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18/03/2008 00:34

USA today Editoweb, 17 march 2008


Florida Dems abandon mail-in vote plan - Just 8% Have Favorable Opinion of Pastor Jeremiah Wright - NYC parade impresses even the Irish - Jury to get case against Pa. pathologist - Oregon wine grape production hits record.



Florida Dems abandon mail-in vote plan
Facing strong opposition, Florida Democrats on Monday abandoned plans to hold a do-over presidential primary with a mail-in vote and threw the delegate dispute into the lap of the national party. While the decision by Florida Democrats left the state's 210 delegates in limbo, Democrats in Michigan moved closer to holding another contest on June 3. Legislative leaders reviewed a measure Monday that would set up a privately funded, state-administered do-over primary, The Associated Press learned.

Just 8% Have Favorable Opinion of Pastor Jeremiah Wright
Pastor Jeremiah Wright, who has become part of the national political dialogue in recent days, is viewed favorably by 8% of voters nationwide. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 58% have an unfavorable view of the Pastor whose controversial comments have created new challenges for Barack Obama's Presidential campaign. Wright was Obama's Pastor until he retired last month, but Obama has repudiated the preacher's comments.

NYC parade impresses even the Irish
Irish tourist Joan Morgan paid the ultimate compliment to revelers in the St. Patrick's Day parade Monday. "It's much more Irish than at home," said Morgan, who is from the village of Kilcoo in Northern Ireland and had snagged a prime viewing spot across from St. Patrick's Cathedral to watch New York's annual celebration of all things Irish.
Firefighters, police officers, high school and military bands, step dancers, men in kilts, and many Irish-for-the-day snaked along the parade route to the wail of bagpipes on a sunny but chilly day.

Jury to get case against Pa. pathologist
Jurors were set to begin deliberating whether celebrity pathologist Cyril Wecht should be convicted of using public employees, resources and equipment to benefit his multimillion-dollar private practice. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Wilson told the jurors Monday that Allegheny County voters and taxpayers were entitled to Wecht's honest service when he served as coroner from 1996 until he resigned after being indicted in January 2006. "The public relies on officials of the government to act for the public interest, not their own enrichment," Wilson said in his closing argument.

Oregon wine grape production hits record
Oregon produced and crushed a record amount of grapes in 2007, the third year in a row it has hit such highs. Experts say it's the result of the right mix of good weather and demand for Oregon wine. "I think it's just another impressive figure to show the continued growth in Oregon," said Chris Mertz, director of the Oregon Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, which compiled the report. Oregon wineries sold 1.7 million cases of wine for $207.8 million in 2007. But there is still unmet demand, the report found, particularly for mature grapes such as pinot noir.

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