Free Republic

BY Tyesha Tazwell's count, there were a dozen of them - six girls, six boys - hanging around together. One of the girls tried to get Tazwell's attention by uttering a polite-sounding "Excuse me." Then they pounced. Tazwell, 24, said it took only a few seconds for the teens to knock her to the ground. They pounded her face with a barrage of kicks and punches, stole her purse and chanted "Watch your mouth! Watch your mouth!" when she finally got to her feet and tried to get help. It might sound like Tazwell received this brutal beating in some...

BOTHELL, Wash. - At a time when the school district for the Bothell-Woodinville area is talking about closing a school to save money, it's buying home electronics for the personal use of administrators. The Northshore School District says buying TVs, digital cameras and iPods for administrators is part of their pay and helps make them familiar with technology. All but 13 of 93 eligible administrators have taken advantage of the benefit, spending $119,000 under the current contract. "Even an HDTV is used for work, because it's hooked up to a computer and used like a monitor," said Susan Stoltzfus, Northshore...