LITTLE ROCK — QUOTE OF THE DAY “It’s historic.We’ve
waited our entire lives for this.” Steven Bridges, 42, who exchanged
vows with his partner Michael Snell, 53, in Portland, Maine, on Saturday, the first
day gay marriage was allowed in the state Article, this page
Bush moved out
of intensive care
HOUSTON - Former President George H.W.
Bush’s condition continued to improve Saturday, prompting doctors to move him out of intensive care, a spokesman said.
“President Bush’s condition has improved, so he has been moved today from the intensive care unit to a regular patient room at The Methodist Hospital to continue his recovery,” family spokesman Jim McGrath said Saturday. “The Bushes thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes.”
Bush, 88, was hospitalized Nov. 23 for treatment of a bronchitis-related cough.
He was moved to intensive care at the Houston hospital last Sunday after he developed a fever.
On Friday, McGrath said Bush had improved since arriving in the intensive care unit. He said he was alert and in good spirits and was even doing some singing.
Case about school safety, lawyer says
A lawyer who’s asking to sue Connecticut for damages on behalf of a 6-year-old Newtown school-shooting survivor said the potential claim is about improving school security, not money.
New Haven attorney Irving Pinsky asked last week to sue the state, which has immunity against most lawsuits unless it gives a party permission to go forward with a claim. Connecticut’s claims commissioner couldn’t be reached for comment Saturday.
Pinsky’s client, whom he called “Jill Doe” in the claim, suffered “emotional and psychological trauma and injury” on Dec. 14 after gunman Adam Lanza forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School and gunned down 20 children and six adults inside.
The child heard “conversations, gunfire and screaming” over Sandy Hook’s intercom after someone in the office apparently switched on the system, according to the claim. Pinsky said Saturday that he didn’t know whether his client saw anyone die.
The state Board of Education, Department of Education and state education commissioner failed to protect the child “from foreseeable harm,” including by failing to provide a safe school setting, the filing said.
The attorney said he hasn’t gotten a reply from the state yet. The Hartford Courant first reported the filing.
Lawmaker cites gun
charge, exits race
CHICAGO - An Illinois state lawmaker who was a frontrunner to replace former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. said he’s ending his candidacy because he doesn’t want the felony gun charges he faces to detract from the district’s important issues.
Donne Trotter was arrested Dec. 5 when security screeners at O’Hare International Airport found an unloaded .25-caliber Beretta handgun in his bag.
He told officers he had the gun for a job he works with a security firm and forgot it was in his bag before he went to the airport.
Trotter announced Saturday that he will not seek the 2nd Congressional District seat, explaining that solving the area’s economic and other problems was too important to allow his legal “situation to detract from what needs to be front and center.”
Front Section, Pages 5 on 12/30/2012