Tree Attacks Tree Hugger
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On the eve of the first anniversary of its aerial “village” in a remote forest near Mount Madonna, Earth First!’s attempt to establish a large tree-sitting operation near Boulder Creek has been marred by the serious injury of a young woman. Jenna Griffith, 20, who uses the forest name “Sparrow,” was injured Wednesday when she fell about 30 feet from a tree and hit her head on a redwood stump.
“Sparrow was hurt doing her utmost to save those trees,”

Another Female Teacher Getting Some From The Kids
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A second-grade teacher suspected of having sex with a 14-year-old boy was reported to authorities by Marysville teachers after her behavior with a boy at a middle-school sports event raised red flags, Marysville School District officials said yesterday. The 37-year-old woman, a Marysville resident who teaches in the Mukilteo district, was at a basketball game at Cedarcrest School when teachers noticed “behavior of concern” between the two, Marysville district spokeswoman Mary Fears said. Fears said she was touching the boy. The teacher is under investigation for her involvement with at least two boys, both 14-year-old friends of her son. One told investigators he’d had sex with the woman on three occasions in her home in April, according to a probable-cause arrest document. The mother of another boy had obtained a no-contact order against the teacher in February, after she became worried that her son was having an inappropriate relationship with the woman.
“Oh, I have the car all warm for you.”

Yahoo Bans Japanese Child Killing Game
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A computer game modeled after the fatal stabbing of eight children in western Japan has been removed from a Yahoo portal site, Yahoo Japan Corp. said today.An unidentified person put “Killing Children at Ikeda Elementary School” on the Yahoo portal site following the June 8 school attack, Yahoo Japan Corp. officials said on condition of anonymity.

New Zealanders Call for Fat Tax
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WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A New Zealand nutritional group suggested today that food should be taxed according to its fat content in an effort to curb obesity

Thirsty Beer Fans Want Tax Repeal
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A tax on liquor brought America the Whiskey Rebellion two centuries ago. Now the brewing industry is looking to start the Battle over the Beer Tax.”Beer is one of America’s best pastimes,”

Man Makes Wacky Excuse To Evade Wife’s Fury
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Greenville County authorities are investigating the Friday morning kidnapping of a Greenville businessman, News 4 reports. Authorities said that Donald Burdette walked out of work early Friday morning and into the barrel of a gun.

Another Vendor Whines About Kids
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Three girls aged 7 to 9 have been ordered to shut down their front yard snow cone stand. An ice cream vendor’s tip brought orders from the Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services to halt snow cone sales. The popular flavored snow cones went for 50 cents. The ice cream man apparently didn’t want the competition.
“It is really sad,”

Weight Watchers Fooled With ‘Diet’ Ice Cream
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At Weight Watchers meetings from Florida to Virginia, rooms frequently become abuzz with talk of “Big Daddy” ice cream. Internet chat rooms and bulletin boards share the secret of this tasty, guilt-free treat made by DeConna Ice Cream Co. in Orange Lake, which has been selling briskly in several major grocery store chains. In a world in which counting calories and fat is a way of life, the nutritional label on the product is a dieter’s dream. Vanilla Big Daddy, according to the label, has 100 calories and 2 grams of fat for a 12-ounce serving — a mere 2 points for Weight Watchers devotees, about the same as an apple. But lab tests commissioned by the Sun-Sentinel could explain why calorie and carbohydrate-watchers who nosh on the supposedly light delight might not be losing weight. The tests showed the calories are triple what is touted on the label and the carbohydrates are more than double — an understatement of 200 calories, 5.5 grams of fat and 31 grams of carbohydrates.