Teachers Admit Strapping Pupils

It's another case of corporal punishment traditions colliding with the law.

But this time there were no courthouse protests.

Rather, there was courtroom support for a principal and a kindergarten teacher of an Aylmer-area Mennonite school.

Johan Penner, 30, principal at the Old Colony Christian School, pleaded guilty to six counts of assault with a weapon -- a brown belt without a buckle.

Anna Klassen, 42, pleaded guilty to one count.

Supporting them was a large group of people from their Mennonite community.

"They are gentle people, they are peace-loving people, which makes it more interesting that they be in a court of law on something like this," said their lawyer, Gord Cudmore.

"It is the last place they would find themselves and, quite frankly, it's the last place they should be.".....

The Best and Easiest Way to Live Longer

Been a while since you went for your walk? You might not be so quick to skip it when you hear this:

Walking every day could slash your risk of an early death by 50 percent to 70 percent. Here's what we mean by that . . .

Fitness BreakdownWalking is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get -- and stay -- fit. And few things affect your longevity as much as your fitness level does. Case in point: In a recent study involving a group of veterans, mortality rates were anywhere from 50 percent to 70 percent lower in the ones who werefittest -- regardless of whether they had underlying heart disease.

It’s No Joke — Cellphone Ban For Drivers Begins April 1

It’s no April fool’s joke — one week from now talking on a hand-held cellphone while driving will be illegal and so will smoking in your car if a child under 19 is along for the ride.

The measures were passed by the province in an effort to avoid driver distraction and to promote healthy living.Nova Scotia is the second province in Canada after .....

http://www.capebretonpost.com/index.cfm?pid=1856

Can Eggs Make You Smarter?

Like your poached egg and whole-wheat toast in the morning? Your brain might enjoy it, too.

Eating selenium-rich foods -- like eggs -- could help keep your memory sharp and your brain speed on high as you age.

Your Brain on SeleniumIn rural China, researchers found that elderly people who got at least the U.S. recommended daily value of selenium (about 55 micrograms per day) had cognitive test scores that put them in a league with people 10 years younger.

Super Sources

You can get your daily dose of selenium ...

4 Shot At Doughnut Shop

Men inside doughnut shop targetted.

For the second time in a week, a gunman has let loose a barrage of gunfire on a group of young men apparently minding their own business in the city's west end.

Toronto Police said the latest multiple shooting occurred around 1:10 a.m. yesterday when a man armed with a long-barrel shotgun walked up to a Country Style doughnut shop in the Westway Centre, a plaza on the southeast corner of Kipling Ave. and Dixon Rd. in Etobicoke, and fired several blasts through a window at four men inside.

"They were sitting at a table," .....

Luck Smiles On Too Many In Lotto Draw

Second-prize winners of Wednesday night’s Lotto 6-49 draw probably thought Lady Luck had favoured them in a big way, but she actually smirked instead of smiled.

The draw for a $3.99 million jackpot saw 239 tickets with five of the six winning numbers plus the bonus number, making for a smaller second-prize payday than some ticket holders might expect.

Total second prize money was valued at $285,294.30, but holders will only receive $1,193.70 each after the loot has been divided.

The number of second-prize winners is striking when compared to recent draws for similar jackpots

Don Pister, a spokesman for the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, said a draw on March 15 yielded only three second-prize winners, while no one picked five numbers and the bonus on March 5.

Pister conceded Wednesday’s result was unusual .....

Record-Setting Pilot Dies At 26

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (AP) -- Vicki Van Meter, who made headlines in the 1990s for piloting a plane across the United States at age 11 and from the U.S. to Europe at age 12, died in an apparent suicide. She was 26.

Van Meter died Saturday of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Crawford County coroner said. Her body was found in her Meadville, Pennsylvania, home on Sunday.

Her brother said she battled depression, but her family thought she had been dealing with her problems.

"She was unhappy, but it was hard for her to open up about that, and we all thought that she was coping," Daniel Van Meter said. He said she had opposed taking medication.

Van Meter was celebrated in 1993 and 1994 when she made her cross-country and trans-Atlantic flights accompanied by only a flight instructor. Her instructors said she was at the controls during the entirety of both trips.