August 23, 2016

Citing voting rights, judge orders halt to school board elections in Ferguson-Florissant

Updated Aug. 22 with Sippel's ruling. — A federal judge has ruled that at-large elections for seats on the board for the Ferguson-Florissant School District violate the rights of African-American voters in the district.

Three-quarters of the students served by the Ferguson-Florissant School District are black, but African-Americans make up a minority of the voting-age population in the district's boundaries. In a ruling issued Monday, Judge Rodney Sippel agreed with the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP that those two facts mean the rights of African-American voters are violated.

"The fact that the electoral process in FFSD Board elections is not equally open to African Americans is most apparent in the stark levels of racially polarized voting seen in Board elections and the failure of white voters to support candidates from the African American community, which has essentially blocked African American voters from exercising effective political power in the District," Sippel wrote.

Sippel has blocked the district from holding future school board elections until the voting rights problem is solved. The next school board election was scheduled for April 2017. http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/citing-voting-rights-judge-orders-halt-school-board-elections-ferguson-florissant

August 23, 2016

Daily Holidays August 23

Cuban Sandwich Day Cuban Sandwich Day is a day to celebrate the traditional pressed Cuban sandwich and its many variants, which have spread from Tampa, Florida’s Ybor City neighborhood to restaurant menus in all corners of the world.
The Cuban sandwich is a history lesson pressed between two pieces of bread. Perhaps no other food represents the United States’ history as a melting pot at the turn of the century better than the Cubano, which combines elements from three different immigrant groups that came together, surprisingly, in the deep south. Also, it’s delicious? https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/cuban-sandwich-day/

Ride The Wind Day There’s no better feeling than the wind in your hair as you look out at a beautiful horizon. Ride the Wind Day is an excellent opportunity to marvel at all things flying, and perhaps take part in some flying yourself. Wind powers movement in many different ways, helping us travel through air and over water, as well as providing us with energy to use in our homes. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/ride-the-wind-day/

Valentino Day Valentino Day commemorates the death of Rudolph Valentino (or Rudolfo Alfonzo Raffaelo Piero Filibert Guglielmi De Valentina D’Antonguolla), 1920’s film star of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/valentino-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/august23.html

August 22, 2016

Daily Holidays August 22

Be An Angel Day Whether it is through the hand that offers you a way back to standing, or the fireman that pulls someone out of a building, we have all experienced someone in our lives whom we can call an angel. Whether it was a minor thing on a bad day that just helps us cope, or a major action that changed our lives, most of us have looked skywards and thanked God for that person’s help. Today is the day to recognize that, during Be An Angel Day. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/be-an-angel-day/

Take Your Cat To The Vet Day If you’re struggling to decide what to do towards the end of August, then you may be relieved to know that one special day is Take Your Cat to the Vet Day (unless you don’t have a cat, that is). Bizarre though this might sound, there is, in fact, a very legitimate purpose to this annual occasion. While humans are used to visiting the dentist, doctor and optician regularly for health assessments, many cat owners forget to take their moggies to the vet for check-ups and instead only when a medical problem arises. This, of course, results in costly bills which might otherwise have been avoided if routine checks, worming, inoculations and blood screening were carried out. In other words, you can celebrate Take Your Cat to the Vet Day by doing just that, helping your feline friend to stay supple and healthy by identifying any medical problems long before they require extensive and expensive treatment. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/take-your-cat-to-the-vet-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/august22.html

August 21, 2016

Retailers launch Louisiana flood relief

http://supermarketnews.com/news/retailers-launch-louisiana-flood-relief

Local grocers Rouses and Southeastern Grocers have announced support for customers and associates impacted by devastating flooding in Louisiana, while Walmart and Target have pledged donations to local relief efforts.

All Rouses locations are accepting cash donations and donations of non-perishable food and cleaning supplies for Second Harvest and the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, the retailer announced. Customers can also donate online.

Immediately after the storm, Rouses urged associates at the Denham Springs store, located in an area that was particularly hard hit, to contact store directors at a neighboring location to make sure all employees were accounted for.

Rouses also posted a video to YouTube showing managing partner Donny Rouse assessing the damage at the Denham Springs store, with a promise to rebuild.

August 21, 2016

Daily Holidays August 21

National Spumoni Day Spumoni is a layered, Italian ice cream dessert which includes cream, fruit and nuts, and is celebrated on Spumoni Day. On Spumoni Day (and indeed in general) it’s considered bad taste to spoon Spumoni, and necessary in fact to slice it. Spumoni has made quite a cultural and geographical journey in recent years, from its birth in Naples to be more commonly eaten and enjoyed in America and Argentina.

Poet’s Day Poetry… We hear the term bandied about all the time, and there isn’t a one of us that avoided writing some in our younger days. Whether that poetry was written by the dictate of our instructors in school, or driven by hormone fueled teenage angst, there was a portfolio of our work available to embarrass or edify us. But the question has to be asked, what is poetry really? There seems to be so many varieties of it, and in a world containing hundreds of countries and thousands of cultures, it’s the one thing that is nearly universal. So what is poetry, let’s take a look shall we? https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/poets-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/august21.html

August 20, 2016

Daily Holidays August 20

International Homeless Animals Day Every day, animals are abandoned or placed into kennels, dependent on charities and goodwill. These organisations are strained beyond coping, and are desperate to raise awareness of the plight of homeless and abandoned animals. Homeless Animals Day aims to educate people about pet abandonment, feral animals and benefits or neutering domestic animals.

National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day If you have a sweet tooth, Chocolate Pecan Pie Day is the perfect opportunity to indulge. You needn’t feel too guilty about grabbing a piece of pie, because pecans have all kinds of health benefits. They contain more valuable antioxidants than any other type of nut, plus plenty of fibre, minerals and vitamins. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/chocolate-pecan-pie-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/august20.html

August 19, 2016

Daily Holidays August 19

Photography Day The soft click of the camera, a flash of light and a moment in time captured forever. Maybe digitally, maybe on film, the medium is never as important as the memory or moment caught. A group of people, a sunset, or even a fish jumping out of the water, a photograph is a way to feel the emotion and context of that exact moment. Celebrate that, on this picturesque Photography Day! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/photography-day/

Aviation Day A day to celebrate the development of aviation, Aviation Day falls on and commemorates the birthday of Orville Wright. Federal buildings in America may be required to fly the US flag on this day at presedential whim in order to promote the day, and general interest in aviation. Is there a better day to fly? Take a flight; fly within the country, fly to Spain, fly to Europe. Look up travel deals with companies like Expedia and fly to Sweden, if you’re feeling extreme!https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/aviation-day/

Men's Grooming Day There’s a lot of stigma around male grooming. But in today’s society it’s simply not acceptable to be scruffy, smelly and unkempt. So catch up, men! Men’s Grooming Day encourages men everywhere to buy and use grooming products, and to proactively manage their apperance. Salons, hairdressers and beauty parlours often cater especially to men on this day with offers, education and special consideration. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/mens-grooming-day/

World Humanitarian Day Humanitarian Day is dedicated to raising public awareness of the work undertaken by humanitarian organisations, and the huge challenge they face; we well as honouring the lives and dedication of those who’ve lost their lives in humanitarian causes. Consider using this day to offer your support to humanitarian workers, who strive to stop human suffering wherever it is found, by donating to, joining or supporting a local or global humanitarian organization. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/humanitarian-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/august19.html

August 18, 2016

Daily Holidays August 18

Bad Poetry Day Bad Poetry Day encourages you to give it a go anyway by putting pen to paper and writing some terrible verse. If you’re feeling particularly cruel, you could read your bad poetry to friends, family and colleagues; hopefully they’ll enjoy good poetry more in the future! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/bad-poetry-day/

Mail Order Catalog Day Although Benjamin Franklin has a good claim to be the world’s first mail order entrepreneur, it is the anniversary of the first Montogomery Ward catalogue of 1872 that has provided the date for Mail Order Catalog Day. Over the intervening years, it grew from a single page of products to a monster capable of striking fear into the stoutest of postal workers! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/mail-order-catalog-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/august18.html

August 17, 2016

Daily Holidays August 17

Black Cat Appreciation Day Because of superstitious beliefs in some cultures, black cats are sometimes associated with bad luck and, sadly, are more likely to be put to sleep or wait a long time to be adopted from shelters. Black Cat Appreciation Day was launched to show people that a black cat could be the perfect cat for them, and help raise awareness about black cats in general. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/black-cat-appreciation-day/

National Thrift Shop Day A snow globe of Detroit, Michigan, a set of four tennis rackets with slightly frayed strings, clothing galore and enough housewares to make a few houses full and have some spares just in case. This is just some of the kinds of things you will be seeing on this, the celebration of Thrift Shop Day. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/thrift-shop-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/august17.html

August 16, 2016

Daily Holidays August 16

Tell A Joke Day Why did the chicken cross the road? What is black and white and read all over? Knock knock? These jokes, and many more and given during a day of the year. I am not talking about April Fool’s Day, and the pranks that accompany that day, but this for the comedy and wordplay of Tell a Joke Day! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/tell-a-joke-day/

National Airborne Day Airborne Day is a chance to pay tribute to the courage and dedication of airborne members of the Armed Forces. The special day has been marked every year since 1997. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/airborne-day/

Wave at the Security Camera Day These days there are more and more people who think that the whole surveillance issue has gone a bit too far. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we’re doing, if we’re outdoors, especially in a city, there is a very high probability that we’re being recorded. Of course, surveillance cameras have helped to make countless cities safer by catching various crimes on video—from theft to vandalism to assault—thus allowing the police to apprehend the criminals committing them faster and easier. Still, many can’t help but feel uncomfortable with the fact that almost all of their actions are being monitored, especially those who would not think of committing crimes. Some have even gone as far as to call surveillance cameras an Orwellian invasion of the privacy everyone should be entitled to. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/wave-at-the-surveillance-cameras-day/

Roller coaster Day Rollercoaster Day is celebrated annually on the 16th August. The origins of the celebration are not completely clear, however, the most widely believed explanation for Rollercoaster Day is that the date was chosen to mark the 16th August, 1898, which was when the very first patent for a rollercoaster ride was issued. The date has been marked by fairgrounds and fans of rollercoasters all over the world since the eighties. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/rollercoaster-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/august16.html