Final Draft

Carroll residents soon will get the chance to learn all they ever wanted to know about the county's proposed mining plan.The final draft of the plan was presented yesterday to the Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission at its monthly meeting."

Millions of people got a long-distance view of the "Lincoln Bible," one of those used by President Barack Obama for his second inauguration on Monday. Starting tomorrow, you can get a closer look at the velvet-covered Bible that was used for Abraham Lincoln's oath of office in 1861. The Library of Congress will put the Bible on display from Wednesday, Jan. 23 through Monday, Feb. 18, in the exhibition “The Civil War in America.” The 1,280-page Bible was provided to Lincoln by William Thomas Carroll, clerk of the Supreme Court, because the president's family Bible was packed with other belongings en route to Washington, the Library of Congress said in a statement.

BAGHDAD, IRAQ -- Iraq's transitional National Assembly approved the final draft of the new constitution yesterday while mourning the death of an assassinated legislator. A flower-ringed portrait was placed in the seat of Faris Nasir Hussein, whose car was ambushed by gunmen Saturday night north of Baghdad. Hussein, a member of Iraq's Shabak ethnic minority who was elected to parliament on the Kurdish ticket, was on his way from his home in Mosul to attend yesterday's assembly session when he was attacked.

Gov. Martin O'Malley's broad strategy to revamp land development rules across Maryland met harsh criticism Friday, as local officials worried that the governor's proposal would interfere with their ability to plan and pay for schools, roads and housing. In a discussion with local leaders at a Maryland Association of Counties conference, the Democratic governor sought to sell his new program, which has been in the works for three years. He said it would protect farms and woodlands, and would designate targeted growth areas - saving the state billions by concentrating development in areas already served by roads, sewers and other infrastructure.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Infection-control techniques used by a Florida dentist did not measure up to national Centers for Disease Control standards and may have led to AIDS infections in three of his patients, according to the final draft of a CDC report to be published tomorrow.Genetic tests "strongly suggest" that Dr. David Acer somehow infected three of his patients, including Kimberly Bergalis, 22, who is suing her insurance provider for sending her to Dr. Acer, Ms. Bergalis' lawyers said.

Millions of people got a long-distance view of the "Lincoln Bible," one of those used by President Barack Obama for his second inauguration on Monday. Starting tomorrow, you can get a closer look at the velvet-covered Bible that was used for Abraham Lincoln's oath of office in 1861. The Library of Congress will put the Bible on display from Wednesday, Jan. 23 through Monday, Feb. 18, in the exhibition “The Civil War in America.” The 1,280-page Bible was provided to Lincoln by William Thomas Carroll, clerk of the Supreme Court, because the president's family Bible was packed with other belongings en route to Washington, the Library of Congress said in a statement.

The Baltimore school board took its first stab yesterday at writing a blueprint for reforming city schools over the next four years, offering a little something for everyone to like.The board said it wants to increase reading and math proficiency from kindergarten to eighth grade, put a new emphasis on keeping students in high school and improve its many low-achieving schools.In a four-hour work session, the school board went from broad philosophical discussions to nitpicking arguments over words in a list of goals.

IN SUPPORT OF National Reading Month, pupils at Carrolltowne Elementary were treated to an enlightening day with author and humorist Barry Louis Polisar. Polisar, 46, is an author of children's books who also performs readings of his works for schools. Many of his writings have been put to music and recorded. The children and teachers were thoroughly entertained Friday by the familiar topics Polisar shared with them. "Have you ever been told, `Don't do that?'" he asked. All hands in the crowded room were raised instantly.

SAN DIEGO -- Despite concerns about the importation of drugs and terrorism, millions of travelers would be allowed to enter the United States through airports and from the Canadian border without undergoing immigration or customs inspections under a radical proposal by federal agencies.Foreign visitors no longer would be required to reveal the U.S. address where they intend to stay, according to a final draft obtained by the Los Angeles Times. And passengers would not be required to declare what they are bringing into the country.

After residents complained that they hadn't had time to review the proposed five-year plan prepared by the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis, housing officials postponed yesterday a public hearing on the draft. They also agreed to make about 150 copies of the draft plan, which is as thick as a phone book, for residents. The rescheduled public hearing is set for 4: 30 p.m. April 10 at the Eastport Terrace/Harbor House Recreation Center. Copies of the draft plan will be available by tomorrow at the housing authority office in the 1200 block of Madison St. Though the authority met legal requirements by announcing the public hearing in its newsletter last month, the board of commissioners and executive director decided to postpone the hearing -- and move it to a larger arena -- to give residents a chance to review the draft plan.

BAGHDAD, IRAQ -- Iraq's transitional National Assembly approved the final draft of the new constitution yesterday while mourning the death of an assassinated legislator. A flower-ringed portrait was placed in the seat of Faris Nasir Hussein, whose car was ambushed by gunmen Saturday night north of Baghdad. Hussein, a member of Iraq's Shabak ethnic minority who was elected to parliament on the Kurdish ticket, was on his way from his home in Mosul to attend yesterday's assembly session when he was attacked.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A suicide bomber aiming to blow up an Iraqi police station killed at least 22 people yesterday when his explosives-laden truck detonated as he maneuvered across a highway median in eastern Baghdad. Separate attacks killed a U.S. soldier and a Marine, the military said. Some of the victims were incinerated in their cars by the blast, which U.S. military officials estimated had the force of nearly 500 pounds of TNT. The explosion destroyed 18 vehicles, a line of shops and a house.

A BOTCHED PHONE call? No answer? On NFL draft day, the most over-prepared-for bit of sports insanity this side of March Madness, the Ravens found all circuits were busy, please try again? Free minutes are as ubiquitous as air. This is beyond weird. Phones these days can snap pictures, are wired for the Web and can send a text message to order pizza. Still, the Ravens could not complete a call to the league office to consummate a very big deal. You can do almost anything with a phone these days, except, apparently, draft Byron Leftwich.

Members of an advisory committee reviewing redevelopment plans for the former David Taylor Research Center received a draft last night of the legal document setting terms for demolition and construction at the Navy property near Annapolis. The redevelopment agreement, which County Executive Janet S. Owens will sign with Annapolis Partners, the development team, has been in the works for weeks. It was made final hours before the committee met, county officials said. "This is a significant milestone in this long-term project," Owens said in a written statement.

IN SUPPORT OF National Reading Month, pupils at Carrolltowne Elementary were treated to an enlightening day with author and humorist Barry Louis Polisar. Polisar, 46, is an author of children's books who also performs readings of his works for schools. Many of his writings have been put to music and recorded. The children and teachers were thoroughly entertained Friday by the familiar topics Polisar shared with them. "Have you ever been told, `Don't do that?'" he asked. All hands in the crowded room were raised instantly.

After residents complained that they hadn't had time to review the proposed five-year plan prepared by the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis, housing officials postponed yesterday a public hearing on the draft. They also agreed to make about 150 copies of the draft plan, which is as thick as a phone book, for residents. The rescheduled public hearing is set for 4: 30 p.m. April 10 at the Eastport Terrace/Harbor House Recreation Center. Copies of the draft plan will be available by tomorrow at the housing authority office in the 1200 block of Madison St. Though the authority met legal requirements by announcing the public hearing in its newsletter last month, the board of commissioners and executive director decided to postpone the hearing -- and move it to a larger arena -- to give residents a chance to review the draft plan.

THE WORLD will little note nor long remember what George Bush said in his State of the Union message Tuesday.At least that's my guess, but you never know. History has not been kind to many of these speeches, but history can surprise even the best speech writers.The first presidential report to the Congress did leave us with a quote we all learned in American History. "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace," George Washington said. That is familiar to you not only because you had to learn it in high school, but because so many subsequent presidents have quoted it.Lincoln provided the quotation books with an enduring gem in his second annual message in 1862: "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present."

WASHINGTON -- The chairman of a Roman Catholic bishops' committee that has been struggling for nine years to write a pastoral letter on women's concerns said yesterday he did not see enough votes to adopt the final draft -- even if it were further amended.Criticism of the 100-page document, especially from Catholic women's groups, has focused on its firm rejection of the possibility that there could ever be female priests in the Catholic Church.The letter is the most controversial issue before the nearly 300 members of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops at their annual meeting here.

Residents who run businesses out of their homes along Defense Highway in Crofton haven't persuaded the Crofton small area planning committee to recommend the commercial zoning they want. They'll have another chance to plead their case tonight at a public hearing on the final draft of the small-area plan covering the area bound by the Little Patuxent River, Route 3, U.S. 50 and the North River. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at Crofton Woods Elementary School, and residents can sign up at 5: 30 p.m. to speak before the panel.

The Baltimore school board took its first stab yesterday at writing a blueprint for reforming city schools over the next four years, offering a little something for everyone to like.The board said it wants to increase reading and math proficiency from kindergarten to eighth grade, put a new emphasis on keeping students in high school and improve its many low-achieving schools.In a four-hour work session, the school board went from broad philosophical discussions to nitpicking arguments over words in a list of goals.