News Digest:
Friday, June 13, 2008 10:30 AM PDT
GOOD AFTERNOON
IDAHO
Idaho summit to
address Hispanic
student scores
BOISE (AP) — The Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs will host a statewide summit next month aimed at closing the gap between Hispanic students and their non-Hispanic classmates.
A commission study this year showed Latino students in third through eighth grades, and 10th graders, scored below non-Hispanic students in reading, math and language skills on 2006-2007 statewide tests.
OREGON
Oregon appeals court allows casino challenge
PORTLAND (AP) — Gov. Ted Kulongoski may have to go back to court over his approval for a casino in Florence on the Oregon coast.
The Oregon Court of Appeals has ruled that a citizens group called People Against a Casino Town, or PACT, can challenge the governor’s decision to authorize casino plans by the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians.
THE NATION
Oil prices rebound on Nigeria, technical
factors
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices rebounded from a steep early loss to end modestly higher Thursday in another volatile session fueled by a rising dollar and concerns about supplies. Gas prices reached new record at the pump, rising to a national average of $4.06 a gallon, and are likely to keep rising.
Light, sweet crude for July delivery rose 36 cents to settle at $136.74 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Mom in NY finds snake in crib, coiled around baby's leg
BRENTWOOD, N.Y. (AP) — A woman who awoke to her baby’s cries was shocked to peer into the crib and find a foot-long snake wrapped around her 7-month-old daughter’s leg.
Cari Abatemarco said she was visiting family in the Long Island town of Brentwood last week when she made the startling discovery.
"Once I lifted her up and the snake fell off of her, she stopped crying. But then I was the one crying all night," Abatemarco told Newsday. She was in town from Troy, in upstate New York.
A relative removed the hissing snake from the crib with a back scratcher, and placed it in a bucket until animal control officers arrived. The child was unharmed.
The reptile, identified as a non-venomous California king snake, didn't belong to Abatemarco's family members. Officials say they don't know where the snake came from.
The animal is being cared for at a Long Island animal shelter.
