COMMON SENSE FINALLY PREVAILS...AT LEAST FOR NOW

--- I've been keeping an eye on the Polk County School Board case regarding the Lake Gibson High School student expelled for accidently bringing a knife to a football game after an afternoon of fishing near his home. My first mention of this case was last Thursday when the Lakeland Ledger made mention of the incident.

There is good news to report: He has been allowed to return to class...for now, pending a hearing by the seven member Polk County School Board. New Superintendent Gail McKenzie placed a stay order on his expulsion and allowed the young man to return to class after the State Attorney's office dropped charges against him for bringing a weapon on school property. He can still face expulsion if the School Board upholds the original decision of former Superintendent Jim Thornhill.

The kid's been out of school for over two months while this issue has been bantered about, including a postponment of a hearing before the School Board due to a snafu in the paperwork at the district office. That's certainly long enough, considering the circumstances of the issue. If calmer heads prevail --- and there's still hope for that --- the Board will do the right thing and drop the whole expulsion nonsense and allow him to get back to a normal situation.

--- It's nice to hear that the company I work for is springing for Thanksgiving dinner on Tuesday...with all the trimmings! Not often you see that kind of behaviour from an employer in today's climate, but the company is good compared to many others in the customer service industry when it comes to working with employees in many areas. And our call centre continues to expand: If you know anyone who is looking for a job with a decent wage and a chance to advance, give them a call. It can be demanding work, but it's a helluva lot better than most of the jobs available out there now.

--- And I guess I'll buy a couple of Lotto tickets today...the jackpot's up to $50 million dollars.