| Duke’s Ever-Evolving iPod Initiative
Given some of its recent publicity, this might not have been the best time for Duke University to announce that it was altering a highly popular student benefit. But Duke’s plan to stop giving students free iPods through its path-setting Duke Digital Initiative and to instead lend them or sell them the devices for a highly subsidized $99 has even struck most students as a logical next step in the maturation of the educational technology program. The surprising headline on an editorial in Duke’s student newspaper: "A Smart Change." .
The Conservative Origins of the Sub-Prime Mortgage Crisis
The restructuring of the mortgage industry came to its full stride under the Democratic administration of Bill Clinton. To even pretend that the Democrats (who recieve enormous sums of cash from the financial services industry) were not directly culpable for what has happened is deceitful. And to imagine that the Democrats will participate in any serious steps to reign in predatory capitalism is seriously delusional. .
The down-payment-poor are about to get squeezed
Call it the credit risk hangover following the housing boom binge: Homebuyers and refinancers who can't come up with sizable down payments, and whose FICO credit scores are below 680, are about to get squeezed in the mortgage market. Giant investors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are imposing significant increases in fees for a broad range of borrowers who have lower than 30 percent down payments and formerly were treated as "prime" credit applicants. .
SPCA reveals details about disgraced Atlanta Falcons quarterback ...
In December, Vick, who'd been a starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons before this season, was sentenced to up to 23 months in prison for running a dogfighting operation.
SPCA Shelter Supervisor Justin Phillips was a member of the nine-person team that evaluated the dogs in September.
As part of the team, Phillips traveled to Virginia and performed high-level, pit bull-specific evaluations of each individual dog.
"We are extremely proud that Justin was selected to be a part of the evaluation team," says Gary Tiscornia, executive director with the local SPCA. "We are pleased to have Justin, an expert in his field, as part of our SPCA team making a profound difference in the lives of animals both in the Vick case and for all animals in our community."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
King's dream is still alive
Cold weather didn't deter hundreds of people from celebrating the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday. Whether they attended the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day memorial luncheon sponsored by the University of Southern Indiana's Multicultural Center or the University of Evansville's 20th annual re-enactment of the 1963 march on Washington, D.C., they heard a common message — the fight for civil rights and equality King led is more than a history lesson; it's an ongoing process. "Just by being here today when you don't have to be, you've committed yourselves to keeping the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. alive," said Herman Boone, keynote speaker at USI. Boone, a retired football coach, was portrayed by actor Denzel Washington in the movie "Remember the Titans." He became head coach at T.C.
Pictorial book on Du Quoin's history flies off shelves
The commission, which formed about three years ago, released in December a pictorial history book called "Historic Du Quoin: Images From the Past," and more than 500 copies have been sold so far, said Main Street Director Pam Pereira."We can't keep it on the shelves," said City Attorney Aaron Atkins, who serves as the organization's legal counsel.Atkins said the book focuses on almost every aspect of Du Quoin's history, including the influence of blacks in the city, coal mining, schools and the founding, among other topics.The book covers more than 150 years of history but does not provide a comprehensive story, he said.With the success of the book, the commission has been talking about creating a sequel to document other parts of history, Atkins and Pereira said. Sales from the book will be used to hire a consultant to work on having some of the city's buildings placed on the National Register of Historic Places.Debbie Oxford, owner of Faith Photography and member of both Main Street and the preservation committee, has been in the process of converting a historic downtown building into a new photography studio.
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