William Reid

WASHINGTON | Proponents of sex education that focuses on encouraging teenagers to remain virgins until marriage hope that the health care reform plan will save their programs.

Abstinence education courses are facing extinction because of a cutoff of federal funding.

The health care reform legislation that the Senate passed last week includes $50 million for programs that states could use to try to reduce pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease among adolescents by teaching them to delay when they start having sex.

Under the federal budget signed by President Barack Obama, such programs no longer would have funds targeted for them.

"We're optimistic," said Valerie Huber of the National Abstinence Education Association, which is lobbying to maintain funding for the programs. Read More

Silver miner and FTSE 250 constituent Hochschild Mining (LSE: HOC) has upped its stake in Denver headquartered Mexico operating mining company Gold Resource Corp (GRC; FSE: GIH, OTCBB: GORO) to 27% from 23.9% via entering a private placement. Read More

A long-time Calgary Stampeder fan found herself rooting for the Edmonton Eskimos for a couple of minutes last month. Read More

A jetty will make work just that little bit easier for the Manukau Volunteer Coast Guard and open up a beautiful coastal area for summers to come. Read More

JAILED Munir Hussain has received more than 400 messages of support after attacking a man who threatened his family, a court heard. Read More

Gold Resource Corporation (OTCBB: GORO) said commissioning of the initial flotation circuit is underway at the mill of its El Aguila gold project the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, and first concentrate production looks set to begin before the end of the year, as planned. Read More

Shoppers will have free parking in the Central Business District from Dec. 17 to Jan. 2 if the City Council approves a resolution at the Dec. 14 regular meeting. Read More

Agenda items Monday ranged far and wide as the City Council met at Cook K-8 Center for its last neighborhood meeting of 2009. Read More

The annual litany of "bare bones" budget requests from city divisions was met this year with an adamant City Council demand to "share the pain." Read More

HUNDREDS of scouts braved terrible weather to take part in an orienteering challenge at the weekend. Read More