Remembering: Queen Elizabeth I

March 24, 1603 Queen Elizabeth I dies after ruling England for forty-four years.

Under Elizabeth I's rule England had grown into a truly global power. Helping establish her as one of England's greatest monarchs in all of history.

Elizabeth I established a permanent Protestant church, fought off Catholic influences that wished to see England subjugated, and encouraged the Calvinists of Scotland.

One of the most famous victories for her England, came in 1588, against the Spanish Armada. A combination of determined English sailors and weather saw England take Spain's spot as the world's greatest navy.

She also greatly encouraged exploration, which later helped ensure England's dominance in North America, and other parts of the world.

The English Renaissance took place during her reign, a time where artists such as William Shakespeare thrived into greatness.

Elizabeth I feared that a marriage would endanger her authority, and so never married. This led to her nickname "The Virgin Queen". It was because of this nickname that Virginia was named after her.

Because she had no heirs, her nearest relative King James of Scotland became ruler of England, upon her death. James would unite Scotland and England, beginning the formation of Great Britain or the United Kingdom.

Colorado's Welfare Drug Test Law Moves Forward

Colorado's bill to drug test welfare recipients gained a step forward as it passed the house's appropriations committee, on Friday. The amendment it took to pass there, adds a requirement for all elected officials, including the governor, to have to pass drug tests as well.

Opponents of the bill state that it plays on inaccurate stereotypes of minorities and low-income people. They also warn that the state could face legal challenges because courts in other states have struck down similar drug-testing programs, ruling that such plans amount to an unconstitutional search of people. Concerns also have risen that it would cost more to implement, than the money it could possibly save.

Backers of the bill say that it is needed make sure government benefits are going to people who truly need the help, not people who are using the money for drugs. As to the cost, they say it is actually much cheaper than the numbers from the opposition suggest.

The bill is expected to pass the Republican held house. However, the Democrat controlled senate is not likely to allow the bill to survive.

Similar bills have failed in other states, such as Wyoming. But earlier this week Florida Governor Rick Scott signed such a law into place.

Mystery of Clintonville, Wisconsin Solved

The mystery of Clintonville, Wisconsin has apparently been solved. The mysterious noises that had begun to plague the town were identified by scientists as small barely measurable earthquakes.

Ironically though, scientists had previously ruled out earthquakes. Now scientists say that the noises were caused by a combination of the unique bedrock under the town, and the shallowness of the quakes.

The largest quake measured at 1.5 on the richter scale. So small that most seismographs are not regularly calibrated to read instances that low.

It is unknown for how much longer the quakes will occur, or why they've been only really happening at night. Only time will tell when and if they'll stop. The reasoning behind them, may never be known.

Syria Accuses CNN of Aiding Rebels

On Thursday, Syria's government controlled media stated that CNN journalists either took part in, or at least helped rebels blow up an oil pipeline near Homs. Anchors on one TV station stated that there is "conclusive evidence of the involvement of CNN and the American journalists who were present there in the detonation of the oil pipelines in Homs".

SANA, the Syrian state TV channel, added on Friday that CNN footage "revealed that the camera operators were CNN correspondents who entered Syria illegally through the Lebanese borders and seemed to have coordinated with the saboteurs to film a video of the attack and send it to their channel." And said that CNN's stated that the "Syrian army was behind the attack to deflect suspicion of any coordination, if not to say involvement, with the terrorist saboteurs."

The executive vice president and managing director of CNN International, Tony Maddox, called the assertions "ridiculous". Adding, "We stand firmly behind our excellent reporting on Syria. It is a pity that its citizens did not get to see this important documentary without these ridiculous interventions."

Syria has repeatedly in the past stated that outside sources have been causing and spurring on the rebellion, which started over a year ago. Since that time the government has taken total control of their media outlets, and blocked foreign ones from entering the country. As al-Qaeda is known to be aiding some of the rebels, it is hard to entirely discount the Syrian government's accusations of outside sources being involved.

To date between 12,000 and 15,000 have been killed in Syria over the past year.

Man Shot Dead at Red Light in Aurora

A man died today after being shot whilst he was sitting a red light.

According to police, about one o'clock this afternoon, the man stopped at a red light at the intersection of Dayton Street and East Montview Boulevard. He had been headed northbound on Dayton.

As he was stopped at the light, a dark SUV pulled up behind him. Someone got out of it, walked up to the man's jeep, and shot several times through the windshield. The shooter then returned to their vehicle and it drove off.

The victim was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital.

The motive of the shooting is totally unknown at this time. It could be a hit against a specific person, or completely random. Most likely though, it is a targeted hit.

Police asked anyone with information to call Detective Tom Welton at 303-739-6107. People wishing to remain anonymous can Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.

Remembering: The Great One, Wayne Gretzky's 802nd

March 23, 1994 Wayne Gretzky scores his 802 goal, breaking the record of Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe. In his career, Gretzky broke sixty-one records, gaining the nickname of The Great One.

By age six, Gretzky was playing in a league for ten year olds. At 10, he scored 378 goals in one season of pee wee hockey. He started being the cause for sold out crowds and soon all his games were being televised.

At sixteen he was drafted into the Ontario Hockey Association and scored six goals in his first game. The next year he went pro signing into the World Hockey League. And the following year, he was picked up by the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League.

In his rookie year, he had 137 scores, a record for a rookie. The next year he had 164, a record for a single season. His third year, he became the first player to ever hit the 200 score mark, he would hit that two more times in his career. When he retired after the 1999 season, he did so with 2,857 scores, 1,000 more than Gordie Howe had when he set the record.

Not just a goal scorer his points (assists plus goals) just from assists, were higher than any player's points from scoring. He wore 99 throughout his career, in honor of Gordie Howe, his childhood hero, who had worn #9.

Remembering: Patrick Henry and 'Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death'

March 23, 1775, in a speech at the Second Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry makes one of the most remembered statements of American history. As he speaks against the increasingly oppressive rule of Britain, he concludes with, "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

Patrick Henry had been one of the first in the colonies to speak for colonial independence. He began his rise to fame in 1763. In 1765, during the Stamp Act, he said, "Caesar had his Brutus; Charles the First his Cromwell; and George the Third ....may he profit by their example." From then

Before the constitution would serve twice as governor of Virginia. Later, Henry was a leader of the anti-federalists in Virginia, who opposed the Constitution, fearing that it endangered the rights of the States, as well as the freedoms of individuals. His role in the anti-federalists put him in a position to help shape the Bill of Rights.

Ironically after seeing the fate of France, after their revolution, Henry would switch to the side of the Federalists. He was especially against the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, which called for the rights of a state to nullify a federal law it considered unconstitutional. Henry stated that it would only lead to civil war.

Police Arrest Owner of Drunk Dog

A Montana man has been arrested on charges of animal cruelty.

Police were called to investigate a call about a drunk dog at a bar. They found Arly II, a Pomeranian, unable to walk without falling over.

The dog had drunk in a car outside the bar and was reported to police by customers and staff who then took care of the dog until police arrived. "We basically saved the dog’s life," bar manager Joe Wieck said. An intoxicated person who claimed part ownership of the twenty pound dog told police that Schrier had given the dog about a "to go cup of vodka," police wrote.

The officers took Arly II to the vet who found that the dog had a blood alcohol level of 0.348 percent. Which is more than four times the legal driving limit, for humans, of 0.08. A level of 0.4 can be lethal to humans.

Considering the poisoned state of Arly II, one must wonder what happened to the first Arly.

Student Told to Sound 'Blacker'

Jordan Shumate, a ninth grader at George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church, Virginia says that his English teacher told him to read in a "blacker manner". The teacher had him reading Langston Hughes' "Ballad of the Landlord" aloud, when she interrupted him. "She told me, 'Blacker, Jordan. Come on, blacker. I thought you were black."

After he refused to continue she read it herself to show him what she meant. Shumate says, "She read the poem like a slave, basically". When he asked whether she thought all black people speak that way, he says she told him to take his seat and that he was reprimanded for speaking out of turn.

The poem was written in 1940 about a black tenant thrown in jail for challenging a landlord.

"It's very, very unprofessional," Shumate continued. "It should not happen. She didn't do it to any other kids. Why did she have to do it to me?"

Jordan brought the issue to his mother's attention after he said the teacher singled him out again during a lesson about stereotypes. Shumate said he was asked to explain why blacks like grape soda and rap music. His mother, Nicole Page, that she is "very sad for her child's loss of innocence" because of the ordeal. Page added that the teacher had also previously asked the student to rap out a poem by black rapper and actor Tupac Shakur.

11 Year Old Removed From Choir for Refusing Drug Test

The American Civil Liberties Union is filing a lawsuit against Solanco School District, in Pennsylvania on behalf of an eleven year old girl and her parents.

The student attends Swift Middle School, and was removed from choir and the orchestra, as well as banned from athletic and academic teams, because she refused to give a random urine test.

The district's policies require that every student pass drug tests, before they can take part in school activities other than classes. The family and ACLU say that the policy violates privacy rights under the state constitution and are requesting that a judge prevent the enforcement of the policy.

While it does seem a little ridiculous for kids of that age to have to pass drug tests for even things such as choir, that is the district's policy. The policy may be a little too tough, but it does seem fair.

Also, I'm very much wondering, what an eleven year old has to hide from them. Why is she afraid to take the test? To me that would at least suggest she is taking drugs, and doesn't want to be caught. Or it could be she really just was uncomfortable doing so.