For the most current information on the fires located in Texas, visit Texas Storm Chasers. This site has information for those who would like to help with the evacuations and for those who need help. For continuous coverage of the ongoing wildfires, go directly to their Fire Weather and Drought page.
Other pages of interest:
Severe Weather
Tropical Weather
Flooding
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Showing posts with label In the News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label In the News. Show all posts
Monday, September 05, 2011
Monday, May 02, 2011
Osama Bin Laden Killed
Breaking News Last Night -
According to ABC World News, eight months ago the CIA received a tip about the possible hiding place of Osama Bin Laden. U.S. Officials had been tracking a courier since 2009 that they believed knew his whereabouts. This led to a secret military operation on Sunday to go in and capture Osama, whom they believed to be hiding in a mansion in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
According to the report, there was a "firefight" that killed Osama Bin Laden. After which time his body was taken into custody and "his wife identified him by name."
For the full story, visit ABC World News - you can find video of the Mission, Scene, and the Special Report on the website.
Conflicting Reports:
According to ABC World News, eight months ago the CIA received a tip about the possible hiding place of Osama Bin Laden. U.S. Officials had been tracking a courier since 2009 that they believed knew his whereabouts. This led to a secret military operation on Sunday to go in and capture Osama, whom they believed to be hiding in a mansion in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
According to the report, there was a "firefight" that killed Osama Bin Laden. After which time his body was taken into custody and "his wife identified him by name."
For the full story, visit ABC World News - you can find video of the Mission, Scene, and the Special Report on the website.
Conflicting Reports:
- It was reported on December 26, 2001 by Fox News that Osama Bin Laden had died after "suffering from a serious lung complication and succumbed to the disease in mid-December."
- There was also a report in 2007 by Benazir Bhutto, stating that Osama Bin Laden had died in 2001. During her report, she stated that she was fearful of her own death and was later assassinated.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Obama Birth Certificate Released
The White House decided to release President Obama's long-form birth certificate today. Their desire is to finally rid the national debate over whether or not the President was born in the United States.
During Obama's campaign back in 2008, the shorter birth certificate was released, but it just didn't seem to be enough to satisfy the so-called "birther" community. The long-form certificate shows what the shorter form did, the President was born in Honolulu on August 4, 1961. The certificate shown on the right, includes the signature of an attendant who witnessed the birth and a local registrar, as well as, a certificate number.
President Obama is calling the controversy a distraction from serious issues. In a statement on the White House Website, communications director Dan Pfeiffer, wrote "The President believed the distraction over his birth certificate wasn't good for the country." "It may have been good politics and good for TV, but it was bad for the American people and distracting from the many challenges we face as a country. Therefore, the president directed his counsel to review the legal authority for seeking access to the long form certificate (not generally provided to those inquiring) and to request on that basis that the Hawaii State Department of Health make an exception in part because of the tremendous volume of requests they had been getting." Pfeiffer also notes that the release of the long-form certificate should not be seen as any validation that the short form wasn't sufficient, but as a good faith effort to put the issue to rest.
The President is set to record an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show today, he will undoubtedly touch base on this continuing controversy.
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| President Barack Obama's Long-Form Birth Certificate |
President Obama is calling the controversy a distraction from serious issues. In a statement on the White House Website, communications director Dan Pfeiffer, wrote "The President believed the distraction over his birth certificate wasn't good for the country." "It may have been good politics and good for TV, but it was bad for the American people and distracting from the many challenges we face as a country. Therefore, the president directed his counsel to review the legal authority for seeking access to the long form certificate (not generally provided to those inquiring) and to request on that basis that the Hawaii State Department of Health make an exception in part because of the tremendous volume of requests they had been getting." Pfeiffer also notes that the release of the long-form certificate should not be seen as any validation that the short form wasn't sufficient, but as a good faith effort to put the issue to rest.
The President is set to record an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show today, he will undoubtedly touch base on this continuing controversy.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
50th Anniversary of First Man in Space
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| Yuri Gagarin, First Human In Space |
To learn more, visit 6 Surprising Facts About Yuri Gagarin's First Spaceflight.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
The Path to Prosperity - Unveiled
House Republican are supposed to share their ambitious vision today of the fiscal 2012 budget plan that would cut $6.2 trillion in spending over the next decade, by overhauling Medicare and Medicaid, and restructuring individual and business taxes.
The new plan, constructed by Paul Ryan, House Budget Committee Chairman, became a struggle for the Republicans and Democrats to reach a consensus over how to cut spending over the remaining six months of the current fiscal year. This will remain a separate issue from what is announced today for the 2012 budget.
"The Path to Prosperity," will be formally unveiled later this morning. It is said to cut $4.4 trillion from deficits over the next 10 years. The details of the plan will be shared roughly at the same time President Barack Obama meets with congressional leaders to discuss the current year's budget. If decisions are not made and enacted this week, federal funding runs out Friday which could lead to a government shutdown effective Saturday.
Sneak peak of some of the details to be shared today:
- Spending - Will cut domestic spending below 2008 levels and freeze the budgets for five years.
- Help for the Poor - Will take the federal share of Medicaid, the joint state-federal health program for lower income people, and convert it to a grant to states. States would then have more say over how the money is used. Similar changes will be made to the food stamp program and consolidation of many job training programs.
- Health Care - After 2022, Medicare beneficiaries would be enrolled in the same type of health care program as members of Congress. Future beneficiaries could choose from a variety of plans.
- Social Security - This part is vague, it is proposed that consumers be allowed to put their Social Security tax money into private accounts.
Facts courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/05/2151303/house-republicans-ready-to-unveil.html#ixzz1IehFNL52
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
To Test or Not To Test...As Often
It was announced back in January that the TAKS test would be replaced with the new STAAR , the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness. This new test will begin in the 2011-2012 school year and includes 12 end-of-course exams in the four core subject areas in high school.
Yesterday, President Barack Obama said that he believed students should take fewer standardized tests because too much testing makes education boring for students. Obama is pushing to rewrite the nation's education law in hopes of easing some of the rigid measurement tools and administer a test in a less pressure-packed atmosphere, every few years.
"Too often what we have been doing is using these tests to punish students," the President told students and parents at a town hall hosted by Univision at Bell Multicultural High School in Washington, D.C. He also mentioned that schools should be judged on other criteria besides student test performance.
"One thing I never want to see happen is schools that are just teaching the test because then you're not learning about the world, you're not learning about different cultures, you're not learning about science, you're not learning about math," the President said. "All you're learning about is how to fill out a little bubble on an exam and little tricks that you need to do in order to take a test and that's not going to make education interesting." "And young people do well in stuff that they're intersted in," Obama said. 'They're not going to do as well if it's boring."
The President is endorsing the occasional administering of standardized tests to determine a "baseline" of student ability. Obama has been pushing his education agenda all month, in which he expresses concern that too many schools will not be able to meet the annual proficiency standards under the No Child Left Behind Law. The standards goal is now unrealistic, getting 100 percent of student proficient in math, reading, and science by 2014.
Obama is requesting that Congress send him a rewrite of the 2001 law before the new school year. However, this does not look like the deadline will be met.
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| President Barack Obama at Bell Multicultural High School |
"Too often what we have been doing is using these tests to punish students," the President told students and parents at a town hall hosted by Univision at Bell Multicultural High School in Washington, D.C. He also mentioned that schools should be judged on other criteria besides student test performance.
"One thing I never want to see happen is schools that are just teaching the test because then you're not learning about the world, you're not learning about different cultures, you're not learning about science, you're not learning about math," the President said. "All you're learning about is how to fill out a little bubble on an exam and little tricks that you need to do in order to take a test and that's not going to make education interesting." "And young people do well in stuff that they're intersted in," Obama said. 'They're not going to do as well if it's boring."
The President is endorsing the occasional administering of standardized tests to determine a "baseline" of student ability. Obama has been pushing his education agenda all month, in which he expresses concern that too many schools will not be able to meet the annual proficiency standards under the No Child Left Behind Law. The standards goal is now unrealistic, getting 100 percent of student proficient in math, reading, and science by 2014.
Obama is requesting that Congress send him a rewrite of the 2001 law before the new school year. However, this does not look like the deadline will be met.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
BREAKING: Two Earthquakes in NE Myanmar
The first quake was 7.0-magnitude and six miles deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Followed by another of the same strength, but a reported 140 miles deep.
The earthquakes struck along the Myanmar borders with Thialand and Laos, about 70 miles from the northern city in Thai, Chiang Rai.
Number of missing people already surpassing 27,000 in Japan quake.
Follow @SkidmoreSignal on Twitter for the latest! If you don't have a Twitter account, you can see the live feed below for more information.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Update on Budget Cuts
Announced Tuesday, March 15th
Perry agreed to use the Rainy Day Fund to address the 2011 deficit and at the same time vowed not to use it to address th massive revenue shortfall that remains to tackle the 2012-2013 budget. "We have worked closely with state leaders and lawmakers to balance the current budget, which includes using a one-time amount from the Economic Stabilization Fund to help our budget deal with the impact of the national recession," Perry said. "I remain steadfastly committed to protecting the remaining balance of the Rainy Day Fund and will not sign a 2012-2013 state budget that uses the Rainy Day Fund."
Texas is facing a revenue shortfall that could reach up to $27 billion over the next two-year budget. The next budget most likely will see severe cuts in all areas of state government, public education, and low-income and elderly health care programs.
"Today Republican leaders locked in a plan to force up local taxes, makes college more expensive, crowd more kids into classrooms, fire teachers, close nursing homes, and cut basic health services for children and the disabled," said Rep. Mike Villarreal, a Democrat from San Antonio, who is on the House Appropriations Committee. "Texans have already paid taxes into the Rainy Day Fund, but the governor would rather sit on the people's money than use it to save our schools."
"It is the duty of those elected to government to govern - and it is the duty of those who elected then to hold them accountable. Now more than ever, Texans must demand that their Legislature craft a responsible, conservative state budget with no further use of the Rainy Day Fund," said Talmadge Heflin, director of the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation's Center for Fiscal Policy.
Perry agreed to use the Rainy Day Fund to address the 2011 deficit and at the same time vowed not to use it to address th massive revenue shortfall that remains to tackle the 2012-2013 budget. "We have worked closely with state leaders and lawmakers to balance the current budget, which includes using a one-time amount from the Economic Stabilization Fund to help our budget deal with the impact of the national recession," Perry said. "I remain steadfastly committed to protecting the remaining balance of the Rainy Day Fund and will not sign a 2012-2013 state budget that uses the Rainy Day Fund."
Texas is facing a revenue shortfall that could reach up to $27 billion over the next two-year budget. The next budget most likely will see severe cuts in all areas of state government, public education, and low-income and elderly health care programs.
"Today Republican leaders locked in a plan to force up local taxes, makes college more expensive, crowd more kids into classrooms, fire teachers, close nursing homes, and cut basic health services for children and the disabled," said Rep. Mike Villarreal, a Democrat from San Antonio, who is on the House Appropriations Committee. "Texans have already paid taxes into the Rainy Day Fund, but the governor would rather sit on the people's money than use it to save our schools."
"It is the duty of those elected to government to govern - and it is the duty of those who elected then to hold them accountable. Now more than ever, Texans must demand that their Legislature craft a responsible, conservative state budget with no further use of the Rainy Day Fund," said Talmadge Heflin, director of the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation's Center for Fiscal Policy.
Monday, March 14, 2011
It's National Napping Day
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| Reasons To Take A Siesta! |
Today is unofficially National Napping Day! First observed in 1999, thanks to Boston University professor William Anthony, PH. D. and his wife Camille. "We chose this particular Monday because Americans are more 'nap-ready' than usual after losing an hour of sleep to Daylight Savings Time," Anthony said in Boston University's press release. "Our goal is to encourage folks to take a nap wherever they may be, at home, at the workplace, or on vacation, and to make it a regular part of their healthy lifestyle. It is a day when nappers all over the country need to lie down and be counted."
Most people think napping is for kids and the elderly, however recent studies have shown that napping is heart-healthy by accelerating cardiovascular recovery and may also help you learn by restoring efficient learning abilities.
The New York Times recently reported that napping is widespread among NBA players. Not to mention that Winston Churchill was a firm believer in the benefits of napping. According to the Churchill Centre and Museum, Churchill once said: "You must sleep some time between lunch and dinner, and no half-way measures. Take off your clothes and get into bed. That's what I always do. Don't think you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day. That's a foolish notion held by people who have no imagination. You will be able to accomplish more. You get two days in one -- well, at least one and a half, I'm sure. When the war started, I had to sleep during the day because that was the only way I could cope with my responsibilities."
Feel free to use this post to convince you of a reason to take a siesta! Your body and mind will thank you for it!
Full story at The Huffington Post.
Friday, March 11, 2011
March & Rally to Save Texas Schools
Thousands Expected at Saturday Statewide March & Rally to Save Texas Schools
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| Sign the Pledge |
March & Rally At The Texas Capitol
Saturday, March 12th from 11: 00-2:00pm
Austin, Texas
- March begins at 11:00am - Starting from 12th & Trinity, 1 Block East of the Capitol
- Rally is from 12:00-2:00pm - At 11th & Congress, South Steps of the Texas Capitol
As school districts across the state reel from news of massive cuts to public education, as many as 10,000 parents, teachers, educators and community leaders from over 300 independent school districts are expected to descend on the state capitol in Austin on Saturday, March 12th.
"From all corners of the state, Texans are traveling to Austin on March 12th to send a loud, unified message to our elected officials: Keep Texas smart by funding public education," says Allen Weeks of Save Texas Schools, the grassroots coalition organizing the rally, and director of Austin Voices for Education and Youth.
Rally participants will urge legislators to take three critical steps to help close budget gaps:
- Using the $9.3 billion Texas "Rainy Day" Fund to help rescue schools from the current crisis.
- Signing the paperwork for $830 million in federal aid for teachers.
- Fixing school funding laws to be fair to all districts and our growing student population.
A number of prominent, inspiring speakers and student groups will address the crowds on March 12th, including:
- Julian Castro, Mayor of San Antonio
- John Kuhn, Superintendent of Perrin-Whitt ISD in North Texas
- Dalton Sherman, a sixth grader from Dallas, whose inspirational speeches on education have been featured nationally.
- Bill Hammond, CEO of the Texas Association of Business
Downloads that cover Key Issues that are worth reading:
- Is It Time To Tap Texas' Rainy Day Fund? - Austin American Statesman
- Texas Budget May Shift Burden to Locals - CBC DFW
- Neighborhoods, Schools, and Budgets - The Austin Chronicle
- The Key Issues - Save Texas Schools
Check out What You Can Do or Sign the Pledge!
Information Courtesy of Save Texas Schools, Press Release
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
100th Anniversary of International Women's Day
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| Find Out More About IWD! |
"Let's reinvent opportunity for working women and all women!" ~ International Women's Day 2011
Celebrate this International Women's Day Centenary by learning more about the holiday:
- International Women's Day 2011 Events
- Where Women Want To Work
- IWD Events Around the World
- Global IWD Arts Initiative
Interesting articles about what women are doing today:
- The Myth of the Pipeline: Inequality Still Plagues Working Women, Study Finds
- UN Women Celebrates as Powerful Driver of Women's Equality
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| Celebrate International Women's Day! |
Empower your daughter today:
Monday, March 07, 2011
Texas Public School Week
This week is the perfect time to get involved with your local public school. Find out what you can do as community members, parents, or students at your school. In honor of Texas Public School Week, Skidmore-Tynan ISD has several opportunities for you to visit the campus and get a first hand look at what is going on in our school. On Thursday, March 10th, the S-T Elementary School invites you to Doughnuts and Coffee at 7:30am and to Visit Classrooms from 8:00-10:00am.
Other events happening this week at Skidmore-Tynan ISD:
Other events happening this week at Skidmore-Tynan ISD:
- Monday, March 7th at 6:00pm - School Board Meeting
- Tuesday, March 8th at 7:30am - Elementary All A-Honor Roll Breakfast
- Tuesday, March 8th at 5:00pm - Elementary Parent-Teacher Conference
- Thursday, March 10th at 7:30pm - S-T Alumni Baseball Game
- Friday, March 11th - Fitness Gram Recognition Ceremony
Skidmore-Tynan ISD Rankings
More Than 5,800 Texas Public Schools Ranked - The Texas Tribune
S-T High School - Ranked 875
S-T Junior High School - Ranked 2497
S-T Elementary School - Ranked 5492
More information on Texas Public Schools:
- Find out how your local school ranks - download here
- Your schools children at risk variables - download here
This week is also a reminder of the the huge cuts the Public Schools' budgets are taking. Please take the time this week to contact your local representatives and use your voice to help our children today, it will help our tomorrow! Attend the S-T ISD School Board Meeting this evening at 6:00pm and offer suggestions, ask questions, and voice concerns about this situation.
For more information on the budget cuts for Texas Public Schools, please visit the links below.
- Speak Up for Our Future - Article by Skidmore Signal on Monday, February 28th
- Save Texas Schools - A State-Wide Coalition Dedicated to Preserving our Texas Schools
Thursday, March 03, 2011
South Texas Iconic Restaurant Burned Yesterday
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| Joe Cotton's Barbecue |
Monday, February 28, 2011
Speak Up for Our Future
Can you imagine being a child in our public schools today, what about tomorrow? Texas Public Schools and especially our S-T ISD, operate on a very low budget and now our government would like to cut that small budget drastically. How are our educators supposed to teach their students, our children, without the proper tools? How are the school administrators supposed to hire and keep qualified teachers with no money? These children are our future and they deserve the best! You may think this is not your problem because you don't have school age children, or maybe your children are in private schools or home schooled. But it is your problem because these children will be the leaders of tomorrow and they need our help.
It may be difficult to figure out what to do or say, so below are some ideas, downloadable sample letters, and where to respond. Please take some time today to stand up for our future!
Ideas on what to ask your elected officials:
It may be difficult to figure out what to do or say, so below are some ideas, downloadable sample letters, and where to respond. Please take some time today to stand up for our future!
Ideas on what to ask your elected officials:
- Make education a priority.
- Use the $9.3 Billion Texas "Rainy Day" Fund to support our schools.
- Approve $830 Million in federal aid for our teachers.
- Make school funding laws fair to all districts and to our growing student population.
Download a sample letter:
- Find elected Representatives here.
- Contact Governor Rick Perry here.
- Governor's Citizen Opinion Hotline for Texas - 800-252-9600.
- Governor's Opinion Hotline for Austin - 512-463-1782.
- Contact Lt. Governor David Dewhurst here.
Information found at Save Texas Schools, visit this site for more information.
Please share this information with all your friends and family that live in Texas - use email, Facebook, Twitter, blogs...
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The "A" List of Colleges and Universities
Picking the college or university to attend can sometimes be the easiest choice to make for students or the hardest. Some kids pick according to family tradition, location, or area of study. If you are searching for a school, this article from The Huffington Post might just help you with this major decision.
The website "What Will They Learn" evaluated 718 colleges and universities according their general education requirements in six or seven essential subjects identified by the American Council of Trustees. The report addresses why each school made or failed to make it on the "A" list.
The list of 18 "A" list colleges and Universities:
The website "What Will They Learn" evaluated 718 colleges and universities according their general education requirements in six or seven essential subjects identified by the American Council of Trustees. The report addresses why each school made or failed to make it on the "A" list.
The list of 18 "A" list colleges and Universities:
- Baylor University
- City University of New York - Brooklyn College
- East Tennessee State University
- Kennesaw State University
- Lamar University
- Midwestern State University
- St. John's College (MD)
- St. John's College (NM)
- Tennessee State University
- Texas A&M University - College Station
- Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
- Thomas Aquinas College
- United States Air Force Academy
- United States Military Academy
- University of Arkansas - Fayetteville
- University of Dallas
- University of Texas - Austin
- Wingate University
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
State of the Union Address This Evening
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| Check out more pictures from the White House! |
The State of the Union address will be live at 8:00pm on Channels 3, 6, and 10.
Monday, December 06, 2010
Small Business Seminar
Looking for some answers to your questions about small business start-ups, existing businesses, loans, or taxes? The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Coastal Bend College are hosting a seminar this week to help you with these topics and more. The event will be held at the Lott-Canada Facility, 900 W. Corpus Christi Street (Highway 59 West) on Thursday, December 9th from 12:30 to 2:00pm.
For more information or to reserve your seat, contact Nora Cartwright at 362-2633 or email noracart@coastalbend.edu.
For more information or to reserve your seat, contact Nora Cartwright at 362-2633 or email noracart@coastalbend.edu.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
S-TISD Teacher Featured in Bee-Picayune Photo Contest Story
John Davis writes "There was a very interesting article in the Bee Pic recognizing our very own Amanda Stafford from STISD for her photography work. She is competing in the Coastal Bend Wildlife Photo Contest." Read the full story on the Bee-Picayune website: Skill, patience, luck: Another rule of thirds in photography
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Walmart Gang Shooting Hoax Resurfaces in South Texas
The Caller-Times reports a hoax email initiated in 2005 has resurfaced and is causing a minor panic in the area: Wal-Mart text message threat similar to previous hoax. Read more about the hoax email in the Snopes.com story Wal-Martyred.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Video of Gonzales TD Wins YouNewsTV Contest
S-T ISD was the lucky recipient of two $500 gift cards from the Sports Authority after video of Alex Gonzales’ 85 yard kickoff return won a national contest sponsored by KIII TV 3 and YouNewsTV. The video was submitted by “superfan” Keith Petrus who had no idea they were even holding a contest. Click here to view the story on the KIII TV 3 website.
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