Articles written by Ashley Hopkinson

Assistant Police Chief Tom Dawson: sits in his office at the Department of Public Safety on Ross Street. Dawson has been a member of the local police force for more than 20 years. Kyle Cooper / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

He mourned while students mourned and lost sleep just as worried parents did for the safety of their children.

In the wake of the Lauren Burk murder, Assistant Police Chief Tom Dawson stood like a pillar of strength as the primary spokesperson for the Auburn Police department.  

Dawson, an Auburn native, has become known for his role in investigating the murder of the 18-year-old Auburn student, Lauren Burk.

But, beyond the Burk case, Dawson has always been concerned for the safety of the Auburn community. For 21 years, in fact, he’s dedicated 12- hour days to just that.

“We’re lucky to have people like Tom Dawson,” said Lt. Jerry Sparks, who has known Dawson his entire life.

“His whole life is here, and his family goes back seven generations of Auburn residents. A lot of people leave after college, but he stayed. I’m glad we have him, and the University and the city should be, too.”

CBS reality show “Big Brother” lost a recent supporter.

Lowe’s, the second largest home improvement retailer in the U.S., has pulled its advertising from the show after cast member, Adam Janinski referred to people with autism as “retards.”

The episode which aired Feb. 13, captured Janinski when he said he hoped to win the competition, so he could open a hair salon “so retards can get it together and get their hair done.”

The price of gas isn’t the only thing rising. Several local gas stations have filed reports of gas theft over the past few weeks.

Gas theft, also known as gas drive offs, can become more common as gas prices rise. According to the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, gas prices went up 7.3 cents a gallon, making the price of gas 71.9 cents per gallon higher than 2007.

The first week of classes means finding new buildings, tweaking schedules and haggling for parking spots.
But it also means back to campus parties and a wide variety of activities to do on the Plains.

A paintbrush and a palette of rainbow colors is not your typical cancer patient’s badge of honor. But for 35-year-old cancer survivor Kristen Hunt flowers on a canvas mean more than just art.
Within weeks of relocating to Auburn from Columbus, Hunt was diagnosed with breast cancer in a routine mammogram exam and underwent a double mastectomy.

Beginning fall 2008, all Auburn students will be required to invest money in a new on campus dining debit plan. The mandatory action stems from Auburn’s latest change, a new multi-year agreement with Chartwells, a division of Compass Group, the world’s largest food service provider.

Just when students thought technology could not get any better along comes the iPod,  then the iPhone and now e-books for textbooks.
An e-book is the equivalent to a conventionally printed novel or textbook, but instead of having a hard copy, students will have access to materials through PDF files on their personal computer.