LITTLE ROCK — QUOTE OF THE DAY
“We have been too content for too long to allow individuals to mow our lawn, serve our food, clean our homes and even watch our children, while not affording them any of the
benefits that make our country so great.”
Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, at the announcement of principles for comprehensive immigration legislation that includes a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million illegal aliens already in the country Article, 1A
Scouts reconsider policy on gays
The Boy Scouts of America said Monday that it was considering ending its ban on openly gay Scout leaders and allowing local Scouting groups to choose for themselves whether to allow homosexual members.
“This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs,” a spokesman for the Boy Scouts of America, Deron Smith, said in a statement.
Under the proposed change, Smith said, “The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs.”
Arsonist sentenced to death in LA case
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - An arsonist was sentenced to death on Monday for killing five men who died of heart attacks during a wildfire that ripped through the hills east of Los Angeles a decade ago.
Superior Court Judge Michael Smith had the option of sentencing Rickie Lee Fowler, 31, to death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Fowler was convicted in August of five counts of first-degree murder and two counts of arson. A jury later recommended a death sentence for Fowler.
Prosecutors said Fowler lit the fire in 2003 out of rage after he was thrown out of a house where his family was staying. The Old Fire scorched 91,000 acres in October 2003 and destroyed 1,000 buildings while burning for nine days in the foothills above San Bernardino.
The men died after their homes burned or as they tried to evacuate.
Fowler was serving time for burglary when he was charged with starting the blaze.
Houston shooting charges dropped
HOUSTON - Prosecutors on Monday dropped charges against a 22-year-old man who authorities initially believed was involved in a shooting that wounded him and two others at a Houston area community college.
Carlton Berry was arrested soon after last Tuesday’s shootings at Lone Star College and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. But authorities later accused another man, Trey Foster, 22, of being the shooter.
Foster has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault and faces a charge of resisting arrest in an earlier case. He was arrested Friday in the Dallas suburb of Plano.
Front Section, Pages 4 on 01/29/2013