Stateline
March 2007
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March 2007
Girl Violence
Girls today are more violent than girls of two or three decades ago, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today, girls account for about a quarter of assaults by juveniles. In 1980, it was less than 10 percent. Usually (75 percent of the time) it is girl on girl violence. Experts cite a mix of possible factors for the rise in aggravated assault arrests of girls. Today, more than three decades ago, girls are encouraged to be competitive and confrontational. It is often difficult for young women to strike a balance between assertive and aggressive. Peer pressure may be another factor. Some experts say girls fight for some of the same reasons boys do—to gain respect and to defend their reputations.
Don't Free the Fish
Hawai’i is participating in a national campaign to encourage pet owners to turn in unwanted aquarium fish and plants instead of dumping them in streams or the ocean. The concern is that non-native released plants and animals will establish themselves in the ocean, streams or lakes, killing native plants and animals and costing millions to control. Pet owners are encouraged to drop off aquarium pets at pet retailers; consider giving or trading them with another pet owner, pond owner or water gardener; or donate them to a classroom or aquarium. Aquatic plants should be sealed in plastic bags and disposed of.
Hot Sand
Some Wisconsin sand is so highly sought after you’d think it was gold. One underground mine there scoops thousands of tons of this “frac sand” from the bluffs along the Mississippi River. It’s valuable because it’s as round as really tiny snowballs and super strong, and it’s almost pure quartz. It’s perfect for the oil and natural gas exploration industry. The sand is mixed with water and then pumped at very high pressure into oil and natural gas wells where it blasts apart the rock and holds open the fractures so the oil and gas can make their way to the surface. Although frac sand is mined elsewhere, Wisconsin has one of the last underground frac sand mines.
Plain Talk Works
Washington state officials are making a real effort to talk to the public in simple, clear language. Two years ago Governor Chris Gregoire ordered all state agencies to adopt “plain talk” principles. More than 2,000 state employees have attended classes on writing letters, announcements and documents in everyday language. Out are words such as abeyance, cease and utilize. In are words such as suspension, stop and use. When people understand what the government asks of them, there’s a better chance they’ll comply, officials have found. By rewriting one letter in clearer language, the Department of Revenue tripled the number of businesses paying the “use tax,” which resulted in an extra $800,000 collected over two years. And across the country, the new governor of Florida, Charlie Crist, has recently signed an executive order giving state agencies until April 3 to adopt “plain language plans.”
Tailgaters Beware
No one likes a tailgater, but what can you do about it? In Arizona, new laser devices that measure the distance between two moving vehicles are allowing Arizona authorities to give out tickets to tailgaters. The Department of Public Safety has nine of the devises and will be buying 19 more. Arizona law doesn’t specify tailgating other than driving “more closely than is reasonable and prudent.” Drivers with less than a second of distance between their cars and the cars in front are getting the tickets, which can cost violators more than $100.
Yellowstone is Growing Up
Two domes inside the collapsed, restless volcano in Yellowstone are swelling faster than has ever been recorded. The huge caldera that stretches across the park’s middle has been rising and falling for at least 15,000 years, sometimes swinging more than 10 feet. But the latest upward motion has been unusual for its speed. The activity may be spurred by an infusion of magma from below that is heating up fluids and causing the ground to bulge. Research into what’s happening may help put an end to several years of debate about what kind of plume underlies the park.
Move Over
Alabama’s new move over law has surprised some motorists who have been ticketed for not changing lanes when a police patrol vehicle, ambulance, fire truck or other emergency vehicle is stopped and flashing its emergency lights. Representative Spencer Collier, who urged passage of the law, said that during his nine years as a state trooper he came close to being struck by passing motorists several times. He feared being hit by an automobile more than being shot. The law went into effect last July 1 and was publicized through the media. If changing lanes is unsafe, motorists are required to slow to at least 10 mph.
No Time Left
The intensive time required to prepare students for mandatory testing in the nation’s public schools is stealing time away from other subjects. Students no longer have time to discuss and study the news, and ultimately become educated about and engaged in their country and their world, according to a new report by the Carnegie-Knight Task Force based at Harvard University. Nearly 75 percent of the teachers surveyed say they are using news less often in the classroom. The report is based on a national survey of 1,250 civics, government and social studies teachers in grades 5 through 12. Recommendations for state policymakers include placing greater emphasis on civic education.
Capitol Security
Indiana is purchasing metal detectors and x-ray baggage scanners that will soon be installed at entrances to the Capitol. New rules prohibit visitors from bringing knives, stun guns and firearms into the building, adjoining Government Center offices and nearby parking garages. The new policy won’t apply to police officers, judges or members of the General Assembly who hold licenses to carry concealed weapons. Not everyone’s happy with the changes. “It seems that ever since 9-11, we have changed the way we live,” says Secretary of State Todd Rokita, “at least in terms of access to our public places. And that’s unfortunate, because when you change the American way of life, you let the wrongdoers win.”
Oregon Goes Annual on TV
Oregon lawmakers have decided to try out annual sessions starting this year. The state is one of only six that meet every two years. The legislature convened Jan. 8 and will end no later than June 29. Next year it will meet for as many as 60 days in a special session to primarily address budget issues. It takes a constitutional change with voter approval to make annual legislative sessions a permanent fixture. “Our state is too big and too diverse not to meet annually,” says Senate President Peter Courtney. Along with the new session schedule, legislative leaders also announced a new pilot project to provide citizens with a television channel dedicated solely to covering the legislature and state government. “The Oregon Channel” hit the airwaves on Jan. 8.
Africa Votes
Hundreds of old voting machines in Indiana that have been replaced by newer technology will be shipped to the West African nation of Benin. New state mandates resulting from the Help America Vote Act forced counties to update their voting systems. The Center of Integrity, Empowerment and Fairness, a nonprofit organization collecting old voting equipment for the emerging democracy of Benin, has received 610 machines from four counties in Indiana and one county in Minnesota. The territory of Dahomey became a French colony in 1892 and achieved independence in 1960, as the Republic of Benin. In 1991, free elections marked the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy.
Recycling Homes
Some hurricane damaged homes along the coast of Mississippi are being spared the wrecking crane in favor of the recycling bin. Some older homes have lumber in them that isn’t available on the market anymore—cypress and heart pine. Often those old, wide boards can be planed and reused as flooring, even if they are sold at a discount. The deconstruction will be part of a workshop offered by Brad Guy, director of the Hamer Center for Community Design at Penn State University. “There are jobs in crushing things and hauling them to a landfill,” Guy says. “But there are actually more jobs created when the material in a house is salvaged and recycled. Then there’s the resale value of the salvaged material itself to be considered.” Katrina-damaged houses donated to the workshop will yield Guy solid research on the true value of the work in this area—how long it takes to take a house apart and what the materials are worth.