The teens, three aged 19 and one aged 16, were driving through the town of  Garbutt near New York City when they staged their competition.  The driver, Brian Parslow, passed out, causing the car to hit a boulder.

The three were treated for injuries; fortunately, no one was seriously injured.

Now, Colorado’s primaries are only a few months away and it’s always good to head into the election season well-informed. That’s why we’re excited to give you this guide to the 2010 midterm elections!New York Times Election Predictions: http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/house

The Times gives its predictions on the future makeup of Congress and governors’ mansions across the country. It’s a really neat tool, but take it with a grain of salt.

Project Vote Smart: http://votesmart.org/

This non-profit organization works hard to provide information about elected officials and candidates for positions. Check it out for details about how your representatives have voted and what they really think about the issues.

Colorado Voter Registration Form: http://www.elections.colorado.gov/Default.aspx?PageMenuID=1465

This is the information for voter registration in Colorado.

Remember: This August and November, head to the polls, but make sure you go informed. And if you’re under 18 years old, get informed anyway. Just because you can’t vote doesn’t mean you can’t have informed political opinions!

The incident occurred after Kuberski was sent to her room as a punishment for arguing with her mother, who had interceded in an altercation between Samantha and her three sisters.

Kuberski’s death’s classification as a suicide is contested by the local police officers, who believe a 6-year old’s limited conception of death disallows for the motive necessary for suicide.

Her death is believed to be the youngest suicide in the United States.

The Acalanes Blueprint high school newspaper faces the chopping block of district budget cuts. In response, the California paper, which is this year celebrating its 70th anniversary, has been imploring the community to help them in any way possible, so that they may not lose what the student reporters and editors believe to be an invaluable cornerstone of the school and community. Photo courtesy of http://acalanesblueprint.webs.com

The Acalanes High School Blueprint is begging for help. In a time when print journalism is on its way out, high school journalists too are feeling the pressure of budget cuts. Such is the case at Acalanes.

The 70-year-old California paper, along with other journalism programs in the school district, is on the list of programs slated for the next round of budget cuts. That’s why the school’s journalists have begun begging everyone who will listen for help.

The homepage of the paper’s Web site at http://acalanesblueprint.webs.com is devoted to the budget deficit and what the student reporters and editors believe will come of a school and district free of student newspapers.

One student even wrote a guest column in the San Fransisco Chronicle, which stated that, “Journalism fosters the growth of well-rounded, intelligent, and capable students and builds the foundation for these future contributors in the community.”

This issue, though it occurs far from Arvada, rings true here as well. Though it is doubtful that Jefferson County Public Schools will put journalism on the chopping block (the portion of the Xpress‘s budget provided by the school is actually raised by a small contribution of every student’s annual fees), schools locally and indeed across the nation are being forced to do without programs that they would otherwise deem imperative for student education and development. Most notable among these are music and art programs, which are often the first to go when schools are strapped for cash.

It becomes the duty of the school district, therefore, to determine what programs, which employees and how many services are absolutely necessary for students to learn. Keep an eye out for Jeffco’s budget cuts in the coming months. For a preview of how Ralston Valley may be affected, check out our post “Budget Cuts on the Table Again; will RVHS be affected?“. When budget cuts are announced, you can bet that we will cover it in the print version of the Xpress. Because, like the Blueprint, we believe you deserve to be informed. After all, “a school without a paper is a school without an independent voice.”

Heart disease is the single leading cause of death in the United States by a large margin.  By being aware of your own risk and spreading the information to others, you can help lessen the staggering numbers.  The American Heart Association gives hundreds of millions of dollars each year to support research and educate the public on heart disease and strokes, which annually kill about 960,000 Americans alone.  Here are some things you can do to decrease your risk of heart disease:

- Take care of yourself.  Any person can follow the American Heart Association’s “Simple 7”, which are modest improvements to your health that can make a big difference.  Here they are…

1.  Get Active

2. Eat Better

3. Lose Weight

4. Stop Smoking

5. Control Your Cholesterol

6. Manage Your Blood Pressure

7. Reduce Your Blood Sugar

- To help those around you, it is also an excellent idea to learn CPR.  In one afternoon, you can be trained in CPR and learn how to use an automated external defibrillator; two skills that can really help victims of unexpected cardiac arrest. The more prepared we are to treat sudden cardiac arrest, the more lives we can save.  It’s time to take action!  To learn more about the AHA or American Heart Month visit americanheart.org or call 1-800-AHA-USA1.

Founded in 2007, “Stay at Home because You are Well Day” was invented by the sort of people who used to “play hookie” as the saying went, a long time ago in early America.  These people, of course, didn’t shed their wayward lifestyles when they became adults, but rather made up a holiday entitling them to skip work despite being in excellent condition.  This year, the holiday came conveniently after Thanksgiving Break.  There’s something to be grateful for.

Officers from the Florida Highway patrol responded to the incident after a neighbor called 911, and found Woods laying on the street with his wife beside him in a frantic state. According to a local police chief, Wood’s wife Elin Nordegren had broken the vehicles back window and pulled her husband from the car. He was found with “lacerations to his upper and lower lips, and he had blood in his mouth.” Said Windermere’s police chief Daniel Saylor.

Woods was treated at the scene by officers for 10 minutes and then was taken to Health Central Hospital in Ocoee, where he was released in good condition.

As for now, the media spotlight has brought scandal to the situation. While police have ruled that alcohol was not involved in the situation, rumors abound that the incident was a domestic violence dispute between him and his wife, but Tiger responded saying that those claims are simply “false, unfounded and malicious rumors.”  Tiger added: “This situation is my fault, and it’s obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I’m human and I’m not perfect. This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way.” Police are still investigating, but it seems the only two people who know what happened are Woods and his wife Elin, and they’re not talking.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Cali.), pictured. Pelosi, as a leading Democrat, was one of the Affordable Health Care for America Act's most vehement supporters and advocates. Photo from LA Times, originally by Mark Williams/Getty Images.

At 11:16 p.m. EST on Nov. 7, the House of Representatives passed House Bill 3962: Affordable Health Care for America Act with a 220-215 vote.

The bill, which is now ready to be debated in the Senate before a Senate vote, is the product of months of debate among Democrats, led by bill sponsor Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Cali.) and six co-sponsors of the bill. The 220-215 record was a close call–those in favor just barely squeaked past the 118 vote majority required to approve the bill.

Almost all of the 177 Republican representatives voted against the bill. The exception was Rep. Anh (Joseph) Cao (R-La.), who voted in favor. Democrats, on the other hand, were considerably more split, with 219 voting “aye,” along what would normally be considered party lines, and 39 voting “no”.

A Republican-sponsored substitute bill failed today 176-258.

From here the Dems’ bill will go to the Senate which could approve or deny it as is, or return it to the House of Representatives with corrections to be put to a vote. If it is approved, it will be sent to President Barack Obama’s desk to be signed into law, an action he has made clear that he plans to do. If not approved, the bill as it stands will die unless it is voted on once more.

Continue to check rvhsnews.com for more as this story develops.

To see how individual representatives voted, see GovTrack.us’s Voting Report on the topic.