NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nashville voters rejected a proposal on Thursday that would have made it the largest U.S. city to require that all government business be done in English. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, unofficial results showed the “English first” proposal losing with about 57 percent of voters against it and 43 percent in favor. Proponents said using one language would have united the city and saved money, but business leaders, academics and the city’s mayor worried it could give the city a bad reputation. Similar measures have passed elsewhere. “The results of this special election reaffirms Nashville’s identity as a welcoming and friendly city, and our ability to come together as a community,” Mayor Karl Dean said.
Georgia: Tops in smokers’ deaths
Kentucky and West Virginia, where people traditionally smoke the most, have the highest death rates from smoking, a new federal study has found. Rounding out the 10 states with the highest average annual smoking death rates were Nevada, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Indiana and Missouri. The lowest death rates were in Utah and Hawaii, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.
Hawaii: Air turbulence injuries
Severe turbulence during a Honolulu-bound Northwest Airlines flight has injured eight passengers and a crew member. Northwest Airlines said Flight 22 from Tokyo landed Thursday morning in Honolulu after encountering turbulence over Midway Island. Two passengers and a flight attendant were hospitalized with hip, head and neck injuries. The flight attendant was in serious but stable condition. The flight carried 285 passengers.
D.C.: Digital TV delay looks likely
The Senate appeared close to agreement late Thursday on a bill to delay next month’s planned transition from analog to digital television broadcasting to June 12 — setting the stage for a vote early next week. The Nielsen Co. said Thursday that more than 6.5 million U.S. households are still not prepared for the upcoming transition and could see their TV sets go dark next month. Senate Republicans last week blocked Democratic efforts to push back the Feb. 17 deadline for the analog shutoff.
New York: Empire State jumper
A former television show host who tried to parachute off the Empire State Building was sentenced Thursday to probation and community service for the stunt. A state Supreme Court justice gave Jeb Corliss three years’ probation and 100 hours of community service. He also said Corliss, of Malibu, Calif., could fulfill the probation and community service requirements in his home state. Corliss was arrested when he tried to parachute from the 86th-floor observation deck of the 102-story Manhattan landmark in April 2006. Security guards thwarted his stunt.
Israel: Reporter restrictions lifted
Israel said Thursday it is lifting restrictions on foreign journalists entering the Gaza Strip, a ban that had drawn strong criticism from news media. The government said journalists would be free to enter and leave the war-ravaged territory starting today — two days before the Israeli Supreme Court was scheduled to rule on a request by the Foreign Press Association to declare the restrictions illegal. The court hearing will probably not take place if the government lifts the ban.
Peru: Indians free mining workers
Indian anti-mining protesters have released four mining workers held captive for a week, a representative of the indigenous groups said Thursday. Awajun and Wampi Indians took the workers for Compania Minera Afrodita captive on Jan. 15 in Huampami, near the northern border with Ecuador. The Awajun and Wampi expect a government delegation to arrive to discuss their concerns over mining exploration, he said. The Indian communities fear contamination and deforestation.
Spain: Police seize ‘Dali’ artworks
Spanish police said Thursday they had confiscated dozens of suspected fake Dali artworks that were to be put on sale in the southern town of Estepona. A total of 81 pieces were seized, 12 of which might be genuine pieces designed by Salvador Dali and are very similar to pieces listed on Interpol and Spanish police records as having been stolen in Belgium, France and the United States, a police statement said. The art included sculptures, lithographs, bas-reliefs, cutlery and textile pieces.
Britain: Plea in toddler’s smoking
A British woman has pleaded guilty to child cruelty for allowing her 3-year-old to smoke in front of her. A prosecutor said cell phone video showed the small child popping a cigarette into his mouth, lighting it with a lighter and taking a drag. He told a court in Merthyr Tydfil that the boy’s mother, 24-year-old Kelly Marie Pocock, was sitting next to him at the time. The judge said Thursday it was clear Pocock’s child was a habitual smoker and called the situation appalling. Pocock was given a 40-week suspended sentence.
From Herald news services
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
