An independent report released last week said sloppy election night coverage by all television networks amounted to “a collective drag race on the crowded highway of democracy, recklessly endangering the electoral process, the political life of the country and their own credibility.” The report, conducted by three esteemed journalism professors commissioned by CNN, also found that Floridians don’t know how to use their turn signals.

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“Survivor” is back, serving up a new batch of self-absorbed egomaniacs. “Temptation Island” turns cheesy conduct and betrayal into prime-time fun. The XFL offers third-rate talent, no rules and lots of cleavage. Except for the cleavage part, it sounds a lot like election night.

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Most of this year’s Associated Press story on Groundhog Day in Punxsatawney was familiar fare – the origins of the tradition, a blow-by-blow of Phil’s appearance, vivid descriptions of the celebration and of what the national attention means to that small northwestern Pennsylvania town. There was, for Mainers, a bit of local interest – Jean Daigle of Dresden, who traveled 500 miles for the event, was quoted as saying Maine has groundhogs, but “We shoot them up there.” Which may explain why we always seem to get six more weeks of winter.

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Bath was terribly proud of the new two-story, brick-veneer police station it built 12 years ago. Now it learns the building sits on weak soil, has sunk five inches into the ground so far and is expected to subside at a rate of about a half-inch per year. Since the architect is dead and the contractor is out of business, the city seems to have little recourse but to build a new one for $800,000 or shore up the old one for $600,000. Or, of course, get used to a one-story police station.

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It’s been five months since Scarborough High School, under pressure from students, began the search for a mascot to replace the offensive name Redskins. In a vote in November, most students backed the name Titans, but the school board rejected it after other students complained that Titans were characters in Greek mythology who killed their young. Now, the winner in a second election, Red Storm, is being rejected by students who say it doesn’t reflect Scarborough or its history. Suddenly, those Titans are looking pretty good.