Free Republic

TAMPA | Fifth-grade Mango Elementary teacher Ethel Anderson has pleaded not guilty to six counts of sex acts with a 12-year-old boy. Anderson, 29, was named diversity educator of the year for 2011 at Mango and had a spotless disciplinary record. The boy was not in her class. Anderson had been tutoring him since December. She would go to his home, pick him up and take him back to her Riverview home, where deputies say they engaged in sex acts. story at link

This morning brings news that Europe may finally be beginning to soften on the "austerity" philosophy that has brought it nothing but misery over the past several years. The "austerity" idea, you'll remember, was that the continent's huge debt and deficit problem had ushered in a "crisis of confidence" and that, once business-people saw that governments were serious about debt reduction, they'd get confident and start spending again. That hasn't worked. Story at link

ExcerptORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orange County mother accused of storming into a middle school cafeteria and helping her child beat up another student has bonded out of jail. Deputies said the fight broke out Tuesday when 29-year-old Leslie Thomas teamed up with her 12-year-old daughter at Lockhart Middle School.Rest of story at link with pic of Mom...Mike

Who do you favor to run for the U.S. Senate in Michigan against Stabenaw, Hoekstra or Durand?

The federal Environmental Protection Agency last week objected to 19 permits for surface coal mines in Kentucky, objections that some say could have a negative impact on the state’s economy. Read more: Hazard Herald (KY) - EPA objects to 19 surface coal permits at LINK!

Fueled by federal grants, high-speed cameras that can automatically read up to 30 license plates a second and check them for violations or law enforcement alerts are scanning more streets and highways across Massachusetts this year. The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security doled out $500,000 in federal highway grants earlier this year to 26 police departments for automatic plate readers, which can be stationary or mounted on a cruiser on patrol. Some MetroWest and Milford-area cities and towns already had the high-tech scanners. Those that won grants are now using plate readers or will be soon Rest at...

Hazard Police arrested one woman Tuesday as part of an undercover investigation into prostitution in the downtown area. Nannie “Missy” Adams, 33, of Leatherwood, is facing one count of prostitution after police say she offered to perform sexual acts on an undercover officer with Kentucky Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) in return for $40. She was additionally charged with loitering for prostitution purposes. Rest of story at link

DETROIT, Jan. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- DTE Energy wants to jump-start the adoption of electric vehicles in Southeast Michigan by providing free charging stations – a $2,500 value – to the first 2,500 Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) owners.Rest of article at link

One of the largest union-administered health-insurance funds in New York is dropping coverage for the children of more than 30,000 low-wage home attendants, union officials said. The union blamed financial problems it said were caused by the state’s health department and new national health-insurance requirements. The fund is administered by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union. Excerpt...story at link

DAVIE — A soldier from Davie was killed in Afghanistan last weekend when a suicide bomber detonated a vest bomb near him and two other soldiers, who also were killed, military officials said Tuesday. Staff Sgt. Juan Rivadeneira, 27, had been stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky., where he was an infantryman assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. Rest at link

We just got back from voting. First time we voted as a whole family together. Precinct moderately busy. We live in a small rural township.

Why am I getting a "your comments were submitted for review" screen? Is this new? If so, why?MichaelP

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — A trip down London’s Main Street Tuesday became terrifying for a Corbin family, when their Toyota Camry accelerated uncontrollably for more than four blocks before stopping near London Elementary School. The lights on the 911 Dispatch phone lines lit up around 11:30 a.m. as people called to report a 2008 Toyota Camry speeding through Main Street. London Police Lt. Stewart Walker said 68-year-old Ada Perry and three passengers were traveling north on Main Street when the car’s accelerator stuck. Perry struck one unoccupied vehicle near the intersection of Sixth and Main streets, then struck two other...

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Poll: Should Federal Prosecuters investigate CIA Interrogators?

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A few speculators dominate vast oil market Regulators: Swiss energy firm holds 11 percent of contracts on NYMEX Regulators had long classified a private Swiss energy conglomerate called Vitol as a trader that primarily helped industrial firms that needed oil to run their businesses. But when the Commodity Futures Trading Commission examined Vitol's books last month, it found that the firm was in fact more of a speculator, holding oil contracts as a profit-making investment rather than a means of lining up the actual delivery of fuel. Even more surprising to the commodities markets was the massive size of Vitol's...

Santa Monica, CA - U.S. gasoline prices rose more than 33 cents a gallon to $3.937 in the last month despite driving cutbacks that have steadily reduced demand, said Consumer Watchdog. Oil prices sagged today along with U.S. economic indicators; yet even if they continue to fall, motorists are unlikely to see much relief at the pump -- or at the grocery story, with diesel breaking the $5.00 mark. "Producers who have been making their record profits from drilling and selling oil are now trying to do the same on the refining end by keeping fuel supplies short in the...

WINTER HAVEN | The Police Department is ditching $38,000 worth of guns after two .45-caliber GAP Glock Model 37 pistols exploded in separate training incidents a year a part, causing minor injuries to an officer and a cadet. Story Here