Fluffy

Endangered Romanian spotted leopard escapes from zoo causing pandemonium in Durham. Fluffy the Romanian spotted leopard can be very dangerous, especially if not caught before nightfall.

                Fluffy was last seen last night upon the closing of the zoo. At 7:30 a.m. this morning fans entered the zoo to see their favorite animal only to notice something amiss. James Petronkis a resident of New Market was the first to notice. Petronkis said, “Everything seemed normal, until I got to the cage. Then I knew something was wrong right away.” After being ignored by the guards Petronkis pulled the fire alarm to get everyone’s attention. Upon search of Fluffy’s house the beloved leopard was gone, causing mayhem throughout the park.

                Upon the closing of the park visitors poured out the front gate and kids were crying and grown-ups scowling about the whole event. “I want my money back, and then I’m never coming back here again.” said one disgruntled visitor.

                Kitty Smith the zoo’s chief biologist says Fluffy is 10-years old and is black with white spots, weights 146-pounds, and can run up to 60 miles an hour. “It is a priceless animal, and has been at the zoo for five years.” said Smith. She is one of five spotted leopards and the only female in existence.

                Fluffy has no history of hurting anyone but if cornered or encountered at night these cats defenses go up and look to kill first. Her species was driven to the brink of extinction in Romania due to their appetite for young children.

                Police Chief William Blair took the stage at the press conference and outlined the search for Fluffy. They will look to use the tranquilizer gun, “but if necessary, we will shoot to kill.” said Blair. Their search will start by going through the zoo. If she is not found they will move farther and farther from the zoo.

                The police major concern was that they are in a residential neighborhood with an elementary school and they don’t want Fluffy wandering around when the kids get out of school.

                If anyone encounters fluffy they are suggested to slowly lower themselves to the ground and lay still. “Fluffy may do a lot of sniffing and licking, but unless she senses fear she’s not likely to react violently.” said Smith.

                Gerry Durrell, the director of the zoo, informed the press, “Everything about her cage seemed normal. The door was shut and did not appear to have been tampered with, and the fencing was unbroken.”

                Fluffy was planned to be sent to China to mate with another male spotted leopard owned by the Chinese government next month.

NY Times October 5

Today's paper was informative. In the article "Taliban Using Modern Means To Add To Sway" they discuss one way the Taliban is effecting Afghanistan and how they don't even need the population they once had. However, they are still showing their presence by forcing cellphone signals to shut down every morning pretty much disconnecting people from the rest of the world.

I was also in shock about the article "Court Fight, and Tireless Battle Over an Image". Going through this article I was in shock. It felt like I was reading something out of a

Saturday Session's

Saturday morning cartoons are a thing of the past for delinquent students in Portsmouth High School. Students who misbehave in school may be required to fulfill a Saturday morning session from 8 a.m. to noon.

                This new disciplinary measure was introduced to try to cut back on the number of in-house suspensions that occur.  In-house suspensions require students spend a day in school under faculty supervision and miss a day of school work. These new rules would also make sure no class time is missed. Steele said, I know it isn’t good news for parents, but I hope the threat of Saturday classes will make the students think twice before breaking the school rules.”

                Peggy Bacon, a parent, didn’t think this was a good idea. She said, “I work six days a week – including Saturday morning—and it’s bad enough to get my son off to school Monday through Friday. Why should I have to worry about Saturday as well? Why do we need a change? I know my son isn’t perfect, and I know he’ll probably wind up on the Saturday list at some point, but I’m not going to force him to go. I just don’t think it’s going to make any difference, and the parents are going to pay for it—in higher taxes as well as in ruined Saturdays.”

                One resident in favor of the new rules is Bob Farley. Farley said, “Parents can whine all they want about this, but maybe it’s time parents in America were made to take a little responsibility for their kids. That’s the whole problem—parents aren’t teaching their kids any discipline, so the kids have no respect for the rules. Maybe if they have to miss a few Saturday morning cartoons they’ll start wising up.”

                Lisa Gallagher, a senior who attended the meeting, spoke out against the new rule. She said, “In 12 years of school I’ve never served a detention, and I don’t intend to. But I don’t like this idea. I think it’s just being done to make life easier for the faculty, so they don’t have to deal with detentions during the week. Anyway, what if someone skips the session? What are they going to do make them stay all week?”

                Steele responded to this with, “If a student skips Saturday School, he or she would not be allowed to return to school until the detention has been served.”

                This session will cost about $3,000 per year for staffing and will only be held several Saturday’s throughout the year.

                After about 30 minutes of discussion the board voted 5-3 with one member abstaining. The issue will continue next meeting, March 7. Steele was instructed to bring figures on in-school detentions so far this year.

Local teen sprints to the police station to warn the police of an unconscious driver parked on the railroad tracks.

·         80-year old Francois Truffaunt passes out in car on local train tracks and a local teen races to the police station to warn the police of the incident before the train came.

·         Took place in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. Truffaunt is from Quebec City

·         Afghan 17 years old lived in Old Orchard Beach 3 years. Waiter at Eezy Breezy

·         He is fine now doesn’t remember anything. Believed to of had insulin shock

James Laboke a local teen is named a hero after busting through the doors of a police station to warn the police of an elderly man passed out and stalled on railroad tracks just over 100 yards away.

                Francois Truffaunt a tourist from Quebec City who has been coming to Old Orchard Beach since childhood passed out in his car on the railroad tracks earlier today. When Laboke spotted him on his way to work just before 6 a.m. When the call went out Janet Paradiso, a captain on the town police force was just over a mile away and raced to the scene.

                Paradiso arrived to the scene at 6:05 and could hear the train whistle right on schedule. The train passes through Old Orchard Beach every day at 6:10. Paradiso had to think fast and rammer her police cruiser into Truffaut’s 1987 pink Cadillac Seville and pushed it off the tracks. Thirty seconds later the train flew by around 40 miles per hour. “It was close,” said Brian Paul the chief of police in Old Orchard Beach.

                The Downeaster a passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs from Portland, ME to Boston. During the summer it passes through Old Orchard Beach and the first train of the day heads southbound and passes through Old Orchard Beach at 6:10 a.m.

                Laboke is an Afghan refugee who moved to Old Orchard Beach three years ago and was on his way to his job, which he walks four miles every morning, at the Eezy Breezy. Laboke was hired by Charles Champaigne about eight months ago and has been one of Champaigne’s most responsible employees.

                Laboke reported to work right on time and never said a word about the incident. And when Champaigne learned later he said, “It doesn’t surprise me at all. That young man is one of my most responsible employees. He’s just a great kid.

                When Laboke was asked what happened he replied, “I never thought about it. I just knew I couldn’t let that man get crushed by a train.”

                It is believed that Truffaunt had gone into insulin shock due to him being a diabetic. When asked what happened he just responded, “I don’t remember a thing.”

Times Reading Log 10/3

The article "Crossing Over, and Over" gave an amazing look at the other side of illegal immigration. So often US citizens just think we should deport all illegal aliens. However, when you take a closer look at the lives these people have built it makes you second guess that. In the article "Crossing Over, and Over" it sheds light on a Mexican Immigrant who was just deported named Daniel who left his whole family in Seattle after he had been there for 12 years.

Scent of a Women

Lt. Col. Frank Slade takes fire to the Baird School Disciplinary Committee. Charlie Simms was faced with expulsion to the Baird School for not "snitching" to the headmaster. Slade stands up and demands the attention of the committee with his fiery statements in defense of Simms.

When Headmaster Trask told Slade to stand down. Slade responded, "I'm not finished! As I came in here, I heard those words, "cradle of leadership." Well when the bough breaks the cradle will fall. And it has fallen here, it has fallen!