1. A The Daily Reflector, Sunday, January 8, 2012
MIAMI
Teens beat classmate unconcious
SevencentralFloridateenagerswerear-
rested after authorities said they punched
and kicked a 13-year-old until she was
unconscious while on a school bus.
The victim told authorities that Friday
was her first time riding the bus and no
one would let her sit down. About 75 chil-
dren were riding the bus bound for a mid-
dle school in Ocala, a rural city north of
Orlando. The victim said someone threw
a shoe at her and she threw one back, ac-
cording to an arrest report.
One girl allegedly asked students if
they wanted to hit the victim, then in-
structed the teens to form a circle and
began hitting and kicking the victim.
Several witnesses said they saw the girl
fall to the floor and “appear to have a sei-
zure and pass out,” according to the ar-
rest report.
MAIDUGURI, NIGeRIA
13 killed in radical sect attacks
Police said violence in two states in
northeastNigeriahaskilled13peopleamid
a wave of attacks by a radical Muslim sect.
Police said Saturday the attacks oc-
curred in Adamawa and Yobe states on
Friday night.
In Adamawa, officials said gunmen
suspected to belong to a radical sect
known as Boko Haram killed eight wor-
shippers at a church. In Yobe, a gun battle
between the sect and police killed at least
two people.
The attacks come after 20 Christians
died during a town hall meeting in rural
Adamawa state.
AuthoritiesblamedtheattacksonBoko
Haram, a radical sect that wants to imple-
ment strict Shariah law across Nigeria, a
multiethnic nation of more than 160 mil-
lion people.
VIeNNA HONOLULU
Hawaii sees recent seal killings
Three, possibly four, critically endan-
gered Hawaiian monk seals have been de-
liberately killed in Hawaii in the past two
months.
No one knows who is killing the seals
or why. But the deaths are coming as the
federal government steps up its efforts to
protect the seals, leading to simmering
resentment among some fishermen who
fear new regulations will trample upon
their right to fish.
The killings also are happening as the
misguided notion spreads that the ani-
mals aren’t native to Hawaii and don’t
belong here.
Walter Ritte, a Molokai resident and
longtime activist, says the negative at-
titude toward the seals has overpowered
the concern the species is endangered.
From Associated Press reports
the associated press
HeAVy sNOwfALLs captured austria
and southern Germany by surprise with
big traffic problems and a key rail way
shutdown.
NatioN WoRLD
Giffords will soon face decision about future
By KeVIN fReKING
the associated press
WASHINGTON — The
signals are strong. One year
afterbeingshotinthehead,
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is
on a mission to return to
the job she so clearly loved.
Her husband and people
near the three-term con-
gresswoman said she is
highly motivated to recover
from her injuries and get
back to work in Washing-
ton,potentiallyusingherin-
spirational story as a way to
mendpoliticaldifferencesin
thenation’scapital.Shefaces
a May deadline to get on the
November ballot, meaning
she has a few months to de-
cide her next step.
Her future will depend
on a recovery that has
progressed in remarkable
fashion over the past year
as she is now able to walk
and talk. Her only inter-
view occurred with ABC’s
Diane Sawyer nearly 10
months after the shooting
andshowedhowfarshehas
come, but also how far she
has to go. At the time, she
did not speak in complete
sentences and repeated her
words to make her point.
“No, better. Um, bet-
ter, better,” she said when
asked about returning to
Washington.
The day after the inter-
view ran, her congressio-
nal office released an audio
recording that showed she
had made progress in her
communicationskillsinthe
two weeks that had elapsed
between the interview and
its airing. She read from a
script and an aide said it
took multiple tries before
she was comfortable with
the result.
“I’m getting stronger. I’m
getting better,” Giffords
said. “There is a lot to say. I
will speak better.”
Jared Lee Loughner, 23,
who has been diagnosed
with schizophrenia, has
pleaded not guilty to charg-
es stemming from the mass
shooting Jan. 8, 2011, out-
side a Tucson supermarket
where Giffords was meet-
ing with her constituents.
He is being forcibly medi-
cated at a federal prison fa-
cility in Missouri in an ef-
fort to make him mentally
ready for trial.
GIffordsreturnedtoTuc-
son on Friday from Hous-
ton to attend ceremonies to
mark today’s one-year an-
niversary of the shooting
that killed six and injured
her and 12 others.
Her first stop was her of-
fice, where she participated
in an emotional ceremony
to honor slain staffer Gabe
Zimmerman. Her staff
dedicated a life-size photo
of Zimmerman and a me-
morial plaque that will
greet visitors as they arrive.
Her husband, Mark Kelly,
postedaphotoofthecouple
on a visit Saturday morn-
ing to a trailhead outside
Tucson named in honor of
Zimmerman.
Events will take place
throughout today in Tuc-
son, and Giffords is expect-
ed to attend at least one.
Giffords has cast one vote
since the shooting. She sur-
prised colleagues in August
byreturningtoWashington
to vote for legislation rais-
ing the nation’s debt ceiling.
Thedebateleadinguptothe
vote had been among the
most bitter and partisan of
the year. On other votes, she
is recorded as not voting.
Giffords’ staff consults
with her when working on
major initiatives, such as
trying to fend off the Air
Force’s efforts to move the
612th Air and Space Op-
erations Center out of Tuc-
son. The staff also works
on individual constituent
requests, such as helping
war veterans and their wid-
ows obtain benefits or in
securing a Tucson woman’s
flight out of Egypt during
demonstrations in early
2011. Aides said that Gif-
fords now participates in
teleconferences with mem-
bers of her staff about once
a week, though the call gets
put off occasionally based
on her schedule.
Giffords has captivated
the nation as she recov-
ers. Going into Christmas
week, her office had 24,880
letters that had poured in
from all over the world.
Students from 428 schools
mailed her a get-well card.
Many well-wishers send
her hand-made gifts, such
as quilts, jewelry and paint-
ings. People also send CDs
with their favorite music
and books with uplifting
themes that they hope will
cheer her up.
“Almost every day, we
get more gifts” Giffords’
spokesman Mark Kimble
said. “People routinely
come in, asking if she’s here
and if they can talk to her.”
On Capitol Hill, col-
leagues have held several
fundraisers on her poten-
tialcampaign’sbehalf,rais-
ing more than $800,000
between Jan. 1 and Sept.
30.
the associated press
ONe yeAR after being shot in the head, rep. Gabrielle
Giffords is on a mission to return to the job she loved.
“I’m getting
stronger. I’m
getting better.
There is a lot to
say.”
Gabrielle Giffords
congresswoman
We know
Heating.
756-8314
The Greenville Human Relations Council is accepting nominations for their annual award ceremony
and reception. The nomination deadline is Tuesday, January 17, 2012. The event will take place at the
Hilton Greenville on Saturday, February 25, 2012, at 5:30 p.m.
If you know of individuals, businesses, organizations or agencies that are deserving of any of these awards,
we encourage you to nominate them. Listed are the categories and the criteria for each award:
• Best-Irons Humanitarian Award (Nominees must reside in the city limits)
Individual
Business/Organization
• Distinguished Inclusive Community Award
• Community Service Award
Community Service Youth (17 and younger)
Community Service Humanitarian (18 and older)
Community Service Business/Organization
Nominations must be post marked by deadline date, Tuesday, January 17th or they can be hand delivered
to the Human Relations Office, located on the second floor of the Municipal Building (201 West Fifth
Street) Monday – Friday between the hours of 8:00 – 5:00 pm. Please address all nominations to:
Cassandra Daniels
P.O. Box 7207
201 West Fifth Street
Greenville, NC 27835-7207
For more information, please visit www.coghrc.org or contact Cassandra Daniels with the City’s Human
Relations Office at 252-329-4494.
This event is sponsored by the City of Greenville and the Human Relations Council and co-sponsored
by The Daily Reflector.
City of Greenville Human Relations Council
ANNUAL AWARDS NOMINATIONS
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P.O. BOX 252
FALKLAND, NC 27827
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Saturday, January 14, 2012 – 10:00 AM
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