Teen protects Mom; home invader dies

A brilliantly executed stratagem to ensure bipartisanship or an unethical scheme for maintaining power despite the will -- read "votes" -- of the people?

Mark your calendar for an upcoming event that will serve a dual purpose -- that is recognizing the accomplishments of Bill Sergeant, known to many locally and perhaps even more internationally as "Mr. Rotary," and informing the general public on the history and current status of Rotary International's famed Polio Plus campaign -- a monumental but nevertheless successful ongoing effort aimed at eradicating the disease of polio throughout our planet.

Mr. Typical Oak Ridger is deeply, deeply concerned about security in this town. Auto traffic is unruly, and 15 percent of the cars on our streets should be seized and destroyed. The drug markets in Oak Ridge have a growing regional reputation directly proportional to the presence of illegal aliens and gangs, and the ORPD seems to have a non-confrontational, if not accommodating, policy toward that ugly reality. No one acknowledges how the seediest, most remorseless drug culture imaginable has taken firm root in every neighborhood in Oak Ridge. Drug use here in 2009 is un-bee-lievable. We have murders, carjackings, high-speed police chases, home invasions, parking lot purse snatchings, and people behind the wheel who are so high they wouldn't know it if they hit you. ... You can sell anything in Oak Ridge.
 

Only minutes ago, the Democrats in Nashville, who knew they could not get a Democrat elected as Speaker of the House, used trickery and deception to buy a Republican vote by nominating one-term Rep. Kent Williams of Carter County, and then having all 49 Democrats vote for the Republican. That made 49 votes for Mumpower and 49 votes for Williams, and Williams voted for himself to break the tie.

Does Oak Ridge need a marina? No; next question.
 

It's the year 2009 and time marches forward. After turning the last page of my 2008 desk top calendar, I had a sense of relief. Some years seem to go on forever, and getting through the climactic months of 2008 seemed like an eternity.

The Monday, Jan. 5, edition of The Oak Ridger announced that city officials would discuss a proposal that would help the Chamber of Commerce attract new residents to the city.

Mr. Typical Oak Ridger is deeply, deeply concerned about security in this town. Auto traffic is unruly, and 15 percent of the cars on our streets should be seized and destroyed. The drug markets in Oak Ridge have a growing regional reputation directly proportional to the presence of illegal aliens and gangs, and the ORPD seems to have a non-confrontational, if not accommodating, policy toward that ugly reality. No one acknowledges how the seediest, most remorseless drug culture imaginable has taken firm root in every neighborhood in Oak Ridge. Drug use here in 2009 is un-bee-lievable. We have murders, carjackings, high-speed police chases, home invasions, parking lot purse snatchings, and people behind the wheel who are so high they wouldn't know it if they hit you. ... You can sell anything in Oak Ridge.

Mississippi now has the nation's highest teen pregnancy rate, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the increase is a national phenomenon. About 435,000 of the nation's 4.3 million births in 2006 were to mothers ages 15 through 19. That was about 21,000 more teen births than in 2005. Here are some more disturbing numbers.

Once a month, I take a bag each of Puppy Chow, cat food and dog food to the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter.