North Carolina Tax Free Weekend is happening this weekend: Aug 7 – 9th. Details: http://www.dornc.com/taxes/sales/salestax_holiday.html
More families find merit in home schooling: One family cites togetherness, ability to make faith a part of curriculum (Great positive article from the Winston-Salem Journal)
http://www.journalnow.com/content/2009/aug/06/more-families-find-merit-in-home-schooling/news/
In the Pacific…Hurricane Felicia, a Category 4 storm, is heading toward Hawaii. Felicia is expected to weaken over the next few days as it moves over colder water.
North Carolina lawmakers have approved the $19 billion dollar budget on Wednesday. The budget includes nearly a billion dollars in new taxes along with
spending cuts.
The last financial hurdle needed to complete construction of the downtown baseball park in Winston-Salem has been cleared. The North Carolina Local Governments Commission has approved the city's $12.7 million dollar loan to finish the ballpark.
The Senate is expected to vote on an extension of the Cash-For-Clunkers program later today. The House passed a two billion dollar extension to the original one billion dollar buyer incentive program last week.
Gym class injuries increased by 150% from 1997-2007…And a new study suggesting that it’s not the rigorous PE programs but a lack of adult supervision. Also, a decline in school nurses and larger class sizes could also be a problem. Boys had more cuts and broken bones than girls. Girls were more likely to suffer strains and sprains. The study will appear in the September edition of Pediatrics. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090803/D99R9MI00.html
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (with Ty Pennington) is soliciting nominations for a family to feature on an up-coming episode. Nominations can be made either by family members themselves or by someone in their community.
The deadline is August 7th. Nomination information: http://www.abc45.com/
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler was airlifted to a hospital after falling from stage during a concert at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in western South Dakota last night. Tyler, age 61, fell while entertaining the crowd by dancing around after the sound system failed. Tyler suffered minor head and neck injuries and a shoulder injury, but it wasn't immediately clear how serious that was. The Buffalo Chip Campground hosted the outdoor concert. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090806/D99TBQ9O1.html
It's been a wild year for members of the Taviano family from Ohio. They visited 52 zoos in 52 weeks. Marla Taviano, her husband and three daughters began last August with the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky and spent weekends and vacations going to zoos across the country. Their visits included the Dallas Zoo, New York's Central Park Zoo and the San Diego Zoo. Taviano says she got the idea while trying to think of an adventure that would feel like traveling the world and seeing exotic creatures but on a budget. The family's 22,000-mile tour ended last Saturday with a visit to their hometown Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Taviano plans a book about their journey. The Zoo adventure: http://www.52zoos.com/
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090805/D99SSVLO1.html
You’re getting very sleepy…NOT? A South Korean hypnotist has been fined for stealing a kiss on a blind date with a woman he thought he had successfully put in a trance. The 32-year-old man suggested hypnotizing his 27-year-old date during their first meeting arranged by a matchmaking agency. The woman was eventually persuaded, and the hypnotist started his routine… When the man, identified only by his surname, Park, thought his technique had worked, he went to kiss her. But the woman was fully alert, though her eyes were closed…
A South Korean District Court fined Park ($2,400)
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090806/D99T64481.html
