Urban News

CHEYENNE REFINES WATER-SAVING RULES

City Council members in Cheyenne, Wyo., have reworked a series of water-saving restrictions necessitated by an ongoing shortage. The council voted 7-to-1 to accept amended restrictions; some were immediately put into effect.

The Wyoming News says the goal is a cutback in water usage by as much as 30 percent in some areas.

Watering of lawns will not be allowed for a seven month period, starting next October. When lawn watering is allowed, there will be restriction on watering days.

One change will make it possible for watering at new homes with newly installed sod to help the landscaping survive it early days. Additionally, a new surcharge will be added to water bills of 80 cents per 1,000 gallons used.

Cheyenne and many other cities in the Rocky Mountain West, including Denver, have had to enact tougher water conservation rules in recent months.

SAN JOSE GETS NEW CROSS-COUNTY NON-STOP

Mineta San Jose International Airport says Southwest is adding a new non-stop from that jetport to the Washington, D.C., area. Officials at the airport say the new service will operate on a seven-day-a-week schedule and will essentially be a turn-around; it will operate from Baltimore-Washington International to SJC and back.

The new flight will mean a quicker connection into the Washington-Baltimore area, with no change of plane or stop-over on the way.

Just before the inaugural flight, in keeping with the "nation's capital" motif, actors bearing a strong resemblance to the first family greeted guests.

ATLANTA SCHOOL HEAD COMPLETES STAFF

The superintendent of Atlanta schools, Kathy Cox, has filled her final two deputy superintendent spots. The Atlanta Journal and Constitution says the appointees are Ida Love and Jeanie Weathersby.

Love is the outgoing head of the Decatur city schools. She will serve as the Cox's assistant and focus on curriculum changes and meeting federal standards. Love was the first black superintendent of Decatur schools but her contract was not renewed, the paper says, noting some people felt she did not connect well with the public.

The second appointee, Weathersby, is a former associate superintendent in the Georgia Department of Education. She will assist Cox in the area of teacher and student relations.

With the two announcements, Cox has filled all five vacancies in the ranks of her top-level assistants.

MINNEAPOLIS SCHOOL TEAM TAPES SONG

Not only are the girls who play basketball at Minneapolis North High School great athletes, they also are recording artists.

Team members have been spending a lot of time practicing now that they've made their way into the state Class 3A championship but the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports they've also found time to gather in a recording studio.

The Lady Polar Bears recorded the school's team song, with the decidedly ungrammatical title "We Ready."

Five team members participated in the taping. The ditty had been used during the pre-game at local games for some time. By the way, the recording studio where the taping was done is owned by the brother of the team's coach.