Odds and ends, 7/10/07

Marshall 5 million, WVU 4 million:

From two news releases from the office of Sen. Robert C. Byrd:

Byrd added $5 million to the Fiscal Year 2008 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill for ongoing crime-fighting efforts at the Marshall Forensic Science DNA Laboratory and the expansion of the Marshall Forensic Science Education and Training Center. These initiatives also assist the West Virginia State Police with DNA testing of convicted felons and conduct training courses for future forensic scientists and law enforcement officials.

and

Byrd added $4 million to the Fiscal Year 2008 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill for WVU’s forensic science initiative. The legislation has been approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee and will next come before the full Senate for action.

In case anyone's keeping score.

###

If you want to get out of jury duty, it might not be a good idea to tell the judge you're a racist, homophobic liar. Details here.

###

Kentucky has raised the speed limit on its rural interstates to 70 mph, something other states did years ago. Given the lack of enforcement on I-64 between Catlettsburg and Lexington, I'd say all Kentucky did was legalize the speed limit that most people wanted rather than the one lawmakers had approved.

###

Waiting for the animal rights people to be up in arms . . .

NITRO, W.Va. (AP) — About 100 Canada geese at Nitro’s Ridenour Lake were rounded up and suffocated in boxes partly because children were afraid of them.

It cost the city $3,600 to get rid of the birds, which were noisy and dirty, said Mayor Rusty Casto.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture removed the geese from the lake late last month after area residents complained they posed a health hazard. Casto says that in addition to the risk of diseases being spread by the birds, children were frightened of them.

Casto said placing the geese in boxes and depriving them of oxygen is a common method for exterminating them.

While not everyone may be happy with the city’s decision to kill the birds, Casto said more residents are glad the nuisance was eliminated.

The first time I saw a Canada goose up close, I thought it was a beautiful bird. But I only saw one or two or three that time. Later I saw them by the dozens. And I saw what they left behind.

Nasty creatures. It's too bad they can't live alongside people, but they tend to thrive near us, so these conflicts are inevitable.