Mother Lost Fight Over Soldier Son's Body, Killed in Iraq

Renee Amick's son, Army Staff Sgt. Jason Hendrix, was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq on February 16, 2005. Renee sued to get custody of his remains to bury them in California. She lives in California. Jason left no will, and the Army rule is to give the remains to the eldest surviving parent when there is no will, no spouse and no surviving child. Jason's father, Russell Hendrix,is 48 years old; Renee is 45. The Army gave Jason's remains to Russell, who lives in Oklahoma. Russell and Renee divorced in 1991 and Russell was awarded custody of Jason. In April, Jason was buried in Oklahoma, in a plot next to his father's father, a former Marine. Renee wanted Jason's remains exhumed and sent to California to be re-buried there. The judge ruled that Jason should remain buried in Oklahoma. He wrote, "The testimony of the mother appeared forced and contrived. The tears were not genuine." There are two similar cases pending in Nevada and Michigan. For more information, see .

Autism Can Be Treated

A 10 year-old boy from St. Louis, Missouri has proven that autism can be treated. This boy, Samuel Price Zoole, is my son. His story was aired recently on KSDK, the St. Louis NBC affiliate and the story also appeared on KSDK.com. He was diagnosed with autism at age 3. A local pediatric neurologist strongly urged us to institutionalize him. Instead we took him to the Judevine Center for Autism, where he received intensive therapy. He also received intensive therapy and intervention at his public school, Old Bonhomme Elementary in the Ladue School District, and through Special School District. Judevine, Old Bonhomme and the Special School District worked together to help Sam to such an extent that he has beaten autism! Their work should be used as a model for other schools to follow. A well-respected pediatric neurologist has stated that Sam no longer meets the diagnostic criteria for autism. If you met Sam today, you would not believe that he ever had autism. He is now an A and B student in school, scored 99th %ile nationally in science and is taking flying lessons to get a pilot's license. THERE IS HOPE FOR AUTISM!! If you know someone with autism, please tell them Sam's story. They need to know there is hope. To read his story, see http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=75744.

Martha - the Ultimate Phoenix

Martha Stewart can make a table arrangement out of pipe cleaners and paper clips, but this time her creativity has exceeded even her previous bounds. Somehow she has caused America to actually like her - and she did it by going to prison. Are we enjoying the fact that the high-and-mighty Martha who was generally disliked got her come-up-ance? Perhaps we feel she got her just desserts (pun intended) - like when the schoolyard bully gets his swirlie. So, Dr. Phil, are you getting this? New way for people who are generally disliked to change the public's perception of themselves - go to prison! For more info on Martha's return to glory, see: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7068355.

Boeing CEO Canned in Scandal

Boeing Company has a new scandal - not that it needed one. This time, the CEO and President, Harry Stonecipher, self-made tough-talking son of a Tennessee coal miner, was forced out for what AOL News calls "a violation of the company's code of conduct stemming from the relationship the married 68-year-old Stonecipher had with a female Boeing executive.
Stonecipher's predecessor, Phil Condit, resigned just 15 months ago, after defense contracting scandals that landed 2 Boeing executives to jail.
Investors barely reacted to the news of Stonecipher's ouster, which makes one wonder - Do we really care any more about corporate executives? Do we really expect them to behave the way the rest of us have to? Did we ever expect them to? For more info, see 9990015.http://aolsvc.aol.com/business/article.adp?id=2005030707410

Pope Gets Tracheotomy

Much-loved Pope John Paul II underwent tracheotomy surgery today to ease his breathing problems, after suffering a relapse of the flu. He has been in frail health for about twenty years, yet still manages to perform some of the public functions required of the world leader of the Roman Catholic Church. For more info see
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050224055909990001

Abortion ruling (Roe v. Wade) still stands

The U. S. Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge to the Roe v. Wade case, the famous 1973 case in which abortion was legalized. The justices did not explain their reasons for refusing to hear the case of Norma McCorvey, who was the "Jane Roe" of the original landmark case. She said she now regrets her prior action, and wants the court to consider her argument that abortion harms women. For more info, see www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/02/22/scotus.abortion.ap/index.html. The Court's refusal to hear the case comes as no surprise. Courts are reluctant to overturn prior rulings based upon changed circumstances, especially when the appeal is essentially a matter of her changing her mind.

And You Thought YOUR Mother-in-Law Was Difficult?!

Reportedly, the Queen will not be attending the marriage of her son, Prince Charles, and Camilla Parker Bowles. The wedding is set for April 8 at Windsor, west of London. Great way to start a marriage! For more info, see aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050222161209990014.

Pregnant Texas Woman Killed, Ex-Boyfriend Charged

Yet another case of a pregnant woman being killed. According to the Associated Press, Stephen Barbee, 37, has been charged with the deaths of bagel shop owner Lisa Underwood and her 7-year-old son. They had been missing since Saturday, February 19, 2005, when Lisa did not show up for her own baby shower. She was 7 months pregnant. Her neighbor, Debbie Lindley, said Stephen Barbee was the father of the unborn child. For more information, see http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050221192009990007.

Margaret "Pegi" Price 

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