Common Sense Junction
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Common Sense Junction
Regional Newspaper Headlines

  1. Yo-yo Rockets back above .500, beat Wizards 96-88

    → Examiner District Of Columbia Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 11:47 pm MST

    Luis Scola had 23 points and 10 rebounds, Kevin Martin scored 21 points, and the yo-yo Houston Rockets moved back above .500 Tuesday night with a 96-88 win over the Washington Wizards. The Rockets took the lead for good midway through the second quarter and were hardly threatened in the second half by the Wizards, who have lost four straight and six of seven.

  2. Obama using 'bounty hunters' for health care fraud

    → Examiner District Of Columbia Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 11:43 pm MST

    President Barack Obama said Tuesday he'll bring in high-tech bounty hunters to help root out health care fraud, grabbing a populist idea with bipartisan backing in his final push to overhaul the system. The White House announcement came as Obama prepared to travel to Missouri on Wednesday, taking his closing argument to the nation's heartland. The trip will be his second public appearance this week to rally support and fire up nervous Democrats.

  3. Obama using 'bounty hunters' to root out fraud

    → Examiner District Of Columbia Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 11:42 pm MST

    President Barack Obama said Tuesday he'll bring in high-tech bounty hunters to help root out health care fraud, grabbing a populist idea with bipartisan backing in his final push to overhaul the system. The White House announcement came as Obama prepared to travel to Missouri on Wednesday, taking his closing argument to the nation's heartland. The trip will be his second public appearance this week to rally support and fire up nervous Democrats.

  4. FACT CHECK: Lawmaker quits amid changing stories

    → Examiner District Of Columbia Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 11:37 pm MST

    New York congressman Eric Massa resigned his House seat this week under a sexual harassment cloud, claiming fellow Democrats forced his ouster to keep him from voting against their health care bill. It's the latest claim in a changing stream of explanations that have propelled him from a relatively obscure Democratic lawmaker to darling of conservative talk show hosts.

  5. Massa denies he sexually groped male staffer

    → Examiner District Of Columbia Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 11:34 pm MST

    Former Rep. Eric Massa, who resigned from Congress amid sexual harassment allegations, acknowledged Tuesday groping a staffer but denied it was sexual. "It doesn't make any difference what my intentions were, it's how it's perceived by the individual who receives that action," Massa, D-N.Y., said on conservative commentator Glenn Beck's Fox News Channel show. "I'm telling you I was wrong. I was wrong. ... My behavior was wrong. I should have never allowed myself to be as familiar with my staff as I was."

  6. Toyota to expand recall of Tundra pickups for rust

    → Examiner District Of Columbia Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 11:28 pm MST

    Toyota said Tuesday it will expand a recall announced last year to fix Tundra pickup trucks with frames that could rust and lead to spare tires falling from the vehicle. Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said the recall will cover Tundra pickups from the 2000-2003 model years in all 50 states. It would broaden a recall announced in November that covered 110,000 trucks in 20 "cold weather" states and the District of Columbia.

  7. Obama: Greece, facing bad days, has US as ally

    → Examiner District Of Columbia Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 11:19 pm MST

    President Barack Obama stood with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou on Tuesday and pledged that the United States would work with its ally, even as Greece's enormous debts sparked frenzied trading. Papandreou said he outlined European proposals in his White House meeting and Obama reacted positively to European ideas about cracking down on currency speculation. He also said the issue would be discussed at the next meeting of the Group of 20 summit of leading and emerging economies in June.

  8. Winning numbers drawn in DC 'DC-4' game

    → Examiner District Of Columbia Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 10:45 pm MST

    The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the Dist. of Columbia Lottery's "DC-4" game were: 0-0-0-3

  9. Winning numbers drawn in DC 'DC Daily 6' game

    → Examiner District Of Columbia Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 10:45 pm MST

    The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the Dist. of Columbia Lottery's "DC Daily 6" game were: 09-13-14-16-18-38, Bonus: 10

  10. Winning numbers drawn in DC 'Lucky Numbers' game

    → Examiner District Of Columbia Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 10:45 pm MST

    The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the Dist. of Columbia Lottery's "Lucky Numbers" game were: 2-5-8

  11. Bobcats overtake Heat, clinch tiebreaker

    → CharlotteObserver.com Most Recent Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 8:42 pm MST

    Dwyane Wade was as boorish in the post-game locker room as he was ineffectual in the fourth quarter.

    Apparently he didn't like the line of questioning, after his Miami Heat blew a nine-point lead in the final quarter of the Charlotte Bobcats' 83-78 victory Tuesday.

    "The ball wouldn't go in the basket,'' Wade said of his team's 5-of-17 shooting, including his own 0-of-5. "I ain't giving Charlotte no credit, if that's what you're looking for.''

    What game was he watching? The Bobcats played exceptional defense late, holding Miami without a fast-break or second-chance point in the fourth quarter, to outscore the Heat 21-12.

    They were switching and doubling efficiently, challenging shots without fouling and cutting off the drives that earned Wade 25 points through the first three quarters.

    If Wade wouldn't acknowledge Charlotte's defense, then the Bobcats weren't shy about describing the dynamic.

    "When we play as a team, playing defense by talking a lot, I don't care who it is - Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant - it's tough to score on us,'' said Charlotte forward Gerald Wallace (eight points and 17 rebounds).

    This win was actually like two victories, in that the Bobcats now have a 3-0 lead in the four-game season series with Miami. That clinches a playoff tiebreaker, should the Bobcats and Heat finish with the same record.

    They're now both playing .500 ball, with the Bobcats at 31-31 and the Heat 32-32.

    On Monday, Bobcats guard Stephen Jackson had called this game a "mandatory win,'' due to the stakes involved and the fact the Bobcats were still just outside the top-eight (i.e. playoff teams) in the East.

    Stakes are new to this team, and they didn't react well in the first half, falling behind by as much as 15.

    It all changed after halftime, and particularly the fourth quarter. Holding the Heat to 30 points and 33 percent shooting was essential, because the Bobcats were never much on offense Tuesday.

    Point guard Raymond Felton (15 points and 11 assists) kept them organized in the second half and Boris Diaw (11 points, eight rebounds and five assists) hit two free throws with two seconds left to clinch it.

    But everything they did offensively was secondary Tuesday.

    "We have NEVER defended like that before,'' coach Larry Brown gushed, "against a quality opponent.''

  12. Owners of NY club where groom was shot are charged

    → MiamiHerald.com: Nation | 9 Mar 2010 | 8:34 pm MST

    A mother and son who owned a New York City strip club made infamous by a 50-bullet police shooting of an unarmed man there on his wedding day have been charged in a mortgage fraud case.

  13. BofA to drop fees for debit overdrafts

    → CharlotteObserver.com Most Recent Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 8:29 pm MST

    Bank of America is dropping one of the banking industry’s most-criticized fees.

    No longer will customers be charged an overdraft fee when they use their debit card and don’t have enough money in their accounts. Instead, the transaction will be denied, unless the customer has signed up for an overdraft protection service that links their card to a savings account or credit card.

    The Charlotte bank is going a step farther than a new federal regulation that kicks in July 1. Under those rules, banks can’t charge overdraft fees on debit card purchases or ATM withdrawals unless customers provide their consent.

    The bank’s move comes as Congress and regulators look more closely at banking industry fees. The change will affect the customers at the nation’s largest consumer bank and will probably prompt other banks to weigh their own policies.

    Bank of America said it’s the biggest bank to eliminate the fees so far and that it was reacting to customers’ comments.

    “Customers were saying, ‘Don’t let us spend money we don’t have,” spokeswoman Anne Pace said.

    Bank of America said debit card purchases are the most common way its customers overdraw their accounts. In those transactions, the bank said it is unable to alert customers that they have insufficient funds and are about to incur a fee.

    The new debit card policy starts June 19 for new accounts and at the end of August for existing accounts. The bank will continue to charge overdraft fees in transactions involving checks or automated recurring drafts such as a gym membership. Last year the bank’s ATMs started notifying customers if a withdrawal will cause an overdraft fee, and they are then allowed to choose whether to proceed.

    Last fall, Bank of America stopped charging overdraft fees if an account was overdrawn by less than $10 in a day. It had also stopped charging overdraft fees on more than four instances per day. The fee was $35 per overdraft.

    Wells Fargo, which bought Charlotte’s Wachovia at the end of 2008, is still working on its plans and strategies related to the new federal overdraft regulations, said spokeswoman Julia Tunis Bernard.

    Consumers have demonstrated a willingness to pay overdrafts for covering the mortgage and the car payment, said Greg McBride, who follows the banking industry for Bankrate.com. “But not if it’s things like covering a latte and a scone.”

    Last year alone, banks generated about $20 billion from overdraft fees on debit purchases and ATM transactions, and $12 billion more by covering checks and recurring bills, according to Moebs Services, an economic research firm.

    But as reports surfaced of customers incurring hundreds, even thousands, in overdraft fees, often for purchases of just a few dollars like a cup of coffee, regulators and lawmakers stepped in.

    Several bills have been introduced in Congress that go beyond the Fed’s rules on overdraft fees. Consumer groups say the bank fees particularly hurt low-income customers.

    Because most of the fees are paid by what Robert Meara, a banking analyst with the consultant Celent, called “serial overdrafters,” the rules may not save the average consumer much money. In fact, because banks will look to make up that lost revenue, it may actually cost most individuals more.

    “What this may do really is produce the unintended consequence of creating the demise of free checking,” said Meara.

    Banks jumped into free checking in the last decade because of competition, but at the same time started allowing overdrafts that generated huge sums. If they can’t charge those fees, it’s likely they won’t offer the free products anymore.

    Or, he suggested, consumers might start seeing deals advertised where free checking kicks in after a certain number of transactions.

    “I think banks will use this as an opportunity to be creative and differentiate themselves in ways that were really hard to do when everybody had a free checking account,” Meara said. “There’s a way this can be a win-win for everybody, but in the short term I think it’s going to be challenging for banks to make up for that lost revenue.”

    Pace, the Bank of America spokeswoman, said the company will detail the financial effect of the move next month during its first-quarter earnings report. The New York Times and the Associated Press contributed.



  14. Orange election results: Incumbents keep their seats

    → Orlando Sentinel- Orlando news, sports and more | 9 Mar 2010 | 8:17 pm MST

    Winter Park’s 2 seats go to slow-growth candidates; Amendment 10 fails

    Elections in six Orange County cities Tuesday returned incumbents to their posts and put two slow-growth candidates into open seats in Winter Park.




  15. Partner convicted in NY execution-style slaying

    → MiamiHerald.com: Nation | 9 Mar 2010 | 8:09 pm MST

    A Long Island man has been convicted in the execution-style slaying of his business partner in the parking lot of a Korean restaurant.

  16. Fashion Island store to close

    → The Orange County Register - News Headlines : Top Stories | 9 Mar 2010 | 8:07 pm MST

    The local store is among 28 stores the chain will shutter.

  17. Police find human remains in woods

    → CharlotteObserver.com Most Recent Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 8:07 pm MST

    A utility crew found the skeletal remains of a man in rural Gaston County Tuesday afternoon and police are seeking tips from the public.

    The N.C. utility crew called police around 4 p.m. to report the body in the woods near Old Spencer Mountain Road.

    The remains appear to be that of a man, according to police. Police have not said how the man died and have not yet classified the case as a homicide. The Gaston Medical Examiner's Office will determine the cause of death.

    The man was wearing blue jean pants, a denim jacket, a burgundy dress shirt and black combat boots.

    Anyone with information should call Gaston County Police at 704-866-3320 or Crime Stoppers at 704-861-8000.

  18. UN report: Much of Somalia's food aid diverted

    → MiamiHerald.com: Nation | 9 Mar 2010 | 8:04 pm MST

    Much of the food aid intended for Somalia's poor is diverted to corrupt contractors, radical Islamist militants and local U.N. workers, according to a Security Council report.

  19. Jurors recommend death for serial killer

    → The Orange County Register - News Headlines : Top Stories | 9 Mar 2010 | 8:03 pm MST

    SANTA ANA – Courtroom spectators applauded Tuesday when an Orange County jury recommended that serial killer Rodney James Alcala be put to death for five sexual assault and torture murders committed in the 1970s. Alcala, who represented himself...

  20. UMass knocks reeling 49ers out of A-10 tournament

    → CharlotteObserver.com Most Recent Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 8:01 pm MST

    If there was one play signifying the Charlotte 49ers' late-season collapse it was this.

    Trailing by three with a chance to tie and 55 seconds left in the game, the 49ers never got a shot off. Why? The 49ers were assessed a technical foul for having six men on the court.

    That was just one of many things that did not go right in Charlotte's 59-56 loss to Massachusetts Tuesday night in the first round of the Atlantic 10 tournament at Halton Arena.

    The 49ers, the tournament's third seed, drop to 19-12, having lost seven of their last eight games. Their only chance remaining at further play this season now lies in the hands of the National Invitational Tournament officials.

    UMass (12-19), the 11th-seed, advances to the tournament quarterfinals Friday in Atlantic City, N.J., where the Minutemen will face third seed Richmond (24-7) at 9 p.m. Friday at Boardwalk Hall.

    "You would think a guy with three undergraduate degrees and two graduate degrees could count to five," Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz said of the technical foul for too many players. "That was a huge play and ultimately it comes to me."

    Ricky Harris made both free throws to give UMass a 56-51 lead with 55 seconds left but Charlotte's Gokhan Sirin made a 3-pointer to cut the Minutemen's lead to two with 39 seconds to go.

    UMass made 3-of-4 free throws to close the game in the final 21 seconds.

    Charlotte again struggled from the 3-point line as guards DiJuan Harris, Derrio Green and Ian Andersen were a combined 2-of-16 from long-range.

    "These last few weeks have been really tough. I've tried every coach technique, strategy, motivational technique that I know and I just haven't been able to get us turned around," Lutz said.

    "We were missing something. We lost our confidence and that's something hard to get back. It's my job to get that accomplished and I wasn't able to."

    At one point this season the 49ers were 18-5 and 8-1 in league play and appeared headed to a NCAA tournament appearance - a big turnaround coming off an 11-20 season.

    Lutz said he hopes the 49ers' late-season losses don't overshadow the progress made this season.

    "We had a good year but a bad finish. We won 19 games and did a lot of terrific things," he said. "The finish is what people remember and I understand that and hate that for our team.

    "In some ways they deserve better. I'm still proud of them and proud of our seniors."

    Junior An'Juan Wilderness led the 49ers in scoring with 11 points, nine of which came in the first half.

    "We started off good and towards the end of the season we just lost it," Wilderness said. "I thought we got it back in the Saint Joseph's win (a 95-58 49ers victory) but we couldn't hold on to it.

    "It's really hard to explain right now."

  21. Orange says no to Econ development bid

    → Orlando Sentinel- Orlando news, sports and more | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:55 pm MST

    Commissioners fear impact of 5,000 homes near sensitive river

    Orange County Commissioners voted 6-1 Tuesday night to reject a plan to build 5,000 residences east of the sensitive Econlockhatchee River.




  22. Fullerton plans to cut funding for Muckenthaler

    → The Orange County Register - News Headlines : Top Stories | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:48 pm MST

    Fullerton's city council is proposing to cut $80,000 in annual programming funding to the cultural center.

  23. Police say thief stole several hundred thousand in tools

    → post-gazette.com - News | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:47 pm MST

    A Bethel Park man has been charged with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of construction tools and equipment from sites throughout the South Hills, Washington County and elsewhere.

  24. Italian bistro opens in Newport Beach

    → The Orange County Register - News Headlines : Top Stories | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:42 pm MST

    Restaurant veterans and husband-and-wife open classic Italian bistro in Newport Beach. The owner is former executive chef at Antonello near South Coast Plaza.

  25. Mother, two children escape Knoxville house fire

    → knoxnews.com Stories: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:40 pm MST

    KNOXVILLE — The Knoxville Fire Department responded to a house fire at 2225 Virginia Ave. just off Western Avenue tonight.

  26. All 6 dead in Ariz. crash were Mexican citizens

    → MiamiHerald.com: Nation | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:39 pm MST

    Authorities say all six people killed in last week's pre-dawn bus crash on an Arizona interstate were Mexican citizens.

  27. Israel says `bad options' for Iran getting closer

    → MiamiHerald.com: Nation | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:29 pm MST

    The two "bad options" for Iran - letting the country develop nuclear weapons or using force to destroy its nuclear capabilities - are closer than they were a year ago, Israel's U.N. ambassador warned Tuesday.

  28. Toyota expands recall of trucks for rust issue

    → Orlando Sentinel- Orlando news, sports and more | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:28 pm MST

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Toyota says it will expand a recall announced last year to fix Tundra pickup trucks with frames that could rust.




  29. Orlando Magic efficiently dismantle the L.A. Clippers

    → Orlando Sentinel- Orlando news, sports and more | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:17 pm MST

    Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy played Dwight Howard more than usual in the first three quarters -- and that was way too long for the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.




  30. CMS board starts talking construction

    → CharlotteObserver.com Most Recent Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:16 pm MST

    There’s no money to build or renovate schools – but when there is, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board must figure out how to rank its priorities.

    They started with a staff report Tuesday. Among the questions raised: Will the board stick with the current student-assignment process? Will it keep a 10-month school year? Are mobile classrooms acceptable as permanent solutions to crowding?

    Answers may be months in coming.

    “This is like a Step One, because we’re into such a new economic reality,” board chair Eric Davis said before the meeting. “It’s going to kick off a series of discussions that will later result in a plan.”

    In 2007, when voters approved a record $516 million in school bonds, the economy was healthy and enrollment was booming. Now the school district is waiting for county approval to spend money that’s already been approved, and another bond vote is at least two years away, said CMS construction planner Mike Raible.

    Superintendent Peter Gorman told the board CMS was on schedule until the recession forced county officials to slow down borrowing.

    “Our slogan was ‘Promises made, promises kept.’ We were absolutely on target to finish on time,” Gorman said.

    Raible said CMS still has about $300 million in projects that have already been promised and approved by voters.

    Last year commissioners said they’d borrow $70 million for CMS this summer, but now they’re talking about waiting longer.

    Board member Joe White warned that board members who didn’t agree with the list of projects promised during the bond might try to “grab” money for their own plans. Because the project list was not on the ballot, CMS is not legally bound to follow it.

    “What I’m saying to the public is, keep your eyes and ears open,” White said.

    Enrollment dropped slightly this year, driven partly by a change in the cutoff date for kindergarten. Next year CMS expects to add some 1,200 students to its enrollment of about 133,670, Raible said. Just a few years ago, newcomers were pouring in and enrollment was growing by 3,000 to 5,000 a year.

    Relieving crowded schools remains the top challenge, closely followed by preventing deterioration of older buildings, according to the report. The board, which includes five members elected to their first term in November, will have to set its priorities before the staff begins ranking projects.

    Rhonda Lennon said she’s worried about northern schools, such as Torrence Creek Elementary, that have already fallen behind enrollment.

    CMS staff has done a 477-page report itemizing building conditions, enrollment and capacity at each school. Board members got paper copies Friday night, and officials had promised to post it online before Tuesday’s meeting. But as of Tuesday night, after the meeting adjourned, there was no link.

    As complicated as that report is, Davis said, “I think the hard work is what’s in front of us, and that is solving these problems in a low- to no-capital environment.” Staff writer April Bethea contributed.



  31. Cops kill Gerritsen Beach youth

    → NY Post: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:15 pm MST

    A Gerritsen Beach man armed with a fake pistol was shot and killed during a harried standoff with police Monday afternoon, officials said.Cops said they got a 911 call about a man with a gun inside a schoolyard behind P.S. 194, the Raoul Wallenberg School, on Knapp Street...

  32. City OKs Berkeley Carroll plan

    → NY Post: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:15 pm MST

    The city this week approved the expansionist plans of a Park Slope private school, a controversial scheme that vexed some residents who fear the new building will catalyze the very dissolution of the district’s historic character. But Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission disagreed, voting 8-0 with one abstention in...

  33. Heightened security at school after threat

    → The Orange County Register - News Headlines : Top Stories | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:13 pm MST

    IRVINE – University High School in Irvine will have a heightened security and police presence Wednesday after possibly threatening graffiti was found in the flap of a textbook. According to Principal John Pehrson, the words written in the textbook...

  34. UConn women beat WVU, 60-32

    → post-gazette.com - News | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:08 pm MST

    HARTFORD, CT. - As expected, top-ranked Connecticut beat No. 9 West Virginia, 60-32, in the Big East Women's Basketball Tournament championship game tonight at the XL Center.

  35. A taste of SXSW, in Brooklyn

    → NY Post: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:05 pm MST

    South by Southwest, the annual marathon indie music festival, has hundreds of bands, and even more music fans, flocking to Austin next week.For those without passes, you can still get a taste of the sounds of the festival thanks to a Brooklyn Vegan SXSW pre-party on March 15 at...

  36. Alcala jurors: Death vote was easily reached

    → The Orange County Register - News Headlines : Top Stories | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:04 pm MST

    SANTA ANA – Jurors who quickly decided Tuesday to recommend the death penalty for convicted serial killer Rodney Alcala called their decision easy given the horrific circumstances of the slayings.Alcala tortured, raped then murdered his victims:...

  37. Dukes fall in first round of A10 tournament, 83-71

    → post-gazette.com - News | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:00 pm MST

    OLEAN, N.Y. -- Duquesne (16-15) could not withstand a rush forward by St. Bonaventure (15-15) through the core of the second half and the Dukes fell, 83-71, in a first-round Atlantic 10 Conference tournament game tonight at Reilly Center in Olean, N.Y.

  38. Trucker tells Michigan jury he killed 2 gentlemen

    → MiamiHerald.com: Nation | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:59 pm MST

    The man who confessed to fatally shooting an abortion protester and a businessman in a small Michigan community told jurors Tuesday he deserves to die for the killings.

  39. Wanted by Third Avenue residents: A good night's sleep

    → NY Post: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:55 pm MST

    Area residents continue to be up in arms over late-night noise emanating from a pair of local watering holes.The most recent meeting of the Community Board 10 Police and Public Safety Committee was dominated by discussion of the problems that several local bars appear to be causing those who...

  40. Farrah Fawcett Oscars memorial omission defended by the Academy

    → NY Post: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:53 pm MST

    The Academy Awards row over a perceived snub to Farah Fawcett showed no sign of abating late Tuesday, with an Oscars chief defending the decision to omit the late Charlie's Angels" star from the gala's In Memoriam segment. The executive director of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts...

  41. Man shot in Stowe

    → post-gazette.com - News | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:45 pm MST

    County police are investigating after a man was shot in the abdomen in Stowe, a county emergency dispatch supervisor said.

  42. Colo. man who claims pot as sacrament is convicted

    → MiamiHerald.com: Nation | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:44 pm MST

    A Colorado man who says marijuana is a sacrament in his religion has been convicted of misdemeanor drug charges.

  43. Police kill Calif. man suspected of shooting wife

    → MiamiHerald.com: Nation | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:44 pm MST

    Police near Los Angeles say officers have fatally shot a man who chased his estranged wife down the street and fired a gun at her multiple times, riddling her with bullets.

  44. NYPD: Rooftop body casts are art, not jumpers

    → MiamiHerald.com: Nation | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:39 pm MST

    The New York Police Department wants the public to know that the figures soon to be gazing down from buildings near a midtown park are an artist's body casts - not residents in distress.

  45. Mynatt dealership fights for reinstatement

    → CharlotteObserver.com Most Recent Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:35 pm MST

    Cyndie Mynatt spends much of her time these days sifting through sales figures, projections and records, piled in stacks around her office, meeting with accountants and marketers, building the case to save her car dealership.

    The fight began on a Friday in May, when she learned Ben Mynatt Chevrolet Cadillac was one of the about 2,000 nationwide GM planned to shutter as it began bankruptcy proceedings. It continued Monday, when calls went out to the last of the 661 dealers the automaker announced recently it would reinstate. Mynatt’s store wasn’t on the list.

    But there’s optimism among those disappointments, from the four dozen employees, longtime customers and Mynatt herself, who owns the dealership her father built into a Concord fixture before he died in 2001.

    “When we got the termination letter, it’s like he died all over again,” Mynatt said Tuesday morning in her office, tears in her eyes. “But I’m going to get it back.”

    Ben Mynatt Chevrolet Cadillac was among the 50 or so N.C. dealerships targeted for closing last spring, and one of a handful in the Charlotte region, said Bob Glaser, president of the N.C. Automobile Dealers Association, though GM hasn’t released that list publicly.

    Many have shut down already, a few months after government officials forced the struggling GM into bankruptcy court. But some, such as Mynatt’s, which is set to close in October, are battling for another chance. Congress passed a law in December giving angry dealers the right to arbitration, which Mynatt expects to happen in May. And a few weeks ago, GM executives said the automaker would meet with individual dealers in the next few months to try to settle without arbitration.

    For Mynatt, a three-decade livelihood is at stake.

    Her father started selling Chevrolets in 1955 in Knoxville, Tenn., and moved 12 years later with his wife, Grace, to a dealership in Hickory, where he became general manager. In the years that followed, the Mynatts tucked away a savings, and in 1976, they bought what would become Ben Mynatt Chevrolet Cadillac.

    The dealership, situated along U.S. 29 within earshot of Charlotte Motor Speedway, racked up sales and honors, such as the N.C. Automobile Dealer Association’s lifetime achievement award in 2000. The Mynatts branched out to other shops: Pontiac, GMC and Buick next door, which has not been terminated, Nissan in Salisbury and a used-car lot in Kannapolis. And they became prominent in the community.

    Ben Mynatt served on the boards of the Salvation Army, Cabarrus County Boys & Girls Club and other organizations. Grace Mynatt was chairman of the Cabarrus Board of Education and is currently a county commissioner.

    Cyndie Mynatt, a Duke graduate who began her career at the Mint Museum in Charlotte in 1979, followed suit, serving as chairman of the N.C. dealers association and more than a dozen foundations and boards over the years.

    She bought the Chevrolet shop from her brother in 2008 and spent her first few months there trying to reverse lagging sales. She’s had to lay off a handful of employees, though the store became profitable around the time GM fell into bankruptcy, she said.

    Mynatt waited a few weeks – long enough to appeal – after the termination letter arrived to tell workers the news. Shortly after, community members started calling: “How is this possible? What can we do?”

    More than 1,400 people have expressed support so far, becoming fans of the dealership’s Facebook page and writing letters to employees, elected officials and the new Web site, SaveBenMynattChevy.com.

    “Finding a new dealer that could win the hearts of this community like the Mynatts would be impossible,” one woman wrote. “People like to do business with people they like and respect, which is exactly why the Mynatts have been so successful over the years.”

    Another wrote, “Best of luck, Ben Mynatt, on the fight of your life!”

    Glaser, the dealers association president, said dealerships such as Mynatt’s are crucial to the economic and social fabric of N.C. communities. He said he’s encouraged by the fact that Mynatt is “fighting like heck,” and optimistic about her chances with GM.

    “It’s a tragic set of circumstances, anyway, that she was cut in the first place,” he said. “I’m optimistic she can put her best foot forward. … And if all goes well, she’ll get her dealership back.”

    Receptionist Judy Pless hopes so. She’s worked at Ben Mynatt Chevrolet Cadillac for almost 24 years and called it a mistake to cut a dealership so plugged into its community.

    “It’s like a family,” she said, between answering phone calls. “They treat you well, and they care about you, and they care about the customers.”

    Commercial and fleet salesman Ray Overby has been at the dealership 14 years and said it’s the best place he’s ever worked.

    “It’s just a shame,” he said. “We’ve been here so long and done so much, and just to come in and take our store away – I hope we can get something done, because a lot of people’s lives depend on working here.”

    In recent weeks, floor traffic and Internet activity have climbed, Mynatt said, and recent sales figures show sales of GM’s four core brands jumped 32 percent last month nationally over the year before.

    She’s convinced she’ll win her case, but if not, she said she’ll continue to give to charity and continue to be a part of the community.

    It’s difficult to talk about that, though, she said, reaching into a desk drawer for a tissue. Her father, after all, put everything he had into the dealership.

    “It was his life’s dream,” she said. “It’s just who my dad was. You know, it’s more than a business.”



  46. Man killed in Ave. D collision

    → NY Post: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:25 pm MST

    One person was killed early Sunday following a harrowing collision at the corner of Utica Avenue and Avenue D in East Flatbush.Police said that a 1993 Honda was traveling eastbound along Avenue D when it was struck by a 2000 Nissan traveling southbound on Utica Avenue. When police arrived...

  47. Massa scandal explodes

    → Top News | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:25 pm MST

    The scandal surrounding ex-Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) took several extraordinary turns on Tuesday as new allegations surfaced that Massa groped male staffers and behaved improperly

    Read more...



  48. Massa scandal explodes

    → Top News | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:25 pm MST

    The scandal surrounding ex-Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) took several extraordinary turns on Tuesday as new allegations surfaced that Massa groped male staffers and behaved improperly

    Read more...



  49. Yankees executive charged with DUI in Tampa

    → NY Post: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:20 pm MST

    A top New York Yankees executive was charged with driving under the influence in Tampa. Hillsborough County Jail reports show that Mark Newman, the Yankees' senior vice president of baseball operations, was arrested Monday night. He reportedly refused to take a blood-alcohol test. He was released several hours later on...

  50. Disconnect: Gibbs, Hoyer dispute vote

    → Top News | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:17 pm MST

    House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and the White House on Tuesday engaged in a rare public dispute.

    Read more...



  51. Rolling thunder: Motorcyclist makes big noise in robbery

    → NY Post: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:15 pm MST

    Robbed of depositsA gunman on a motorcycle is being sought for attempting to hold up a man just as he was about to make a deposit at an area Chase Bank.Officials said that the victim was just about to step into the Foster Avenue branch near Rockaway Parkway at...

  52. Judge gets tossed from 44th District City Council race

    → NY Post: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:15 pm MST

    Amid alleged dirty politics, Republican candidate Jonathan Judge was thrown off the ballot Tuesday for the special 44th District City Council election.State Supreme Court Judge Larry Martin ruled that Judge only had 750 valid signatures on his petitions, 15 short of the needed 765.The decision came about two...

  53. Butcher shop shooting solved

    → NY Post: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:15 pm MST

    Butcher shooter bustedInvestigators have arrested one of the men allegedly responsible for last year’s shooting at Romeo Brothers Meats and Foods.Prosecutors said that 36-year-old Andrew Gibson was taken into custody on March 3 after being connected to the December 18 shooting at the 15th Avenue butcher shop.Officials...

  54. Dems tell Emanuel they don't want his deadlines

    → Top News | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:14 pm MST

    Congressional Democrats directly told White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel they don't appreciate being told when to finish their work on healthcare reform, according to a powerful

    Read more...



  55. Dems tell Emanuel they don't want his deadlines

    → Top News | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:14 pm MST

    Congressional Democrats directly told White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel they don't appreciate being told when to finish their work on healthcare reform, according to a powerful

    Read more...



  56. Phoenix court fines Fisher Sand & Gravel Co.

    → azcentral.com | news | 9 Mar 2010 | 6:10 pm MST

    A Phoenix judge fined a controversial firm nearly $82,000 for violations at a south Phoenix asphalt plant.

  57. CMS, York officials vie for Chester superintendent

    → CharlotteObserver.com Most Recent Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 5:52 pm MST

    Joel Ritchie, an area superintendent for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, is one of two finalists for superintendent of the Chester County, S.C., school district after two others dropped out and one was added.

    Ron Wright, an assistant superintendent in York District 2 in Clover, S.C., was added to the mix today after Harriet Jaworowski, a Rock Hill administrator, and Tom Graves, a Virginia administrator, withdrew.

    Wright will visit schools and meet the public Wednesday; the Chester County board hopes to choose a superintendent this week or early next.



  58. CMU, La Roche receive national awards

    → post-gazette.com - News | 9 Mar 2010 | 5:50 pm MST

    Two Pittsburgh-area campuses are among eight colleges nationally being singled out for awards by NAFSA: The Association of International Educators, the Washington, D.C., organization announced today.

  59. Family charged in $16M real estate fraud

    → The Orange County Register - News Headlines : Top Stories | 9 Mar 2010 | 5:45 pm MST

    The scheme involved a mother and 2 daughters, forged documents and straw buyers, prosecutors say.

  60. Disney ends 'Give a Day' promotion with 1 million volunteers

    → Orlando Sentinel- Orlando news, sports and more | 9 Mar 2010 | 5:44 pm MST




  61. Bank sued for seizing Pa. woman's home and parrot

    → MiamiHerald.com: Nation | 9 Mar 2010 | 5:29 pm MST

    Bank of America has apologized to a Pittsburgh-area woman after one of its contractors allegedly trashed her house and took her parrot while wrongly repossessing her home.

  62. Andrew Young remains free ... for now

    → CharlotteObserver.com Most Recent Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 5:27 pm MST

    A judge threatened to send Andrew Young to jail three times today, but in the end didn't follow through on it.

    Instead, Young and his wife, Cheri, are due in court again Friday afternoon for the continuation of a hearing that dragged on for hours today.

    Superior Court Judge Abraham Penn Jones first said he was ready to send the Youngs to jail for up to 75 days for contempt of court. The judge said the couple had failed to be truthful about the number of copies made of a sex tape of former Sen. John Edwards and his mistress and about how many people have seen it, Michael Biesecker reports.

    It was the fourth hearing Jones has held on the tape, and with each one the Youngs produced more material and more affidavits.

    After he announced his decision, Andrew Young asked for a chance to explain himself. Jones allowed the former Edwards aide to take the witness stand. The questioning went on for some time, until finally the judge recessed the hearing and the Youngs walked free from the courtroom instead of being hauled off to jail.

    Andrew Young previously said that he showed the sex tape to a producer for ABC and two book agents. After that, attorneys for Rielle Hunter, Edwards' mistress who Young says also appeared in the video, produced an affidavit from a ghost writer who previously worked for Edwards, Robert Draper of New York.

    Draper swore in the document that on March 31, 2009 he and Young met at the Youngs' house. After Cheri Young had gone to bed, Andrew Young offered to show Draper the sex tape and played it on a big screen television in his office from his laptop, which suggested there was a digital copy stored on the laptop.

    Young has turned over the original tape and a VHS copy. Federal agents have a DVD copy, but Young has sworn that other copies do not exist. He also did not disclose that he had shown it to Draper.

    When the affidavit was brought up in court, Jones asked one of Hunter's lawyers, Alan Duncan: "Are you saying he lied to me?"

    "Yes, your honor."

    "That's a painful thing," Jones said.

    "There were things told to the court," Jones said from the bench, "under oath, in affidavits, in testimony that turned out to be inaccurate. Right now part of me says they didn't tell me the truth before in this court."

    In past hearings, Jones told the Youngs that if he found they were not adhering to his orders, he would send them to jail for up to 75 days.

    Young's lawyers tried to downplay the discrepancy as a memory lapse, one of many Young has suffered throughout the course of the hearings.

  63. Roethlisberger's accuser's attorneys urge restraint

    → post-gazette.com - News | 9 Mar 2010 | 5:21 pm MST

    Attorneys representing the alleged victim in the Ben Roethlisberger sexual assault investigation released a statement on her behalf today, urging the media not to identify her and to respect her privacy while the investigation runs its course.

  64. Spring training: Pearce aims to turn heads

    → post-gazette.com - News | 9 Mar 2010 | 4:55 pm MST

    BRADENTON, Fla. -- Steve Pearce has gone from being Baseball America's 2007 Minor League Player of the Year to a near-afterthought in the Pirates' camp this spring.

  65. Lincoln's reignition

    → post-gazette.com - News | 9 Mar 2010 | 4:52 pm MST

    Lincoln, America's "other" storied luxury brand, which was almost dead five years ago, has gained new life with new models, new commercials and new customers.

  66. 'Idol' singer Scott MacIntyre comes to O.C.

    → The Orange County Register - News Headlines : Top Stories | 9 Mar 2010 | 4:50 pm MST

    Scott MacIntyre, the visually impaired singer and pianist, releases his new album on Thursday, plays on "Idol" that night, and comes to the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove later this month.

  67. Dick's Sporting Goods sales increase 10.7 percent

    → post-gazette.com - News | 9 Mar 2010 | 4:45 pm MST

    A late blast of cold, snowy weather around the country may have had commuters grumbling but it was refreshing for Dick's Sporting Goods Inc., which Tuesday reported a 10.7 percent increase in fourth-quarter sales.

  68. Boeheim bests Dixon for Big East coach of the year

    → post-gazette.com - News | 9 Mar 2010 | 4:29 pm MST

    NEW YORK -- Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim beat out Pitt coach Jamie Dixon for Big East coach of the year honors today. It's the first coach of the year award for Boeheim since 1991.

  69. Revenue rebounds at CHS

    → CharlotteObserver.com Most Recent Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 4:26 pm MST

    After suffering a loss of $551 million in 2008, Carolinas HealthCare System rebounded in a big way last year.

    The region’s largest health-care provider ended 2009 with nearly $470 million in “revenue over expenses,” according to its year-end financial report released at Tuesday’s board meeting.

    Just as the 2008 decline was mostly due to investment losses related to the stock market crash, the 2009 increase was also related to “all the gyrations of the market” as it began to bounce back, said Edward Brown III, who chairs the system’s finance committee.

    But investment income wasn’t the only line item that improved in 2009.

    Net operating revenue grew 13.7 percent in 2009 to $5.1 billion. And operating income went from $73 million in 2008 to $122 million in 2009.

    Officials said the increase resulted from growth of the system, higher patient volumes and efficiencies in operations.

    “We powered through the circumstances we found ourselves in,” said system CEO Michael Tarwater. “It took creativity, perseverance and some very hard work on the part of our staff.”

    The system’s “adjusted discharges,” an industry measure for patient volume, rose 12.3 percent in 2009.

    That was “the largest rate of growth we’ve seen in a decade,” said Joe Piemont, the system’s president and chief operating officer.

    Unlike past years, officials did not attribute that increase to a growing Charlotte-area population.

    “Every indication is that people switched to Carolinas HealthCare System,” Piemont said. “It’s the cumulative effect of all the things we’ve done to make the system more convenient and accessible.”

    For example, in 2009, Carolinas HealthCare entered into management agreements with six other hospitals in the Carolinas, which widened its network of hospitals from 23 in 2008 to 32 today.

    Carolinas HealthCare System owns, manages or leases hospitals in 31 counties, including the flagship, 874-bed Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.

    CHS is also seeing growth because of Levine Children’s Hospital, which opened in 2007.

    Total patient volume at Levine was up 20 percent in 2009 over 2008, and visits to the pediatric emergency room were up 10 percent.

    Also, in November, CHS opened CMC-Steele Creek, a freestanding emergency department that is treating 300 patients a week, double the number that had been expected, officials said.

    Carolinas HealthCare is a public, not-for-profit system that retains its earnings and reinvests them in expansion and improvements.

    The system spent $534 million on capital projects in 2009 and plans to spend $1.9 billion on capital projects over the next five years, including completion of the new CMC-Lincoln hospital in Lincolnton.

    Chief Financial Officer Greg Gombar said the system will pay for those improvements out of revenues, not by issuing new debt.

    That’s why the not-for-profit system needs an “operating margin,” or a profit, he said – so it can pay for medical equipment, renovations and new construction to stay modern.

    Kannapolis ER facility funded

    Board members Tuesday approved spending $17 million to build another freestanding emergency department, in Kannapolis. The 25,000-square-foot facility will be near Interstate 85 and Lane Street.

    Carolinas HealthCare also plans to open three more freestanding ERs in Waxhaw, Harrisburg and in the NorthCross area (I-77 at Exit 25) in the next few years.

    “We entered 2009 with a great deal of uncertainty,” he added. “But we really decided that we would focus on the things that we could influence, and that was the delivery of health care. … All these things really converged into a great 2009.”



  70. Smoke is coming from S.C. fire

    → CharlotteObserver.com Most Recent Headlines | 9 Mar 2010 | 4:26 pm MST

    Smoke is obscuring visibility in the Charlotte area this evening, but fire officials say it’s nothing to be alarmed about.

    As is the case every spring, the S.C. Forestry Service is conducting a controlled burn, says Charlotte fire Capt. Rob Brisley. A south-southwest wind this evening is carrying the smoke into the Charlotte region.

    Smoke was being reported at 6 p.m. at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, cutting the visibility to 4 miles. There were no reports of smoke at nearby airports in Rock Hill, Monroe and Gastonia, where visibility ranged from 9 to 10 miles.

    Brisley said Charlotte-area residents can expect smoke and haze during the evening hours. The smoke could cause some breathing problems for those with asthma or other chronic respiratory ailments, and people experiencing problems should stay indoors.



  71. Gilbert parents want response to school knife incident

    → azcentral.com | news | 9 Mar 2010 | 4:18 pm MST

    Officials try to allay parents' fears in wake of weapons incident at Ashland Elementary School.

  72. Man who killed newlywed near UCF had alcohol in system

    → Orlando Sentinel- Orlando news, sports and more | 9 Mar 2010 | 4:15 pm MST

    A Cocoa Beach man who gunned down a 23-year-old newlywed at a business park near UCF and then committed suicide had alcohol in his system when he died, an autopsy report said.




  73. Dem leaders jockey on filibuster reform

    → Top News | 9 Mar 2010 | 4:07 pm MST

    Sens. Dick Durbin and Charles Schumer are each considering proposals to rein in the minority’s power to filibuster.

    Read more...



  74. Dem leaders jockey on filibuster reform

    → Top News | 9 Mar 2010 | 4:07 pm MST

    Sens. Dick Durbin and Charles Schumer are each considering proposals to rein in the minority’s power to filibuster.

    Read more...



  75. Dem leaders jockey on filibuster reform

    → Top News | 9 Mar 2010 | 4:07 pm MST

    Sens. Dick Durbin and Charles Schumer are each considering proposals to rein in the minority’s power to filibuster.

    Read more...



  76. Mayor Gordon strikes combative tone in State of the City address

    → azcentral.com | news | 9 Mar 2010 | 3:58 pm MST

    The Phoenix mayor criticizes Congress, ''extremists'' state lawmakers and two City Council members for failing to show leadership.

  77. Casey Anthony could get state aid for defense fees

    → Orlando Sentinel- Orlando news, sports and more | 9 Mar 2010 | 3:57 pm MST

    Clerk of Courts finds she meets the guidelines.

    Casey Anthony is considered to be indigent by the Orange County Clerk of Courts, according to documents filed this afternoon.




  78. House changes to jobs bill could risk Republican support in the Senate

    → Top News | 9 Mar 2010 | 3:54 pm MST

    Republican Senate support for the jobs bill could be dwindling thanks to changes the lower chamber made to the legislation.

    Read more...



  79. House changes to jobs bill could risk Republican support in the Senate

    → Top News | 9 Mar 2010 | 3:54 pm MST

    Republican Senate support for the jobs bill could be dwindling thanks to changes the lower chamber made to the legislation.

    Read more...



  80. Lawyer tries again to free Rocky Houston

    → knoxnews.com Stories: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 3:52 pm MST

    KINGSTON - Rocky Joe Houston's new lawyer has made a new bid to get him out of jail. Houston, 48, sits behind bars in Roane County, nearly a week after an appellate court threw out the double-murder case against him in the deaths of a deputy and ride-along.

  81. Orange schedule flip: After audit School Board looks at options

    → Orlando Sentinel- Orlando news, sports and more | 9 Mar 2010 | 3:47 pm MST

    District likely will not flip high-school, middle-school schedules, despite audit showing it saved $5.8 million

    Could Orange's students be facing another school-schedule flip?




  82. Man pulled from motel room fire in critical condition

    → knoxnews.com Stories: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 3:29 pm MST

    KNOXVILLE - One man was listed in critical condition at the University of Tennessee Medical Center today following a North Knoxville motel fire Monday night that arson investigators say was most likely caused by a cigarette.

  83. Fla. economist: Jobless rate likely to remain high

    → Orlando Sentinel- Orlando news, sports and more | 9 Mar 2010 | 3:06 pm MST




  84. Phoenix business first to close for hiring illegal worker

    → azcentral.com | news | 9 Mar 2010 | 3:04 pm MST

    Sandwich shop will shut down for 2 days for knowingly hiring employee with forged identity.

  85. O.C. baseball preview: Edison, Capo on top

    → The Orange County Register - News Headlines : Top Stories | 9 Mar 2010 | 3:02 pm MST

    Find the top players and teams to watch for the 2010 baseball season.

  86. SeaWorld Orlando reconsiders using Tilikum in shows

    → Orlando Sentinel- Orlando news, sports and more | 9 Mar 2010 | 2:56 pm MST

    Tilikum is the killer whale that drowned trainer Dawn Brancheau.

    SeaWorld said today that it is reconsidering whether to keep using the 6-ton killer whale that drowned its trainer last month.




  87. Flagstaff woman walking dog disappears

    → azcentral.com | news | 9 Mar 2010 | 2:37 pm MST

    The search is on for a 39-year-old Flagstaff woman who disappeared after telling a friend Monday evening she was going on a walk with her dog.

  88. Anthem HOA says no thanks to running community election

    → azcentral.com | news | 9 Mar 2010 | 2:14 pm MST

    The Anthem Community Council had assigned Parkside HOA to oversee the community's commercial property election.

  89. Election Day activity in the Valley slow at the polls

    → azcentral.com | news | 9 Mar 2010 | 2:03 pm MST

    Turnout was slow at midday Tuesday for a string of elections across the Phoenix metro area.

  90. Surprise man confronts 15-year-old burglary suspect

    → azcentral.com | news | 9 Mar 2010 | 1:46 pm MST

    Surprise police arrested a 15-year-old burglary suspect who had broken into a car.

  91. Man charged with assaulting officers dies

    → The Orange County Register - News Headlines : Top Stories | 9 Mar 2010 | 1:46 pm MST

    A man who was due in court this week on felony charges of assaulting two Newport Beach police officers nearly three months ago has died in custody, authorities said Tuesday. Ruben Maya Gallegos, 36, of Costa Mesa, was pronounced dead Saturday at UC...

  92. ORNL's Herb Mook wins science prize

    → knoxnews.com Stories: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 1:37 pm MST

    OAK RIDGE - Herb Mook, a senior research scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is the 2010 recipient of the Clifford G. Shull Prize from the Neutron Scattering Society of America.

  93. Lenoir City, Bristol guardsmen to deploy to Iraq

    → knoxnews.com Stories: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 1:23 pm MST

    LENOIR CITY - Nearly 200 local soldiers will leave home later this month on their way to Iraq.

  94. Storm brings rain, thunderstorms to Phoenix area

    → azcentral.com | news | 9 Mar 2010 | 1:17 pm MST

    The Phoenix area could see heavy rain Tuesday as a new winter storm system moves across Arizona.

  95. Farmer being charged with 72 counts of animal cruelty

    → knoxnews.com Stories: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 12:59 pm MST

    SPEEDWELL - The owner of farms in Claiborne and Union counties is facing misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty after authorities found dozens of dead and emaciated cattle, according to the sheriff's departments in both counties.

  96. Police search for handcuffed man who fled in Scottsdale

    → azcentral.com | news | 9 Mar 2010 | 12:43 pm MST

    The suspect was being arrested in the vicinity of Loop 101 and Scottsdale Road.

  97. Rutledge police chief placed on leave, accused of assault

    → knoxnews.com Stories: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 11:36 am MST

    RUTLEDGE - Rutledge Police Chief Jeff Daniel has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into claims he assaulted two men early Sunday morning, Mayor Danny Turley said today.

  98. Autopsy complete on 2-month-old Claiborne County infant

    → knoxnews.com Stories: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 10:06 am MST

    SPEEDWELL, Tenn. - An autopsy on a 2-month-old Claiborne County baby that died over the weekend is completed, but authorities are not ready to release the results.

  99. Fire officials release more details on motel blaze

    → knoxnews.com Stories: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 9:46 am MST

    KNOXVILLE -A fire that sent one motel guest to the University of Tennessee Medical Center Monday night began in room 242 of the Super 8 at 341 Merchants Drive, according to an incident report released by fire investigators today.

  100. Body found in Roane County woods fire was ‘elaborate suicide’ by shotgun

    → knoxnews.com Stories: News | 9 Mar 2010 | 7:47 am MST

    KINGSTON — The death of a Roane County man Monday night has tentatively been ruled an elaborate suicide by the county’s medical examiner.

  101. Burbank middle-school teacher arrested over alleged student sex

    → LA Daily News Most Viewed | 9 Mar 2010 | 12:00 am MST

    A teacher at David Starr Jordan Middle School in Burbank was in custody Tuesday for allegedly having sex with one of her male students over a period of several months, police said.

  102. Three men arrested in stolen ID scam

    → LA Daily News Most Viewed | 9 Mar 2010 | 12:00 am MST

    Three men who authorities described as "prolific identity theft suspects" were arrested Monday as part of a four-year investigation that revealed more than 15,000 victims in Lancaster, Santa Clarita and Los Angeles and totaled a loss of nearly $3 million.

  103. Two Valley schools on underperforming list

    → LA Daily News Most Viewed | 9 Mar 2010 | 12:00 am MST

    Two dozen Los Angeles Unified schools, including two in the San Fernando Valley, were classified as being among California's lowest-performing campuses and could receive federal grants to turn themselves around, the state Department of Education said Monday.

  104. Women allege trauma after being exposed to naked man during 'Dr. Phil' filming

    → LA Daily News Most Viewed | 9 Mar 2010 | 12:00 am MST

    Two women suing Phil McGraw and CBS Television alleging they suffered trauma when they were exposed to a naked man during an episode of the television psychologist's program can move forward with their suit, a judge ruled today.

  105. Dodgers' Willie Davis found dead in Burbank

    → LA Daily News Most Viewed | 9 Mar 2010 | 12:00 am MST

    Former Los Angeles Dodgers centerfielder Willie Davis was found dead Tuesday in his Burbank home.

  106. Producer admits to attempted Letterman shakedown

    → LA Daily News Most Viewed | 9 Mar 2010 | 12:00 am MST

    A television producer has pleaded guilty to trying to shake down David Letterman over the comic's sexual affairs.

  107. Festivities at Lake Balboa sparking conflict

    → LA Daily News Most Viewed | 9 Mar 2010 | 12:00 am MST

    ENCINO - Each spring, tens of thousands of Persians gather at the edge of Lake Balboa to celebrate the Persian new year.

  108. Sherman Oaks man gets 18-year term for fraud, death scheme

    → LA Daily News Most Viewed | 9 Mar 2010 | 12:00 am MST

    A Sherman Oaks man who was convicted of bank fraud and for later attempting to hire a hit man to murder a witness to the scheme was sentenced to more than 18 years in prison on Monday.

  109. President of Raytheon dies at 55

    → LA Daily News Most Viewed | 9 Mar 2010 | 12:00 am MST

    Jon C. Jones, president of El Segundo-based Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, died suddenly over the weekend from an apparent heart attack.

  110. Everglades reclamation plan turning sweet -- for US Sugar

    → Southern Political Report | 8 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am MST



  111. Budget song is an unhappy tune as Georgia legislature reconvenes

    → Southern Political Report | 8 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am MST

    New revenue projections are due early this week, and it's a sign of the times that some observers will be relieved if they are flat, and not still plunging.

  112. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE LAKERS?

    → LA Daily News Most Viewed | 8 Mar 2010 | 12:00 am MST

    The Lakers have lost three in a row for the first time since trading for Pau Gasol on Feb. 1, 2008. They were swept on a three-game trip for the first time since April 2005.

  113. Not one major poll favors Obama's health-care proposal

    → Southern Political Report | 4 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am MST

    The Democrats' arrogance is now bordering on madness, says InsiderAdvantage CEO and Creators Syndicate columnist Matt Towery.

  114. Alabama Senate says no to electronic bingo

    → Southern Political Report | 4 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am MST



  115. Texas: Perry wins renomination

    → Southern Political Report | 3 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am MST

    Texas governor looked vulnerable as little as a year ago, but he "played the Washington card" successfully.

  116. 2010 election watch: Texas Tea Partiers struggle

    → Southern Political Report | 3 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am MST



  117. Jailhouse rocked? South Carolina legislators facing a tough choice

    → Southern Political Report | 3 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am MST

    Few budget-cutting measures can make state legislators as wary as letting prisoners go free early. That's the dilemma now confronting lawmakers in the Palmetto State.



-- Finis --