Friday Snippets and Soundbites

•Whitney Stump, 27, a resident of Muncie, Ind., had petitioned the city to paint a crosswalk near his house numerous times. So when they refused, he took matters into his own hands and painted his own! “I used spray paint on the outline and went to Wal-Mart, where they had a sale on . . . white paint and rolled it out," Stump said in an interview with WRTV-TV, a local news station. Police caught Stump in the act and the 27-year-old now faces two counts of criminal mischief. But his passion for crosswalks won't be quenched. Stump says he has plans to paint three more crosswalks. Go here for more information and a video!

• Presidential hopeful Barack Obama beat Clinton. . .at the Grammys, that is! Obama beat former president Bill Clinton for best spoken word album. Obama read his book The Audacity of Hope, while Clinton's nomination was for Giving:How Each of Us Can Change the World. This year marked the Grammy Awards 50th anniversary. Grammy Awards are given each year in recognition in outstanding achievements in the recording industry. Read more about that here.

• Christian rock band Sanctus Real released its widely acclaimed and highly anticipated fourth studio album this week. The album's title track, "We Need Each Other," is in its fifth straight week at number 1 on CHR radio. Sanctus Real will hit the road in support of the album in March, touring with Third Day. Take a listen.


• Yesterday was Valentine's Day.The holiday is named after two early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love by those in Geoffrey Chaucer's circle in the Middle Ages. In response, the ec staff posted blogs about relationships in general, dating relationships, and True Love Waits. Share your thoughts in our comments or visit ec's fan page and group on Facebook and talk amongst yourself on our discussion boards.

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