Card Mart Shopping Wal

People of Valparaiso, be alert. The scum of the Earth walks among us. My husband accidentally dropped his credit cards and, within three hours, someone decided the best thing to do was to go shopping at Speedway, Wal-Mart and Best Buy.

Ah, so that's what they are calling it -- "education." I have received six -- yes, six -- beautiful, expensive fliers in seven days regarding the proposed South Shore Railroad extension. Are you educating me? Yes, I guess I'm learning how much waste there is. I'm learning that someone will make big money off of this. I'm learning there is more than meets the eye here. Perhaps you should educate yourself on the definitions of fact and fiction.

"The best seats in town" proclaim the signs at Valparaiso's movie theater that is under construction.

Neb. Gunman Had Previous Suicide Attempt

OMAHA, Neb. - The teen gunman who fatally shot eight people in a mall earlier this month tried to kill himself by swallowing about 30 pills nearly two years earlier, according to court records released Wednesday. Months later, Robert Hawkins left state care, with his father saying the boy "will have to stand or fall on his own." A judge on Wednesday released case worker reports, a psychological evaluation and a letter to the court from Hawkins' father, Ron Hawkins. The judge also released 11 transcripts of Hawkins' earlier court proceedings, adding detail to Hawkins' troubled teen years. The judge ordered the information released after motions were filed by several news organizations, including The Associated Press. In one report, Hawkins, who had been in and out of the juvenile justice system since he was 14, told a social worker that he was feeling overwhelmed by court hearings and school.

Venezuela's Chavez attacks Bush

But on the other hand, I think it's a mistake to ignore him, and to think that this is somehow just a fever that's going to run its course, and that Chavez is simply a buffoon and a folkloreick figure. That might be something that would be wise if he didn't have the resources that he has. If he weren't making deals all over the world. If he weren't buying arms and really being engaged in quite aggressive kind of diplomacy, that I think now, you know, increasingly, could only be interpreted as something that is clearly aimed at the United States.

MARK SIMKIN: Has his message, his technique, his whole approach become more sophisticated in that he's going global, as it were? Or is it actually less sophisticated because it's simply become an attack, an anti-American diatribe?

MICHAEL SHIFTER: I think it's more sophisticated in the sense that he's clearly targeting those governments that are likely to want to deal with him, either to get cheap oil, or where he can buy arms.

The Spirit of Giving

More than 20 years ago, local volunteers recognized the difficulty the holidays bring for families who cant afford food and presents, for seniors who feel forgotten and for those without warm winter clothes. Truckee Community Christmas developed to lend a helping hand, bringing together many organizations including the Soroptimist, local Realtors, grocery stores and banks.

They collect food, clothing, and toys for Community Christmas to distribute during the holiday season. Its an umbrella organization for people in the community who want to give to families at Christmas time, said board president Joan Hartwell. It truly is the most wonderful time of year.

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Hip-Hop Rumors: Did Wayne Really Get Boo'd? No New Girl For Scrappy!

Some people that were there told me that when Wayne left the stage, after that first half hearted, performance, the fans booed the DJ for playing music, kinda sending a message that the show was over. When they cut the lights back off, indicating someone was coming back on stage, the crowed went nuts. I cannot say for sure, because I wasn't there, but I guess everybody has their view.