Across the Southeast

ACLU files lawsuit over funeral protests

FRANKFORT, KY. - Portions of a new state law intended to prevent protesters from disrupting funerals for soldiers killed in Iraq are unconstitutional and should be struck down, the American Civil Liberties Union said in a federal lawsuit filed Monday.

The ACLU says that sections of the law go too far in limiting freedoms of speech and expression.

The law, which also applies to memorial services, wakes and burials, was aimed at members of a church who have toured the country protesting at military funerals.

Mountain tour offers view of Monticello

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. - A mountain that rises more than 400 feet above the rooftops of Thomas Jefferson's estate is now open for tours, offering visitors a new way to experience the legacy of the early president.

Montalto offers sweeping views of Jefferson's Monticello and the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was once open to the public and served as home to many University of Virginia graduate students and others who lived in quaint stone houses.

In 2004, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation purchased the 330-acre property.

- Edited from wire reports