Wednesday, February 24, 2010
armed with a high-powered rifle just after he shot two teenage students Tuesday at a suburban Denver middle school that’s just miles from Columbine High School, the site of one of the nation’s deadliest school shootings, authorities said. The seventh-grade math teacher who tackled the suspect, David Benke, is a 6-foot-5-inch former college basketball player who has taught at the school for about 10 years. “Some staff acted very quickly, and very heroically,� Jefferson County Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said. One male and one female were shot at about 3:30 p.m. outside Deer Creek Middle School in Littleton, Kelley said. Both students were taken to a nearby hospital and were expected to survive. The school typically finishes its day at 3:05 p.m. The mother of one uninjured student, Sheri Hasse, said students were boarding buses when the shootings took place. The school is about three miles southwest of Columbine High School, where two teens — Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris — killed 12 students and a teacher and wounded 23 others before killing themselves in 1999.
Toyota recalls won’t ‘totally’ fix sudden surges
Massive recalls of popular Toyota cars and trucks still may “not totally� solve frightening problems of sudden, unintended acceleration, the company’s American sales chief conceded Tuesday, a day before the Japanese president of the world’s largest automaker must confront angry U.S. lawmakers. House members listened in rapt silence Tuesday to the tearful testimony of a woman whose car unaccountably surged to 100 mph, then they pressed James Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., on the company’s efforts to find and fix the acceleration problems — actions many suggested were too late and too limited. Lentz apologized repeatedly for safety defects that led to recalls of some 8.5 million Toyota cars and trucks, and he acknowledged the changes the company is making probably aren’t the end of the story.
Chiefs warn against lifting gay ban too quickly
Top Army and Air Force officers said Tuesday they would be reluctant to overturn a 17-year policy that prohibits gays from serving openly in the military without more time to ascertain it won’t hurt the services. “I do have serious concerns about the impact of a repeal of the law on a force that is fully engaged in two wars and has been at war for eight and a half years,� Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey told Congress. “We just don’t know the impacts on readiness and military effectiveness.�
As Casey cautioned the Senate Armed Services Committee against moving too fast to repeal the law, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz made similar remarks before the House. The carefully crafted comments indicate reluctance among the military’s senior ranks to act anytime soon on President Barack Obama’s plan to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell� policy. Obama says the policy is wrongheaded and should change. Defense Secretary Robert Gates agrees but wants to move slowly, and has ordered a lengthy assessment on how to lift the ban without affecting troops and their families.
Bristol Palin lands debut acting gig
GOP’s Brown branded turncoat for jobs bill vote
A month after being crowned the darling of national conservatives, Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts is being branded “Benedict Brown� for siding with Democrats in favor of a jobs bill endorsed by the Obama administration. Like the four other GOP senators who joined him, the man who won the late Democrat Edward Kennedy’s seat says it’s about jobs, not party politics. And that may be good politics, too. The four other GOP senators who broke ranks — Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, George Voinovich of Ohio and Christopher “Kit� Bond of Missouri — also were criticized on Tuesday. But Brown was the big target on conservative Web sites, talk shows and even the Facebook page his campaign has promoted as an example of his new-media savvy. “We campaigned for you. We donated to your campaign. And you turned on us like every other RINO,� said one writer, using the initials for “Republican-InName-Only.�
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IN WEST VAIL NEXT TO SPORTS AUTHORITY
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970.766.FACE (3223) | 800.476.2441
Wednesday Community Dinner Program Loaves and Fishes Cafe
Anyone in the community is welcome to attend
Dinner is provided FREE of charge Dinner is served from 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Loaves and Fishes Cafe located at the Eagle River Presbyterian Church 455 Nottingham Ranch Road | 748-0040
Daily Lunch Specials MONDAY: Meatloaf
w/mashed potoates & gravy
TUESDAY: Sausage & Beef Lasagna WEDNESDAY: Chicken Fried steak w/mashed potatoes & gravy
THURSDAY: Roasted Turkey w/mashed potatoes & gravy
FRIDAY: Fish-N-Chips or Blackened Fish Tacos Largest lunch selection in the valley! (IGHWAY IN %DWARDS s 2ESERVATIONS 6IEW OUR MENU WWW GASHOUSE RESTAURANT COM
Your Avon Area Locally Owned & Operated Coffee Shops Avon Bakery & Deli Loaded Joes Route 6 Cafe Columbine Bakery
If we missed your shop, we apologize. Call us at 926-6602 and we’ll get you in next time.
Get a Vail Mountaineer at these Starbucks:
Safeway
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Watch out, Levi Johnston, your baby mama could make it in Hollywood before you do. Bristol Palin scored her first acting gig, although “acting� is perhaps a bit of a stretch: She’ll be playing herself on ABC’s “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,� a show about a teen mom, according to Newser. “I am thrilled to be on this show and to be part of a program that educates teens and young adults about the consequences of teen pregnancy,� Palin was reported saying. On the show, Palin will befriend protagonist—and fellow, albeit fictional, teen mom—Amy at a music program for teen mothers. Bristol “will bring additional attention to the issues facing teen parents that we’ve been exploring for a couple seasons now,� an executive producer was quoted saying.
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Vail Mountaineer
Avon City Market
Lionshead Starbucks