Kaitlyn Rowbotham
National/Community News Editor
krow94@hotmail.com
    The race for the Republican nomination has been, let’s face it, messy. It’s now a four way race between Romney, Gingrich, Paul, and Santorum and all refuse to be the one that drops out first. 
    In fact, Newt Gingrich says he expects the race to last six more months—unless his chief adversary Mitt Romney drops out of course. 
    Polls show that Mitt is the favorite to win today’s primary in Florida. And after a rocky start in the “Sunshine State” this is good news for the Romney camp. Romney won, then lost Iowa narrowly; he won decidedly in New Hampshire then lost decisively in South Carolina; and there have been eight nationally televised debates, including two in the run up to this contentious GOP primary fight in Florida. However the “Romney train” seems to be picking up speed with a 14 point lead over Gingrich. 
    But Gingrich, apparently undeterred by lagging poll numbers, vowed to stay in the race in spite of Florida results, be they good or be they bad. 
    Who will win? It looks like it’s going to be a bloody battle to the finish. Stay tuned for more over the coming weeks!
Countdown to Super Tuesday: 35 days
Countdown to Election Day: 280 days
                                                                                                                                       Posted 1/31/12

    Think we aren’t getting enough snow here in Utah? If you are feeling a little snow-deprived try taking a trip to Alaska, where since November 1 they have received 44.24 inches of rain and 176 inches of snow—that’s 14.67 feet of snow!
    Much of the state was under some kind of winter weather advisory into Wednesday—areas just outside Anchorage were warned of 95-mph gusts and blizzard warnings extended across the southcentral coast, where the wind chill could make it feel like 50 below. 
    Two avalanches cut off a stretch of the highway from Anchorage to Gridwood and the Kenai Peninsula. Avalanche warnings were issued for several areas, including Cordova and Valdez. 
    In Homer, a town shut down on Tuesday because of the wild weather, 60-mph wind gusts plus a couple of inches of snow were a recipe for 4 to 5 foot drifts overnight. "People were out shoveling, operating front-end loaders" during a break before "more of the same" comes back in Wednesday afternoon, Homer News reporter McKibben Jackinsky told msnbc.com.
    She goes on to say that this winter is, “not typical at all. It's been pretty cold weather for this early in the year.”
    For some areas, the cold has meant fuel shortages.  A tanker carrying fuel is making its way to Nome to distribute emergency supplies. The ship was at times stalled by ice in the Bering Sea however as of Wednesday the ship was only 100 miles from Nome, a Coast Guard cutter clearing a path through the iced over sea. 
    But the delivery is still a difficult one, said Jason Evans, chairman of Sitnasuak Native Corp. "I think there continues to be a lot of pressure on the ice, so when they break the ice it wants to immediately squeeze together, or the broken ice wants to shoot back into the hole they just made," Evans said.
    While the ship makes its way to Nome, two smaller towns are hoping to get supplies flown in soon. Kobuk Mayor Edward Gooden Jr. told msnbc.com that the town's airstrip was being cleared, but no exact time for a shipment was set. "Soon, I hope," he said at midday. The isolated town of some 150 residents relies on aircraft for deliveries of food and fuel.
    "Is this the winter of Mother Nature's discontent?" asked AlaskaDispatch.com. "Those living in Alaska have to wonder. It's like the poor old gal has gone schizophrenic. There really is no other explanation for the weather extremes witnessed in the north this year."
                                                                                                                           

African penguin Howard carries a valentine heart written by a visitor to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, Feb. 13.

State Flower: Magnolia
State Bird: Mockingbird
State Animal:white-tailed deer
State Insect: Honeybee
Population: 2,978,512
Size: 32nd largest state
Admitted to the Union December 10, 1817 
Restored to the Union on February 23, 1870 

Christina Miller
Book Editor
Christy.Miller@msn.com
    Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness- those are the basic ideas that citizens of the United States are guaranteed under the Constitution. George Washington warned of the destruction that the creation of political parties would create within a government. Washington gave this warning in his farewell address; he wanted the people to realize that when a common and too popular idea/philosophy is formed that separation among society will then be inevitable.         
    Today in modern America there are two main parties- the Democratic Party as well as the Republican Party. Both parties are powerful and very influential over the American voters. Turns out, George Washington was right; now it's almost impossible for a candidate of a smaller party to even have a chance in elections. Without differing opinions people become too comfortable with a set idea of how something should be; this is a problem because then groups are created, like political parties, and corruption occurs. John Stuart Mill even said, "There is a limit to the legitimate interference of collective opinion with individual independence; and to find that limit, and maintain it against encroachment, is as indispensable to a good condition of human affairs as protection against political despotism..." (On Liberty) John Mill is saying that there needs to balance within a society, a "limit" of collective opinion. Balance is key to a successful management, without there is fault.
    Unfortunately, America currently is without harmony in today’s government; it seems as though every representative has selfish motivations. Politicians are passing useless legislation to buy cheap political points among supporters. John Locke, a man who constitutional ideology is based off of, claimed that the purpose of government is to benefit those of whom it governs; the moment government is not doing what’s preeminent for the people it is no longer a “government.” It takes real courage by any political figure to make real change. It takes courage by any person to have an opposing view, however, it is crucial that there is diversity in order to avoid a majority outlook. 
    This in depth analysis verifies that John Mill was precise in what he said; tyranny of majority is disparaging to humanity.  While individuals have their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, everything has its limitations.

Kaitlyn Rowbotham
National/Community News Editor
krow94@hotmail.com
    State troopers in Massena New York found 30-year-old John Colby hiding in his attic, thanks to one very small informant.
    Troopers went to Colby’s home on Sunday morning to serve two warrants for his arrest—one for failure to appear in court and one for traffic violations. Colby’s girlfriend said she  had no idea where Colby was but then the couple’s 4-year-old daughter chimed in, telling police that, “daddy is scared and hiding in the attic.”
    Troopers checked out the attic and found Colby. He was charged with bail jumping, obstructing governmental administration, and resisting arrest. He is being held in the St. Lawrence County jail pending a court appearance Wednesday.