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Auburn Educators Talk About New Teacher Code of Ethics

By Sarah Craft/Associate Copy Editor | July 28

The Alabama Legislature is working to enforce a new code of ethics for educators and cracking down on the inappropriate behaviors found in schools.The new code of ethics contains provisions regarding conduct standards for teachers, unlawful acts and maintenance of student confidentiality.According to the new code of ethics, teachers can be disciplined if they engage in behaviors such as using inappropriate language on school grounds, failing to provide adequate supervision to students and exposing students to unnecessary embarrassment."The code protects the health, safety and general welfare of students and educators; outlines objective standards of conduct for professional educators; and clearly defines actions of an unethical nature for which disciplinary sanctions are justified," reads the code's introductory text."I support the Alabama Education Association (AEA), but (the new code) could be abused," said Jason Wright, principal of Auburn Junior High School.

AU Plates Made Over

By Jordan Brantley/Staff Writer | July 23

Auburn pride will soon have a new face on the road.Beginning in August, Auburn license plates will be sporting a new style.Every five years, the state of Alabama requires license plates in the state to change their appearance.

Family Dinners Not Magic Fix

By Justin Dorman/Staff Writer | July 23

Television shows and the American media have been showing images of the perfect family and family dinners for years.In years past, it was shows like The Brady Bunch that showed America what it was like to sit at a table with six well-behaved kids.

Envision Opelika Announces New Community Foundation

By Jaclyn Dunn/Staff Writer | July 20

Lee County's community-based organization, Envision Opelika, has announced the implementation on the Community Foundation of East Alabama, Inc."The basis of the foundation is to build funds for philanthropic purposes and non-profit organizations based on identified community needs," board member Barbara Patton said.

Economic Woes has People Rediscovering the Library

By Sarah Phillips/ Staff Writer | July 16

The struggles in today's economy have libraries enjoying more business than ever.Looking into an average person's wallet, you are now more likely to find a library card than a credit card.People are now using these cards to check out not only books, but audio books, music and DVD's, many of which are popular new releases, at no cost.

Haircut Lounge Caters to Men

By Holly Hereth/Staff Writer | July 16

Just4Him Men's Haircut Lounge is a hair salon on Opelika Road where guys can watch the game, relax and get a haircut at the same time.When customers walk in for a cut, no appointment necessary, they are offered a drink: a water, a soda or a cold beer."Customers get a shampoo and a head massage after their haircut, and that's what keeps people coming back," said Kaitlyn Gregory, a hair stylist at Just4Him.

First Book Encourages Local Childhood Literacy

By Grace Henderson/Staff Writer | July 16

First Book, a non-profit organization, gives children one resource many take for granted: books.Founded nationally in 1992, First Book strives to increase literacy by donating books to underprivileged communities."I think this effort makes a difference in the lives of youth locally and helps to improve literacy rates among child populations," said Chippewa Thomas, a professor in the department of special education, rehabilitation and counseling."As the organization's adviser and president of the Alabama Association of Multicultural Counseling and Development, Thomas said she will work this year to collect books and distribute them to local youth organizations, schools and individuals."As part of the 'Read Across Alabama' initiative in November, books will also be given to children at a school in Birmingham who don't have books at home of their own to read," Thomas said.First Book raises awareness in Auburn by planning fund-raisers at local restaurants and bookstores, said Kimberly Parent, First Book president at Auburn."We also raise the bulk of our funds through the generosity of our donors, and we do appreciate whatever people are willing to give," Parent said.Parent said gift cards will be available in October for those wanting to support the organization."Anyone who wants to show their support for children in need can purchase one and give it to someone they care about to show some holiday spirit," Parent said.The Auburn chapter of First Book began as an advocacy project, consisting of a book drive and reading day at a local elementary school, for one of Parent's classes."Then the idea kept getting bigger, and I spoke to someone who had started a First Book chapter at their school," Parent said.

Local Legends Lie in Local Cemetery

By Natalie Nettles/Intrigue Editor | July 9

Five University presidents, two U.S. generals and the man responsible for bringing football to Auburn.These individuals are among the many Auburn men and women buried in Pine Hill, a 6-acre cemetery on Armstrong Street."It's the oldest and most historic cemetery in Auburn," said Ann Pearson, member and past president of the Auburn Heritage Association.Pearson said the land for Pine Hill was given to Auburn in 1837 by Judge John Harper, founder of the city."There are 1,500 people or more buried here, that we know of," Pearson said.

Web Site Pinpoints Local Sex Offenders

By The Editorial Board | July 9

You'd like to know if you were living next door to a registered sex offender, wouldn't you?We know we would.A recent update to the Lee County Sheriff Office's Web site enhances residents' awareness of sex offenders in the area.The site allows users to conduct a search for registered sex offenders living in their neighborhood, as well as the option of subscribing for e-mails alerts about sex offenders who plan to locate to the area.While our editorial board acknowledged both sides of the issue, we believe this to be an invaluable tool for residents of Lee County.Some may argue the features of the site are too intrusive, as they provides users with the names and addresses of registered sex offenders in the county, but this is information we think any family would want at its disposal.Imagine you're starting a family and have found the perfect home in the perfect neighborhood to begin raising your children.For their well-being, you would want to know if you were planning to become the neighbor of a person who had previously committed some form of sexual abuse.Even if this information wouldn't keep a family from moving into a certain home or a certain neighborhood, we still see merit in the site providing this information.Simply knowing where these people reside we feel is something any caring parent should be concerned about, and if the site increases a family's awareness of the neighborhood and tightens the parents' concern for where their children go, it's a good thing.We don't believe offenders found on the site should be so blatantly singled out to the point it's the equivalent of a Wild West "Wanted" sign or being shunned in the stocks in the town square, but we do applaud the awareness and heightened safety the Web site provides to families of Lee County.That said, for our editorial board's contrasting view, read below.

Cambridge Coffee Closes for Repairs

By Courtney Johnson/Staff Writer | July 9

An integral part of the coffee-lovers community across Auburn suddenly closed June 29.Owners of Cambridge Coffee on College Street closed their doors, turned off the lights and hung a "renovation" sign.A former employee of Cambridge, who did not want his identity revealed, said the shop is not undergoing aesthetic renovations, but has shut its doors and is considering a different business avenue."There's talk about all kinds of new types of businesses coming into this spot," he said.

Life-long Sentencing Unfair for Sex Offenders?

By The Editorial Board | July 9

While we acknowledge the utility of a Web site that allows users to locate nearby sex offenders in their county, we question if this added public scrutiny is fair to those one-time offenders.The same is true for having to re-register as a sex offender after moving.By no means do we view sexual offenses as insignificant crimes -- quite the opposite, actually.However, the lifelong stigma of being labeled a sex offender is too severe if we're not 100 percent sure that person is worthy of carrying that label with them for the rest of their life.We discussed scenarios where an over-18 partner is convicted of sexual abuse after having sex with their boyfriend or girlfriend who is not of age.There could have been consent at the time, but if that person comes back with charges of rape, there's no way to disprove such accusations, and just like that, someone is forever labeled a sex offender.Is this fair?We believe that, rather than having set guidelines that apply to each situation, a case-by-case method of determining whether sexual abuse actually occurred would be more just than the current method.Obviously this process would be more time consuming and more costly. But again, when someone is dealing with the everlasting dishonor of being known as a sex offender, the "Ah, but we're going to have to do more work!" excuse loses the minute amount of worth it had in the first place.Maybe a change should be implemented that would eliminate the tainted status after so many years of a clean record.While there should be no leniency for repeat offenders, we think it's unfair to require the constant registration for a one-time sex offender after they have already served their time. One-time convicts of other crimes aren't forced to publicly introduce themselves as a criminal after serving their time. They're certainly not listed with name and address on the sheriff's Web site, either.Again, with revision to the system, lifting of the label could be something that is dependent on the severity of the crime, as well.Why is it that only sex offenders are persistently highlighted for their crimes?We don't believe in revision of the system simply for justice, but for safety as well.If the reason for providing citizens with the names and locations of local sex offenders is to heighten their awareness and to protect them, then why not alert them about the proximity of previous convicts of other crimes?

Sips and Strokes for Different Folks

By Courtney Johnson/Staff Writer | July 2

A new business in Auburn is painting the perfect picture for a night out on the town.Sips N Strokes, located on University Drive, allows customers to get creative by participating in a painting lesson and going home with their completed work.As the name implies, customers are invited to bring in a beverage of their choice to enjoy while they paint.Brad Baggett, owner and manager of the Auburn branch of Sips N Strokes, said the painting classes are offered Monday through Saturday."Monday through Wed-nesday the classes are two hours long and cost $25 and from Thursday through Saturday, Sips N Strokes offers three hour classes for $35," Baggett said.The paintings offered during the three-hour classes are slightly more difficult.

Charter Communications to Keep WSFA News 12 in Auburn

By Callie Garrett/ Staff Writer | July 2

Charter Communications mistakenly included Auburn in their news release about removing the local channel WSFA news 12 from Chambers County and Lanett."WSFA - NBC will remain on our line-up in the City of Auburn and in Lee County, but not in Chambers County and Lanett," said John Miller, director of communications for Charter Communications.A press release was sent to newspapers and put up on the screen for Charter subscribers to view, Mark Wilder, WSFA director of operations, said."When Charter put out the information to its subscribers, they made a mistake in the wording and included the word Auburn within Chambers County as to the area it was going to be taken off," Wilder said.

Local Honey Helps Ease Allergies

By Sarah Craft/Associate Copy Editor | July 2

Runny noses, watery eyes and embarrassingly loud sneezes could be a thing of the past for Auburn students with a sweet tooth.Local honey is becoming an increasingly popular way for people to prevent the symptoms of allergies."I have terrible allergies this time of year," said Ben Pryor, a senior in human resources.Though many college students use prescription medicines to treat allergy-related symptoms every spring and summer, people have been using honey for thousands of years as a natural cure for allergies."Honeybees are one of the oldest insects mankind has had interaction with," said Ben McGehee, local beekeeper and honey salesman.

Auburn Community Gathers for Art Walk

By Jennifer Beckett/Staff Writer | June 25

Hula hooping, face painting, dough tossing, scavenger hunting - a mere glimpse of the array of activities and attractions at the 2009 SummerNight downtown art walk held Friday, June 19 on College Street and Magnolia Avenue.Started by the Auburn Arts Association, SummerNight features artists from Auburn and surrounding areas gathered downtown to display and sell paintings, pottery, quilts, jewelry and other artistic wares to students and families of the Auburn community."This is an opportunity for the entire community to support the arts," said Sarah Hand, art specialist and cultural director of the Auburn Parks and Recreation Department.

Cumberland Plastic Systems LLC and Donaldson Company Inc. Add Jobs to Auburn

By Jordan Brantley/Staff Writer | June 25

Two Auburn manufacturers are planning to expand their production and employee base.Cumberland Plastic Systems LLC and Donaldson Company Inc. will be adding additional employees within the next two years.Alison Petersen, human resources representative for Cumberland, said Cumberland plans to hire at least 51 employees over the next two years.Jim Noreault, plant manager for Donaldson, said Donaldson Company plans to hire 25 employees starting in January 2010.Petersen said it is not an immediate physical expansion, but a production expansion where the company will buy new machines and hire more employees to work them."We are a new company, and we've been working hard the past few years to get business," Petersen said.

Funding to fight domestic violence in Birmingham

By Allison Thompson / Staff Writer | March 11

$105,000 split among four Birmingham organizations