I was talking with Scott at lunch yesterday about our normal random things and somehow we got on the subject of America’s infrastructure.  I was telling him I recently read a great article from Popular Science about renovating America’s infrastructure and wanted to share with everyone as well.  The following is an excerpt: “Chicago road crews are scrambling to fill 67,000 potholes a month. Communities in Pennsylvania rely on 100-year-old water pipes made of wood. Squirrels still cause widespread blackouts. The country’s 600,000 bridges, four million miles of roads, and 30,000 wastewater plants desperately need attention. The solution isn’t patches, it’s an overhaul. Soon roads and power lines will fix themselves, and we’ll mine energy from sewage. America’s 21st-century tune-up won’t happen overnight, but we could start reaping the benefits (faster broadband! cleaner water!) within the next few years.”  >> Read the full article

Source: http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca

“On Saturday night, 11-year-old Austin Forman was gathering firewood outside his home when a cougar charged across the yard at him. His 18-month-old dog, Angel, jumped in and engaged the cougar.  Gravelle arrived at the home a short time later and found the cougar gnawing on Angel underneath the family’s porch.  Gravelle fired his gun, killing the cougar. Angel suffered numerous puncture wounds but survived.”

“A 35-year old Sicilian first showed up at a police station on Thursday asking to be arrested because he preferred spending the night in prison rather than with his family, but was rebuffed because he had not committed a crime, the Agi news agency said.  The man immediately went to a tobacco shop next door, where he threatened the owner with a box cutter as he grabbed a few sweets and a packet of gum. He then waited until police arrived to arrest him for robbery, the news agency said. ” Source: Reuters.com

Continuing a yearly “Assignment America” tradition, Steve Hartman visits and meets a group of ‘Secret Santas’ who randomly give to those in need this holiday season.

Five million people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo in a war fueled primarily from gold mined in the country by warlords and smuggled out to be sold on the open market. Scott Pelley reports.

“We often hear about U.S. teachers being paid poorly for all the work they do to educate children. But did you know that 63 percent of teachers report buying food for the classroom each month with their own money? That’s just one statistic from a report put out by Share Our Strength, which surveyed teachers across the country about hunger in America’s classrooms. You can download the full Teachers report and learn more surprising facts about hungry kids and the teachers trying to help them at the Share Our Strength site. Share Our Strength also interviewed two teachers in New York City about their personal experiences with students who have come to depend on them for enough food to get them through the day.” 

Source:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/23/more-than-half-of-teacher_n_368356.html