RP taekwondo jins embark on early preparation for SEAG By Jelly F. Musico (Philippine News Agency)

MANILA, Jan. 2 (PNA) -- The country's national taekwondo jins embark on early preparation for the 25th Southeast Asian Games as they resume rigid training on Monday.

Japanese hiker plans to press on (Anchorage Daily News)

A missing Japanese hiker last seen north of Fairbanks in late December showed up Sunday at the Canadian border, and intends to resume his walk to Prudhoe Bay, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Foresight, Budget Cuts Highlight Year In Education (Grunion Gazette)

ENSURING A BETTER FUTURE. California State University, Long Beach, President F. King Alexander addressed students at the annoucement of the “Long Beach College Promise” in March.

Needham Briefs (Nov. 8) (Needham Times)

The Needham Youth Commission is again offering a babysitting course for young people interested in learning child-care skills.

Is race still an issue in NCAA hirings? (WTSP-TV Tampa)

Is it the color of UF's Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong’s skin that’s holding him back from a head coaching job?

Briefly (Old Colony Memorial & Plymouth Bulletin)

Find out what's happening in Plymouth and surrounding towns.

THE OBSERVER STAFF LOOKS AT THE WIDE OPEN GATE FOR 2008 (Observer)

The Observer staff kicked off with a bang, heading up the year’s first issue with the state-mandated child vaccination controversy and ended with overdevelopment issues.

Area briefly (Port Clinton News Herald)

The Genoa American Legion Post 324 will be serving an all-you-can-eat pancake and sausage, eggs and sausage gravy and biscuit breakfast Jan. 25.

Briefly in Tompkins (The Ithaca Journal)

Ithaca High School students Jacob Evelyn (senior) and Mary Eloundou (sophomore) were awarded first prize and third prize in an essay competition to celebrate the French Presidency of the European Union, which ran from July-December 2008. Janet Bowman, French language teacher at Ithaca High School, learned of the competition through the Cornell Institute for European Studies' outreach program. ...

Local Beat 1/6/09 (Corsicana Daily Sun)

Corsicana Chapter 118, Order of Eastern Star, will hold a stated meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Corsicana Masonic Lodge.