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Bill Aids Scholastic War Vets

By Emily Clever/ Staff Writer | October 22

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs issued emergency funds for veterans who applied for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and have not yet received their education benefits.

Auburn Slips to 'C' Average

By Theadoris Morris/ Staff Writer | October 15

Auburn University's sustainability efforts received a "C" on the 2010 Sustainability Report Card.Auburn received a "D" for its sustainability in 2008 and a "B" average in 2009. But the University dropped to a "C" average in 2010.

Auburn Administers H1N1 Flu Vaccines to Students

By Jillian Clair/ Staff Writer | October 15

H1N1 flu vaccines will be available free for Auburn students and employees in Student Center Rm. 2223 today from 9 a.m.

New Security Technology Scans Behavior, Not Luggage

By Daniel Wallace / STAFF WRITER | October 15

The next generation of homeland security may not require the customary X-ray scans or pat downs that have become commonplace in airports around the globe.Instead, the new line of defense is aimed at spotting potential threats by targeting certain biological signals that may be given off by an individual who may be likely to commit an offense.Although still in its developmental stages, the new equipment called "Future Attribute Screening Technology" is under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security for eventual use in airports."We know your body gives off certain physiological signs when you are planning on doing something 'bad,'" said John Verrico, science and technology spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security.

Astronomers Find Ring around Saturn

By Samuel Solomon/ Associate News Editor | October 15

Saturn's rings captivated Galileo when he saw them for the first time nearly 400 years ago.But, last week, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope discovered what Galileo missed -- a gigantic halo."This is one supersized ring," said Anne Verbiscer, an astronomer at the University of Virginia in a press release.

Alabama is best in the South for healthcare coverage

By Justin Ward/ Staff Writer | October 15

Alabama is leading the South in healthcare coverage, according to the Auburn University Center for Governmental Services.The report drew its statistics from U.S.

Students Take Adderall Even When It's Not Prescribed

By Samuel Solomon/ Associate News Editor | October 15

Thirty-two percent of people have taken psycho stimulants such as Adderall without a prescription, while only 13 percent are prescribed, according to information taken from an online poll of 10,298 people conducted through The Plainsman Web site."Hearing those results, that is almost half of the student body taking psycho stimulants," said Ray Lorenz, assistant clinical professor at Auburn's Harrison School of Pharmacy.

Auburn Gets a Makeover and Replaces Street Signs

October 15

New street signs are popping up all around Auburn.Public Works Department, which is responsible for providing engineering and construction services for the city of Auburn, is in the process of removing the white concrete street markers and replacing them with new, standard street name signs.The sign replacement project will proceed outward from downtown Auburn until all of the old concrete street markers have been replaced, according to the City of Auburn Web site.City crews will begin installing the new reflective signs on streets in the downtown area."The signs are being changed to improve day and night visibility and legibility," said Brandy Ezelle, City of Auburn traffic engineer.The installation of the new street signs is a project of the traffic engineering division of Auburn's Public Works Department.The Traffic Engineering Division investigates complaints regarding traffic problems and monitors traffic volume information in order to improve safety and efficiency.It also maintains Auburn's traffic signals, signs and pavement markings and is responsible for the design and implementation of bike paths.All of the concrete street markers at city intersections will be replaced with more visible standard street signs."The standard sign will be dark blue with a white border and white letters," Ezelle said.There will also be black signs in historic parts of Auburn with the former name of the street on the sign in smaller print.Two hundred new signs will be installed throughout the city and will cost approximately $300 each."Prior to the cement markers, the street names were not even marked," Ezelle said.

HIV vaccine study offers new promise

By Ellison Langford / News Editor | October 15

A clinical trial of an HIV vaccine regimen was shown to have some effect in preventing HIV infection.The trial was conducted in Thailand on more than 16,000 participants."The results are encouraging," said Mitchell Warren, executive director for the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition.

Youth unemployment rate increases in August

By Justin Ward/ Staff Writer | October 12

This past August saw yet another drop in the national unemployment rate. However, one group that was hit especially hard was the teenage population.According to the Labor Department almost 1.7 million people ages 16 to 19 are without a job. This computes to almost 21 percent of teenagers.This is more than 6 percent higher than the teen unemployment rate last year."This is a tough time for everyone economically," said Sarah Haley, the press secretary for Jeff Sessions. "The employment rate is the highest it's been in 25 years."

New skate park planned for early 2011

By Emily Clever/ Staff Writer | October 12

Plans for a skate park in the Auburn area were approved by the Auburn City Council Tuesday.The park will be located on a four acre plot of land at 1901 East Glenn Avenue, near the new Samford intersection and the airport, said Greg Darden, authorized representative for Design Plaza LLC and development coordinator for Donald H. Allen LLC, who is overseeing the project.The park will include a skating area of about one acre. The skating area will provide BMX ramps as well as traditional skateboarding equipment, Darden said.

Blasting Off at Auburn Public Library

By Ellison Langford / News Editor | October 8

Auburn schoolchildren watched E.T., crawled inside a stardome and got creative with space-related crafts during the Auburn Public Library's Space Week.Space week started Oct. 4 and runs through Oct. 10.The week began with a screening of "E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial" Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Auburn City Council Approves Skate Park

By Samuel Solomon/ Associate News Editor | October 8

The City Council approved the proposed East Alabama Skate Park during its Tuesday night meeting.The park, which will be part of the East Glenn Avenue Comprehensive Development District, is expected to be large enough to accommodate skates, skateboards and BMX bikes, said Design Plaza representative Greg Darden."I'm nearly 50 and I skate twice a week," said Auburn resident Timothy Burt.However, Burt said he has to drive all the way to Columbus, Ga., to skate.The council also approved renaming Bent Creek Road, north of East Glenn Avenue, to Mike Hubbard Boulevard."We probably need a policy and some guidelines in place for any sort of public improvement," said Councilman Gene Dulaney.

New Car Plant Coming to Alabama

By Samuel Solomon/ Associate News Editor | October 8

A start-up automotive company focused on producing all eco-friendly vehicles will join top automakers such as Mercedes, Honda, Hyundai, International and Toyota in calling Alabama home.Hybrid Kinetic "HK" Motors and Gov.

Study Says Foreclosures Affect Tax Base

By Lindsey Grubbs/ Staff Writer | October 8

Auburn's Center for Governmental Services released a study Sept. 29 which warned local governments to be wary in distributing funds for developments during the recession.The study also examined the effects on local tax bases of high foreclosure rates in housing and developments."With foreclosure there could be a delay or even a non-payment of property taxes," said David Hill, associate director for the Center for Governmental Services.

Annual Safety Report Reviews Crime on Campus

By Ellison Langford / News Editor | October 8

The campus Annual Security and Safety Report made available by the Clery Act shows crimes like burglary and motor vehicle theft are becoming less common on campus, but more students are being arrested for liquor law violations.The statistics divided the University into three sections.One is on campus, which refers to all buildings owned by the University located within a specific perimeter.Another is non-campus, which refers to University- owned buildings located outside that perimeter.The third is public property, which are places within the perimeter that do not belong to the University.The report statistics available on the University Web site are from 2006, 2007 and 2008."What we've tried to do is a combination of technology, manpower and education to highlight safety and security on campus," said Melvin Owens, executive director of public safety and security.Owens said he thinks the reason for the decrease in campus crime is partially because of increased security presence on campus, but he also acknowledges an increase of students advocating for their own safety.When compiling the statistics, Owens said the safety department takes note of any anomalies or sudden increases.The department will discuss what could have caused them and how it should deal with them.The University has worked to make campus more secure by extending the use of the campus shuttle system, increasing the amount of surveillance cameras on campus as well as partnering with AlliedBarton to place officers in places like parking lots and residential areas to provide additional eyes and ears for campus safety, Owens said."What we have tried to do is there is increased police presence with emphasis on crime prevention," Owens said.

Alabama Child Support Laws Change

By Max Newfield / Staff Writer | October 8

The Alabama Supreme Court set a new legal precedent in the state, ruling a parent may still be required to pay child support payments even if his or her parental rights are terminated.In the ruling, the Alabama Supreme Court overturned the ruling of the Alabama Appeals Court case, M.D.C.

Survey Measures Suicidal Thoughts in Young Adults

By David Crayton/ Staff Writer | October 8

A 2008 report by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health said approximately 8.3 million adults aged 18 or older had serious thoughts of suicide, 2.3 million made a suicide plan and 1.1 million attempted suicide in the past year.Young adults 18 to 25 were more likely than older adults to seriously contemplate committing suicide, according to the report.Of adults who attempted suicide in the past year, 62.3 percent received medical attention and 46 percent stayed overnight or longer in a hospital."The survey is actually very broad," said Joseph Gfroerer, director of the populations survey.