| Odds And Ends
Of the hundreds of millions of gallons that flow there every day, some 10 million to 36 million escape from cracks in a 45-mile stretch. Not only is it a waste, the leaks create sinkholes and other problems at the surface. The city Department of Environmental Protection, which oversees the water supply, has been aware of the leaks for decades, but repair work is complicated and takes careful and extensive planning, officials said. The city began sending divers down to the tunnel in mid-February to gather data that will be used to develop a plan for repairs. The dive work is the first part of an early stage that will determine the best way to fix the tunnel. The project costs about $240 million and will take five years. ''There's not a ticking clock on this, but it's important to fix because this is 50 percent of the water supply,'' said Emily Lloyd, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection.
Exclusive | Columbia lands Spirit Airlines
Columbia's airport hasn't landed a new airline since Allegiant Air pulled its service in January 2007, less than a month after starting Columbia-to-Tampa service. The last low-cost carrier to serve Columbia was the now-defunct Independence Air. Independence forced Delta and US Airways, Columbia's two largest carriers, to lower their fares. But Independence went out of business in 2006, and fares out of Columbia almost immediately went back up. Trippler said Columbia's travelers should have confidence in Spirit airlines staying power. "This airline has been attacked by just about everybody but they haven't been run out of town," he said. "Nobody can run Spirit out of town except the people who fly out of Columbia."Spirit was founded in Detroit in 1980 as a charter service.
Scam artists avoid jail time, enjoy 'custody'
Certain kinds of crime stories elicit different kinds of reactions and emotions. The shooting in Turlock that left two robbers dead probably didn't generate much sympathy for anyone involved. After all, they were committing a crime, and it's hard to feel sorry for someone who pays the ultimate price for doing something so illegal. Most readers, I suspect, reacted with a nonplussed, "Oh, well ... ." At the other end of the spectrum is the case of Lonni Ashlock and Ronald Buhler, two men who last year pleaded no contest to six felony counts of ripping off troubled and vulnerable homeowners. This one is a blood-boiler. Sentenced in September to a year in the county jail, these con artists have spent no time behind bars. They haven't had to eat jail food or even pick up trash as part of a work crew.
MFS admits debt blowout
BANKERS were circling property financier MFS yesterday after the company revealed debt had nearly quadrupled to almost $1.7 billion over the past six months. MFS told the stock exchange it had total debt of $1.69 billion compared with about $426 million as shown in the group's 2007 annual report, released in September. The debt -- held in a complex series of subsidiary companies and funds -- has escalated out of control since the end of the financial year. The company has yet to explain the blowout and yesterday requested trade in its scrip be suspended. Property development spin-off MFS Diversified sought to distance itself from the mess yesterday, dumping former MFS director Michael Hiscock as chairman. Hopes that the Commonwealth Bank would refinance a $150 million debt to US hedge fund Fortress were also dashed yesterday, with the bank telling the ASX it "has not agreed to refinance this or any other MFS debt facility".
Debate takes on contentious air for U.S. Democrats
Of course they need political advertisings to make a living, but sacrificing the basic principles of fairness for profits or self-interest motivations is not just or acceptable. Obama camp has done very good job in maintaining a very good relationship with the media since they got huge donations to spend big, many reporters/analysts in this election season tend to put too much wrong emotion into their reportings. Never before was there a woman and a black running for President of the US, not you have and two of them. Race and gender did not get so much emotional attentions for the voters in the past. This is the first time this sensitive issue came into real life. Hillary for long time, ever since her involvement with the public health reform effort during Bill's reign, she became a very hated political person by some and at the same time very much respected and supported by some others.
Debt Management: Reduce Financial Worries, have Smooth Life
Summary: Debt management plans help you to reduce your debt and interest burden and live a smooth life. These plans merge your entire debts into a single low-interest and borrower-friendly loan plan. People who are struggling to pay multiple credit card bills or feel being caught in the debt trap should opt for immediate and effective financial solutions. These people should consider the loan plans available in the UK financial market to avoid paying accruing interest charges. Those who continue to struggle with mounting credit card debts are simply wasting their hard-earned money, if they continue to battle with unrealistic interest charges. A simple loan plan could take away the suffocating effects of using plastic money. The rescuing options for people in such situations are opting for consolidation plans and availing effective debt advices as offered by several financial institutions.
Starwatch consumer: Safety commission recalls 24,000 cribs
Safety officials announced a recall of 24,000 cribs Thursday and also warned parents against putting their babies to bed with pillows and other soft bedding that could suffocate them.</p><p>The cribs, which were imported by <strong>Munire Furniture Inc.</strong>, have improper brackets that don't allow their mattresses to be fully lowered.</p><p>For more details, call 866-586-9639 or go online to www. munirefurniture.com.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Ford engine fires</span></strong></p><p>The <strong>U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration</strong> urged <strong>Ford Motor Co.</strong> vehicle owners to return about 5 million previously recalled vehicles to fix a cruise control switch that can overheat and cause a fire.
INKED! Grabbing the PROBE by the Horn
Starting Monday, with the help of the state Parole Board and the state Department of Mental Health, Imperial Valley's newest favorite son Richard Horn will become our latest acquisition, ushering in a new Golden Age of Horn-penned PROBEs.
I know, I know you're saying he's a violent sexual predator, an animal released from captivity into our community. But I'm convinced this phenom is reformed or he wouldn't have been released.C'mon, his name is Horn. What more do you want?PROBE and Horn is like peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies, ball gags and zippered hoods made of leather. And dammit, we need readers like a fat kid needs cake.So, give ol' Horn a fair shake. I have. I've already had the chance to read a week's worth of PROBEs, and while they're, um, different, they're good.
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