Holiday note - I'll be taking a couple of days off for Memorial Day. I'll return to blogging on Tuesday, May 27th...
The 5-year-old daughter of Grammy-winning Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman was struck and killed Wednesday by a sport utility vehicle driven by her brother, authorities said. The girl, Maria, was hit in the driveway of the family's home Wednesday afternoon by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by her teenage brother, said Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The brother, whose name and exact age weren't available, apparently did not see the girl, McPherson said. No charges are expected. "It looks like a tragic accident," she said. Houston Chronicle and AP
Just a week ago, John McCain decried the decision to legalize gay marriage in California. Today you can catch him on TV chatting with Ellen DeGeneres, America's foremost lesbian entertainer who within hours of the landmark ruling announced on air that she would marry her partner. Mercy News Today McCain travels the state with Governor Schwarzenegger. One wonders, will John McCain campaign for the November initiative to amend the state’s constitution as it relates to marriage.
Same-sex marriages could begin as soon as June 16 in San Diego County, depending on how quickly the state can establish a formal process for the unions. Who will administer those ceremonies remains to be seen. San Diego Tribune
Drive into Mt. Vernon, Ohio and it’s like a step back into history. The city, founded in 1805, is anchored by a city square straight out of an old post card or possibly a Norman Rockwell painting. There’s the requisite gazebo, statues and park benches. All of this belies a true American battle brewing that could shatter the idyllic setting of what has been called “Ohio’s most livable city.” Townhall I went to college in Mount Vernon, Ohio, it is a great small town location…with great morals.
A word of advice for airline passengers: Travel light. Or else. American Airlines announced Wednesday that it will charge most passengers $15 for the first piece of luggage they check. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle
New research finds rates of heart attacks, strokes and other serious disease increase exponentially after exposure to even slightly higher amounts of particulate matter. Janet Wilson in the Los Angeles Times
