Opinion

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? Frustrated by what she described as Vatican stonewalling, an Irish woman who was sexually abused by clergy quit her post Wednesday on a panel advising Pope Francis about how to protect minors from such abuse.The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors said Marie Collins quit out of ?frustration? at an alleged lack of cooperation from other Vatican offices, known as the Curia. Her ...

SICKLERVILLE, N.J. (AP) ? An 8-year-old girl received a one-day suspension from her New Jersey public school for wearing a shirt the wrong shade of green.The girl?s mother tells WTXF-TV that Winslow Township Elementary School No. 4 sent her daughter home Tuesday for wearing a kelly green polo shirt, which was deemed to be in violation of the Camden County school?s dress code.The school?s dress code specifies ...

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Former President George W. Bush returned Friday to New Orleans ? the scene of one of his presidency?s lowest points ? to tout the region?s recovery from the nation?s costliest natural disaster on the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. He and Laura Bush visited the oldest public school in the city ? Warren Easton Charter High School, which was closed for a year because of storm damage and ...

Hundreds of Tetris fans had a little fun Saturday with a big version of the classic video game.The Philadelphia skyscraper-sized version created a spectacle against the night sky that organizers hoped inspired onlookers and players to think about the possibilities of technology.The 29-story Cira Centre, which has hundreds of LED lights embedded in its glass facade, normally displays colorful geometric patterns ...

Cambridge Investment Research Inc. has announced the new Jim Guy Memorial Scholarship program designed to award at least two annual $1,000 scholarships, with one focused on the son or daughter of a Cambridge employee and a second focused on the son or daughter of an independent Cambridge advisor. Applications will be accepted through April 30, with the scholarship funding intended for the summer or fall terms ...

Trojan Sports Boosters president Chad Thompson, left, accepts a $7,000 donation from Dave and Madonna Smithburg, representing Smithburg?s BP in Fairfield and Jet Gas Corporation, a BP Branded Marketer servicing BP stations throughout southeast Iowa. In addition to the $3,500 BP Fueling Communities grant donation, Smithburg?s and Jet Gas Corporation donated an additional $3,500, bringing the total to $7,000. The ...

Police in Massachusetts responding to reports of an intruder in a woman?s home quickly ?quacked? the case.A North Reading woman called police Saturday from her upstairs bedroom to report that she heard loud banging noises downstairs and feared someone had broken into her home.Officers who responded found no sign of a break-in.But during a quick search of the home, police found a soot-covered wood duck. Police ...

Fairfield Fire Department responded to an automatic alarm at 8:54 p.m. Thursday at 2701 W. Burlington Ave., Walmart. A one-inch pipe in the southwest corner of the store, part of the sprinkler system, froze, causing the line to separate. Firefighters shut down the sprinkler system and returned to the station at 10:04 p.m.

Jefferson County Sheriff?s Office picked up Dustin Canaday at 5:50 p.m. Thursday at the Van Buren County line on a Jefferson County warrant on failure to show cause and transported him back to Jefferson County Jail.Connie Sue Blaise, 61, of Birmingham, was arrested at 2:25 p.m. Thursday. She is charged with aiding and abetting third-degree sexual abuse.Damian Lynn Blaise Sr., 28, of Fairfield, was arrested at ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? This may be remembered as the year smartphones became boring.Although high-definition displays on smartphones have gotten bigger and their cameras have gotten better, the pace of gee-whiz innovation has dawdled.Smartphone and software makers are working on ways to snap out of this technological lull, although it probably will be at least another year or two before breakthroughs revolutionize...

MT. PLEASANT (GTNS) ? Take it from a native South Dakotan, the weather can and does get brutal in the winter.However, winter came early to western South Dakota this year.A weekend storm Oct. 4 dumped two feet of snow (accompanied by 60-70 mile-per-hour winds) on western South Dakota, the heart of the state?s cattle country.The timing and viciousness of the storm caught many ranchers off-guard with some ...

DES MOINES (AP) ? State officials have decided to save some money by shutting down some rest areas along Iowa?s interstates.Iowa Transportation Department director Paul Trombino told The Des Moines Register that the agency won?t replace two rest areas in Dallas County that will be demolished for an interchange project in 2015. It?s unclear yet what will happen to the 38 other full-service rest areas.Trombino ...