Topic: Stories Found In The News

The AK-47 rifle turns 60 this year.

Date published: 3/21/2006

THIS YEAR MARKS the 60th birthday of the most malevolent and anti- American icon that has yet appeared on the face of the earth: Mikhail Kalashnikov's AK-47 assault rifle. One can hardly imagine a Red Square parade, Viet Cong assault, or any number of hijackings, kidnappings or terrorist incidents without the AK-47 being front and center.

In some Middle Eastern societies it is called the "jewelry of a man" and weddings, funerals, and most any event are observed with long bursts of AK fire directed (not always harmlessly) into the air.

Years ago I saw a disturbing photograph of Palestinian children being taught to assemble Kalashnikov rifles while blindfolded. The photo is deceiving because the Soviet-era rifle breaks down into a few major components. Anyone who can tie their shoes could field-strip and reassemble a Kalashnikov--blindfolded--in a few moments.

Police say the man was arrested and charged with three counts of assault, two of the alleged assaults were against police officers.

The Bell Street neighbourhood is well known to police as a hangout for prostitutes and drug dealers.

Pamela Connolly has lived in this area for seven years, and chairs a committee that deals with the security of her neighbourhood.

She defends the police.

"They have a very tough job, a very, very tough job. And they have responded with care and concern to the issues that we bring to them on a regular basis," Connolly says. An Ottawa man who says he saw police officers beating up a handcuffed man has filed an official complaint.

Eric McGinn says he couldn't sleep after witnessing the beating on Monday night.

"I was pretty certain he'd broken his jaw," McGinn says.

As he drove along Gladstone Avenue near Bell Street, McGinn says, he saw an Ottawa police officer smash a man in the face with his fist, even though the man was already in handcuffs.

"To assault a person who is defenseless must take a guy who is a real hero, eh! Like, this is disgusting," he says.

McGinn says he couldn't sleep the night of the incident. Today, he filed an official complaint with police.

Woman charged with assault, attempted escape after Saturday arrest

Monday, March 20, 2006

A woman assaulted a Frederick police officer early Saturday morning after she escaped from handcuffs in the back of the patrol car.

Lisa L. Maley, 33, of 5336 Bhines Road in Frederick, was charged with second-degree assault, attempted escape, attempted carjacking, reckless endangerment, possession of controlled dangerous substance and paraphernalia, driving under the influence and driving with a revoked license.

School board takes stand over violent video game By Robert Brumfield, Assistant Editor, eSchool News

The Miami-Dade County School Board has taken unusual and preemptive action against the maker of a new video game that officials fear will encourage school violence.

March 21, 2006—The maker of the controversial video game Grand Theft Auto is reportedly set to release a new game, Bully, that some officials believe will lead to increased violence on school campuses. The Miami-Dade School Board in Florida has taken local action to limit the sale of the game to minors.

As originally reported in The Miami Herald newspaper, a resolution passed by the Miami-Dade School Board on March 16 urged retailers not to sell Bully to minors and directed the district to inform parents "on the potential harmful effects to children of playing interactive video games containing violence."

Slingshot ride will test fear of heights DAWN BRYANT TOURISM TALK

A slingshot ride that will hurl people into the air above Ocean Boulevard plans to open by the end of March.

Riders will soar as high as 180 feet - about 70 feet higher than the peak on the Hurricane roller coaster a few blocks south at The Myrtle Beach Pavilion Amusement Park.

Each flight will cost between $20 and $25. The exact ticket price hasn't been set yet.

Crews will start hanging steel for the ride next week. The ride came by boat from Austria and is waiting at the Charleston port for a ride to Myrtle Beach, said Bill Prescott, who owns and will operate the thrill ride.

Prescott is shooting to open before the first round of seasonal crowds visit the beach during the Easter holiday, the weekend of April 16.

"We are making progress," Prescott said. "We are just making darn sure that we don't miss Easter."

The ride replaces the Ocean Adventure Miniature Golf Course at the corner of Ocean Boulevard and 12th Avenue North.

The corner will have kiosks selling ice cream, snacks and possibly air brushed items. It also will be the new home of Air Boingo bungee jump, which Prescott used to operate on 8th Avenue North.

The slingshot ride originally was to open last summer, but was delayed as it awaited approvals from the city and state.

It has clearance now, though some officials, including the entire Myrtle Beach Planning Commission, opposed the ride because of concerns over noise, safety and its 210-foot height.

City of the future

How do you want North Myrtle Beach to look in five years? How about 10 years?

Figuring out that vision is one of the goals of Paul Williams, incoming president of the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce. The chamber's board of directors hired him a week ago to fill the top job, which used to carry the title "executive director."

Williams plans to talk with the chamber's 1,144 members to get their input on a vision, then develop a plan that will carry the area into the coming years.

"The next decade is just going to be explosive," said Williams, who lives in the Arcadian Shores area. "We need to know where we are going to be five, 10, 15 years from now."

Williams' predecessors haven't lasted long enough to focus on the long term. He is the fourth executive since the chamber was formed six years ago. The chamber had been without a leader since May, when the previous executive director was fired.

The turnover doesn't bother Williams, who will leave his job as general manager of The Breakers Resort to take the chamber job.

"I've always been put in positions where there has been a little volatility," he said. "And I've been able to calm it down."

New park leadership

Four coastal state parks have new managers, but they aren't strangers.

Veteran park leaders stepped up to fill the vacancies left by retirements and promotions, said Marion Edmonds, spokesman for the S.C. Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department, which runs the state's 46 parks.

The parks are an important part of the beach's tourism, with about 9,000 acres of protected marshland and maritime forest, 10 miles of beach and nearly 800 campsites and 25 cabins.

"Because of the way it occurred, we've had a big change among the leadership," Edmonds said. "We've been able to groom successors."

The changes:

Gerald Ives moves to Myrtle Beach State Park. Ives was manager of Sesquicentennial State Park in Columbia. He replaces Bobby Turner, who retired after 35 years at the Myrtle Beach park.

Brenda Magers moves to Huntington Beach from the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area.

Susan Spell, a former assistant manager at Myrtle Beach, moves to Edisto Beach.

Jeff Atkins, former manager of Edisto Beach, shifts to Hunting Island.