Story 3

North Point Inn had an unwanted visitor yesterday morning, a knife wielding robber. Minutes before 9 a.m. yesterday a disguised man walked into the office of Nina Cortez, the restaurant’s bookkeeper. With all of the previous day’s revenue freshly counted on her desk, the man without saying a word grabbed $130. “He just took the money and walked out,” stated Cortez.

A few minutes’ later police arrived at the restaurant. That’s when they found Kevin Blohm, a cook at the restaurant. “I went into the hallway with the police and saw blood on a door in the reception area. It was awful. There was blood on the walls and floor,” said Cortez. Blohm had been stabbed to death. “He had a large knife wound in his chest and another on one hand,” remarked Cortez.

Police are currently investigating and looking into the possibility of a second suspect. Although Cortez only saw one man, she heard someone shout “Get that money out of there,” after she locked herself in her office. There is no answer yet to why Blohm had been stabbed, but Cortez believes he may have gotten in the way or tried to stop the robber. Cortez was not hurt during the robbery.

Cortez describes the man she saw as 5’ 10”, medium build and in his early 20s. He was wearing blue jeans, a blue plaid button-up shirt, and blue tennis shoes. She was not able to see his face due to a scarf he had tied cowboy style around his face. If you have any information about this man or the events that took place please contact the local police.

Nap Time

Naps aren’t just for toddlers anymore, researchers have found out in a recent study dealing with the learning power of young adults. Sleeping for 90 minutes can actually restore the brain’s ability to learn, like a sponge ready to soak up new information. In the study, those who took a nap had a 10% increase in their scores compared to those who didn’t sleep.

New York Times -

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/health/research/23beha.html?em

Saving the Penguins, and More!

Researchers from the University of Cape Town found that even a small protected area can help save endangered species. In an effort to save a target group of fish species, a marine conservation zone was established to prevent commercial fishing in that area. As a result the top predator of the fish, the African penguin, has seen positive effects that may help save their species.

New York Times -

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/science/16obbird.html?ref=science

Story 2 - Denied

In a meeting Thursday afternoon, Isanti’s county sheriff sparked a heated debate with several county commissioners over the city’s budget. Sheriff Gus DiCesari believes the residents of Isanti are being put at risk if the law enforcement doesn’t receive proper funding. However, those funds would amount to $580,000; money which Isanti doesn’t have. The shortage of money this year is due to increased costs for health care, and higher fuel costs Commission President Anne Chenn stated. Roughly $30 million alone was spent on constructing a new prison, consuming nearly a quarter of the total budget. Chenn told DiCesari he “would just have to make do this year,” because they couldn’t afford the eight new cruisers and five additional deputies he was asking for. The sheriff’s request was denied with a vote of 5-2.

The Nexus Hotline

Owners of the Nexus One, a touchscreen smartphone developed by Google, haven’t been receiving satisfying customer support from the company. The company only provided an e-mail address, and forum to help those in need. However, it would take several days before getting a response from an e-mail. Now Google, in an effort to boost customer support, unveiled a support hotline customers can call for inquiries and shipping questions.

New York Times -

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/google-opens-phone-line-for-nexus-one-customers/?ref=technology

College Student

I remember back to my first day at ARCC. I was pretty nervous, my palms were sweaty and my heart was ready to burst from my chest. I had no clue what to expect. What would my professors be like? Who would be in my classes? Would I know anyone? Those were just a few of the questions racing through my mind. It didn't help I had no idea where my classes were. However, thankfully for a map, and help from the information desk I was able to make my way to class. When I first walked through the door of my first class, I was so relieved to see some familiar faces. I didn't have to worry about being surrounded by complete strangers anymore. As the class started and progressed, I became more relaxed. I was comfortable sitting by those I knew, and those I didn't seemed alright with me. It surprised me on how the class was run though. Coming from high school, things were more hands on, but this college class was purely lecture. I tried my best to keep up with the professor, scribbling away furiously in my notebook to every single word. By the end of class, I had pages of unreadable chicken scratch. My efforts were in vain. The four hour class seemed to slip by so fast. After everything was packed up, I was done for the day. That was a great enjoy. Gone were the days of seven hours worth of class blocks. Gone were the days of 7 a.m. bus rides to school. Finally, gone were the days of high school drama. I was a college student now.

A Different kind of Foam

Hundreds of tropical frogs create nests for their offspring out of foam. Crafted in a deliberate fashion, the foam is formed out of a fluid from the female frog and water. The eggs are then delivered and fertilized before being put inside of the center of this nest. Inside the nest, the eggs are protected by proteins in the fluid, which prevent damage from pathogens and sunlight.

New York Times -

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/science/02obfoam.html?ref=science