clif

Where do you recommend for pen purchases? In the past I've used Goulet but there was a post (maybe here?) awhile back about them that inclined me to not give them money any more.

Background : I teach a class about once a year and I like to gift my graduating students a pen because I find it unique and interesting - you don't see fountain pens much anymore. I usually go with a Lamy Safari (but am up for recommendations on similar starter pens; see bottom). In the past they (Lamy) sold a gift set that was the pen and 5 or so of the disposable cartridges in various colors (no Z28 included) and that was my go-to. They don't appear to sell that particular product anymore so I'd reverted to just the standalone Safari and including one extra disposable cartridge since I have quite a few but don't use them.

Preferably a US based distributor.

While we're at it, any suggestions for a good, comparable, starter pen besides the Lamy Safari? Around $30 USD is my max price range since some times I have up to 15 students and that gets... pricey : ) Main consideration is that it's a decent pen that won't frustrate new users but something nicer than a disposable (EG: Pilot Varsity).

Another data center

A federal judge said he will decide soon whether to block implementation of a new state law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools, following a nearly nine-hour hearing Friday.

Act 573 of 2025 requires that “a durable poster or framed copy of a historical representation of the Ten Commandments” be “prominently” displayed in public school classrooms and libraries, public institutions of higher education, and public buildings and facilities maintained by taxpayer funds.

Saltwerx, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, applied for the royalty last month, just days after the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission approved an identical royalty for Standard Lithium and Equinor’s joint venture.

Exxon’s newly-approved royalty rate — 2.5% — and the broader royalty payment structure are identical to Standard Lithium’s. Much of the language in the application itself was also identical.

There is a new grant opportunity for those in Pulaski County looking to establish a community garden or build up their backyard farm.

The ‘micro grants’ are available from the Central Arkansas Sphinx Foundation in amounts between $4,000 and $8,000. Grant Writer Kalven Trice says the grants can be used by many groups.

After 13 years, large-scale swine farms are banned — permanently — within the Buffalo River watershed, ending a saga that started when Arkansas environmental regulators quietly approved a general water permit for C&H Hog Farms in 2012.

The Arkansas Legislative Council reviewed and approved the regulations containing the so-called permit moratorium during its Friday meeting without discussion. It marked the culmination of over a decade of efforts from environmental advocates and their allies to prevent a similar large-scale swine farm, known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) from taking root in the watershed. The moratorium specifically applies to medium and large swine CAFOs that meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s definition.

The Arkansas attorney general has filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit aimed at blocking the mandate to display the 10 Commandments in classrooms.

The motion was filed Tuesday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas in Fort Smith. It cites the public interest as the reason for intervention and states that the legal prerequisites for its intervention request are met.

The suit claims Act 573 violates the First Amendment’s establishment and free exercise clauses. Plaintiffs request a preliminary injunction to prevent the law from taking effect before the court case is completed.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/31340928

The American Civil Liberties Union plans to challenge a new Arkansas law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public buildings.

Act 573 was passed by the Arkansas Legislature earlier this year. The law mandates a framed copy of the Ten Commandments be hung in all public buildings, including school classrooms. The ACLU is suing four Northwest Arkansas school districts, and not the state specifically, because Act 573 assigns enforcement to local school officials rather than a state agency.

The suit argues that the law promotes a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments and sends a message that students who don’t share those beliefs are outsiders in their own schools. Joining the suit are families of public school students in Northwest Arkansas. Some plaintiffs are Jewish or non-religious, while one family is Unitarian Universalist.

The American Civil Liberties Union plans to challenge a new Arkansas law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public buildings.

Act 573 was passed by the Arkansas Legislature earlier this year. The law mandates a framed copy of the Ten Commandments be hung in all public buildings, including school classrooms. The ACLU is suing four Northwest Arkansas school districts, and not the state specifically, because Act 573 assigns enforcement to local school officials rather than a state agency.

The suit argues that the law promotes a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments and sends a message that students who don’t share those beliefs are outsiders in their own schools. Joining the suit are families of public school students in Northwest Arkansas. Some plaintiffs are Jewish or non-religious, while one family is Unitarian Universalist.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/30410274

[Josh Duggar] cited “new legal theories and strategies [that] have emerged in public discourse” in documents that were filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas on Tuesday.

[Josh Duggar] cited “new legal theories and strategies [that] have emerged in public discourse” in documents that were filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas on Tuesday.