Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News articles from February 24 2005

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News archives from February 24 2005

PPL to spend over half-billion dollars to clean 3 power plants.
February 24, 2005... The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Environmental legislation passed a decade and half ago and the threat of stricter rules to come are prompting PPL Corp. to spend more than a half-billion...

Interpublic unit adds zip in Wilton.
February 24, 2005... By Richard Lee, The Stamford Advocate, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Zipatoni, a promotional marketing agency headquartered in St. Louis, has opened an office in Wilton. A unit of the Interpublic Group, Zipatoni...

Developer seeks to build 24-story office building in Stamford, Conn.
February 24, 2005... By Peter Healy, The Stamford Advocate, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--The F.D. Rich Co. has proposed a 24-story, half-million-square-foot office building on Atlantic Street between Federal Street and Tresser Boulevard...

Augusta tourism industry gets boost in 2004.
February 24, 2005... By James Gallagher, The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Business travelers were back on the road in 2004, boosting Augusta's travel and tourism industry, and offering hope of a better year in 2005. ...

Parking deck to be built sooner rather than later.
February 24, 2005... By Blake Aued, Athens Banner-Herald, Ga. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Downtown Athens likely will get a new parking deck sooner than expected, after Athens-Clarke County commissioners decided Wednesday to start...

Hodgson Oil building renovations begin after 8-month delay.
February 24, 2005... By Jennifer Moore, Athens Banner-Herald, Ga. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--When a large portion of the Hodgson Oil Refining Co. building on Oconee Street became available last summer, the University of Georgia saw a chance...

City considers student drug tests.
February 24, 2005... By Todd Defeo, Athens Banner-Herald, Ga. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Break out the swabs. Commerce City Schools officials could begin to randomly drug test students' saliva -- whether or not they show signs of using...

Town Center complex bringing new business mix to Watkinsville.
February 24, 2005... By Mike D'avria, Athens Banner-Herald, Ga. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--WATKINSVILLE -- Business owners and government leaders believe the nearly complete Town Center development at South Main Street and Barnett Shoals...

Home project back on track in Belleville.
February 24, 2005... By Scott Wuerz, Belleville News-Democrat, Ill. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--BELLEVILLE -- Several years after plans went bust to create a 1,400-home development with two golf courses south of Illinois 15, the project...

SLU sells Parks campus to Cahokia, group of developers.
February 24, 2005... By Will Buss, Belleville News-Democrat, Ill. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--CAHOKIA -- St. Louis University has reached an agreement to sell its Parks College campus in Cahokia to the village and a group of developers. ...

Conference speakers predict real estate investment return to metro area.
February 24, 2005... By Greg Avery, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--DENVER -- The Denver metro area's commercial real estate market is showing signs of health and may be poised to see some of the investment bonanza...

Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo., Tech Range column.
February 24, 2005... By Matt Branaugh, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--TURNING WORDS TO GOLD: Terry Gold calls it jarbarish. The combination of the words jargon and gibberish describes the lingo often coined in...

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine boasts contribution to local economy.
February 24, 2005... By Kurt D. Schultheis, The Bradenton Herald, Fla. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--LAKEWOOD RANCH -- The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine showed off its facility to business leaders Wednesday, emphasizing that as its...

Founder of Lee Wetherington Homes to resign CEO post.
February 24, 2005... By Tilde Herrera, The Bradenton Herald, Fla. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--MANATEE -- Lee Wetherington Homes started small with three homes and one employee in 1981. By 2000, the company's sales volume hit $30 million....

State fines Sarasota company as part of work-at-home sales investigation.
February 24, 2005... By Dana Sanchez, The Bradenton Herald, Fla. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--SARASOTA -- A Sarasota network-marketing company was one of 16 businesses nationwide fined for administrative violations connected to the sale of...

Health insurers should be subject to review before rate hikes, senator says.
February 24, 2005... By M. William Salganik, The Baltimore Sun Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Extending the battle over the impact of the new HMO premium tax, a Baltimore County Democrat yesterday urged her state Senate colleagues to support...

Service, support workers strike at Maryland hospital over wages.
February 24, 2005... By Stacey Hirsh, The Baltimore Sun Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--More than 100 service and support workers at Maryland General Hospital held a one-day strike yesterday to protest wages they say are inadequate. Colene...

Developers abandon Baltimore Wal-Mart project.
February 24, 2005... By Andrea K. Walker, The Baltimore Sun Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--The developers of the Port Covington retail project that is home to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Sam's Club are bailing out of the project after nearly four...

N.C. plant to be Dell's largest.
February 24, 2005... By Gillian Wee, The Charlotte Observer, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--WINSTON-SALEM -- Dell Inc. officials gathered at a field in Winston-Salem Wednesday next to grazing cows and said that by September they would...

Lowe's nails expectations with 27 percent jump in profits.
February 24, 2005... By Leigh Dyer, The Charlotte Observer, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Lowe's Companies Inc. beat analysts' expectations Wednesday with fourth-quarter profits that rose 27 percent. The Mooresville company's sales...

The Charlotte Observer, N.C., Doug Smith column.
February 24, 2005... By Doug Smith, The Charlotte Observer, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--MIXED-USE MINT HILL VILLAGE CONTINUES LESS-RURAL PATH: Mint Hill's town hall is getting a new neighbor -- a mixed-use village of shops, restaurants,...

As one Gamecocks coach moves out, another moves in.
February 24, 2005... By Jim Duplessis, The State, Columbia, S.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--USC football coach Steve Spurrier will pay about $1 million for a home in Northeast Richland this summer as USC tries to sell the house it bought...

Pay-as-you-go cell phones grab more attention.
February 24, 2005... By Terry Maxon, The Dallas Morning News Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Two-year contracts are fine for cell phone users who have good credit and don't mind being tied to a single company and a single wireless plan for that...

Europe worries about dollar's impact on trade.
February 24, 2005... The Dallas Morning News Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--During President Bush's goodwill tour of Europe this week, the falling dollar has been the subject on every mind but on no agenda. True, economists say, a continuing...

Woodward group is accepting nominations.
February 24, 2005... By John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Are you a fan of Woodward Avenue? Now's your chance to say so. The Woodward Avenue Action Association, a nonprofit group working to enhance the...

Detroit Free Press cars column.
February 24, 2005... By Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--KEEP ON TRUNKIN': First things first: The 2006 Honda Ridgeline pickup's trunk rocks. The gaping lockable storage space beneath the pickup bed is a unique and...

Wanted: New boss for Delphi.
February 24, 2005... By Jamie Butters, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--The search has begun for one of the toughest jobs in the auto industry: A replacement for J.T. Battenberg III, chairman and chief executive officer of...

Detroit Free Press extra cars column.
February 24, 2005... By Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--HIDDEN STORAGE AREAS TO BECOME TREND IN PICKUPS: Pickup trucks are becoming the Swiss Army knives of the auto industry, full of hidden compartments and...

Restaurants funding campaign against GM for supporting MADD.
February 24, 2005... By Jeffrey McCracken, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--General Motors Corp., which is a lightning rod for criticism on everything from air pollution to auto quality, has now become a target for, of all...

Ruehl caters to young adults.
February 24, 2005... By Greta Guest, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Abercrombie & Fitch Co., which built its reputation on hip clothing for teens and college students, has set its sights on developing the hippest brand for...

Detroit Free Press Tom Walsh column.
February 24, 2005... By Tom Walsh, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--DETROIT DIESEL OVERHAUL A WIN FOR MICHIGAN JOBS: Today, Detroit Diesel Corp. will begin installing huge new engine- manufacturing machines in a $275-million...

The Herald-Sun, Durham, N.C., business briefs column.
February 24, 2005... The Herald-Sun, Durham, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--DURHAM-BASED SYNTHEMATIX INC. announced Wednesday that it will be acquired by a publicly traded company in California. Synthematix, which develops software...

Clay handling facility could make area papermakers more competitive.
February 24, 2005... By Peter Passi, Duluth News-Tribune, Minn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--The Twin Ports could begin receiving a new type of bulk cargo in the near future: fine-grained clay used by papermakers. Adolph Ojard, executive...

December steel shipments decline, but that's a blip in year of increases.
February 24, 2005... Duluth News-Tribune, Minn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Steelmakers in the United States shipped 8.4 million net tons of steel in December, a 6.5 percent decrease compared to December 2003, though steel shipments increased...

More than 170,000 eligible for vouchers under Gov. Bush's plan.
February 24, 2005... By Linda Kleindienst, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--TALLAHASSEE -- More than 170,000 public school students with failing reading scores would be eligible for private school vouchers under the...

Federal judge agrees that swamp buggies should be kept out of preserve.
February 24, 2005... By David Fleshler, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--A federal judge has upheld restrictions on swamp buggies and other off-road vehicles at Big Cypress National Preserve, in a defeat for hunters who...

Rising gas prices likely to be the trend for a few months.
February 24, 2005... By Joseph Mann, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--After slipping over the last two weeks, U.S. retail gasoline prices are climbing again as demand outpaces supply and higher crude oil prices flow...

Florida gambling foes accuse slots backers of foul play.
February 24, 2005... South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Anti-slot machine activists are accusing the gambling industry of deceiving South Florida voters before the March 8 referendum by holding campaign rallies disguised...

Wells Fargo bus brings banking classroom to students.
February 24, 2005... By Bethany Clough, The Fresno Bee, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--The big red bus with plasma flat-screen TVs and remote-control blinds could help students survive in the real world. The high-tech Wellsfargo.com...

Arlington reinvigorates bid to become home for Bush library.
February 24, 2005... Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--The scramble to land the George W. Bush presidential library intensified Wednesday as the city of Arlington announced that it is teaming with two sports giants...

Lawmakers' finance plan means less money, schools say.
February 24, 2005... By R.A. Dyer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--AUSTIN -- The top education reform bill of the 79th Legislature -- a bill touted as a "road map to results" -- could leave many school districts...

The Boston Globe Boston Capital column.
February 24, 2005... By Steven Syre, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--How many votes would it take to win a seat on the board at Framingham retailer TJX Cos., a company that counted ballots representing more than 450 million...

Bleidt case may spur a host of suits.
February 24, 2005... By Jeffrey Krasner, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Confessed investment swindler Bradford C. Bleidt stole more than $25 million. The court-appointed receiver trying to recover money for victims of...

In weak job market, Romney offers new plan.
February 24, 2005... By Robert Gavin, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--In the closing weeks of the 2002 campaign for governor, Shannon O'Brien suggested the state help its emerging companies rather than chase big out-of-state...

Medication Errors Plague Nursing Home Residents.
February 24, 2005... By Alice Dembner, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Each month, nearly one out of every 10 nursing home residents suffers a medication-related injury, according to a study by Massachusetts researchers that...

Control-tower proposal doesn't rattle HIA director.
February 24, 2005... By Ellen Lyon, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Fred Testa isn't worried about reports that Harrisburg International Airport is one of 48 airports around the country where the Federal...

Hershey Foods prepares to grow.
February 24, 2005... By Aparna Kumar, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Richard H. Lenny is mum about renaming Hershey Foods Corp. But the president, chairman and CEO is making no secret about the company's growth...

Hershey corporate strategy unclear.
February 24, 2005... By Aparna Kumar, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--John H. Boyd doesn't have Hershey Foods Corp. as a client. And he has no direct knowledge of what the company intends to do if...

Net income grows larger for hospitals.
February 24, 2005... By David Wenner, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Hospitals in Pennsylvania reported bigger profits last year, but only because their investments did better, not because treating patients was...

Aetna files letter of intent to become provider of Medicare drug program.
February 24, 2005... The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Aetna said Wednesday it has filed a letter of intent to become a national provider of the new Medicare "Part D" prescription drug program in 2006. CIGNA and New...

Rival Lockheed stages job fair near Sikorsky's headquarters.
February 24, 2005... By John M. Moran, The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--BRIDGEPORT -- Sikorsky Aircraft and Lockheed Martin Corp. aren't shy about recruiting each other's employees when there are vacancies to fill. ...

Gold prices on rise.
February 24, 2005... By John Harrington, Independent Record, Helena, Mont. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Wayne Miller knows when Helenans get worried about the economy and the future of the country -- they show up at Wayne Miller Coins and...

Houston an average competitor.
February 24, 2005... By L.M. Sixel, Houston Chronicle Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--How well does Houston compete in the global economy? About as well as most similar cities, according to a recent examination of economic data that will be...

SEC policy on booking reserves antiquated, some experts say.
February 24, 2005... By Lynn J. Cook, Houston Chronicle Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Energy executives think in geologic terms. They carefully consider underground reservoirs where microbes have been stewing for millions of years to create...

Houston Chronicle Working column.
February 24, 2005... By L.M. Sixel, Houston Chronicle Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--One company has helped Houston, considered by several surveys to be among the fattest cities in the nation, lose 236 pounds in the last year. Wanting to...

EACO selling 16 of 17 eateries.
February 24, 2005... By Mark Basch, The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--EACO Corp., formerly known as Family Steak Houses of Florida Inc., announced plans Wednesday to get out of the restaurant business. The...

Most items locally showed little change in price up or down last month.
February 24, 2005... By Mark Basch, The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Inflation remained tame in January, both nationally and in the Jacksonville area, as consumers got a bit of a break from high gasoline...

California Wants More Action From Fidelity National Financial.
February 24, 2005... By Timothy J. Gibbons, The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Although officials at Fidelity National Financial said they have stopped a practice that the California insurance commission...

The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, Karen Brune Mathis column.
February 24, 2005... By Karen Brune Mathis, The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--LYNCH SAYS LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO SET THE EXAMPLE: Here are more insights from the Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. Town Hall Conference on...

Winn-Dixie trading resumes in different place.
February 24, 2005... By Mark Basch, The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Winn-Dixie Stores Inc.'s stock resumed trading Wednesday for the first time this week under a new stock symbol and in a new market. The...

Democrat Dean to visit Republican Kansas.
February 24, 2005... The Kansas City Star, Mo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Talk about stepping into the lion's den. Today Howard Dean, the newly elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee, begins a two-day...

Leading plan to revamp school funding unveiled.
February 24, 2005... By Kit Wagar, The Kansas City Star, Mo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- When a special legislative panel unveiled the leading plan for distributing nearly $3 billion in state aid to local schools,...

The Kansas City Star, Mo., workplace column.
February 24, 2005... By Diane Stafford, The Kansas City Star, Mo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--QUIKTRIP POLICY POINTS TO DISMISSAL: Donny Attaway enjoyed working for QuikTrip Corp. for 12 years, seven as a manager, the last four at a store on...

Former Kansas banker pleads guilty to bribery charge.
February 24, 2005... The Salina Journal, Kan. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--PHILADELPHIA -- A former Salina banker pleaded guilty in federal court here Wednesday to a charge of bank bribery for accepting an estimated $1 million in illegal...

Mental health service clinic opens in Salina.
February 24, 2005... By Sharon Montague, The Salina Journal, Kan. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Salina Regional Health Center now has a dedicated center for child and adolescent mental health services. Dr. Anita Mikita, a board-certified...

Luxury condo projects come, go.
February 24, 2005... By Mark Fagan, Journal-World, Lawrence, Kan. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--A planned $35 million luxury condo project for western Lawrence has been called off, just as a larger condo project is preparing to hit the market....

Protection One secures expanded BellSouth deal.
February 24, 2005... By Mark Fagan, Journal-World, Lawrence, Kan. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Protection One Inc. wants to build its business by doing business with one of the country's biggest communications businesses. Their collective...

Legislator, telephone service trade barbs.
February 24, 2005... By Scott Rothschild, Journal-World, Lawrence, Kan. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--TOPEKA -- A lawmaker on Wednesday was accused of pushing for legislation that would benefit his rural telephone company, but Rep. Carl...

Chamber's guide caters to newcomers.
February 24, 2005... By Mark Vanderhoek, The Macon Telegraph, Ga. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--WARNER ROBINS -- The Warner Robins Area Chamber of Commerce is betting thousands of people will give the International City a double-take. And in...

University of Texas-Pan American releases economic study; outlook positive.
February 24, 2005... By Victoria Hirschberg, The Monitor, McAllen, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--WESLACO -- The Rio Grande Valley economy is flourishing and more growth is expected, according to a study released by the Center for Border...

Locally owned Fagen Pharmacy chain up to 25 stores.
February 24, 2005... By Susan Erler, The Times, Munster, Ind. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--The lone drug store Gerald Fagen opened 33 years ago has grown into a 25-store chain, holding its own against giants Walgreens and CVS. Family...

Inland sees record profit in 2004.
February 24, 2005... By Andrea Holecek, The Times, Munster, Ind. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--EAST CHICAGO -- Like its sister mills along Indiana's Lake Michigan shoreline, Ispat Inland Inc. reported record earnings for 2004. The...

Milwaukee, Wis., consumer prices rise less than national average.
February 24, 2005... Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Prices of food, gas, clothes and all other retail purchases increased 1.4 percent in Milwaukee last year, the sixth straight time that they rose less than in the...

Gloomy forecast sinks stock of diagnostics test maker.
February 24, 2005... By Kathleen Gallagher, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Madison-based diagnostics test maker Third Wave International Inc.'s stock price dropped 5.6 percent Wednesday after the company said its...

Hemophilia drug helps some stroke patients, researchers find.
February 24, 2005... By John Fauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--In what could become the first major breakthrough in the treatment of the most deadly and disabling form of stroke, doctors today reported that a...

Mail-order drug plan contested.
February 24, 2005... By Meg Haskell, Bangor Daily News, Maine Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--OLD TOWN -- State officials and the Penobscot Nation are moving forward with a plan to encourage more Mainers to purchase their medications over the...

Proposal to transform Eastern mill by 2006 stirs interest.
February 24, 2005... By Aimee Dolloff, Bangor Daily News, Maine Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--BREWER -- The developer who is planning to turn the former Eastern Fine Paper mill site into a multi-use housing and retail center for the region said...

Board of Public Utilities wants assurances on outage preparation.
February 24, 2005... By David P. Willis, Asbury Park Press, N.J. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Is Jersey Central Power & Light equipped to handle a major power outage with 1,350 workers out on strike? The state Board of Public Utilities wants...

Mohegan Sun employees getting grilled on benefits.
February 24, 2005... By Karen Florin, The Day, New London, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--MOHEGAN -- Mohegan Sun has hired a research firm to survey employees about salary and benefits issues. Canton-based Fine Market Research is...

Economist expects region's housing market to grow.
February 24, 2005... By Anthony Cronin, The Day, New London, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--NORWICH -- A regional economist said Wednesday that he expects eastern Connecticut's housing market to continue to grow this year, although at a...

Grocery worker buys ShopRite store.
February 24, 2005... By Cara Baruzzi, New Haven Register, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--MILFORD -- When he started bagging groceries part time at the local ShopRite as a teenager 31 years ago, Harry Garafalo used to fantasize about...

New York City puts on a show for its Olympic committee guests.
February 24, 2005... By Michael Saul, Daily News, New York Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--A massive curtain fell to the floor, revealing a breathtaking view of Central Park and the New York skyline. Gold-colored fireworks lit up the night, and...

Disaster-cleanup firms in Orange County scrambling to keep up with calls.
February 24, 2005... By Jeff Collins, The Orange County Register, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--The first sign of trouble was when the kitchen curtains toppled from the wall. Then the window and ceiling sprouted leaks, drip, drip,...

Local inflation outpaces nation's.
February 24, 2005... By Mary Ann Milbourn, The Orange County Register, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 24--Inflation, which had been on the wane most of last year, is back on the rise again, and it's hitting local consumers more than the...