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Nation in brief
Pa. School Board revokes intelligent design policy
By wire services
Published January 4, 2006
DOVER, Pa. - The Dover School Board on Tuesday rescinded its policy of presenting intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in high school biology classes, two weeks after a federal judge ruled the concept was religious and not scientific.
There was no discussion by members of the Dover Area School Board before the voice vote Tuesday night.
A different group of School Board members had been in control when the policy was approved in October 2004.
The policy required that a statement be read to students about intelligent design before ninth-grade lessons on evolution. The statement said Darwin's theory is "not a fact" and has inexplicable gaps. It referred students to an intelligent-design book.
On Dec. 20, U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III sided with eight families who argued that intelligent design is biblical creationism in disguise.
R.I. House vote legalizes medical marijuana
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Rhode Island on Tuesday became the 11th state to legalize medical marijuana and the first since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that patients who use the drug can still be prosecuted under federal law.
The House overrode a veto by Gov. Don Carcieri, 59-13, allowing people with illnesses such as cancer and AIDS to grow up to 12 marijuana plants or buy 2.5 ounces of marijuana to relieve their symptoms. Those who do are required to register with the state.
Federal law prohibits any use of marijuana, but Maine, Vermont, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington allow it to be grown and used for medicinal purposes.
Crews fighting grass fires across three states
SHAMROCK, Okla. - Firefighters chased a grass fire hop-scotching across a northeast Oklahoma town Tuesday, while officials in Texas and New Mexico kept tabs on the wind and several huge wildfires their crews were fighting to contain.
In Shamrock, the suspected arson fire destroyed an abandoned schoolhouse, a home and other buildings as it raced through the town of about 100 residents. It took an air tanker repeatedly dropping fire retardant to stop the blaze.
In the past week and a half, grass fires have burned more than 600,000 acres across a drought-stricken stretch of Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. The fires have destroyed at least 450 homes and killed four people.
[Last modified January 4, 2006, 01:08:07]
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