| Penalty points double for speeding drivers
Motorists face being banned from driving for only two speeding offences under a government plan to double the fixed penalty for exceeding the limit by a wide margin, The Times has learnt. Those caught driving at 45mph or above in a 30mph limit are likely to receive a higher-rate fixed penalty of six points and a £100 fine, up from the existing flat rate of three points and a £60 fine. Ministers want to send the message that excessive speeding will lead more quickly to an automatic six-month driving ban for totting up 12 points within three years. More than 1.1 million drivers have six or more points on their licences and, under the new law, could be banned immediately for one more offence. .
New lawsuit filed to stop moth plan
SAN JOSE -- In a last-ditch effort to stop aerial spraying aimed at eliminating the light brown apple moth, three Santa Cruz County women are suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state Department of Food and Agriculture, saying their civil rights have been violated and that they have not received due process. .
UQ Hosts Conference On Public Health Nutrition, Australia
The impact of climate change on health and the link between socio-economic status and food choices will be some of the topics discussed by the world's leading public health nutritionists meeting in Brisbane this week.
The University of Queensland is hosting the Australia Public Health Nutrition Academic Collaboration (APHNAC) conference (November 29-30) which will examine the imperatives driving change in public health nutrition, including the obesity epidemic, and explore the responses required by public health nutrition in relation to changing political, socio-economic and environmental priorities, including climate change.
APHNAC Chair, Associate Professor John Coveney, said the conference would highlight key issues that affect how the way food policy is developed and food choices are made.
The wasteland
Sitting at the helm of the 15,000-pound Chevy W5500 5ZL Diesel trash-compacting truck, my mind began to wander. I imagined myself flying down I-90 to California, recyclables and all. I was a green Jack Kerouac, stopping intermittently to pick up cardboard along the highway, compressing it in the back as I roared at a 75 mile-per-hour clip, windows down because there was no AC and singing to myself because there was no radio.
When I came to, I realized that I was navigating a small incline into Spingold Lot at a blistering three miles per hour.
How did I end up behind the wheel of Brandeis' trash and recycling truck? It all started with a mediocre grade, and this time it was the school, not the student, who received the disappointing report card. In a recent report, the Sustainable Endowments Institute--a Cambridge-based nonprofit-gave Brandeis a C for its overall sustainability.
Janet Dovidio:
A Chinese delegation of "Distinguished Teachers" from Nanjing, China, visited Blandford Elementary School in Rowland Heights in late September on the invitation of Cal State Fullerton. Blandford, which was recently named a 2007 Blue Ribbon School, was chosen for its exemplary programs and outstanding student achievement. The 29 Chinese elementary and secondary school teachers met with Blandford teachers and Principal Jo Ann Lawrence. The Cal State Fullerton representative was Heidi Zhang, assistant director of International Programs in Asia. The delegation learned about Blandford's focused teaching and learning, and its vision, which incorporates an emphasis on life long learning. The majority of Blandford students are English language learners, with 17 different home languages represented.
Veterans Group Seeks Troop Info
The Vietnam Veterans of America, Rochester chapter, wants to make the holiday season a little better for troops overseas. Chapter 20 is looking for contact information for troops to send them care packages. You can send the individual's name and rank, their complete address and the date they're due home, to Chapter 20. "A lot of us in our chapter, we were in combat in Vietnam, and we remember so well how important it was to receive not only letters from home but packages from home," said Vietnam veteran Ken Moore. "So we feel that it's important today to do the same thing so that these young men and women who are serving in harms' way receive packages of, you know, little goodies and things like that. It shows that people at home are thinking about them." Send information to the Vietnam Veterans Chapter 20 at: P.O.
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