Free Republic

A four-year-old Mooresville boy is fighting for his life after being injured by a lawn mower April 22. Preston Loyd was playing in the yard of his Corona Circle home when he was accidentally run over by a lawn mower operated by his grandfather. Preston is the son of Mooresville residents Ashton and Cinamon Loyd, and a preschooler at Peninsula Baptist Church. "My father did not know Preston was near, and accidently backed over him," Ashton Loyd wrote on a Web site where he is keeping friends and neighbors updated on Preston's condition. With extensive injuries, especially to his left...

Preston will most probably be the state record holder for the weekend's snowfall with 30 inches reported, says state climatologist Mary Knapp. But it won't be official until the end of April. Knapp is still checking her numbers and is busy conferring with the National Weather Service, as well as searching through weather data to aid in the confirmation. "We still are waiting for reports from stations that might not have gotten through yet," she said. However, by the end of April, they should have it settled. When it comes to snowfall, "people will be arguing forever on what the...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will loosen terms of its foreclosure-prevention effort so that the program, meant to backstop $300 billion in home loans, can be more effective, the agency said on Wednesday. The Hope for Homeowners program will now insure home loans that have had as little as 3.5 percent of their value erased by the original lender. Under the original terms, a lender would have to write off 10 percent of a failing loan before the government would invest. Investors who hold a stake in failing loans through second liens may receive...

WHEREAS, Preston County provides the citizens of Morgantown, Monongalia County with the crystal clear waters of Decker’s Creek and the Cheat River--and cool mountain breezes for their free use; and, WHEREAS, Preston County’s majestic mountains provide the citizens of Morgantown, Monongalia County with shade from the rising sun--greatly reducing their air conditioning bills in the summer! And, those same mountains selflessly absorb dangerous and cancer causing Global Warming UV rays; and, WHEREAS, Preston County provides the citizens of Morgantown, Monongalia County with access to I-68 and the shortcut through the Cumberland mountains to all points east; and, WHEREAS, Preston County...

Hardline takeover of British mosques       Andrew Norfolk   Almost half of Britain’s mosques are under the control of a hardline Islamic sect whose leading preacher loathes Western values and has called on Muslims to “shed blood” for Allah, an investigation by The Times has found. Riyadh ul Haq, who supports armed jihad and preaches contempt for Jews, Christians and Hindus, is in line to become the spiritual leader of the Deobandi sect in Britain. The ultra-conservative movement, which gave birth to the Taleban in Afghanistan, now runs more than 600 of Britain’s 1,350 mosques, according to...

Idiotic. Disgusting. Stupid. Moronic. I guess you could say that Ann loves to shock us, but at this point, who’s shocked? She obviously can’t behave well enough to attend a respectable political gathering. It’s not a lack of intelligence. It’s an indifference to self-control and a preening sort of narcissism that compels her to need the spotlight, even if it’s unflattering. (For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s audio of her calling John Edwards a “faggot” at CPAC today.) --- Michelle Malkin - ***4:15pm update*** Ann Coulter just finished her riff on Al Gore, tossed...

Back from Baghdad By Michelle Malkin   ·   January 17, 2007 04:04 AM The digs at FOB Justice My HotAir.com colleague Bryan Preston and I are back from Iraq. Thanks to Allah and Ian for holding down the fort at HA and thanks much to guest-bloggers Mary Katharine Ham, See-Dubya, and the Big Lizards for filling in here during my absence. Be sure to bookmark their blogs. Our first Hot Air in Baghdad video report is here. Bryan's first post-trip essay, a thorough assessment of "mistakes, fumbles and ways forward to win--and what victory actually looks like," is here. He's also...

A teenager was stabbed when hundreds of people became involved in a battle on the streets of Preston. Trouble centred on the Jamea Masjid mosque in Clarendon Street, Avenham, for more than four hours last night (Sunday) and led to a massive policing operation. Preston's police chief said the problems were triggered by local youths throwing stones at cars belonging to people attending the mosque. This sparked a response from around 200 people inside the mosque who came out to defend those under attack. It resulted in one 16-year-old Asian youth being stabbed in the arm, but ambulance crews were...

TRUTH in the David Hicks affair remains as elusive as ever after fresh allegations this week from inside the US military that the Guantanamo Bay commissions are so seriously flawed that a fair trial is impossible. The most damaging blows yet to the commissions -- still supported by the Howard Government -- came from three US Air Force prosecutors involved in the trials who have quit the investigation in protest. One, John Carr, said the process appeared to have been rigged and that the first four cases -- including Hicks -- had been been "handpicked" and would not be acquitted....

(Preston-WTNH, May 23, 2006 Updated 11:45 PM) _ There is a whole lot of celebrating going on and some disappointment in Preston after voters approved the Utopia Studios plan. Out of 3,500 voters, some 2,500 cast their ballot. Voters in the tiny town of Preston have passed the $1.6 billion Utopia plan. Utopia - the plan known as Hollywood East - is a go and supporters couldn't be happier. Throughout the day, there was a steady turnout of voters casting their ballots on this hot button issue. The developer vows to work closely with the community and protect the rural...

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, May 3, 2006) – The work of American Soldiers is helping countries like Afghanistan and Iraq recover from years of war and repression, according to the Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston. Preston has visited forward operating bases across Southwest Asia and the Balkans several times during his tenure, and will visit again this summer and fall. In addition to checking on the welfare of U.S. enlisted Soldiers, Preston will look for continued progress in Iraq and Afghanistan’s emerging enlisted army structure. In spite of terrorist and insurgent attempts to unseat the stability of...

Nominees to the Supreme Court of Canada will face questions from members of Parliament for the first time in history... But House of Commons lawmakers won't have the power to veto candidates under the new process; the prime minister will still have the last word. Prime Minister Stephen Harper ... insisted his plan won't unduly politicize the selection of a new judge to fill an existing vacancy on the nine-member high court. At the same time, he declared that his preference is to find a judge who will "apply the law rather than make it" - a common theme among...

OTTAWA - Preston Manning and Mike Harris, two prominent Conservatives, have sketched a vision for Canada that includes a new customs agreement with the United States and a dramatically revamped health care system. The two former politicians released a report yesterday that also calls for a tight rein on government spending and deep tax cuts as part of a strategy they say is aimed at giving Canada the highest quality of life in the world. "We believe that Canada is being held back by an absence of national vision and ill-advised public policies," they said in the report, "A Canada...

Bob Gay/The Dominion Post Showing the effects of wind and weather, this tattered and faded flag still flutters in the breeze at a grave site in East Oak Grove Cemetery. BY KATHY PLUM The Dominion Post KINGWOOD -- Americans love their flag, but many don't know how to display it, honor it or to dispose of it after it is retired. "We have skipped a couple generations where we have not taught" flag etiquette, said 1st Sgt. Rick Bloom, of the Preston High School JROTC. "We normally don't have to tell a cadet more than once what you have...

<p>Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth O. Preston became the 13th sergeant major of the Army at an Jan. 15 swearing in ceremony at the Pentagon. “I am so proud of our soldiers,” said Preston, who recently served in Iraq as command sergeant major of V Corps and Combined Joint Task Force 7. “Having walked with them on the battlefields in Iraq over the past year, there is no doubt that they are the only Army in the world that could perform such a Herculean feat.”</p>

OCEANSIDE – Actor Richard W. "Dick" Simmons, whose 40-year career in Hollywood included the title role in the 1950s television series "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon," has died. He was 89.

<p>Biological warfare is the subject of today's "Winds of Change" features. Lady Margaret Thatcher leads off in typically clear and inspirational style. The recently-passed Bioterrorism Preparedness Act of 2001 follows - it's a start, but large gaps remain. We look at the act and the gaps, and set out the 10-point plan for change. In-depth briefings on anthrax and smallpox round out today's features.</p>