Saturday, January 28th, 2012

Today's Top Stories

Talented students put poetry in motion

Despite the bar already being set high, a group of Hopewell-Loudon seventh-graders have exceeded their teacher's expectations.

Public Record

Fostoria

Today's Top Local Sports Stories

SW bumps N. Baltimore

Sometimes it takes only one quarter to set the tone for an entire game.

NBC sticking together, says commissioner

The member schools of the Northern Buckeye Conference are staying put, according to commissioner Larry Jones.

Police fire tear gas at Oakland, 200 arrested (Reuters)

Reuters - Riot police fought running skirmishes with anti-Wall Street protesters on Saturday, firing tear gas and bean bag projectiles and arresting more than 200 people in clashes that injured three officers and at least one demonstrator.

Sandusky asks court to allow visits with grandchildren (Reuters)

Reuters - Former Penn State University football coach Jerry Sandusky, who is under house arrest on charges of child sexual abuse, has asked a Pennsylvania court to allow supervised visits with his grandchildren that are now prohibited.

Three killed when Sacramento commuter train hits vehicle (Reuters)

Reuters - At least three people, including a toddler, were killed when a light rail train carrying 50 passengers hit a vehicle in Sacramento on Saturday, and investigators were working to determine the cause, police said.

Should Undercover Video Be Banned at Livestock Farms? (Time.com)

Time.com - In a controversy raging in six states, lawmakers are debating whether to criminalize the covert filming of farm activity

Tax Returns and Tithing: How Mitt Romney Gives Away 16% of His Income (Time.com)

Time.com - When Mitt Romney released his 2010 tax returns on Tuesday, the one number that stood out wasn't his 14% effective tax rate or his $20 million-plus annual income. It was the $7 million he gave to charity over the last two years

Prosecutors plan retrial in Katrina shootings cover-up case (Reuters)

Reuters - Federal prosecutors plan to seek a retrial for a retired New Orleans police detective accused of conspiring to cover up wrongdoing in police killings in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a spokeswoman said on Saturday.

Ahead in Florida, Romney turns focus back to Obama (AP)

AP - Mitt Romney strode into the final 48 hours of the pivotal Florida Republican primary campaign with the confidence of a resurgent front-runner, predicting he'll win in Tuesday's voting while looking ahead to future contests.

300 arrested in daylong Occupy Oakland protests (AP)

AP - Dozens of police maintained a late-night guard around City Hall following daylong protests that resulted in 300 arrests. Occupy Oakland demonstrators broke into the historic building and burned a U.S. flag, as officers earlier fired tear gas to disperse people throwing rocks and tearing down fencing at a convention center.

Congress tries to police itself on insider trading (AP)

AP - Aware that most Americans would like to dump them all, members of Congress hope to regain some sense of trust by subjecting themselves to tougher penalties for insider trading and requiring they disclose stock transactions within 30 days.

APNewsBreak: Police seek help on drugged driving (AP)

AP - The federal government should help police departments nationwide obtain the tools and training needed to attack a rising scourge of driving under the influence, two U.S. senators said Sunday.

Russia backs Assad, last friend in Arab world (AP)

AP - Russia's defiance of international efforts to end Syrian President Bashar Assad's crackdown on protests is rooted in a calculation that it can keep a Mideast presence by propping up its last remaining ally in the region — and has nothing to lose if it fails.

SUV hits light-rail train in Sacramento, killing 3 (AP)

AP - An SUV ignored flashing warning lights and veered around a rail crossing arm moments before it collided with a light-rail train, killing two adults and an 18-month-old boy in the vehicle, authorities said.

Djokovic looks to defend title vs. Nadal (AP)

If anyone knows how Novak Djokovic feels after sweating and scrapping for almost five hours in the Australian Open semifinals, it's his next opponent - Rafael Nadal. A day after Nadal beat Roger Federer in four compelling sets, Djokovic dug deep to overcome Andy Murray 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 7-5 on Friday night after 4 hours, 50 minutes.

Iowa St. ends No. 5 Kansas' streak at 10 (AP)

Royce White has been so bad from the free throw line lately that his struggles have literally turned into nightmares. A few hours after waking up from a dream in which he couldn't hit anything from the line, White sank the two biggest freebies of his career to give Iowa State a landmark win for coach Fred Hoiberg.

Woods falters to lose in Abu Dhabi (AP)

Robert Rock held his nerve Sunday to beat U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship for the biggest win of the Englishman's career. The 117th-ranked Rock shot a 2-under 70 for an overall 13-under 275 to beat the 22-year Northern Irishman by a shot and the 14-major winner by two.

Bears hire Chiefs' Emery as GM (AP)

The Chicago Bears have hired Kansas City Chiefs director of college scouting Phil Emery as their new general manager. Emery was an area scout for the Bears from 1998-2004 and replaces Jerry Angelo, who was fired after an injury-riddled 8-8 season. Emery and New England Patriots director of pro personnel Jason Licht were finalists and both interviewed twice.

49ers star LB Smith arrested for DUI (AP)

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was charged Saturday with driving under the influence in Miami Beach. Miami-Dade County jail records show Smith was booked Saturday morning and held on $1,000 bond. Jail records did not show whether Smith was represented by an attorney. A Miami-Dade County Corrections spokeswoman said Smith was arrested by Miami Beach police.

Robinson keys Pitt upsetting No. 9 Hoyas (AP)

Jamie Dixon didn't give up hope, not when Pittsburgh lost to Wagner. Not when Rutgers held the Panthers to all of 39 points. Not when the program's longest losing streak in well over a decade sent it tumbling to the bottom of the Big East. The coach kept insisting the Panthers would be OK when they got healthy.