Published October 2, 2003, in issue #0239 of The Hook

Worst leak for the Bush administration: The Justice Department is investigating the outing of a CIA agent whose husband, former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, contradicted the President's State of the Union address claim that Iraq had tried to buy uranium in Africa. Two senior administration officials reportedly named the agent to six journalists, and columnist Robert Novak disclosed it July 14.

Best overturned conviction: Amina Lawal's death-by-stoning sentence for having sex out of wedlock in Nigeria is overturned on appeal September 25.

Best chance to finish dinner without the telephone ringing: Despite legal wrangling over the constitutionality of the do-not-call list, the largest telemarketing company pledges not to call those on the registry.

Best theory on the massive power outages following Hurricane Isabel: The trees shading the region are too darn old and fragile, thanks to our love of all things arboreal, opines state climatologist Pat Michaels in the September 28 Washington Post.

Worst loss for participatory journalism: Paris Review founder George Plimpton, known for writing about his adventures in professional sports, dies September 26 at age 76.

Worst loss for those Addicted to Love: Rock musician Robert Palmer, 54, dies September 26.

Worst loss for On the Waterfront fans: Academy Award-winning director Elia Kazan, known for classics such as A Streetcar Named Desire and for naming names before the House Un-American Activities Committee during the McCarthy era, dies September 28 at age 94.

Worst loss of a tennis pioneer: Althea Gibson, 76, the first black woman to play-- and win-- at Wimbledon, dies September 28.

Best break for Faulconer Construction Company: The Albemarle Planning Commission votes 3-2 in favor of the company's plans to put a facility on Morgantown Road in Ivy, despite the adamant objections over the past two years of the Ivy Community Association, which has also sued to stop the project.

Worst déjà-vu: In a non-robbery, eerily reminiscent of a spree nearly two years ago, two UVA students are allegedly pummelled by three black males early September 21 while walking home from a frat party, the Cav Daily reports.

Worst driving by a Greene County official: Director of planning Nick Hahn is accused of hitting a Charlottesville police officer twice with his SUV following the September 27 UVA football game and then leaving the scene-- and the officer with a broken leg, Reed Williams reports in the Daily Progress.

Best bestowing of a grant: The Department of Homeland Security lays $6 million on the Emergency Communications Center for a new radio system, which will let Charlottesville, Albemarle, and UVA public safety officials talk to each other.

Best contribution to a public school: Western Albemarle reaps $35,000 from an anonymous donor.

Best bust for Lousia County cops: Nearly two tons of "high grade" marijuana are seized September 23, according to the Progress.

Best way to rile Delegate Robert G. Marshall: Virginia Tech TV's Sex Talk Live, which prompts Marshall to complain to Tech's president about the September 24 show, which featured a fake orgasm competition and sex position charades. Marshall's displeasure with "morning after" pills led James Madison University and George Mason University to stop carrying the contraceptives.

Worst razor blade assault: Cousins Natasha Nicole Banks and Latissa Rochella Banks are charged with assaulting a Friendship Court woman September 23, allegedly cutting the victim on her left hand, the Progress reports.

Worst use of the "I was too high" defense: Cindy Gail Countess of Roanoke claims she doesn't remember bludgeoning her 82-year-old mother to death because she was under the influence of Paxil, an antidepressant. A judge convicts her of second-degree murder September 29.

Worst quarterback antics: Florida State's Chris Rix racks up a ticket September 18 for parking using a handicapped placard not registered to him, and then gets another ticket September 23 for parking in a space reserved for rehab patients.

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