Ex-Troup Tiger Chris Burnette ready to see field for Georgia Bulldogs. Page 9 LaGrange Daily News THURSDAY 50 cents July 8, 2010 lagrangenews.com Students Tomorrow’s Music and stories at library weather High 95 post gains Low 72 on CRCT Mostly sunny From staff reports Troup County students have shown improvement in the latest scores on the Criterion Referenced Competency Test. This year, Troup County students systemwide posted scores equal to Today’s artist:Andrea Medrano, third grade, Franklin or greater than last year in 88 per- Forest Elementary School. cent of the testing categories reported, up from 77 percent last year. In the categories where the Nation system did not make gains, drops totaled no more than two percent- ‘Glee,’ the spunky TV age points. The CRCT is the primary assess- musical comedy about ment used to determine how well high school misfits and elementary and middle school stu- the teachers who dents have learned the year’s cur- shepherd them, was a riculum. top Emmy nominee Not only did students make gains today with 19 bids, as measured against their own pre- including for best com- Robyn Miles / Daily News vious performance, but they also edy series and stars compared favorably to their peers Matthew Morrison and Caroline Figiel and Danny Jones entertain children with interactive stories and songs Wednes- across the state. In 24 out of 36 test- Lea Michele. The day at LaGrange Memorial Library. The musicians and storytellers were on hand as part of the ing categories (67 percent), Troup leading nominee was library’s summer reading program. Next week Storyteller Carol Cain concludes the series at 2 p.m. County students matched or out- the gritty, unsparing performed state scores. This num- World War II drama, Wednesday at the library at 115 Alford St. ber is up from 15 categories in 2009 ‘The Pacific,’ with 24 and only nine in 2008. nominations. Math saw this year’s highest PAGE 5 Solution to oil spill cleanup: Do nothing? gains in the county. With the excep- tion of the sixth grade, which post- the underwater well ed a 1-percentage-point drop, all could possibly be stopped Beach cleaners grade levels achieved gains. Local before the end of the Fourth-graders increased their only skim oil month, but then said it’s math performance by 13 percent- unlikely. off surface sand age points over last year; seventh- “In a perfect world with graders increased six percentage GULF SHORES, Ala. no interruptions, it’s pos- points, and eighth-graders (AP) – A problem lurks sible to be ready to stop increased by five percentage under the sand on the the well between July 20 points. Gulf Coast, but some and July 27,” Dudley told “This success comes in spite of argue the best thing to do the Wall Street Journal. continually increasing expectations is – nothing. But he added that the on students for math achievement,” Walk to a seemingly “perfect case” is threat- said Natalie Meiguez, mathemat- pristine patch of sand, ened by the hurricane ics curriculum coordinator for plop down in a chair and season. Troup County schools. “Each year, start digging with your As for cleaning the the bar is being raised by the state. bare feet and chances are beaches, some experts It is very encouraging to see that you’ll walk away with question whether it’s bet- students are rising to the challenge gooey tar between your ter to just let nature run MCT Direct and developing the math skills nec- The Lafayette Theatre toes. So far, workers its course, in part because essary for success.” Company’s production hired by BP to clean oil oil that weathers on Brenda Berger of Raleigh, Miss., photographs oil Meiguez leads the team of sys- off beaches have beaches isn’t considered on her feet after picking up tar balls from the Deep- of ‘Stuart Little’ is a tem math academic coaches that skimmed only the sur- as much of a health haz- child’s toy box of water Horizon oil spill on the beach in Gulfport, provides curriculum support to face, using shovels or sift- ard as fresh crude. Some delight, says a review- Miss. schools and teachers in line with ing machines. environmentalists and Island Sea Lab, said seas held up oil skim- er of the play, which the system’s focus on improving The oil underneath is local officials fret about tourism’s the only real ming operations all along opens tonight. math performance by all students. PAGE 2 sometimes buried by the harm to the ecosystem reason to dig up the the Gulf Coast, one more Since the implementation of the tides before workers can and tourism. buried oil. day of interruption in new Georgia Performance Stan- get to it. Now the compa- “We have to have sand “Buried is buried. It will more than week of dards in math, seventh-grade stu- ny is planning a deeper that is just as clean as it get carved up by a hurri- weather kicked off by the dents have gained 13 percentage Local cleaning program that was before the spill,” said cane at some point, but I faraway Hurricane Alex. points on the CRCT and eighth- could include washing or Tony Kennon, the mayor see no particular advan- The weather could be graders have gained 15 percentage The LaGrange Sym- incinerating sand once of Orange Beach, a pop- tage to digging it up,” he moving on soon. A tropi- points. phony Orchestra has the blown-out oil under- ular tourist stretch reach- said. “It’s a human envi- cal system developing off Science scores also show marked received a grant from sea well is plugged and ing to the Florida state ronmental hazard only Mexico’s Yucatan Penin- gains systemwide. Fourth-grade the Georgia Council the gusher stopped off line. because people don’t sula is not expected to students posted a 10-percentage- for the Arts which the coast of Louisiana. George Crozier, a want to go to the beach if cause problems for the point gain over last year, fifth grade includes a bonus in Meanwhile, BP manag- marine scientist and it’s got tar balls on it.” gulf and there is better posted a 5-percentage-point gain recognition of the edu- ing director Bob Dudley director of the Dauphin Meanwhile out in the weather forecast for the cational initiatives said the spewing oil from Gulf of Mexico, choppy weekend. and seventh-graders posted a 7- percentage-point gain. undertaken by the Student performance on the symphony. PAGE 8 Experts tout microchipping for pets CRCT is categorized in three lev- els: did not meet standards, met By Becky Holland the procedure herself, Lifestyle editor standards or exceeded standards. Smith said she had heard This year, the percentage of stu- Opinion The Holt family of Vir- of lost animals being dents exceeding standards ginia got a big surprise returned to rightful own- increased significantly. At the ers, “even after the own- It’s time to bring U.S. recently – their family school level, 30 different testing pet, an 85-pound German ers thought their pets troops home from categories saw 50 percent or more shepherd named Deacon, were gone for good,” Afghanistan, says students exceed standards. who had been missing for because of the “Our target since day one of the columnist Bill more than two months, microchip. Kennedy. 2009-10 school year was math, and PAGE 6 was returned. “Collars can be torn off we hit it,” said Sylvia Hooker, assis- Deacon had become a and tags get old, but the tant superintendent for curriculum beloved family member, microchip is there for a and instruction. “Although there is and everyone was upset long time,” she said. no one thing or ‘silver bullet’ to at his disappearance. But Berry said: “Eighty per- INDEX a call from a man in cent of all pets without Calendar . 3 microchips who are sep- CRCT Deland, Fla., changed SEE , PAGE 2 Classifieds . 11-12 everything. The man arated from their owners Comics . 7 thought he had the dog. are never reunited with Community . 3 The family was not sure them. With the Hot day; rain Crossword . 7 until the man asked if the microchipping, pet own- International . 5 dog’s name was Bruno. ers are found quickly. on the way Local . 2, 8 The dog had been Animal control or a vet National . 5 microchipped before the scans your pet, obtains From staff reports Obituaries . 2 Holts adopted him, and your contact information Today should be the hottest day Opinion . 6 his name original was and gives you a call. It of the week, but temperatures are Sports . 9-10 Bruno. proves positive owner- expected to fall back to normal by State . .4 In the procedure, “a ship.” the weekend, and there’s a good TV Listings . 5 chip the size of a grain of Each chip has a unique Lorraine Berry, with her dogs Baby and Max, chance of rain in the forecast. rice will be inserted ID number so a lost pet is The mercury should reach the For home delivery, under the pet’s skin with easily identified. If a pet believes that having pets microchipped is impor- mid-90s Friday and about 90 call (706) 882-5624 no pain by a veterinari- is lost or stolen, a quick tant – tags can be lost, but a microchip is good through the weekend. Lows are an,” said Lorraine Berry scan can lead authorities for the life of a pet. forecast for the upper 60s and of the Humane Society of to the owner’s contact primary contact and Commerce Street in Pine lower 70s.