Upcoming stories
Coming later this week in Dodging the Downturn: - Monday: As people hold off buying new cars and keeping what they have in good repair, some auto mechanic shops are seeing business increase. Also, used cars are selling better than new vehicles.

LeeCorp opens North Port branch
LeeCorp Homes of Estero has opened a branch office at 12695 S. Tamiami Trail, in the Springs Plaza, North Port.

Lodi Police Department
In the 48 hours after 9 a.m. Wednesday, the Lodi Police Department handled 329 calls for service. The following is a sample of calls received by dispatchers:

Responsible parenting pays off for family
Clentra Dickson wanted her children to get the best education possible. But, they live in a neighborhood where the school?s rankings are not that high. So, to ensure her three children will have a better opportunity in life, she placed them in schools with a higher performance record.

Following footsteps
Fred Daitch is constantly on the move.

Budget tops 'tough' slate for legislators
The daunting task of writing a two-year state budget in the midst of weakening tax receipts and increasing demands for services will be the primary task for Indiana lawmakers returning to the Statehouse on Wednesday for their 2009 session.

Tweak, pack, haggle and then skip, check, charge
Consumer Reports reminds us that flying on Tuesdays and Wednesdays can mean a much lower fare, as can a flight that begins very early or late in the day. Tweaking your itinerary thusly is one of 10 travel tips in the magazine's February issue. The others: Check the airlines' websites for deals; don't overpack, especially since many airlines now charge ...

Say aloha to Hawaii
Q: My husband and I were married in the Caribbean a few years ago and we're thinking about spending our anniversary in the South Pacific or Hawaii. Do you think we should fly this far or should we just stick to the Caribbean?

Depression: a nation in pain
On Dec 15, 1935, a High Point woman wrote President Franklin D. Roosevelt about her underwear. She didn?t have any. Neither did anyone in her family. "Please give my children and myself some underclothes or we will freeze to death (in) this cold weather," the woman pleaded. "We cannot make it." The family also needed money for rent, food and fuel. The woman said her husband made only ...

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Govt waives divestment condition for PepsiCo New Delhi, Jan. 2 PepsiCo?s wait for a waiver of a special disinvestment condition imposed in 1997, is finally over. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Friday deleted the condition of divestment of 49 per cent stake in ...

Mich. near $80M deal for film, TV studios
State film officials say they are on the verge of sealing an $80 million development deal that would create three film and television production studios in southeast Michigan, boosting one of the state's few fast-growing industries.

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Exports continue declining trend November registers 10% dip; imports rise 6.1%. New Delhi, Jan. 1 Continuing their consecutive decline, Indian exports registered a decrease of 10 per cent in dollar terms in November 2008 fetching $11.5 billion, against $12.8 billion in the ...

Rochester region hosts music, film, food and arts events throughout 2009
Get busy circling dates on the calendar for 2009.

Rezoning could leave nonconforming properties
It was standing room only at the Flathead County Planning Board?s Dec. 17 public hearing on the creation of the Whitefish Area Zoning District, despite several inches of snowfall that night.

Alaska celebrates 50 years of statehood
Terry Richard/The OregonianA 50th anniversary Alaska license plate on a vehicle parked on the streets of Portland. When Alaskans found out that the U.S. Senate passed the Statehood Act in June 1958, sirens blared, crowds gathered and celebrated around bonfires....

Economy blamed in foreclosure
A building originally known as the East Ward Elementary School, along with 158.60 acres of property in and around Prairie View Addition and Henton's First Addition north of McCook, are in foreclosure with the First National Bank of North Platte.

Police log for Dec. 31, 2008
7:13 a.m. Vickie Murphy, 56, 1001 R St., operating a vehicle while intoxicated. 6:47 p.m. Sahra D. Lagenour, 19, Mitchell, theft.

All in the family
Larry Heuer may not be too far off from the plight of his grandfather, Clarence Heuer, in 1929 during the Great Depression. Clarence Heuer had to build his new business, an insurance agency, while people were struggling and business declining. Today, Larry is facing many of the same obstacles.

Man pleads not guilty to felony theft charge
GREENVILLE ? A Gregg County man with an extensive criminal history has pleaded not guilty to a charge of felony theft in Hunt County. Authorities claim Toy Dean Blanton went on a stealing spree between late 2007 and early 2008, illegally obtaining items from four Greenville businesses.

Budget tops 'tough' slate for legislators
The daunting task of writing a two-year state budget in the midst of weakening tax receipts and increasing demands for services will be the primary task for Indiana lawmakers returning to the Statehouse on Wednesday for their 2009 session.