take about the two-year system. So we're giving that to readers, as well.

On the op-ed page, it's columnist Hardy Jackson's day to shine. He's talking about sleaze, and how he likes it. (Really.)

How hot is it?

Yes, this is Alabama, and it's August, and we ought to expect this sort of thing by now. But man, it's hot out there. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for 37 Alabama counties, including all of The Star's coverage area, amply reported by our own Nick Cenegy here.

According to the weather service, a heat advisory ...

(...) MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS
EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY
WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE
POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED
ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND
NEIGHBORS.

Whew. That's hot. So hot, in fact, that a casual repetition of a time-worn phrase has turned into a newsroom dare: Is it really hot enough to fry an egg on the pavement? Since we at The Anniston Star aim to provide readers with answers to all the important questions, we're coming tomorrow in hot pursuit of the truth, armed with a half dozen eggs and a stick of butter in the newspaper's parking lot. We'll also have a video camera so we can share our findings with you right away. Check this blog for the results around mid-afternoon tomorrow.

Thanks, and keep cool.

Coming Tuesday

I hope Monday was as productive for you as it has been for The Star's metro staff. Here's what we've got coming for you tomorrow:

• Area schools today got their grades - stats that show how they're stacking up under the federal No Child Left Behind law. For many high schools in The Star's coverage area, the marks were not good. Seven of the 11 public high schools in Calhoun County fell short of state requirements for their graduation rates. Education beat writer Steve Ivey is digging into the numbers and getting reactions from local school officials, some of whom say the law doesn't fairlf measure what they do. Meanwhile, Capitol Correspondent Markeshia Ricks is looking at the results statewide.

• Staff writer Dan Whisenhunt is checking in on the condition of bridges maintained by county and city governments here. In the wake of last week's tragedy in Minnesota, we hope to find out if problems with our smaller bridges are slipping through the cracks.

• Two state representatives who also work for Gadsden State Community College could soon have a choice to make: Give up those jobs or their seats in the Legislature. Markeshia Ricks looks at how a policy proposed by new two-year college system Chancellor Bradley Byrne would affect Reps. Blaine Galliher and Jack Page, who hold positions with GSCC.
  

As always, there's more where that came from. Check us out online and in print tomorrow.

Star runners (well, sort of)

Several Star employees ran in Saturday's Woodstock 5K, which was sponsored in part by the newspaper.
Here are the results of newspaper employees:

22:03 Robert Jackson, 38, Anniston

24:28 Todd South, 28, Anniston

27:20 Matt Kasper, 26, Anniston

27:30 Bob Davis, 42, Anniston

28:26 Dennis Dunn, 51, Anniston

29:28 Ben Cunningham, 31, Jacksonville

38:54 Bran Strickland, 32, Weaver

45:17 Leslie Ott, 41, Anniston

Bran's dog-gone account of the day is worth reading.

Coming in Sunday's Insight section

The Star only gives you one Insight section a week, so we might as well make it a good one. This week we have:

-- An analyis of the media's coverage of the recent -- and controversial -- trial of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman.
-- The weekly column by Star Publisher H. Brandt Ayers, who discusses Russian President Vladimir Putin's resemblance to a Southern demagogue.
-- Our Sunday letters to the editor package, which includes several on the topic of "Can Democrats be Christians?" Trust me; you'll want to read these.
-- An analysis piece by John Fleming, The Star's Editor at Large, who examines an influential op-ed article written this week about critics of those who have been critical of the Iraq War.
-- And Bookshelf, our weekly book-review page.

That's a lot for a four-page section. Don't miss it.

Coming Saturday on the editorial page

As usual, Saturday brings Star readers our weekly dose of military columnist Joseph Galloway. But there's also more to consider.

The Star's editorial stresses the need for bipartisan unity in the Alabama Legislature. (That would be news, wouldn't it?) There's also a roundup of editorials from around Alabama, including one that addresses this weekend's sales-tax holiday.

Saban and the lottery

Star sportswriter Creg Stephenson shares this tidbit from yesterday's news conference with UA football coach Nick Saban.
A little background. Saban was asked a question about his philosophy on recruiting walk-ons (non-scholarship players) and it kind of snowballed from there ...

(A partial transcript follows ...)

SABAN: "I think recruiting walk-ons is something … when you have an academic institution like we have here, a place that has a great reputation, a great tradition, there are a lot of kids that would like to come to school here. I think any time you can get a guy to come here as what we call a ‘preferred walk-on’ and invite him to fall camp, that has the potential to possibly be able to contribute to your team some day, I think you take those guys based on their overall qualities and characteristics, and not try to recruit those guys based on need. You’re pleased and happy to be able to get guys that fit that position.
"There are other schools in (other) states, including the one I came from, that have an advantage, because if you have a state scholarship that you can qualify for, it helps to recruit those kind of guys.
"Everybody understand what I’m talking about? Georgia has it. Louisiana has it."

REPORTER 1 (Thomas Murphy, Mobile Press-Register): "If you advocated it here, we could probably get a lottery passed."

SABAN: "Until we lose a game. So we better get it done quick."

REPORTER 2 (Ian Rapoport, Birmingham News): "I think (baseball coach) Jim Wells would probably kiss you."

SABAN: "It helps. It helps all sports. I helps the ones that don’t have the numbers, and have to split up scholarships, like baseball, track and things like that.
"If you guys want to start a campaign, I’m all for. Don’t hesitate. Don’t hold back on my part.
"You guys want to do something else, I’m all for having an agent law in this state, like Texas and Florida instituted, and Louisiana, so there are consequences if agents don’t abide by, certain rules and regulations. So if you guys really want to get on the soapbox, I’ll give you three or four things to get out there and stump on."

REPORTER 3 (Creg): "There is an agent law. I don’t know how strong it is, but there is one."

SABAN: "I just know how I like it."

Thursday's top online reads

15 workers test positive for TB at Union Foundry by Dan Whisenhunt

Cleburne County makes effort to stop illegal trailer homes from entering county by Christina Smith

Speaker’s Stand: The need for Christian coaches by Mike Sutton, a former resident of Wedowee who lives in Lewisville, Texas

Lakeside luxury: High-end subdivision brings change to Wedowee by Andy Johns

16-year-old sets up Anniston concert to raise money for local AIDS clinic by Shawn Ryan

The Star's editorial lamenting the sale of the Wall Street Journal to Rupert Murdoch

The rundown on Woodstock

This weekend's paper will include coverage of Saturday's Woodstock 5K road race in Anniston. Reporter Nick Cenegy is working on a story for tomorrow's Star as is Sports reporter Joe Medley. We'll have plenty of post-race coverage in Sunday's paper.

There's still time to register, click here for details.

Popping open another blog

We've added another to the list of Anniston Star blogs. Pitcher This, my every-two-weeks column on beer, now has an online component, at pitcherthis.blogspot.com. In addition to the columns, I'll share all the beer news I run across that doesn't make it into the column. I try anything new I can get my hands on, so I'll be sure to post when I've got a new brew. Hopefully, you'll let me know when you're drinking something new, too.

Bridges to the forefront

A catastrophe like Wednesday's bridge collapse in Minnesota can force other areas of the country to ponder if their infrastructure is up to par.

Many papers including The Star pondered just such a question this morning.

Friday's editorial/op-ed pages

We're all over the place on Friday -- James Evans' faith column, a collection of national viewpoints on U.S. veterans' health care, our monthly media critic column -- but that's a good thing. Friday's worth the 50 cents.

Make sure to check out our editorial on the gender discrimination case between a Jacksonville resident and Goodyear, plus our unique look at a rarity in Alabama politics.

On the op-ed page, Phillip Tutor's column -- yes, I'm plugging my own work -- asks readers a simple question: Is the rising price of a college education worth what you get in return? Jacksonville State University holds its summer graduation Friday night, so it seems a perfect time to broach that subject.

Running through Friday's Bobcast

Brooke Nelson, president of the Anniston Runners Club, discusses Saturday's Woodstock 5K in the Friday edition of the Bobcast, my podcast.

The race starts at 7:30 Saturday morning in front of Anniston High School. Speaking Thursday, Brooke said she expected to have at least 400 participants registered by the end of the day. The race is for the state championship of Alabama.

For more details, click here.

Coming Friday

Here's a bit of what the metro staff is working on for tomorrow's paper:

• After last night's tragedy in Minnesota, it must be impossible to drive across a bridge anywhere in America today without wondering if it's safe. Capital Correspondent Markeshia Ricks is checking in today with the Alabama Department of Transportation's Bridges Bureau to learn how often our spans are inspected and what the inspectors find. The Federal Highway Administration has a lot of information online here.
  

• Nan Christian, the longtime director of Interfaith Ministries, has retired. Staff Writer Bill Edwards looks at how she got involved helping poor and disadvantaged families in Calhoun County, and what the organization will do without here.

• It's been a dry summer in Alabama, to say the least. Lawns and gardens everywhere have felt the pain, as cities ramped up watering restrictions. In Jacksonville, the police are patrolling to make sure everyone's abiding by the restrictions, and they can write tickets to those who water on the wrong side of the law. Staff Writer Matt Kasper takes a look at this painful state of affairs.

That's just a sample, so be sure to check out the whole paper and all the offerings on our Web site.

Wednesday's top online reads

Experts: Mayor’s action is legal by Todd South

Piedmont pay raise breaks record by Matt Kasper

Ssssssizzle

It's almost time for lunch.

Veggies on the grill

(Alternate headline: The things we do for journalism)


On the grill today at The Star are veggies (and by the looks of this photo pineapple as well). It's another Food section experiment. We'll let you know how it turns out.

Thursday's editorial/op-ed pages

The Star's editorial page on Thursday has decided to weigh in with two editorials on the farm bill that recently passed the Democratically controlled Congress. One editorial specifically discusses the involvement of Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Anniston, with the bill.

Meanwhile, Thursday is international day on The Star's op-ed page, so we're featuring three columns of interest. Take special note of the column written by the Miami Herald's Andres Oppenheimer, who discusses a new survey that lists which nations are the most corrupt in the world. The list might surprise you.

Tuesday's top online reads

Buckner Center could soon be put up for sale by Dan Whisenhunt

It was followed closely by letters to the editor and a Star editorial, New captain for Anniston’s schools: It’s time for Felton to go

Brownback Girl

In an answer to Guiliani Girl and Obama Girl, the editorial board of the Wichita Eagle has produced Brownback Girl.



Sounds like The Star's editorial board needs to get busy with its video camera. Any suggestions?

Coming Thursday

Here's what The Star's metro staff is working on for tomorrow's paper:

• Alabama may be the butt of plenty of trailer-park jokes, but the state does have standards when it comes to manufactured, mobile housing. Those standards are high enough that decades-old trailers being shipped out of Georgia aren't welcome here. There are 10 parks in Cleburne county that are in violation one way or another, and Talladega County is having issues as well, according to intern Christina Smith.

• Wedowee, meanwhile, is having housing developments of a completely different nature. The city is watching a subdivision of $500,000 homes being built. The development has the potential to transform the city's budget, and if built-out according to plans, could double the size of the city. Staff Writer Andy Johns is all over that one.
  

• Alabama's two-year college system is about to get a dose of reform. New system chancellor Bradley Byrne introduced a number of measures at a press conference today, including a ban on state legislators holding jobs with the system, and tight checks on time off to prevent employees holding no-pay jobs elsewhere. Capital Correspondent Markeshia Ricks checks in from Montgomery with the news.

All that, and the tale of a missing, 28-foot-tall, inflatable purple gorilla. We're not making this stuff up, folks.

Monday's best online reads

5 new principals prepare for school by Steve Ivey

Hart's Ferry steeped in memories for residents by Matt Kasper

Storm knocks out service for 2,400 Alabama Power customers in Calhoun and Cleburne by Andy Johns

Two editorial pages items attracted readers
Monday's letters to the editor and The Star's editorial decrying the conduct of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales -- Growing tired of obfuscation.

Coming Tuesday

Here's what the Star's metro staff is working on for tomorrow's paper.

• A centerpiece of McClellan's arts scene could soon be on the market. The owner (and founder) of the Buckner Arts & Exhibits Center, architect Julian Jenkins, tells Anniston city beat reporter Dan Whisenhunt he's thinking of selling the place (link is to a short item already on our Web site).

• Intern Christina Smith and photographer Stephen Gross team up again to profile a long-time Cleburne County resident. Clyde Johnson, at age 84 sews nearly everything in her home, as she has for most of her life. Most notable among her work is her quilts, which she makes entirely by hand.

• A longtime Anniston resident known for his skill in the kitchen, and his warm personality, has died. Alfred Caro oversaw operations at the Annistonian restaurant downtown for decades. Staff writer Bill Edwards is working on a profile, and has located an archive photo of Mr. Caro at work.

There's more where that came from, so check us out in the morning.

Best-read weekend stories

SUNDAY
Motorcycle repair shop upsets Saks neighbors by Dan Whisenhunt

SATURDAY
Laser shop brings in business from around the world by Cynthia Dizikes

FRIDAY
Father-daughter links: Daughters team with their dads for golf tourney by Anne W. Anderson and Al Muskewitz

A close second on Friday was an editorial - Creating distrust in Oxford

Dueling 7 Wonders

The Star publishes its list of how readers voted on the Seven Wonders of Alabama.

Meanwhile on the other end of the state, The Tuscaloosa New publishes the Seven Wonders of West Alabama.

The two lists share one location - Moundville. Compare and contrast for yourself here and here.

Bobcast, kicking it weekend style

The weekend's edition of the Bobcast is up at The Star's homepage. (Look on the right-hand side of the site under the LATEST FROM THE AP.)
In it Dan Whisenhunt discusses a Sunday story on a neighorhood spat in Saks. Bill Edwards drops by to offer his own brand of humor.

Alabama's Seven Wonders/Harry Potter

The Insight section of Sunday's Star will offer a double dose of can't-miss packages.

The Star's Insight cover story is the result of our "Seven Wonders of Alabama" reader poll. For two weeks we asked readers to vote for our state's seven wonders -- in essence, a local version of the famed Seven Wonders of the World. A crazy idea, but it worked wonderfully.

We were pleased, and shocked, with the results. The Star had more than 400 readers participate by giving their votes on the wonderous parts of Alabama. Look at Sunday's Insight section for the results.

Are you a Harry Potter fan? If so, then don't miss Sunday's Bookshelf page, which carries a marvelous review by Star Entertainment Editor Shawn Ryan of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and a compilation of reader comments on the new J.K. Rowling book. If you go wild over Harry, turn to page 4E on Sunday. You'll surely love it.

JSU football moving up?

Twice this week The Star has published stories about Jacksonville State University having preliminary discussions about elevating its football team to the Football Bowl Series, formerly Division I-A.

It's very early in the process -- but not too early to have Gamecock fans divided over the issue of taking the JSU team to the top level of NCAA play.

Saturday's editorial page will carry an editorial that examines the need for patience in JSU's discussions. It's a complex situation that involves much more than athletics. Hopefully our editorial will help explain why JSU needs to carefully deliberate its options before charging ahead.

Coming Saturday

The news staff got enough sleep last night after their late-night Simpsons-movie viewing to get good work done today. Among the stories they chased for you today:

• After Thursday's bombshell in the Anniston City Board of Education meeting, education writer Steve Ivey examines whether this is likely the beginning of the end of Superintendent Sammy Lee Felton's tenure with the system.

• One of the biggest events on Anniston's community calendar, the Sunny King Charity Golf Classic, is under way at three courses throughout town. Intern Anne W. Anderson spent time with volunteers on the course at Anniston Country Club today to find what they do to make it all happen, and what their organizations get for their efforts.

• Maybe "high tech" isn't the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions Munford, but the small Talladega County town is home to a cutting-edge business. Well, there's cutting at Metal Samples, but no edges. They use lasers. Intern Cynthia Dizikes spent time with the experts there, and shot some video while she was at it. Look for that tomorrow on annistonstar.com
  

The Star sees "The Simpsons"

Last night, six Star staffers went to a midnight showing of "The Simpsons Movie" at (the county's only) movie theater in Oxford. We also bought an assorted dozen of Lamar's donuts for the occasion...mmmm.....donuts.

The good: The movie was short. In an era of two-and-a-half hour snoozers, it was a nice change of pace. It also harkens back to the show's roots as a family comedy, exploring the relationships between the Simpsons clan. And of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Homer's love affair with "Spider Pig."

The Bad: This is just me being a picky fanboy, but I wish they'd beefed up Mr. Burns' role a bit. For those of you not familiar with the show, Burns is Homer's boss at the nuclear power plant and an all-around evil guy. It doesn't kill the movie for me but if I definitely thought they could've made better use of a great character.

A good time was had by all. And I got the feeling the creators could do this again with minimal effort. We'll see.

Two meetings, one topic: Felton's future

Covering one meeting on deadline can be hectic enough. Keeping tabs on a simultaneous meeting 75 miles away complicates things.

The Midfield Board of Education, southwest of Birmingham, convened at 5 p.m. Thursday to discuss five finalists for their superintendent post, including Anniston Superintendent Sammy Lee Felton.

An hour later, Felton was center stage here in Anniston for the latest in a series of tense, at times combative, meetings about an assistant principal at the high school and, by the end of the night, his future with this school system.

Since learning of Felton's candidacy in Midfield, I've been in close contact with their school board president Nathaniel Hutton by cell phone. By about 5:45, it was time to leave for Anniston's meeting, and no word on the Midfield vote had come.

The Anniston board met for about 90 minutes, beginning with the back-and-forth over whether to reinstate former AHS assistant principal Charles Gregory and ending with board member Nathaniel Davis asking to begin the process of terminating Felton's contract. The move failed by a 2-2 vote, but it was the first public call for his ouster by any elected official.

Earlier in the day, we had planned for two stories: One about the board meeting, where we expected Gregory's post to come up but had not planned for Davis' call to remove Felton, and another about the Midfield job. I reached Midfield board member Shirley Troulias, whom I had met when I sat in on Felton's interview there, by just after 8 p.m. She told me they had chosen another candidate.

Hearing that, we decided to weave it all together into one comprehensive accounting of one night for the embattled Felton. Check it out in today's edition of The Star.

Coming Friday

I managed to stay awake after downing two brats at lunch. Long enough at least to check in with our reporters who are working on a slew of good stories:

• Before the night is out we'll know if Midfield City Schools wants to hire Superintendent Sammy Lee Felton away from Anniston. As soon as we know the result of the vote by Midfield's board of education, we'll post it here, with more details coming in tomorrow's paper. Meanwhile, the Anniston BOE is meeting tonight, and Felton is expected to recommend an assistant principal for Anniston High School. Education beat writer Steve Ivey will be following both those stories tonight.
  

• We checked in today with law enforcement experts in the area on Oxford Mayor Leon Smith's plan for a public safety director to oversee the police and fire departments in his city. The City of Huntsville recently added a similar position, and they told Oxford beat writer Todd South a bit about how and why they did it.
  

• Then there's Heflin resident Annie B. Phillips, who walks everywhere she goes and makes sure any litter along her path is picked up. The City Council there recognized her this week for her lifelong efforts at beautifying the city as a model of good citizenship. Intern Christina Smith has a great profile of Mrs. Phillips, along with stellar images from staff photographer Steven Gross.
  

That's just a bit of the big local news offering we've got coming. Check it out online or pick up a paper tomorrow.

The lunch update

As mentioned earlier, the newsroom has had its lunchtime feast.
The question before us: Which tastes better - bratwursts boiled in beer and then grilled or bratwursts grilled then boiled in beer?
Metro editor (and grillmaster) Ben Cunningham's assessmment:

It's like trying to choose between supermodels.

My question: Can newsroom staffers stay awake through the afternoon having just snacked on beer-soaked brats?

Superfund sightings

Star reporter Dan Whisenhunt passes along this tip:

The Center for Public Integrity did an investigative piece on Superfund sites with a special focus on Anniston - it includes a map with blue dots- each one of these dots contains a link to a video explaining different aspects of PCBs contamination in the city.

The link is here.

Hey, Grandpa, what's for dinner?

Laura Tutor has the answer. (At least the answer as far as the Star newsroom is concerned):

We're getting fired up for football season by finding the perfect bratwurst recipe. Peppers, onions and sausage hit the grill at high noon.

Something tells me we'll be seeing the results of this lunch in the food section soon.

Faces of the governor

According to a site dedicated to newspaper front pages, two state newspapers have Gov. Bob Riley on Page 1 today. The contexts, though, are very different.

News from the Star alumni front

Tom Lasseter, an intern at The Star in the late 1990s, is on the cover of Editor & Publisher, a journalism trade magazine.

The article, which is behind the magazine's subscription wall, puts it this way: "McClatchy's Tom Lasseter and the Los Angeles Times' Megan Stack survived war in Iraq and Lebanon. Now they face a different kind of challenge in Moscow."

Coming Wednesday

Around 9,000 students attend Jacksonville State University. Ask any of them what the school's best feature is and a large number are likely to say it's the beautiful campus. Many of those students, however, only see it through their windshield. Staff writer Amanda DeWald examines why almost everyone drives where they're going at JSU, even though the campus is little more than a mile across, and the parking problem that creates.

Brenda Crider of Barfield readily admits her addiction - antiques. They fill her home, which itself is an aging gem, reportedly built in 1857. Retired Star editor Basil Penney profiles Crider and her massive collection, and tries to ffathom the depths of her attraction to collecible artifacts.

We'll also have accounts from meetings of the Anniston and Oxford city councils, and a mess of crime news, including the story of a robber or robbers who made off with 120 pairs of shoes from an Anniston clothing store.

Money, math and meth

In Tuesday's Anniston Star, we'll have a look at the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative, which is stationed at Jacksonville State University this summer. Eleven sites around the state have been selected to help math and science teachers sound less like ... math and science teachers in their classroom presentation.

The JSU Board of Trustees is trying to decide where to put its new Musical Arts building -- on campus or McClellan, where the facility could be as large as 142,000 square feet.

Bulding art of another kind is on display down in Roanoke, and this would be classified as modern art. The new justice facility looks like something out of Star Wars. It's a collection of pods and igloos that the staff says are indestructible.

We'll also have a rundown on a meth bust outside Oxford.

Coming in Friday's Star

Here are a few of the stories our reporters are working on or Friday's edition:

- Reporter Rachael Scarborough King is preparing an update on the investigation of a fatal shooting that happened Wednesday afternoon in Ohatchee.

- Reporter Todd South is planning to look at old-fashioned swimmin' holes in the South. Todd, a Kansan and student from the University of Georgia, spent time at local swimming holes to get a feel for the experience. With the heat recently, it seems a perfect time to cool off.

- Reporter Dan Whisenhunt, who covers the City of Anniston and Calhoun County, is examining the financing for resource officers at area schools. Will Anniston and Calhoun County schools have resource officers when school opens next month?

- Columnist George Smith will have his usual Friday morning offering.

- Sports will have coverage of the British Open golf tournament and an update on the Tour de France, among many other things.

- And put this on your calendar: In Saturday's edition will be a look at power shoppers -- people who say they're born to shop -- in advance of the opening of the Oxford Exchange shopping center in Oxford.

Coming Tuesday

Star reporters have been busy on this slew of stories in the queue for Tuesday:

Lakeside living is coming to mean something new in Ohatchee, where construction on one home is running at $1.5 million so far - that's more than 18 times the value of the average home in the town, according to the Census Bureau.

Capital Correspondent Brian Lyman takes a look at a Montgomery firm - Matrix - that produced much of the advertising in some state Senate primary races, including the expensive defenses mounted by incumbents Gerald Dial and Jim Preuitt against their well-funded challengers.

Also, we'll have stories on Solutia's plans for a new landfill to hold PCB-laden soil removed from contaminated property in Anniston, and the Oxford City Council's reversal of a road-renaming measure that could land an Anniston Army Depot employee in hot water, Jacksonville's newest apartment complex offering "luxury living" to 500 JSU students, an Anniston woman who found her long-lost father through an Internet search and a new "Super Jacks" restaurant coming to Piedmont.

Coming in Friday's Star

Here are a few of the stories reporters and editors of The Star are working on for Friday's edition:

Have you driven past the intersection of 10th Street and Quintard Avenue in downtown Anniston this week? If so, you've seen workers cutting down the trees that run alongside the parking lot for Regions Bank and next to Grace Episcopal Church. Reporter Josh Keller, a Star intern this summer, is trying to find out who's cutting down those trees, and why.

Everyone's noticed that gas prices are rising again. Reporter Rachael King, another Star intern, is out talking to Calhoun County residents this morning in an effort to determine the mood of local drivers. Are they upset over the prices? Is it affecting their summer driving plans? Are they aware that significant international events in Iran and North Korea have an effect on local gas prices?

The Sunny King Charity Golf Classic tees off tomorrow, and reporters Al Muskewitz and Steve Ivey are tag-teaming the advance coverage. Ivey's story tomorrow will look at the weekend's weather, the possibility of rain, and what effect this summer's drought has -- or hasn't -- had on the three local golf courses participating in the tournament. Muskewitz, The Star's lead golf writer, will advance the tournament in tomorrow's sports section. Tee times for all three days of the tournament are on The Star's Web site, www.annistonstar.com.

That's just a few of the stories we're working on for tomorrow. We'll also have coverage of the latest national and international news, including President Bush's 60th birthday, the on-going international crisis involving North Korea's missle launches, and Gov. Riley's announcement of employee benefits for the Avondale Mill workers across Alabama.

Coming in Thursday's Star

Here are a few of the stories reporters and editors of The Star are working on for Thursday's edition:

Reporter Steve Ivey -- an accomplished golfer, apparently -- is examining the effect the Sunny King Charity Classic has on the business community in Calhoun County. The tournament's field is laden with doctors, lawyers, bankers, and businessmen of all sorts. And that means a significant amount of Calhoun County's business community shuts its doors or limits its workload this week. All in the name of golf. And charity, too.

Reporter Andy Johns, who covers the police beat for The Star, is taking a look at the coroner's race between Patrick Brown and Marvin Southard.

Reporter Crystal Jarvis, who covers Jacksonville and Piedmont, is working on a story about the concerns Jacksonville's police and fire chiefs have over the building of another apartment complex in that city.

And reporter Bryan Lyman, The Star's Capitol Correspondent in Montgomery, is going to write on Alabama's economy. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley touts the state's improving economic status as part of his re-election campaign. But how good really is Alabama's economy?

Catch all that, plus the Features department's Escapes section, in Thursday's Star.

Coming in Tuesday's Star

Here are a few of the stories the staff of The Anniston Star is working on for Tuesday's edition:

- For the Fourth of July holiday, intern Todd South will tell the story of a Chinese immigrant who now lives in Anniston and recently became a U.S. citizen. Mei Ling Li manages restaurants in Calhoun County.

- Reporter Andy Johns, who covers the police beat for The Star, takes a look at the race between Marvin Southard and Pat Brown for the Calhoun County Coroner's office.

In sports, editor Scott Adamson has returned from vacation and will resume his daily columns. Plus, the Atlanta Braves play host to the St. Louis Cardinals tonight, and The Star's sports department will provide a full report Tuesday.

And a word of note: Make sure to check out The Star's Food section on Wednesday. Features Editor Shawn Ryan reports that this week's section will be a true southern delight with information on all types of popular Southern fare. Included will be a report by Star intern Josh Keller, a Californian who last week enjoyed his first Southern breakfast of grits, gravy and biscuits.