| Children's reality show 'Kid Nation' draws praise, criticism
SANTA FE, N.M. - A CBS reality series in which youngsters run their own town has prompted complaints from one of the children's parents, and may have skirted New Mexico's child-protection laws.
''Kid Nation,'' slated to premiere Sept. 19, was filmed over 40 days during April and May in a movie-set town in the high desert just south of Santa Fe. While parents and children made available by CBS praised the production as well-supervised and a learning experience, one mother told authorities the conditions warrant an abuse investigation.
Janis Miles of Fayetteville, Ga., said in a letter that her 12-year-old daughter, Divad Miles, was spattered on her face with grease while cooking potatoes on a wood stove, and that four other children required medical attention after they accidentally drank bleach.
Local groups to bring supplies, hope to Dean victims
Several local disaster relief groups are heading toward Hurricane Dean, hoping to aid those left in need.Hurricane Dean is already a category 4 storm and relief workers say there's no time to waste. With millions of people simply focused on surviving the storm, disaster relief groups know the devastation left behind will make for a long recovery. "We're talking homes that are flimsy compared to here, so this is going to be very very serious, very serious damage to homes and schools, hospitals," said Dean Owens with World Vision. "So World vision may be mounting a response that may take months in response to this kind of devastation."The Federal Way-based World Vision has more than 100 relief workers stationed in Haiti, where Hurricane dean has already hit and left in desperate need of basic supplies.
First day goes smoothly in Whitfield, Dalton schools
Shortly after 8 a.m. Friday, following a morning convocation, students at Whitfield County's Westside Middle School walked to their classes through halls newly painted with colorful murals.It was the first day of classes in Dalton and Whitfield County schools.Principal Stan Stewart said Westside is enjoying new staff including a new counselor, Julie Wagner, and a new academic coach, Steven Ridley. The state placed "graduation coaches" in all high schools last year to help improve the graduation rate, and the idea filtered to the middle school level this year."Things are going great. We've got three good grade levels," Stewart said. "Probably close to half our student body is in single-gender classes this year, and we had more asking about it this morning. It's really catching on."Westside began grouping male and female students in separate classes on a voluntary basis last year, when about a quarter of the student body opted for the trial program.9 a.m.Construction workers were laying cinder block walls and building up from a concrete foundation beside Dalton's Brookwood Elementary School.A new classroom addition is taking shape on the building's east side, but principal Wil Esters said students hardly notice any noise.
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