An Ohio school was asked by the American Civil Liberties Union to put an end to punishing a student refusing to stand and receive the Pledge of Allegiance. Roxanne Westover, 17, says that she is an atheist and considers the pledge to be more religious than patriotic.

Because Westover refused to participate in the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, she says she was sent to the principal's office at Hubbard High School several times.

On Tuesday, the ACLU wrote to school district officials arguing that students have right not to say the pledge as a matter of free speech.

Superintendent Richard Buchenic says that he told the ACLU that the matter has been "dealt with."

Carrie Davis, ACLU of Ohio staff counsel, says that Hubbard High School intends to follow a district policy that states students are not required to recite the pledge.

That's not very Christian-like, now is it? Nevertheless, a few religious zealots have taken their dislike of U.S. President Barack Obama to a new level - bumper stickers and t-shirts which command viewers to pray for the president's death. Of course they don't come right out and print "Pray for our President to die". Instead, the perpetrators take a far more cowardly approach, utilizing the slogan "Pray for Obama - Psalm 109:8".

If you take the time to look up Psalm 109:8, you'll notice right off that it is not a happy and cheerful passage. Psalm 109 is better known as "A Cry for Vengeance". Psalm 109:8 specifically reads:

"Let his days be few; and let another take his office."

While that verse does not specifically mention death or harm to the leader in question, read on and you will see that Psalm 109 has a far more sinister message.

6 Appoint [a] an evil man [b] to oppose him;
let an accuser [c] stand at his right hand.

7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
and may his prayers condemn him.

8 May his days be few;
may another take his place of leadership.

9 May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.

If you hadn't heard of Facebook or Twitter in 2008, you most certainly did in 2009 with the boom in social networking that has taken place this year. Everyone from college students to your mother has joined. In light of this cultural phenomenon, it's not surprising that the folks at the New Oxford American Dictionary have choosen "unfriend" as their new word of the year.

A post on the Oxford University Press website made the announcement:

"Every year the New Oxford American Dictionary prepares for the holidays by making its biggest announcement of the year. This announcement is usually applauded by some and derided by others and the ongoing conversation it sparks is always a lot of fun, so I encourage you to let us know what you think in the comments. Without further ado, the 2009 Word of the Year is: unfriend."

So the word "unfriend" will now appear in the New Oxford American Dictionary, and its official definition will read as follows:

unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.

As in, “I decided to unfriend my roommate on Facebook after we had a fight.”

Photo: Richard Heene's mug shot.

The Heene family pulled on the heartstrings of American last month when it was reported that their young son had climbed into a homemade hotair balloon that became untethered and floated over the skies of Colorado. After hours of news coverage and worrying, it turned out the whole thing was a ruse. The boy was found in the attic of the family's home, and later let it slip on TV that the whole thing was a stunt. Naturally, the law enforcement officials, rescue teams, and TV viewing audience who were caught up in the whole stunt wanted the Heene family to pay for their mistake.

Father Richard Heene turned himself in Thursday and was released on $5,000 bond. His lawyer claims that he will plead guilty to felony charges. His wife, Mayumi Hene will plead guilty to false reporting to authorities, which is a misdemeanor.

Charges were officially filed against the Heenes on Thursday, which is why Richard turned himself in.

The economy is down and money is tight for a lot of families, and Cleveland State University understands the hardships that students are facing. In light of this, CSU has announced a new $3,000 scholarship available to incoming freshman that's renewable up to $12,000 over four years.

The new scholarship, called the Freshman Scholars Program is awarded to new full-time freshmen entering beginning in Fall 2010 with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and an ACT score of 23 or a combined SAT score of 1060. The last day to apply for the Freshman Scholars Program is February 1, 2010, and incoming freshman can apply online at www.engagecsu.com.

The $3,000 scholarship is renewable by maintaining a 3.0 cumulative GPA for full-time students. CSU tuition is about $8,000 per year, and this scholarship can reduce annual tuition by 36%.

An attorney for the Army psychiatrist accused of gunning down fellow soldiers at Fort Hood last week says that doctors have informed him that he may be paralyzed from the waist down. On Friday, attorney John Galligan said that Major Nidal Malik Hasan told him that he has no feeling in his legs and doctors believe the condition may be permanent.

Galligan also said that Hasan told him that he had extreme pain in his hands.

Hasan was shot by civilian police responding to the shootings at the Fort Hood military installation. Galligan was able to speak with him on Thursday in the intensive care unity at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder in the attack that also left 29 people wounded.

Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army major accused of carrying out the Fort Hood massacre, was charged on Thursday with 13 counts of premeditated murder. If convicted, he will be eligible for the death penalty.

Hasan, 39, will face justice in a military court. Prosecutors are expected to begin putting together the military equivalent of a grand jury. Under the military court system, fellow Army officers will decide whether Hasan is guilty of mass murder, and if so, on his punishment. If the death penalty is decided upon, he would die by lethal injection.

Chris Grey, a spokesman for the US Army Criminal Investigation Command, said that additional charges could be filed against Hasan. Officials are still trying to decide whether or not to charge him with a fourteenth count of murder in connection with the death of a pregnant victim's unborn child.

Captured alive, the Army psychiatrist, feds say he killed 13 people and wounded 42 others at the Fort Hood army installation in Texas last week. Hasan was said to be armed with two handguns, opening fire inside a medical office waiting room packed with unarmed soldiers. His shooting spree was put to an end when he was wounded in a shootout with civilian police.

Ohio State University President Dr. E. Gordon Gee picked up a nice honor from Time Magazine today who named him the best college president in the nation and ran a lengthy piece on him. The entire piece can be read by clicking to Time Magazine's Website.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland was quick to congratulate Gee releasing a press release that read:

“I am so proud that Dr. Gee received this significant distinction for his incredible leadership and the national prominence he brings to the university and our state,” Strickland said. “Dr. Gee understands that for Ohio to succeed we must have the most educated, innovative workforce in the country, and that institutions of higher education and the business community partnering together are an important part of our plan to create jobs and lasting economic growth.”

A playful Facebook message to his pregnant girlfriend about pancakes saved Rodney Bradford, 19, from being convicted of a crime he didn't commit. Prosecutors dropped a robbery charge against the Brooklyn teen after learning his Facebook account status had been updated with the inside joke "WHERE MY IHOP?" from a computer inside his father's Harlem apartment one minute before an Oct. 17 stickup of two men in Brooklyn's Farragut Houses.

Bradford said, "They had on me Rikers Island for 12 days. It was really miserable. If it wasn't for Facebook I'd still be on Rikers Island."

His stepmom, Ernestine Bradford agreed. She said:

"Facebook saved my son. Normally, we yell at our kids, 'Oh, you're on the computer!" It's completely different. If it wasn't for Facebook, my son wouldn't be here."

Electronic footprints created by Bradford's posting on Facebook backed up multiple witnesses who said that he was at his dad's house that day. It also refuted a victim's claim that he recognized one of the robbers as Bradford, who lives in Farragut Houses.

Bradford's lawyer, Robert Reuland, said:

Two months ago, Jacksonville was threatened with cancellation of its 2009 Veterans Day parade after the city council cut the parade’s funding. Only a firestorm of protests from the Florida city’s residents restored the parade.

Jacksonville is not alone. Similar stories about cancellations or threatened cancellations erupted in newspapers across the nation this year. New York, Pennsylvania and California city officials cut back on observances of the holiday, citing waning interest and declining participation.

Veterans Day is in fact a peculiar holiday. Many public schools, colleges and universities remain open - even with thousands of veterans sitting in their classrooms. Businesses operate normally. State and local governments are not required to close. Such signs of business as usual give city officials what they believe is reason to cut funds for Veterans Day events. Some even shamelessly request veterans’ organizations to cover the costs of police and sanitation workers’ overtime. Such municipalities say appropriations are better spent on holiday events and parades that make money.