Despite legal limbo, U.S. 35 moves ahead

Even though the fate of U.S. 35 remains in the hands of the stateSupreme Court, the Parkways Authority is taking steps to moveforward in anticipation of the court's blessing.

The state's plan to finance the construction of the remaining14.6 miles of four-lane highway in Mason and Putnam counties withtoll revenue was thrown into limbo when the Mason County Commissionvoted last month to rescind its approval for the plan.

The Parkways Authority filed a challenge with the Supreme Court.It contends the second vote was illegal.

The Mason commission has until Monday to file a response, but thecourt has told the authority it can proceed with project plans …

U.N. Chief Refuses Meeting With Hamas

RAMALLAH, West Bank - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, declaring the atmosphere "not fully ripe," shunned officials from the Islamic militant Hamas group on Sunday, dealing a setback to the new Palestinian government's efforts to win international recognition.

Ban's comments came on a day of high-profile diplomacy, with the U.N. chief and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice both in the region for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Both hope their clout will help to prod the two sides to start talking peace again.

Hamas, branded a terrorist group by the U.S. and European Union, joined the more moderate Fatah Party in a coalition government last week. The …

Celebrity birthdays for the week of March 22-28

Celebrity birthdays for the week of March 22-28:

March 22: Actor Karl Malden is 97. Composer Stephen Sondheim is 79. Actor William Shatner is 78. Actor M. Emmet Walsh is 74. Singer Jeremy Clyde of Chad and Jeremy is 68. Singer-guitarist George Benson is 66. News anchor Wolf Blitzer is 61. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is 61. Actress Fanny Ardant is 60. Sportscaster Bob Costas is 57. Country singer James House is 54. Actress Lena Olin is 54. Singer-actress Stephanie Mills is 52. Actor Matthew Modine is 50. Actress Kellie Williams ("Family Matters") is 33. Actress Reese Witherspoon is 33. Drummer John Otto of Limp Bizkit is 32. Rapper Mims is 28.

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Abundance of shortcuts to cemetery

The headline quoting President Bush blared: "We May Lose SomeBoys," referring to possible war in the Persian Gulf area.

My friend commented that it was "terrible" that young men andwomen had to face death because of a "stupid political dispute."

I noted that just the night before our conversation, three youngmen had died in the killing fields of Washington, D.C., over thingsas trivial as an argument over a girl. I asserted, with prematurerashness perhaps, that any GI on duty in the sands of Saudi Arabia isin less danger of sudden death than a youngster at a ghetto honkytonkat 1 a.m. in any big city in America.

I've thought about that remark and forced …

Controversial African studies lecturer retires

MEDWAY, Mass. - Tony Martin, whose teaching about the Jewish role in the Atlantic slave trade led to a national controversy in the 1990s, will retire quietly next month after 34 years as a professor of black studies at Wellesley College.

His retirement on June 30 marks the end of a teaching career that spans almost the entire existence of what is now the Africana Studies Department at the women's college.

Martin, 65, plans to return to his native Trinidad and continue to write scholarly books and lecture around the world on Marcus Garvey, the Jamaican Pan-Africanist who is the subject of nine books he has written or edited.

"Marcus Garvey has been the lion's share …

Pakistan: 12 Militants Killed by Missile

Twelve suspected militants died in a missile strike on a home in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, officials said.

The attack occurred after midnight in Khushali Torikhel, a village in North Waziristan, a tribal region bordering Afghanistan, an intelligence and a government official in the region said.

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Wolves snap winless streak

The Wolves' inconsistency isn't due to a lack of pretty hockey. In fact, they've flashed skill on a par with the AHL's best at times.

The Wolves have struggled because they haven't been able to play ugly.

That changed Saturday against the Milwaukee Admirals at Allstate Arena. The Wolves picked up the physicality and were scrappy along the boards — particularly in the third period — en route to a 4-2 win. The victory snapped a five-game winless streak.

"We had better positional play in the third and executed better," Wolves coach Craig MacTavish said.

"When you haven't won in a while, winning is going to be difficult, and even with a lead, you're playing a …