The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 173, No. 3, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 8, 2007 Page: 2 of 12
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News
Page 2
THE J-TAC
February 8, 2007
New bill would charge
parents who miss school
meetings with misdemeanor
H Absent parents to be charged with a misdemeanor
:V •
Source: MCTCampus
Parents who miss a scheduled parent-teacher meeting would be sent to criminal court
under the new bill. The charge would be a Class C misdemeanor.
By AMAN BATHEJA
and
DIANE SMITH
McClatchy Newspapers
A controversial bill would make it a crime
for parents to miss a scheduled parent-teacher
conference.
Forget truancy court..
A bill filed in the state Legislature in Austin
would send parents who miss conferences with
their children's teachers to "criminal" court.
Parents are outraged/ teachers are amused
— but nobody seems to strongly support the
measure.
"It's crazy/' said Paula Taylor of Fort Worth,
who has two children in public schools. "I don't
think ifs fair/'
The proposal by state Rep. Wayne Smith,
.WQuljd missing < a sdieduled
conference with a public schoolteacher a Glass
C misdemeanor.
Smith has said he hopes the measure would
increase parents' involvement in their children's
education. The bill would allow for "reasonable
excuses" for not attending, and proceeds from
fines would go toward providing additional
compensation to teachers or buying school sup-
plies other than textbooks.
The proposal has drawn chuckles from
some educators. Some teachers even like the
idea of getting extra money for their class-
rooms.
Still, area educators say turning parents into
outlaws isn't going to make them more involved
in schools.
"It's very difficult in this age and time/' said
Marsha Griswold, a sixth-grade math teacher
at Stripling Middle School in Fort Worth. "We
don't, haye.fajnilies in .which oris parent stays at
home and one works.''
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News Briefs
NASA
considers
psychological
evaluation
policy for
astronauts
CAPE CANAVERAL - NASA
does not conduct psychological
evaluations of its astronauts and
will reconsider that policy fol-
lowing the apparent meltdown
of Lisa Nowak, charged with
attempted murder in Florida,
agency officials said Wednes-
day,
During the application pro-
cess, prospective astronauts are
subjected to rigorous, hours-long
examinations by psychiatrists
and psychologists, according to
top NASA health officials. ,
But once astronauts join the
corps — before and after their
stressful, perilous missions into
space — they are pretty much
on their own.
Astronauts are evaluated
annually by flight surgeons who
can refer them to psychologists,
but they are not routinely exam-
ined by mental health special-
ists.
So, did NASA fail Nowak,
who returned from her first mis-
sion on July 17 and was charged
Tuesday in Orlando, Fla„ with
attempted first-degree murder
in what police described as a
Jove triangle [involving another
astronaut an^.fin Air Force cap-
tain?
"No, there's not that sense,"
NASA Deputy Administrator
Shana Dale said during a news
conference broad cast from Wash-
ington to every NASA facility in
the country. "I think we were all
taken by surprise by the events
that transpired in Florida.
-McClatchy Neivspapers
Empire State Building
still America's most
beloved building
NEW YORK - The city's
quintessential skyscraper is
also the country's most be-
loved building, according to
a new survey.
The Empire State Build-
ing, the famed marvel of
steel and stone, was named
America's favorite work of
architecture in a public poll
released Wednesday by
Harris Interactive and the
American Institute of Ar-
chitects.
"Ifs one of
those places you *
have to go see/' ^
Ian Moly-
neux, 26, of
Manches-
ter, Eng-
land, said
Wednes-
day as he
took in the
sweeping
view atop
the 1,454-
f oot-tall
skyscraper.
"When
you go back
home^ everyone's go-
ing to ask if you went to the
Empire State Building."
The fallen World Trade
Center and 31 other city
landmarks were also listed
among the nation's 150 fa-
vorite structures, making
the city the top architectural
destination in the U.S.
The Chrysler Build-
ing, St. Patrick's Cathedral
and Yankee Stadium were
among the other city land-
marks on the list.
Several of the city's trans-
portation hubs, including
i
Grand Central Terminal and
the iconic TWA Terminal at
Kennedy Airport, were also
cited for their splendor.
The Empire State Build-
ing, which was designed by
Shreve, Lamb & Harmon
Associates, beat out the
White House and the Wash-
ington National Cathedral,
which ranked number two
and Number three respec-
tively, in the poll of 1,804
people.
"We share
> this tremendous
honor with
0 those who
cast their
, vote for the
Empire State
Building , . .
and with all
New York-
ers, who are
treated ;daily
to the sight'
of this most
spectacular
skyscraper,"
a spokes-'
Courtesy: MCT Campus man for the '
Empire State ^
Building said.
About 4 million sight-J
seers visit the skyscraper^-
each year. Tourist Joe Mei, ■
a 42-year-old teacher from '
Toronto, Canada, called the '
office tower/ "the heart of'
New York" after paying $18 ^
to visit its observation deck '
on the 86th floor of the 102-
story building. *
"Thafs why they can
charge, so much to come
here," he added with a
smile.
-New York Daily Neivs
Four U.S helicopters brought
down by enemy fire since January
By RICHARD MAURER
and
LIELA FADEL
McClatchy Newspapers
As Iraqis mourned the victims of the worst
single bombing since the American invasion
almost four years ago, U.S. military officials ac-
knowledged Sunday that the four U.S. helicop-
ters that crashed since Jan. 20 were all brought
down by hostile fire.
The Saturday truck bomb in a Baghdad mar-
ket and Maj. Gen. William Caldwell's admission
Sunday of'militants' success against U.S. airpow-
er told the story of a deepening crisis here, even
as Iraqi officials prepare to implement their new
security plan and additional American troops
come riding into town.
1 In a separate announcement Sunday after-
noon, U.S. military officials said the security plan
would start Monday and expand over coming
days and weeks.
Tense emotions spilled over into parliament,
where Shiite representatives stormed out enJ
masse as Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, a
polarizing Sunni, tried to read a telegram about
the recent battle in Najaf. In a fierce argument
that preceded the walkout, Shiites said he need-
ed to be working to prevent bombings, not read-
ing telegrams into the record from "an unknown
person," as Abdul Kareem al-E'enizi of the 128-
member Shiite-domiriated United Iraqi Alliance'
shouted from his seat.
"You are to run the session but not make
decisions for us," yelled another Alliance parlia-
mentarian, Sarni al-Askari. "You have no right to ,
interrupt the speech of any of us!"
"Keep your advice for yourself," the speaker ■
yelled back. "Give your advice to the prime min- j
ister!" The prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, is,
Shiite.
Mashhadani gaveled the session to a close as.,
the Alliance members packed their papers and
briefcases. They have not said publicly whether
they would continue their protest.
U.S. troop levels
Total at the en$ of each month in Iraq:
150,000
159,000 at end of January
2005, most for any month
132,000 as of
Jan, 10. 2007
May 1,2003: Dec. 13,2003: June 28,2004: Jan. 30 and Dec. 15,2005:
President Bush Saddam U.S. transfers Iraqi elections
declares an end Hussein power to Iraqis
to major combat captured
Soutco US Department of Defense Tribune archives
Oraph<c, Chicago Tribune -
Dec. 30,2006:
Hussein executed
© 2007 MCT
[
The number of U.S. troops deployed in Iraq has decreased from 159,000 in Jan, of
2005 to 132,000 in Jan, 2007. This is a decrease of 27,000 troops in two years.
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The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 173, No. 3, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 8, 2007, newspaper, February 8, 2007; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth142147/m1/2/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Tarleton State University.