Underage drinking declines at colleges, St. Thomas included

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Underage binge drinking has long been a source of major concern, but according to a new study done by Outside the Classroom, a company concerned with drinking issues on college campuses, underage binge drinking has been on the decline this year compared with years past.

Outside the Classroom founder and Chief Executive Brandon Busteed explained the extensive research that produced the study results.

9th militia suspect to face charges

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the last of nine members of a Christian militia group charged with plotting to kill police will be arraigned Tuesdayi n a Detroit federal court. Spokeswoman Gina Balaya said 21-year-old Joshua Matthew Stone will face a hearing at 1 p.m. Stone peacefully surrendered Monday night in Hillsdale County’s Wheatland Township.

Suicide bombings kill 37 on Moscow subway

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Two female suicide bombers blew themselves up Monday in twin attacks on Moscow subway stations jam-packed with rush-hour passengers, killing at least 37 people and wounding 102, officials said. They blamed the carnage on rebels from the Caucasus region. The blasts come six years after Caucasus Islamic separatists carried out a pair of deadly Moscow subway strikes and raise concerns that the war has once again come to Russia’s capital, amid militants’ warnings of a renewed determination to push their fight.

Pope opens solemn Holy Week amid controversy

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Pope Benedict XVI opened Holy Week on Sunday amid one of the most serious crises facing the church in decades, with questions about his handling of cases of pedophile priests and the Vatican acknowledging its “moral credibility” was on the line. Benedict made no direct mention of the scandal in his Palm Sunday homily. But one of the prayers, recited in Portuguese during Mass, was “for the young and for those charged with educating them and protecting them.” Jesus Christ, Benedict said in his homily, guides the faithful “toward the courage that doesn’t let us be intimidated by the chatting of dominant opinions, towards patience that supports others.”

Landmarks, cities unplug for Earth Hour

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Europe’s best known landmarks — including the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and Rome’s Colosseum — fell dark Saturday, following Sydney’s Opera House and Beijing’s Forbidden City in joining a global climate change protest, as lights were switched off across the world to mark the Earth Hour event. In the United States, the lights went out at the Empire State Building in New York, the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and the Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta. Millions were expected to turn off lights and appliances for an hour from 8:30 p.m. in a gesture to highlight environmental concerns.

Two women cited for social host violation near campus

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Two underage women at a residence in the St. Thomas neighborhood were cited by St. Paul police for violating the social host ordinance in the early hours of March 18.

According to the police report, four others at the Marshall Avenue house were cited for underage consumption. The two women cited for the social host violation also received minor consumption citations. The report does not identify whether those cited are St. Thomas students.