Current Events

By: Arlena De La Rosa

Infants in Afghanistan fed

Opium"People use opium as drugs or medicine. If a child cries, they give him opium, if they can't sleep, they use opium, if an infant coughs, they give them opium."

Opium contd.

• January 24, 2011 / Balkh, Afghanistan

• Aziza, a resident of northern Afghanistan, feeds her 4 year old son opium as if it were a normal food for children to consume

• People there aren’t educated

• No real medical care in

their area & medicine is expensive• Cycle of addiction is

passed on through generations

• Closest government-run drug rehabilitation center is a 4 hour drive away

Mom sent to jail for sending kids to better

school

“All I wanted to do was help my daughters escape our crime-ridden neighborhood”

School contd.

• January 26, 2011 / Ohio

• Kelly Williams-Bolar sent kids to an elementary school in a neighboring school district using her dad’s address

• 10 day sentence school officials said she was cheating, getting a

quality education for her daughters without paying the right taxes to fund it

• Private investigator followed and caught her and was ordered to pay $30,000 for tuition

• “They wanted to make an example of me”

Fake vet mutilates puppies

Fake vet performed ear surgery on this puppy, which resulted in infection

Fake vet contd.

• January 26, 2011 / Monterey County

• $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a man posing as a licensed veterinarian

• Latino man who went by the name of Damian Maldonado

• Performed surgeries in people’s backyards using scissors and fishing line

• If found, he will be charged with “practicing veterinary medicine without a license and various other violations for cruelty to animals.”

Making a Difference: Community Pet

Rescue“Our new group will focus on a spay-neuter program and pet rescue. We’re going to keep animals from being euthanized or mistreated,” Annie Ellis said.

Making a Difference: Community Pet

Rescue• January 26, 2011

• Friends of Fairmont Animal Shelter (FOFAS) closed in June due to budget cuts

• Volunteers start new community pet rescue group (CPR) with Annie Ellis, a longtime volunteer

• CPR received permission to use the old FOFAS building as their new shelter

• They work directly at the shelter, house extra animals, give shots, and do spay-neuter clinics

Quiz: #1

The closest drug rehab center is ___ hours away from Balkh.

•A. 1•B. 2•C. 4•D. 8

Answer

C. 4

Quiz: #2

Why did Kelly Williams-Bolar lie about her address so her

daughters could switch schools?• A. She wanted them to go to a better school• B. She was stealing money from their old school• C. Her daughters were causing trouble at their

old school• D. The teachers at their current school were

mean

Answer

A. She wanted them to go to a better school

Quiz: #3

• If taken into custody, Damian Maldonado will be charged for:• A. Practicing veterinary medicine

without a license• B. Animal cruelty• C. Fraud• D. A & B

Answer

D. A & B

Quiz: #4

What is the name of the new pet rescue

group?• A. Friends of Fairmont Animal

Shelter• B. Community Pet Rescue• C. Dusty Paws• D. Tri Valley Animal Rescue

Answer

B. Community Pet Rescue

Political Cartoon

Sources

• http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/01/20/afghan.opium.kids/index.html?npt=NP1

• http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/mom-jailed-for-sending-kids-to-better-school-23973624

• http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/01/26/fake-vet-sought-in-botched-puppy-surgeries-in-monterey-county/

• The Castro Valley Forum

• http://www.politicalcartoons.com/Default.aspx