| Fire destroys South Sandusky Street garage
Fire destroyed a garage at 683 S. Sandusky St. shortly after noon Saturday. Tiffin Fire Chief William Ennis said Nick Huston, a Clinton Township volunteer firefighter, was working in his garage when the blaze started. “He was working on his motorcycle," he said. “He spilled some gasoline, and then it ignited from a heating source in the garage." Ennis said everyone was out of the home when firefighters arrived on scene. “Everybody got out OK, and nobody was injured," he said. “It was a very fortunate day for us." Ennis said firefighters contained the fire to the garage and the door to the kitchen. The chief, who did not have a loss estimate Saturday afternoon, said the house has extensive smoke damage and little fire and heat damage. The family, which was to stay with relatives for the night, will be able to save sentimental items, he said.
Smith rejects firearms review call
Mark Bonini, 27, was jailed for his murder and the youngster's mother, Sharon McMillan, 36, has campaigned for a change in the law. And two years ago in East Calder 32-year-old Graeme Baxter was killed when an air pellet pierced his heart. Mr MacAskill wrote to the Home Secretary in January inviting her to join the Scottish Government in gathering police, gun control campaigners and shooting interests for a summit on firearms misuse. Replying last week, she said she did "not believe it would be timely to hold a joint national firearms summit" and dismissed calls for an immediate review of the 1968 Firearms Act. .
Fight blight on Airways
Has the mayor lost his mind (Feb. 20 article, "Tax double whammy looms in '09 / Memphis, Shelby County sound early alarm of property hike"). Property taxpayers aren't facing a "double whammy"; they're facing a "triple whammy." Mayor Willie Herenton's depressing prediction that an increase in the property tax rate next year is "almost inescapable" disregards the fact that 2009 is also a reassessment year for Shelby County. Along with the higher property taxes that this mayor is proposing comes the additional burden that property taxpayers will face from an artificial increase in values of their property once again, increasing the tax liability even more. With property tax you pay more when your home's assessed value increases, regardless of changes to your income or whether you ever realize increased gain when you sell your home.
Squeeze's Effect Is Amplified On the Less Affluent
Motorists aren't waiting in long lines for gasoline. Consumers continue to spend. Affluent Americans remain barely affected. The U.S. economy has proven remarkably resilient during oil's rise to $100 a barrel. The last big surge, almost three decades ago, contributed to a moribund economy and tight times for many. Yet as the fourth year of rising fuel prices filters down to the pump, to grocery bills and to the thermostat, the cost is clearly starting to pinch some Americans. Gasoline prices lately -- now averaging about $3.05 for a gallon of the regular variety, according to federal data -- are near their highest since 1981, adjusted for inflation. Heating oil also is at historically high levels once adjusted. Many Americans have made only small changes -- meaning oil has room to climb before Americans take bigger steps.
Ashley Samaniego of Virginia Beach did it!
NINE MONTHS AGO, Ashley Samaniego felt fat, and being out of shape made her unhappy. When her friends inadvertently gave her a wake-up call, she decided to wage an all-out war against unwanted weight. Her weapon: a boot camp program at a local gym, a fast-paced, high-energy style of workout that combines push-ups, jumping jacks and other exercises to push the body to its absolute limits. What was your breaking point? A few of my friends had taken me out for my 23rd birthday in May 2007 and had e-mailed me a few pictures from our night out. I couldn't believe how awful I looked and how I had let myself go. What was your physical condition at the time? I'm 5-feet, 7-inches tall, and I weighed 186 pounds. My body fat was 36.7 percent.
More audit details: Fake receipts, alcohol and overspending
The memberships all were for Finch. A link to the complete audit accompanies this story. County Auditor Richard Walls released the draft this morning in a surprising reversal of previously stated policy. Auditors have said they wouldn't release the long-delayed report, which covers thousands of transactions on purchasing cards issued to county employees, until the county administration has had the opportunity to respond. Governments and agencies audited by the state typically have 10 days to respond to findings, and audits aren't released until responses can be considered and included in a final report. Walls said he released the audit on the advice of the Knox County Law Director's Office after a request from WBIR-TV, Channel 10. "This request has facilitated the premature release of the preliminary draft report prior to the receipt of responses from the mayor's office and others," Walls said in a statement.
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