Friday Snippets and Soundbites

It's the last Friday in January, and we're celebrating (as usual!) with an edition of "Snippets and Soundbites." If today's news of the weird isn't enough for you, be sure to check out page 48 of this month's issue (and every issue) of ec.

And, now, let's get on with the show!

No FANfare
Basketball season is in full swing in high schools across the country, but tonight in northwestern South Carolina, one double-header between rival teams will be taking place without any fans in the stands. The attendance at the varsity boys' and girls' game in the town of Central, South Carolina, will be limited to players, coaches, officials, game personnel, school administrators, police and the media. School officials made the decision to exclude fans because recently, the animosity between opponents hadn't been left on the court and violence spilled out into the parking lot and surrounding neighborhoods. To read more about this story, go here. To learn more about basketball, go here.

Follow the evidence

A Missouri native, Mandy, ec's editor, is a little embarrassed by the next story. Apparently, a man in Joplin, Mo., accused of stealing a diamond ring coughed up the evidence while being questioned by the police. And we mean he literally coughed up the evidence. It seems that a large diamond ring had been taken when someone stole her purse out of her car. Pictures of the ring were sent to area jewelers and the owner of Newton's Jewelry recognized the ring when a man and woman brought it into the store to sell it. The jeweler called the police and the man in question swallowed the ring before officers arrived. But later, as the police questioned him, he began to cough uncontrollably and coughed up the missing ring. See, we really meant literally. Read the whole story here.

Help Haiti

A 16-year-old girl pulled from the rubble of College St. Gerard in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, on Thursday is reportedly in stable condition. Even though doctors say her survival was medically unexplainable, she was able to eat yogurt and mashed vegetables yesterday. We'd like to remind you how you can help and what Baptists are doing to help. Please consider taking action as an individual, a youth group, church, or family, even if all you can really do is pray.