Wire
Levee fails in Missouri
WINFIELD, Mo. (AP) -- The swollen Mississippi River burst through yet another levee today, not endangering any towns but proving to anxious Midwesterners that the high water is still a threat. Water pouring through the new break was expected to swamp only a soccer field and a sod farm on the north side of St. Charles. There had been fears that the water would threaten a nearby mobile home park, but St. Charles Assistant Fire Chief Rich Oney s...
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KDOT seeks more money TOPEKA -- Kansas transportation officials worry they won't have enough money to pay for planned highway projects because of decreased federal funds
KDOT seeks more money TOPEKA -- Kansas transportation officials worry they won't have enough money to pay for planned highway projects because of decreased federal funds. They're hoping Congress can still come up with an additional $120 million to bridge the expected shortfall. The Kansas Department of Transportation is nearing the end of a 10-year plan approved by the Legislature in 1999 costing about $13 billion. Lawmakers will be asked to ...
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Bannister earns win over Rockies
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Brian Bannister cuts to the chase with his disdain for issuing free passes: "I like walks about as much as I like high gas prices." He matched a career high with six of them Monday night, but didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning. Mark Teahen hit a three-run homer and the Kansas City Royals beat the Colorado Rockies 8-4 for their eighth win in nine games. Bannister (7-6) hasn't lost since May 22, and survived h...
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Group warns of lead in turf TRENTON, N
Group warns of lead in turf TRENTON, N.J. -- An environmental watchdog group said Monday it found excessive amounts of lead in several brands of artificial turf, and it warned some of the biggest manufacturers and sellers that it will sue unless they recall or reformulate their products. The report from the Center for Environmental Health comes after New Jersey officials found unacceptably high lead levels in some synthetic surfaces and feder...
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Lightning sparks wildfires
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Fire crews joined aircraft from neighboring states today to battle hundreds of lightning-caused wildfires across Northern California. One of the fires started by weekend thunderstorms had already blackened more than 10,000 acres -- nearly 16 square miles -- in a rural area of Lake County, about 120 miles north of San Francisco. No homes had been destroyed, but officials said voluntary evacuations were in place for reside...
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NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices today
NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices today. Aluminum -$1.4200 per lb., N.Y. Merc spot Mon. Copper -$3.8095 Cathode full plate, U.S. destinations. Copper $3.8140 N.Y. Merc spot Mon. Lead - $1894.00 metric ton, London Metal Exch. Zinc - $0.8930 per lb., delivered. Gold - $889.50 Handy & Harman (only daily quote). Gold - $884.80 troy oz., NY Merc spot Mon. Silver - $16.820 Handy & Harman (only daily quote). Silver - $1...
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Local food pantry is receiving donations
PITTSBURG (AP) -- When the Wesley House began a program of providing an extra bag of food for families for each child, they began the day with 200 bags of food. Within the first hour, 30 families stopped in. By 3 p.m., less than half of the bags remained. "It's been pretty wild," said Ellie Foster, Wesley House pastor and executive director. "So many families are choosing between gas in their car for work or food on the table. People don't...
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Study shows charity remains stable in '07
NEW YORK (AP) -- Americans gave to charities last year at about the same rate they did the previous year, holding steady on their donations in the face of a housing-market meltdown and a crisis in credit, a study released Monday showed. But soaring gasoline and food prices have been added to the economic worries this year, which may lead to a drop in giving, nonprofit groups and fundraisers say. Donations by Americans to charities remained at...
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Housing rescue measure passes key test
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A massive foreclosure rescue bill overwhelmingly cleared a key Senate test today, drawing broad support from Democrats and Republicans alike. The Senate voted 83-9 to speed up work on the $300 billion mortgage aid plan, putting it on track for a final vote as early as the end of the day. The resounding vote reflected a keen interest in both parties in claiming election-year credit for helping homeowners amid tough economic ...
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By The Associated Press TENNIS WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Returning to his favorite stage and resuming his dominant ways on grass, Roger Federer started his bid for a sixth straight Wimbledon title by sweeping Dominik Hrbaty in straight sets on a sunbathed Centre Court
By The Associated Press TENNIS WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Returning to his favorite stage and resuming his dominant ways on grass, Roger Federer started his bid for a sixth straight Wimbledon title by sweeping Dominik Hrbaty in straight sets on a sunbathed Centre Court. Third-seeded Novak Djokovic, top-seeded woman Ana Ivanovic and two-time champion Serena Williams were among other winners on the opening day of the two-week tournament. In k...
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Divers find bodies in ferry SAN FERNANDO, Philippines -- A coast guard diver searching for survivors today inside a ferry that capsized in a typhoon found bodies and a bit of comfort -- a plastic rosary floating in the water
Divers find bodies in ferry SAN FERNANDO, Philippines -- A coast guard diver searching for survivors today inside a ferry that capsized in a typhoon found bodies and a bit of comfort -- a plastic rosary floating in the water. Lt. Cmdr. Inocencio Rosario slipped on the string of light blue beads for luck, and hoped that it was an omen that a miracle was still possible, that survivors would be found inside the hulking vessel. Typhoon Fengsh...
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Art League has plan for promoting art and education
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- As far as Bob Bussabarger is concerned, the local art scene's roots are in the Columbia Art League. The 86-year-old retired University of Missouri professor remembers when the arts in Columbia resided largely in the halls of academia, seemingly out of reach from the rest of the community. Imagine no downtown art galleries, festivals and shows. Consider Columbia without its creative edge, and you begin to appreciate the i...
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Kansas Cash has a winner TOPEKA (AP) -- Here are the winning numbers selected Monday in the Kansas Lottery: SUPER KANSAS CASH: 4-14-15-20-30; the Cashball was 9; there was one winner of the jackpot worth an estimated $1
Kansas Cash has a winner TOPEKA (AP) -- Here are the winning numbers selected Monday in the Kansas Lottery: SUPER KANSAS CASH: 4-14-15-20-30; the Cashball was 9; there was one winner of the jackpot worth an estimated $1.2 million; no players matched five of the first set, with each ticket worth $2,000; seven players matched four plus the Super Cashball, with each ticket worth $250; 120 players matched four of the first set, with each ticket...
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Hernandez's rare grand slam takes Mariners past Mets 5-2
NEW YORK (AP) -- Felix Hernandez's wild night began with one stunning swing and ended after a frustrating injury. Hernandez hit the first grand slam by an American League pitcher in 37 years, then left with a sprained ankle before he could qualify for a win Monday night in the Seattle Mariners' 5-2 victory over the New York Mets. Facing a fellow ace from Venezuela in his first plate appearance this season, King Felix connected off Johan Santa...
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Branson shows shun artists on recorded tracks
BRANSON, Mo. (AP) -- After 14 years playing in Branson's theaters, musician Bill Caldwell has had enough. He's leaving. And he's not shy to tell why. "Branson, 'The Live Entertainment Capital of the World,' isn't," said Caldwell, 45, as he sat with a group of fellow musicians in a coffee shop. Branson was built on the backs of the musicians who made its shows come alive, Caldwell said. But now he and some other musicians here say they are bei...
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Mars probe searches for signs of extreme life
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Bizarre microbes flourish in the most punishing environments on Earth from the bone-dry Atacama Desert in Chile to the boiling hot springs of Yellowstone National Park to the sunless sea bottom vents in the Pacific. Could such exotic life emerge in the frigid arctic plains of Mars? NASA's Phoenix spacecraft could soon find out. Since plopping down near the Martian north pole a month ago, the three-legged lander has been bu...
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Court allows fence to stand
McALLEN, Texas (AP) -- A U.S. Supreme Court decision paving the way for a 670-mile federal fence along the U.S.-Mexico border drew swift criticism from environmentalists, who promised to make another legal stand in Texas. The justices' turned down a plea Monday to hear a lawsuit opposing a two-mile section of the fence in Arizona brought by the Sierra Club and Defenders of Wildlife. The section of fence in question in that case has already...
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Wilson County cracks top 10 LAWRENCE -- A new method for recovering natural gas in Southeast Kansas has helped Wilson County crack the top 10 among producers in the state
Wilson County cracks top 10 LAWRENCE -- A new method for recovering natural gas in Southeast Kansas has helped Wilson County crack the top 10 among producers in the state. According to a recent report from the Kansas Geological Survey, Wilson County rose to eighth place in 2007 with 15.3 million cubic feet of methane. The gas is being extracted from coal beds in what is known as the Cherokee Basin Coal Area. The region is the third-largest...
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Tsvangirai seeks refuge HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Zimbabwe's opposition leader has sought refuge at the Dutch Embassy, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said today, while police raided his party's headquarters and took about 60 people away
Tsvangirai seeks refuge HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Zimbabwe's opposition leader has sought refuge at the Dutch Embassy, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said today, while police raided his party's headquarters and took about 60 people away. Morgan Tsvangirai went to the embassy Sunday shortly after announcing he was withdrawing from Friday's presidential runoff against longtime leader Robert Mugabe, citing violence against opposition supporters. "He asked...
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Counterculture comic dies LOS ANGELES -- Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television
Counterculture comic dies LOS ANGELES -- Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television. Some People Are Stupid. Stuff. People I Can Do Without. George Carlin, who died of heart failure Sunday at 71, leaves behind not only a series of memorable routines, but a legal legacy: His most celebrated monologue, a frantic, informed riff on those infamous seven words, led to a Supreme Court decision on broadcasting offensive language. The counterculture ...
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