Champaign school district to close Columbia Center (The Champaign News-Gazette)
CHAMPAIGN – Columbia Center, the Champaign school district's alternative program for middle and high school students, will be closed by January 2009. The district announced the plans in a press release, saying the district, in collaboration with the court monitor and plaintiff's attorneys in the consent decree case "have determined that the programming and services offered ... are not ...

Champaign school district ending its alternative program (The Champaign News-Gazette)
CHAMPAIGN – Columbia Center, the Champaign school district's alternative program for middle- and high-school students, will close at the end of this semester. The district announced the plans in a press release, saying the district, in collaboration with the court monitor and plaintiff's attorneys in the consent decree case "have determined that the programming and services offered ... are ...

Fitch Affirms District of Columbia's $125MM 2002D GOs 'A+'; Outlook Stable (Centre Daily Times)
Fitch Ratings affirms the 'A+' rating on the District of Columbia's $124,995,000 general obligation (GO) refunding bonds, series 2002D. The bonds, which are currently outstanding as insured variable-rate demand obligations (VRDOs), will be remarketed as VRDOs supported by a letter of credit issued by Dexia Credit Local, and long- and short-term ratings reflecting the bank's credit will be ...

28 injured in Columbia, SC bus crash, none seriously (News 12 Augusta)
Authorities say a wreck between two school buses near Airport High School in West Columbia has injured the two drivers and 26 students, none of them seriously.

Columbia Heights man charged in Blaine shooting of girlfriend's ex (Pioneer Press)
A Columbia Heights man was charged today in Anoka County District Court with the shooting death of Jacob Henry Francis Bird.