Fire destroys Christchurch shop [ The New Zealand Herald ] Jun 25, 2008  A fire destroyed a shop in Christchurch in the early hours of this morning. Detective Senior Sergeant David Harvey said the owner arrived at the scene on Colombo St and found clothing and luggage on fire. Read More ...

Reality Check 'So You Think You Can Danc [ Fox News ] Jun 27, 2008  We all expect a good plot twist at the movies, but who knew we'd get so many in a week of 'So You Think You Can Dance'? Read More ...

Oakland County news briefs [ Detroit Free Press ] Jun 29, 2008  Farmington Hills is working to cut the risk of West Nile Virus by treating city-owned storm water catch basins with larvicide. The chemicals in the larvicide helps to reduce mosquitoes, which carry the virus. Read More ...

Hartford Library Cuts Looming [ Hartford Courant ] Jun 28, 2008  Facing an $870,000 gap between next year's operating budget and what is needed to maintain library services at their current level, the board of directors of the Hartford Public Library announced it is closing two branches and laying off 40 employees. Read More ...

Cripple Creek's high-stakes battle for h [ Colorado Springs Independent ] Jun 27, 2008  In the heart of Cripple Creek's downtown, a crane hoists steel girders over a quickly growing skeleton of concrete and steel. The sleek, boxy structure poses a stark contrast with the worn brick facades across the street, many built more than 100 years ago. Read More ...

A Sale That Began in the Kitchen [ New York Times ] Jun 27, 2008  With an eye toward resale, Bill Tooker spent $37,000 renovating the kitchen in his 800-square-foot one-bedroom apartment on the 11th floor of 10 West 15th Street. Read More ...

Informant provides details in UNC slayin [ The Myrtle Beach Sun News ] Jun 27, 2008  A confidential witness told investigators that Demario Atwater said he and Laurence Lovette Jr. took Eve Carson from her home March 5 after entering through an open door, according to search warrants made public Friday. The documents offered the first detailed public accounts of the crime, in which Atwater and Lovette are accused of killing Carson, the student body president at the University of ... Read More ...

Ebensburg park nearing completion [ The Tribune-Democrat ] Jun 28, 2008  EBENSBURG — Construction of the new Penn-Eben Park is in the home stretch, giving the county seat two downtown parks with gazebos and other amenities. Read More ...

Aiming for zero waste [ Press & Sun-Bulletin ] Jun 28, 2008  Imagine if you can, a world without that stinky can in the corner of the kitchen. No heaps of refuse at the curb once a week. No bill every month to haul it away. Read More ...

Slumping greenback pushes oil prices to [ CTV Winnipeg ] Jun 27, 2008  Oil prices soared Friday past US$142 a barrel on expectations that the weakening U.S. dollar will continue its sharp decline. Read More ...

For a few Gazans, wealth eases pain of y [ The Christian Science Monitor ] Jun 26, 2008  One businessman welcomes the cease-fire and the return of supplies from Israel. Read More ...

Spiritual 'hypermiling' [ The Christian Science Monitor ] Jun 29, 2008  A Christian Science perspective on daily life. Read More ...

The golden gateway [ Bangkok Post ] Thailand's English, 2008  Though the trade volume between Thailand and Turkey is still minuscule when compared to other countries, Thai investors should not overlook the opportunity on this new frontier, according to Panumas Malasee, director of the Thai Trade Center in Istanbul. Read More ...

Doomed by faith [ Independent ] Jun 27, 2008  For centuries, Mumbai's Parsis have brought their dead to the Towers of Silence to be devoured by vultures, a traditional form of 'burial' the community insists is hygienic, efficient and in keeping with their faith. Yet these days, there are very few of the carrion-eaters to be seen. Read More ...

Beaufort prepares for tour [ Carteret County News-Times ] Jun 28, 2008  BEAUFORT — The smell of Windex wafted through the small arts-and-crafts-styled home on Ann Street. Christine and Steve Klein hustled to clean the house as their three Welsh corgi dogs slipped under foot. Read More ...

Restoring our heritage Taking the cue fr [ Philippine Daily Inquirer ] Jun 27, 2008  MANILA, Philippines—Whenever I visit another country, I look for areas that show the heritage of that particular place. My search is most fulfilling if it brings me to an area where a country's past is encapsulated in its architecture. Read More ...

Briefs [ Lancaster Eagle-Gazette ] Jun 26, 2008  Pleasantville Road, County Road 17 will be closed until 4 p.m. today. The road was closed Monday for emergency road repairs to fix a sinkhole between U.S. 33 and Carroll Northern Road - County Road 36 - according to the Fairfield County Engineer's Office. Read More ...

Bob Walter Explanations conflict, but El [ The Sacramento Bee ] Jun 26, 2008  Mall stall: The latest delay in the planned opening of the Elk Grove Promenade semi-mall, er, lifestyle center, was no great surprise - though it was pretty devastating to the 14-year-old in my house. Nugget baker Melanie Jones takes bread out of an oven. Nugget Market's natural living department includes makeup, herbal supplements, health books, Earth-conscious clothing and more. ... Read More ...