The News-Courier in Athens, Alabama State and Nation 2012-05-30T13:08:31-05:00 urn:uuid:0f59b1da-e2c6-4572-8fa2-e14c2cc0246c Police officer charged in arson seeks lower bond urn:uuid:40917bbb-2bb5-4ef4-b128-e28273f68227 2012-05-30T11:46:59-05:00 <p> A Birmingham police officer charged with arson is asking a judge to lower his bond.</p> ACLU lawsuit to challenge Ill. gay marriage ban urn:uuid:df78a2bf-1c9b-497b-be2d-15394454f1d8 2012-05-30T07:40:36-05:00 <p> More than two dozen gay and lesbian couples in Illinois plan to file lawsuits Wednesday arguing that it&#39;s unconstitutional for the state to deny them the right to marry, a move advocates hope will lead to legalized same-sex marriage in Illinois.</p> FBI: Bones in Opelika from malnourished child urn:uuid:0cdacab5-aa3f-4439-a66b-4e3008bc03e7 2012-05-30T07:27:07-05:00 <p> The FBI has determined that skeletal remains found in Opelika were from a malnourished little girl.</p> A rare gain for the Dow on hopes for China growth urn:uuid:495ceabc-85b4-4732-a803-6e9e0a58f641 2012-05-29T16:07:05-05:00 <p> Facebook plunged 10 percent to $28.84, shaving $25 billion off from the company&#39;s market value in its first seven days of trading.</p> Man falls to death from crane in Dallas standoff urn:uuid:6b32365c-8ff6-430d-91fd-86f7770429f1 2012-05-29T08:57:19-05:00 Searchers recover body of man who drowned in lake urn:uuid:685288b4-3e3a-4752-98d4-68dca8d71dad 2012-05-29T08:54:13-05:00 <p> Search crews have recovered the body of an Illinois man who jumped into an Alabama lake and never resurfaced.</p> Dog found skinned, barely alive in Chilton County urn:uuid:377150d1-60b4-41f4-b9b3-218140c8fea0 2012-05-29T08:52:50-05:00 <p> Delana Dunnaway of Montevallo said her dog was found barely alive and had to be euthanized.</p> Man in crane at Texas college says he's armed urn:uuid:c5370f22-7e59-47e5-8058-e99d582dc216 2012-05-28T17:41:56-05:00 <p> Police say the man climbed the 150-foot crane late Monday morning.</p> Obama to honor fallen troops on Memorial Day urn:uuid:75f913da-5b85-4eb3-b7bf-e70d904cc85a 2012-05-28T09:21:49-05:00 <p> The president was to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, and then commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.</p> Dragon arrives at space station in historic first urn:uuid:01283a83-834e-4c05-838f-a197542f00d8 2012-05-25T09:18:23-05:00 <p> Astronauts Donald Pettit and Andre Kuipers used the space station&#39;s robot arm to snare the Dragon after a few hours of extra maneuvering.</p>