Setback

Rebuffed elsewhere, and with wary residents looking on, a proposed South Jersey medical marijuana operation suffered an initial setback Wednesday evening as it tried to make a stand in Westampton, where it urged a key township board to allow it to locate in an empty former factory. Compassionate Care Foundation, a Mount Laurel-based nonprofit, asked the Land Development Board to clear the way for it to use the 40,000-square-foot former LED factory to raise 10,000 cannabis plants, process them, and sell the marijuana to people suffering from cancer, multiple sclerosis, and other conditions specified under a medical marijuana law enacted in early 2010.

Rebuffed in other towns, and with wary residents looking on, a proposed South Jersey medical marijuana operation suffered an initial setback Wednesday evening as it tried to make a stand in Westampton, where it urged a key township board to allow it to locate in an empty former factory. Compassionate Care Foundation, a Mount Laurel-based nonprofit, asked the Land Development Board to clear the way for it to use the 40,000-square-foot former LED factory to raise 10,000 cannabis plants, process them, and sell the marijuana to people suffering from cancer, multiple sclerosis, and other conditions specified under a medical marijuana law enacted in early 2010.

Cira Hutton and Hajaaha Stevens helped High School of the Future offset a 27-point game by Science Leadership's Dayona McNeil and hand the Rockets their first loss of the girls' basketball season, 49-42, on Wednesday in Public league play. Hutton gave the Firebirds (3-0) 16 points and five assists, while Stevens chipped in with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Rockets dropped to 3-1. Also in the Public League, Bok's Ivy Kokoi posted six of her nine points and five of her nine assists in a decisive, 15-4 fourth quarter as the Wildcats pulled away from visiting Paul Robeson, 32-24.

Camden Catholic controlled the upper weights, piling up 20 points from 182 to 285 pounds en route to a 38-28, nonleague wrestling win over visiting St. Augustine on Friday night. Joe Mazzochette (182 pounds) and Jeff Miller (heavyweight) each rolled up major decisions, Will Jackson won by forfeit at 195, and Jarred Alwan added a 46-second pin at 220. In other highlights, Tyler McBride edged the Hermits' Steven Bergamo, 8-7, at 106 pounds, and Chad Walsh (138) and T.J. Miller (145)

KABUL, Afghanistan - The fallout from this week's deadly suicide bombing in Kabul has further splintered Afghanistan's relations with neighboring Pakistan and set back the U.S.-led military campaign to stabilize the region before international troops leave at the end of 2014. The attack that killed at least 60 people and wounded more than 160 outside a Shiite shrine highlighted a marked decline in security in the Afghan capital in the last year. Afghan forces, who have been in charge of security in Kabul for more than a year, have had successes in foiling plots and minimizing casualties, but insurgents increasingly slip through checkpoints and conduct assaults.

TRENTON - Animal-rights activists seeking to protest the state's black bear hunt will head to court Monday to try to persuade a judge to allow them to demonstrate at a bear check station. The advocates conceded Friday there wasn't enough time for them to challenge a court decision allowing the state's six-day bear hunt to begin Monday. They then got informal approval from a state Department of Environmental Protection official to demonstrate at the Franklin bear check station in Sussex County, according to Doris Lin, an attorney for the protesters.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The New York Giants aren't worrying about another meltdown in the second half of the season despite starting it with a loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Coach Tom Coughlin seemed slightly amused Monday when asked about the team's recent trend of getting off to good starts and then folding down the stretch. New York failed to win a playoff game after the 2008 season and then missed the postseason the next two years. Coughlin dismissed any similarity after a 27-20 loss on Sunday that left the Giants (6-3)

  ATHENS, Ohio - Steve Addazio didn't have the answers. The Temple coach couldn't explain why his defense was unable to stop Ohio. Nor could he determine the fate of a team that, a couple of weeks earlier, appeared destined to win the Mid-American Conference East division. The only certainty is that Chris Coyer will be the starting quarterback. At 11:50 p.m. Wednesday, that was the only good news for Temple. And it was overshadowed by the uncertainty facing the disheartened Owls.

PATRICK CHAMBERS knew there would be plenty of setbacks in his first year coaching the Penn State Nittany Lions, but maybe not this early. "We barely had 10 guys at practice a week ago," he said. With four senior starters gone from a basketball squad that finished 19-15 last season under former coach Ed DeChellis, the last thing Chambers needed was a number of preseason injuries. Promising freshman guard Trey Lewis has been hampered by an unspecified ankle injury, and sophomore guard D.J. Newbell has been missing with a broken shoulder.