In 2009, three Holland America Line ships -- ms Rotterdam, ms Prinsendam and ms Amsterdam -- will offer four distinct Grand Voyages ranging from 50 to 117 days that span the globe. Guests who make full-cruise reservations by May 31, 2008, will be privy to a host of early booking amenities to enhance their cruise experience.

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Columbia cruises to meet victory

Weather delayed the event a day, but couldn't dampen the spirits of the Columbia track squad.The Eagle boys cruised to victory on the home oval April 11, bettering three teams. Columbia won its meet with 121 points, 29 more than Breese Central in second. Red Bud brought home 23 points and New Athens rounded out the field with three points.Junior Nick Roediger took top honors in the long jump, leaping 17-8, then won the triple jump by landing 37 feet from the line. Classmate Joe Streepy hurtled himself to first in the 110 hurdles in 15.57. In the 300 hurdles sophomore Nick Reitz ran a 47.8 to take top honors and Streepy settled for silver.Senior Matt Clyde won the 3200 with a time of 11:35. In a quarter of that distance freshman Ben Schmid finished in 2:28 to claim the 800 for the home side.

Obama cruises in North Carolina; Clinton narrowly takes Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS | Barack Obama swept to a convincing victory in the North Carolina primary Tuesday and declared he was closing in on the Democratic presidential nomination.</p><p>Hillary Clinton eked out a win in Indiana as she struggled to halt her rival's march into history.</p><p>“Tonight we stand less than 200 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination for president of the United States,” Obama told a raucous rally in Raleigh, N.C. — and left no doubt he intended to claim the prize.</p><p>Clinton stepped before her own supporters not long afterward in Indianapolis.</p><p>“Thanks to you, it's full speed on to the White House,” she said, signaling her determination to fight on in a campaign already waged across more than 16 months and nearly all 50 states.</p><p>Returns from 99 percent of North Carolina precincts showed Obama winning 56 percent of the vote to 42 percent for Clinton, a triumph that mirrored his earlier wins in Southern states with large black populations.

School district searches for budget answers

How much can you buy with $643,000? A house, several cars, several vacations around the world or several cruises with the entire family. It also pays for about 14 teachers based on various salary levels for a year.And $643,000 is how much the Bear Valley Unified School District needs to cut from its budget to offset proposed state cuts in funding.There are no plans to eliminate 14 teachers. There are no plans to eliminate any teachers at Bear Valley Unified School District. No pink slips were issued by the March deadline. In fact, the district received 158 of applications for possible open teaching slots and 58 for the open principal positions, said Tim Larson, director of special programs at a meeting April 16.The district is looking elsewhere to make cuts totaling approximately $643,000 in unrestricted expense funds.

Pacific coastal cruises this fall, from just $99

Sailing the scenic Pacific coast is a fabulous way to spend a couple of days. So why not make an early-bird booking now for a fall cruise along the spectacular West Coast shorelines? We found a threesome of Pacific coast voyages, with Norwegian and Holland America, now starting at a spectacularly low $99!