Free Republic

Three years ago, The Los Angeles Times published a story on the Little Free Library movement. The idea is simple: A book lover puts a box or shelf or crate of books in their front yard. Neighbors browse, take one, and return later with a replacement.The L.A. Times followed up last week with a trend story that got things just about right. "two cities have recently cracked down on one of the country's biggest problems: small-community libraries where residents can share books," Michael Schaub wrote. "Officials in Los Angeles and Shreveport, Louisiana, have told the owners of homemade lending libraries...

The U.S. Forest Service has tightened restrictions on media coverage in vast swaths of the country's wild lands, requiring reporters to pay for a permit and get permission before shooting a photo or video in federally designated wilderness areas. Under rules being finalized in November, a reporter who met a biologist, wildlife advocate or whistleblower alleging neglect in any of the nation's 100 million acres of wilderness would first need special approval to shoot photos or videos even on an iPhone. Permits cost up to $1,500, says Forest Service spokesman Larry Chambers, and reporters who don't get a permit could...

**SNIP** Contrary to what some environmentalists say, FWS insists that the permitting process actually works to protect wildlife. "We're not going to issue a permit unless we think there's an overall conservation value," said David Cottingham, senior adviser to the director of the service. But environmentalists remain unconvinced—a stance that has put them at odds with the wind industry, which defends the permitting process as necessary to provide regulatory certainty for wind developers. "Most environmental organizations support the wind industry, but what we're saying right now is just because you're producing clean energy, that doesn't mean you have carte blanche...

"GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) -- A man who tried to rob someone with a fake gun is in the hospital after he was shot by his intended victim."

".....This 'teen' runs up and jabs a stun gun to the man's side but it does not shock him. The man thinking its a gun or knife pulls and fires his CCw .40 hitting the teen twice. The teen from jail says he's learned a lesson because it could have been much worse...(Video only)

One more lying Obama agency – The Parks Department. As you know, the permit for a no-stop ride through DC tomorrow September 11, 2103 was denied. A Park Department employee Sheila Gotha allegedly told media the Biker’s application for a permit was never received and that’s why it was denied. Odd since the organizer, Belinda Bee says: “From my understanding, [Gotha] has told two other media outlets that she had never heard of our permit, that we have never had a conference call. I shot them the email showing where she scheduled the conference call and on that conference call...

NASHVILLE — Applications for Tennessee handgun carry permits increased by more than 100 percent during the first six months of this year, a period that saw the Legislature enact new laws protecting permit holders from criminal prosecution and prohibiting public release of their names. The state Department of Safety and Homeland Security, which issues the permits, reported Thursday that it accepted 86,334 handgun carry permit applications at driver services centers from Jan. 1 through June 30, compared with 40,503 applications accepted during the first six months of 2012 — an increase of 113 percent.

Charlotte, NC --(Ammoland.com)-  As recently reported, your NRA is aggressively working to pass a comprehensive right-to-carry reform bill, House Bill 937. H 937 contains numerous pro-gun provisions, including a section to repeal the antiquated permit-to-purchase requirement for anyone who wishes to purchase a handgun in North Carolina.  However, the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association is apparently circulating a letter to legislators that urges them to remove this section from H 937. H 937 is currently being considered by the state Senate, so it is critical you contact your state Senator IMMEDIATELY and urge her or him to oppose efforts of the...

Carry permits for concealed weapons are soaring all across the country. Part of the reason for this is uncertainty about the future. No one knows what is going to happen with tax rates, inflation, Obamacare, and the stock market. This uncertainty has translated into uncertainty about public safety, both from ordinary criminals and from the possibility of a breakdown of public order. A comment writer in Lane County, Oregon expresses the motives for and results of obtaining a concealed carry permit well: After many years of no guns in the home (grandchildren, after all), we made the decision to resume...

Lexington Board of Selectmen wave victory flag for marathon attacker On April 16th the Lexington board of selectmen called an “emergency meeting” to discuss permit suspension for The Muster On The Battle Green. The permit was revoked under the guise of public safety. Video content can be viewed here. (at site) -- The “emergency meeting” assembled at 6:00PM but turned out to be a smoke and mirror show. The Lexington Patch reported that the permits have been revoked at 3:22PM April 16th. That is 2 hours and 38 minutes before it got voted on. As the organizer of this rally,...

Friday afternoon Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed 11 bills into law, including SB 21 which amends several firearms-related statutes including authorizing official recognition of any valid concealed carry permit from another state for individuals traveling through or visiting Kansas. Thanks to Gov Brownback, Kansas now has the best Concealed Carry reciprocity in the nation!

SALT LAKE CITY — Permits wouldn't be necessary for most people to carry concealed weapons in Utah if a state lawmaker gets his way. Rep. John Mathis, R-Vernal, is sponsoring H.B. 76, which allows essentially any law-abiding citizen over the age of 21 in the state to carry a gun, openly or concealed. Utah would effectively become a "constitutional carry" state if the measure is approved. That term refers to a state where carrying a concealed weapon isn't restricted by law. It's unclear whether the bill can clear the Utah Legislature.

Thieves ransacked a house that features on the gun map published by the Journal News, just days after another home on the list was also targeted. Burglars broke into the house in New City, New York, on Wednesday and pried open two safes, before leaving with another one. The criminals escaped with two handguns, two pistol permits, cash, savings bonds and jewelry. The firearms were in the stolen safe. Burglars also broke into a house in White Plains, New York, on Saturday and headed straight for the gun safe.

In recent days, there has been substantial media attention focused on the issue whether the names and addresses of all pistol permit holders in Putnam County must be released to a newspaper, which has indicated its intention to publish such information. By law, the initial determination of this issue is to be made by the county clerk, who is the legal custodian of the licensee records, with any administrative appeal to be determined by the county executive and any further challenge to be decided by the courts. According to the media reports, the county clerk and county executive-as well as...

It’s official: Florida has passed the one million mark in issuing concealed carry gun permits – the most of any other state. In mid-December, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam released a statement announcing the upcoming milestone and sharing information about the Florida Concealed Weapon and Firearm License Program. “In 1987, Florida issued its first statewide concealed weapon license after the Florida Legislature established standardized and uniform requirements for the issuance of a concealed weapon license,” said Commissoner Putnam. “Twenty-five years later,...

Did some digging. From Dwight R. Worley's own piece at the Journal News website and Angry White Dude - Journal News reporter Dwight R. Worley owns a Smith & Wesson 686 .357 Magnum and has had a residence permit in New York City for that weapon since February 2011.I went to the Journal News map. There is no red dot on his address showing that he is a permit holder. To be fair, they may not have updated all of the info on that website yet. BUT, there are red dots shown in his area.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A suburban New York newspaper that sparked an uproar among gun enthusiasts by publishing names and addresses of residents holding pistol permits is now planning to publish even more identities of permit-toting locals. Further names and addresses will be added as they become available to a map originally published on December 24 in the White Plains, New York-based Journal News, the newspaper said. The original map listed thousands of pistol permit holders in suburban Westchester and Rockland counties just north of New York City. Along with an article entitled "The gun owner next door: What you...

<p>Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) no longer has a permit to carry a concealed weapon.</p> <p>Feinstein, who has taken the lead on efforts to renew a federal assault weapons ban, acknowledged during a hearing in 1995 of previously having a concealed weapon permit.</p>

Way too much red tape. That's the complaint of the Gun Owners’ Action League of Massachusetts, a group that is urging passage of a law that would abolish the requirement of having to renew a gun permit every six years, according to the Boston Herald. For comparison, Massachusetts vehicle drivers' licenses need to be renewed every five years. But the league says local police cannot keep up with timely gun permit renewals, and legitimate gunowners go license-less until the cops get time to do the paperwork. The law now allows 40 days for turning around license applications. In Boston, almost...

For the past two years, Peter Cimino has been selling gourmet tacos in business parks in Amherst, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo. In his bright lime green truck, creative entrées like chimichurri chicken and tomatillo pork sizzle. His Lloyd Taco Truck was personally invited by the owner of the Amherst Commerce Park to enliven the area and Pete was operating entirely on private property. But on Monday, Amherst shut his business down. A police officer even threatened to tow away Pete’s taco truck, for not having a permit.  There’s just one problem: Amherst doesn’t have a food truck permit yet. The...

This is what government is all about. Forget roads, mass murder through warfare, or locking people up for their consumption choices: it's making sure that no one gives out water without a permit.This is from last week but I believe un-noted here: ABC-TV 15 from Phoenix reports that local Christian proselytizer Dana Crow-Smith was ordered by a "Neighborhood Preservation Inspector" to stop giving out free bottled water last month because she lacked a vending permit, though she was not vending.She is threatening to sue the city with help from the Rutherford Institute, a civil liberties group with a focus...

Top Republican Haley Barbour didn’t know it the time, but he unwittingly gave a robust endorsement Friday morning to the Obama administration’s surprise decision to give work permits to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants working in the U.S. Speaking at a breakfast with political reporters before the news broke, the former Mississippi governor and onetime Republican Party chairman launched into a robust argument on how to fix the nation’s immigration system, a position he portrayed as sharply different from that his party’s presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, and that of most other Republicans.“America is in a global battle for capital...

The sorry saga continues, as the Obama administration is intent on getting their way in everything and by any means possible. In January of 2011 I reported that the EPA had revoked the permit for an already-in-use coal mine in West Virginia, the Spruce Mine to be specific operated by Arch Coal, citing “violations of the Clean Air Act.” This unprecedented action struck fear in the hearts of not only coal companies who have invested millions of dollars and time into securing the necessary permits, but other business owners as well. After all, why would they want to invest in...

An Australian woman says she was "stalked" for two days by an angry kangaroo, which finally attacked, leaving her with a 12-inch scar. "It was lucky it was cool weather and I had two layers of clothing; otherwise it could have been worse," Kirrily McWilliams said. The (Sydney) Daily Telegraph reports that McWilliams called the National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) to report that the female eastern gray kangaroo was lurking outside her home, in Port Macquarie in New South Wales. But wildlife officials reportedly told her to simply ignore the kangaroo and that it would move on. Instead, the...

The “1 percent” comes in piece. Dozens of New York City’s billionaires, real-estate moguls and Wall Street CEOs are really loaded, according to the NYPD’s gun-permit list obtained by The Post under the Freedom of Information Act. Top guns include Donald Trump, Marvel Comics head Isaac Perlmutter and Gristedes chairman and mayoral wannabe John Catsimatidis. Billionaire cosmetics heir Ron Lauder — who once dumped $4 million of his own cash on an effort to install term limits for city pols, only to do a complete 180 and back anti-gun zealot Mayor Bloomberg’s third term — also packs heat. Real estate...

Monday’s big win for gun rights in Maryland – courtesy a lawsuit filed by the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation on behalf of Maryland resident Raymond Woollard – is already being demonized by anti-gunners, and will likely be appealed by the State Attorney General. The case is Woollard v. Sheridan. It was admittedly a big win for SAF, which has in the neighborhood of 20-plus cases in progress challenging onerous gun laws on constitutional grounds. SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb coined a slogan about two years ago that seems appropriate: “Winning Firearms Freedom One Lawsuit at a Time.”...

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – The Department of Justice is proposing to amend the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to extend the term of import permits for firearms, ammunition, and defense articles from 1 year to 2 years. The additional time will allow importers sufficient time to complete the importation of the authorized commodity. In addition, it will eliminate the need for the importer to submit a new import application, ATF Form 6, where the importation was not completed within the 1-year period. Extending the term of import permits will result...

MASSENA - A retired U.S. Border Patrol agent is working to stir up interest in a firearms training program that would give former law enforcement officers a chance to continue to carry concealed weapons. Jean-Pierre Plante has proposed bringing a certified gun instructor to the north country, giving former officers a one-day crash course on everything weapon-related. The class would be the first of its kind in the area and would help retirees take advantage of a federal law that allows them to carry a concealed handgun. "A lot of them (law enforcement officers) are retiring, and sometimes they are...

Madison - The state has fallen at least four days behind its legal timelines for handling background checks for Wisconsin's new concealed carry law but could be caught up as soon as this week, a state official said. The state fell behind Dec. 30 on its obligations under the new law, which requires new applications to be handled within 21 days. So far, nearly 71,000 people have applied for permits and swamped state officials at the Department of Justice, who have printed more than 51,000 so far. That comes as handgun sales and the state background checks for those sales...

'Occupy Congress' seeks permit for Jan. 17 protestBy: Aubrey Whelan | 01/04/12 12:18 PM Occupy Congress, a national group partnering with Occupy DC for a major protest this month, is slowly moving forward in its efforts to aquire a permit for the protest. The group has scheduled a meeting Thursday with the National Parks Service to discuss getting a permit that would allow up to 10,000 people to protest outside the Capitol on Jan. 17. Participant Mario Lozada said protesters are trying to avoid the mass arrests that Occupy DC endured in early December during a week of similar protests...

Georgia pistol-packing permits aren’t published on paper any more. In recent weeks, local probate court offices have been processing Georgia weapons carry licenses on a new system, which will produce cards that look something like a driver’s license with a photo, holographic seals and other security features. The old paper licenses are much more basic. Jerry Henry, executive director of GeorgiaCarry.Org, said the new licenses at least look better. “The remark I hear most often is the existing ones could be made by a fourth-grader and a crayon,” said Henry, who lives outside Fairburn. He said he objects to the...

CLAYTON - A local gun shop owner is suing to force Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell to grant him a machine gun permit. Ronnie Mitchell, Bizzell's attorney, said he will ask the court to dismiss the case. Dennis Nielsen, owner of Freedom Arms, a newly opened gun store on U.S. 70 Business in Clayton, requested a machine gun permit in May. Bizzell refused, saying he needed more information, including the type of automatic weapon Nielsen needed a permit for, where and how it would be stored and why Nielsen needed the weapon. State law requires permits from the county sheriff...

The Richmond Tea Party is demanding a refund from the city for $10,000 it spent on for permits, portable toilets, police presence and emergency personnel for three rallies held at same plaza where the Occupy Richmond squatters set up their camp. The Republic reported: The Richmond tea party is demanding a refund of about $10,000 from the city, claiming it unfairly charged them for rallies while allowing the Occupy protesters to use the same space for several weeks for free. The political organization is sending the city an invoice for the charges incurred for three rallies held in Kanawha Plaza...

RICHMOND -- The Richmond Tea Party wants its money back from the city of Richmond for the cost of permits and other fees to use the same area in which Occupy Richmond has settled for nearly the past two weeks for free. The local branch of the Tea Party says it should be reimbursed for all the fees accrued and paid over the past three years for use of Kanawha Plaza, a city-owned square across from the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank and a few blocks from Virginia state capitol buildings. Occupy Richmond, an affiliate with the Occupy Wall Street movement,...

Anchorage, Alaska (AP) -- Alaska Native and environmental groups are challenging a federal air permit granted to Royal Dutch Shell PLC for offshore drilling in Arctic waters. Shell hopes to drill exploratory wells next summer off Alaska's northern coasts. The Environmental Protection Agency issued an air permit Friday for a Shell drill ship called the Kulluk.

Police called him a "Good Samaritan," but Minneapolis detectives were still investigating Friday the case of a man who shot and killed an armed robber he chased down the night before. The man who fired the fatal shot had a permit for his handgun and told police he used the weapon after the fleeing robber turned and confronted him behind a restaurant. Police spokesman Sgt. William Palmer said the department was leaning toward classifying the shooting as self-defense. "However, decisions on charging are left up to the county attorney's office. And since there's a death, it might even be taken...

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis police say a man who witnessed an elderly woman being robbed and pistol-whipped shot and killed her attacker. Authorities say the armed robber confronted the woman in the parking lot of a grocery store about 10 p.m. Thursday, took her purse and hit her in the head with his gun. A man who witnessed the robbery chased the suspect and shot him. When police arrived, the witness told officers he had a permit to carry a gun and that he had shot the armed robbery suspect during a confrontation outside a nearby restaurant. He told officers where...

“If you have a permit to carry a handgun, the chances are slim to none you’ll ever actually have to use it,” said Greg Larson. “Ninety-two percent of the time when there’s a gun drawn, no shot is fired because no one wants to find out who’s the faster shot. Just seeing the gun ends the standoff. Larson said the biggest complaint he’s gotten about the Permit to Carry class for handguns he teaches is that he talks too fast. “It’s an eight hour class, and I have so much to cover,” he said. “I suppose I could try talking...

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — U.S. home builders sharply increased construction in June, according to estimates released Tuesday by the Commerce Department. Housing starts rose 14.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 629,000, the highest level since January, the data showed. Details underlying the June figures were also strong. There was a large increase in starts of multifamily units and a smaller gain in starts of single-family homes, the department reported. Analysts said this will be the new trend in home building as there are more renters than buyers in the market. The report was much better than expected. Economists surveyed...

ST. PAUL, Minn. - A proposal expanding the right to use deadly force in self-defense continues its advance through the Republican-controlled Legislature. The gun bill from GOP Rep. Tony Cornish goes before a House judiciary panel Wednesday after passing a public safety committee last week. The legislation would grant the right to defend oneself using deadly force in an expanded definition of home, including a garage, car, deck, tent, boat, overnight accommodation or other dwelling. The person wouldn't have to retreat from a threatening situation first.

Two important pro-gun bills need your immediate attention. As we reported last week, House File 1467 passed in the House Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance Committee by a 10 to 7 vote. HB 1467, which is sponsored by state Representative Tony Cornish (R-24B), is now before the House Judiciary Committee and will be voted on during its hearing at 8:15 a.m. this Wednesday, May 4. The Senate companion bill sponsored by state Senator Gretchen Hoffman (R-10), Senate File 1357 Senate File 1357, is expected to be considered by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee as early...

Since January, when gun laws in Iowa changed, the Kossuth County Sheriff has issued 350 gun permits. That’s more than were issued in all of 2010, when 266 permits were issued. The same number also were issued in 2009. Kossuth County Sheriff Steve Kollasch believes the jump in permits is the result of the new law. “This is a topic of interest right now,” he said. “I think eventually the interest will die down. A lot of people want to get one before the law changes.” On Jan. 1 of this year, Iowa became a “shall issue state,” joining 37...

US clears more deepwater oil drilling in GulfUS allows BHP Billiton to resume deepwater drilling in Gulf of Mexico; 2nd permit in 2 weeks On Saturday March 12, 2011, 1:09 pm EST NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The U.S. government is allowing deepwater drilling to resume on another Gulf of Mexico well as the region recovers from BP's devastating oil spill. BHP Billiton PLC said Saturday that the permit will allow it to get back to work in its Shenzi field, located about 120 miles off Louisiana's coast. The well, about 4,300 feet below the surface, began production in March 2009,...

Yesterday the judge handed down his order in my constitutional challenge to the constitutionality of a State law which prohibits the carry of loaded firearms. The law criminalizes the carry of all loaded firearms, but there are a few defenses which include; handgun carry permit, being a cop, being a judge, hunting, fishing, or on private property. The judge said that regulating the carry of a loaded firearm was within the purvue of the State Constitution, which allows regulation with a view to prevent crime. I am ineligible to have a Tennessee handgun carry permit, I'm not a cop or...

This is the police. Step away from the cupcakes! A half-baked town-board member called the cops on a pair of pint-size entrepreneurs for selling their cookies and cupcakes in a Westchester park without a permit. "A lot of people go to eat lunch in the park," one of the bummed-out baker boys, Andrew DeMarchis (pictured), 13, of Chappaqua, told The Post yesterday. "So everybody bought dessert from us. When the cop first pulled up, I didn't know he was there for us. Then he walked up to us. I didn't know we needed a permit. I was more shocked than...

Question: With the new laws in Georgia, is it, or is it NOT legal to carry concealed (with a permit) into the public areas (ie wait in line to mail a package) of a Federal Post office? I know it is illegal to carry into 'behind the counter' areas of ANY Federal building unless you are a LEO. Please cite the law or supply a link if you can. FReegards, Blueflag

I have a lawsuit pending against the State of Tennessee regarding the carry of firearms. My handgun permit was permanently suspended and the current law prohibits the carry of loaded guns w/o a permit. Loaded is considered the carry or storage of a gun in the vicinity of ammunition. I received a brief from the AG today. In the brief he says, "The Andrews court further explained that prohibitions against wearing arms in public places are permissible." Of course the decision said no such thing, but they wish it did. Here is the link to the brief: https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B4xDZlk5vthcYjE2NDY5YzktZmNjOS00YzUzLThiZmItOWZiN2NhMGQyZWIy&hl=en

CLEARWATER — An 83-year-old man leaving a restaurant pulled a gun on his attacker and thwarted a robbery attempt Thursday morning, police said. About 11:20 a.m., Charles Place was leaving Costello's, 1724 N. Fort Harrison Ave., when he was grabbed from behind by a 43-year-old Bryan Treloar, city public safety spokeswoman Elizabeth Watts said. Treloar, a transient, tried to take Place's wallet, but Place resisted, holding his attacker's arm as they struggled, Watts said. In the scuffle, Place was knocked onto the ground and pulled his .25-caliber semi-automatic handgun from his pocket. Place told Treloar to get away from him,...

One of the people murdered by Palestinian Authority terrorists Tuesday used to carry a gun for self-defense, but Israeli authorities took away his permit in late 2009 – leaving him defenseless. Attorney Yitzchak Bam of the Forum for the Land of Israel represented the deceased man in his legal attempts to win back his gun permit. “In December, he received a letter according to which the permit is suspended because of closed criminal files regarding disturbance of the public peace,” he related. “The last closed file was from the period immediately after the Disengagement,” he said. The permit was extended...

MINNEAPOLIS - The Hennepin County attorney’s office has declined to press charges against the bouncer who shot and killed a man at Grumpy’s Bar in northeast Minneapolis last month. 24-year-old Tirso Gomez Jr. was thrown out of the bar earlier in the evening, and allegedly came at the bouncer with a knife in the early morning hours of July 11. Bouncer Christopher Lamotte, who had a legal conceal-and-carry permit, shot and killed Gomez.