Headline+Writing+Exercise

// You are limited to 60 characters for each headline. // Two juveniles claimed responsibility Tuesday for a campfire that sparked a three-day fire that raged across southern Ticonderoga County last month. The boys, ages 14 and 15, came to the sheriff’s office with their parents today and said they believed that it was their campfire that had begun the blaze. They were charged with ignoring sheriff’s safety signs concerning fires and have been released to the custody of their parents. The fire chared 3,500 acres of forest and caused $3.5 million in damage, making it the worst fire in more than a decade, according to Sheriff Billy Hubert. Hubert said the boys and their parents came to his office and explained that the boys had been camping in the area the night before. They thought they had put out their campfire, but it had apparently smouldered after they left. The flames were helped along by dry conditions and strong winds. “I’m glad we got this cleared up,” he said. “I believe that our investigation would have eventually produced those who started this fire. Now we won’t have to go through all of that.” Hubert said that a hearing in juvenile court will be held for the boys in two weeks. “I would hope that if they are held responsible, they will have to do some type of community service to get them to realize the seriousness and the consequences of their actions,” he said. The names of the boys have not been released because they are juveniles.
 * Headline Writing Exercise **
 * Story One- Wild Fires **

** Story Two-Leash Law ** The City Council rejected a proposal Monday that would charge dog owners whose pets bite people with a misdemeanor offense carrying penalties of up to $500 and five days in jail. After an emotional one-hour debate, the council voted 5-2 against the measure introduced by council member Darden Clarke. Clarke said he has received at least five complaints about dog bites in his district during the past month. “We got to do something to stop this plague of dog bites in the city,” Clarke said. “This is a problem of irresponsible ownership. I believe that we need this law to get the attention of dog owners and tell them we expect them to act responsibly.” In an emotional speech before the council, Diane Wallace presented her 5-year-old daugther, Denise, whose legs were bandaged after a neighbor’s dog bit the girl three times last week. “Look at this little girl and tell me who is responsible for this. Tell me who should be held accountable for the pain that this little girl has and the fear she had to carry with her when she plays in her own neigborhood,” Wallace said. Council member John Simpson opposed the measure. He questioned whether citizens are truly threatened by vicious dogs. “This is an idiotic approach to what may or may not be a serious problem,” Simpson said. “I haven’t had any complaints about dogs from my constituents. You don’t stop dog biting by incarcerting the owners.” About 200 people attended the council meeting. Half favored Clarke’s proposal, and half oppossed it. One opponent, Randy Noble, of 1717 Carriage Lane, said the city’s leash laws are strong enough, but they are not properly enforced.

** Story Three- School Board ** The City School Board named Mike Coleman, principal of Sandy Bar High School in Sandy Bar, La., to the top post at Haraway High School during its Monday meeting. In a 5-4 vote, the board picked Coleman over Haraway assistant principal Juli McCorvey. Coleman and McCorvey were the finalists in a search that drew more than 40 applicants. “We have two fine candidates here. I find it very difficult to choose between them,” school board member Harley Duncan said. “Both of them have accomplished a lot during their careers, and I believe they each would do a good job for us at Haraway.” In the end, however, the board opted for the lesser known Coleman, who has been principal at Sandy Bar High School for about 10 years. Although she was not picked, McCorvey had support among the 200 people attending the meeting. Three-fourths of the dozen or so citizens who spoke out supported McCorvey. “I have a daughter in the tenth grade at Haraway, and we have been helped a great deal by Mrs. McCorvey. I think she deserves this chance to be in charge and that she will do a good job,” Taylor Whitson, of 2121 Blackoak Drive, told the board. Another parent, Darren McGarity, agreed with Whitson. He said that McCorvey paid special attention to his son who had problems in the ninth grade at Haraway. “I think she deserves this chance to be in charge and that she will do a good job,” McGarity said. Only three people supported Coleman. One of them was Alex McCreless, of 1615 Ireland Drive. “I have a child who is about to graduate from Haraway, and while I have nothing against Mrs. McCorvey, I think it is high time we got some new blood into our school system,” McCreless said. “We need some fresh thinking and new ideas. I think we need a change.” McCorvey and Coleman were not in the room while the one-hour discussion took place. Coleman, a Louisiana native, has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Backwater State University in Tennessee.

** Story Four- Youth Group ** Six girls attending a youth group camping trip were found early Sunday after spending the night alone Saturday in near-freezing temperatures at Mount Cheaha State Park. They were discovered around 8 a.m. Sunday by a park ranger about two miles from where the rest of their party spent the night. The Methodist church group had gone to the park to spend time in the woods. The girls got lost when they took a late afternoon hike on one of the park’s nature trails. “They promised they would not go far,” Doris McKay, one of the adult coordinators of the trip, said. “We kept waiting for them to come back so we could fix supper. I guess we waited too late.” The girls, ranging in age from 12 to 14, endured temperatures in the 30s with no food and only one blanket. They were cold but otherwise unhurt. “When we realized what had happened to us and that we couldn’t find our way back, we remembered what we had always been taught. That was to stay where we were,” Stephanie Twinings, one of the girls, said. “We found a comfortable place and all huddled under the blanket as best we could. We didn’t get that cold because we could keep each other warm. We got a little hungry.” Earl Grey, supervisor of the state park, said the girls were reported lost around 7 p.m. Saturday, and finding them in the dark woods proved difficult. “We drove along all the roads through the park shining bright lights and hoping that the girls were close enough to see them,” Grey said. “Unfortunately, there are only a few roads through the park, and I don’t think the girls were close by.” After the group was reunited Sunday, the girls left the park to attend 11 a.m. worship services. Members of their church welcomed the group with a large banner that read, “I once was lost but now I’m found. Amazing Grace. Welcome home.”