CARROLL COUNTY-PRAYER
Md. county will comply with judge’s prayer order
WESTMINSTER, Md. (AP) β Maryland’s Carroll County Commissioners say they’ll reluctantly obey a federal judge’s order barring them from starting their public meetings with sectarian prayers.
The five-member, all-Republican board voted 3-2 Tuesday to use only nonsectarian prayers to open their meetings β for now. The resolution runs through Aug. 1, when the board says it hopes the Supreme Court will have ruled on a similar dispute in New York state.
Some commissioners have routinely prayed to Jesus Christ when it was their turn to ask for divine guidance over board proceedings.
A U.S. district judge in Baltimore issued a preliminary injunction March 25, prohibiting sectarian prayers at board meetings. One of the commissioners willfully violated the order two days later. The plaintiffs in their federal court dispute have asked for a contempt finding.
Sound:
326-a-10-(Carroll County Commissioner Dave Roush, at county commissioners meeting)-“and guide us”-Carroll County Commissioner Dave Roush opens Tuesday’s meeting with a non-sectarian prayer. (8 Apr 2014)
< 328-a-08-(Carroll County resident Jim Reeder, at county commissioners meeting)-“Jesus’ name, Amen”-Carroll County resident Jim Reeder concludes his public comment with a sectarian prayer. (8 Apr 2014) < 327-a-07-(Carroll County resident Radford Yates, at county commissioners meeting)-“right to do”-Carroll County resident Radford Yates says the county commissioners should be allowed to pray as they see fit. (8 Apr 2014) < CRAIG JAMES-FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL Craig James joins Family Research Council WASHINGTON (AP) β Former college football broadcaster Craig James has joined the conservative Family Research Council, where he says he’ll fight the kind of “religious bigotry” he blames for his firing by Fox Sports after expressing opposition to gay marriage. James, who will serve as an assistant to council President Tony Perkins, was a longtime color commentator for ESPN. He quit to run for the U.S. Senate two years ago in Texas, where he grew up and starred at SMU. 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((Editors note: Fox Sports gives a different reason for firing James)) COURTESY: Washington Watch Radio ((mandatory on-air credit)) (8 Apr 2014) < 329-a-12-(Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, announcing hiring of Craig James)-“Family Research Council”-Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, announces the hiring of a former football player and sportscaster. COURTESY: Washington Watch Radio ((mandatory on-air credit)) (8 Apr 2014) < BAG OF CASH Senate candidate finds bag with $12K inside HELENA, Mont. (AP) β U.S. Senate candidate Champ Edmunds says he found a backpack containing more than $12,000 in cash outside a church. The Republican jokingly told Lee Newspapers of Montana his first thought was that somebody had left money for his campaign. Edmunds found the backpack Sunday outside Journey Christian Fellowship in Missoula, where he is a deacon. He says he called police after finding crisp $100 bills inside. 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President Benigno Aquino III signed the law in December 2012 but the court imposed a temporary restraining order while it studied petitions questioning its constitutionality. Catholic leaders consider the law an attack on the church’s core values and say it promotes promiscuity and destroys life. The government says it helps the poor manage the number of children they have and provides for maternal health care. BRANDEIS-ISLAM CRITIC Brandeis U. decides against honor for Islam critic BOSTON (AP) β Brandeis (BRAN’-dys) University in Massachusetts has decided not to award an honorary degree to a woman who has made comments critical of Islam. The decision follows complaints from students, faculty members and others about honoring Somali-born Ayaan Hirsi Ali (ah-YAHN’ HUR’-see AH’-lee). 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