Wire
Kansas City St. Pat’s Day parade route changed after 35 years at same location
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is leaving downtown after 35 years. The annual event, which draws thousands of participants and tens of thousands of spectators, had been a downtown tradition since a tavern owner in 1974 donned a signboard marked “Parade” and led 30 people on a loosely planned stroll through downtown. “Downtown was a great home for us for many years, but time are changing, and we felt this was a ...
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Ask Amy
Dear Amy: My grown son’s girlfriend dresses in a very bizarre, clownish manner, layering mismatched, oversize rainbow-colored clothes over herself. Her attire is not just funky, but it is beyond the pale in terms of strangeness and embarrasses me in front of friends and family. I understand that her manner of dress should not reflect on me, but sometimes she seems quite dirty and I am tempted to say something to her about it. Would it be my p...
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Ask Amy
Dear Amy: Twenty years ago, my big brother died as a young man after a grueling cancer battle. Talk about a promising life cut short. He held a Ph.D. in physics, was a genius and a well-liked guy. He also loved music and played piano. He was a teenager when “The Sting” came out and was enamored of the ragtime music in the soundtrack. That happy Scott Joplin music was the background of my childhood, ringing through the house and yard as I pl...
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Celebrities
NEW YORK (AP) — Anne Hathaway is a fan of “Slumdog Millionaire” — and the young star of the film, Dev Patel. A starstruck Hathaway expressed her love for the actor’s performance in “Slumdog” on the red carpet at the National Board of Review Awards gala in Manhattan. Meeting Patel for the first time, Hathaway declared: “I love you in your movie so much! ... You’re so beautiful in it. You broke my heart. It was gorgeous.” Patel, pleasantly ...
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Mass. hopes to learn from ‘super insulated’ house
Jay Lindsay Associated Press Writer ARLINGTON, Mass. (AP) — The massive project started with a small water stain on the dining room ceiling that nagged at Alex Cheimets. He took the leak repair to the extreme. Four years later, his two-family condo in Arlington is encased in so much insulation, the builders were forced to switch to extra-long 10-inch screws just to attach it to the roof. His unique “super-insulation” project has cost $1...
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Heloise
Dear Readers: It’s snowy and can be wet and cold, but that doesn’t stop your dog from wanting to play outside! No one wants a wet dog running through the house, but your floor and furniture are not your only concerns. There could be dangerous chemicals, salt or other substances on your dog’s paws from the street or sidewalk. Your pet might lick these off, which could cause serious health problems. So, be sure to wipe your dog’s paws! Also...
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Teach kids where they live while they’re young
Lisa A. Flam Associated Press Writer The story was chilling: An intruder fatally shot an Ohio woman in her home and fled with her 4-year-old son, abandoning him at a highway rest stop where he was found wandering. But aided by a pair of good Samaritans earlier this month, the boy was able to tell what happened and provide his address and parents’ names. That led to the discovery of his slain mother and his return to his father. His mothe...
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AG: Telemarketing plan unconstitutional
John Hanna Associated Press Writer TOPEKA (AP) — A Senate leader’s bill for protecting consumers from unscrupulous telemarketers probably is unconstitutional on free speech grounds, the attorney general’s office told legislators Thursday. But Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt, an Independence Republican, said he remains confident that the state can enact new restrictions on telemarketers who solicit money for charities. The Senate Jud...
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Ex-NFL star moves from playing field to pulpit
CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) — During his football career, Aeneas Williams earned a reputation as a quiet leader who professed a deep Christian faith. Behind the eight Pro Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl loss was a man often sought out in the locker room to help put things in perspective. Now, the 40-year-old Williams leads a small startup church that meets in rented space at a hotel in suburban St. Louis, where he weaves lessons from life and footb...
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Oddities
Police: Pa. couple spent windfall from bank error BLOOMSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania couple is behind bars after police say they failed to call the bank when a glitch put an extra $175,000 in their account. Authorities say 50-year-old Randy Pratt and 36-year-old Melissa Pratt instead withdrew the money, quit their jobs and moved to Florida. They were buying a house in the Orlando area when the mistake was traced. The two were arraigned Tue...
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Ask Amy
Dear Amy: I used be good friends with “Martin” in college. We hung out constantly. I was pretty much in love with him for almost two years, but we were never more than friends. When I finally realized that he was using my company to escape from his bad relationship with his awful girlfriend and that he would never love me back, I pulled away and, in my defensive state, probably acted like a real “female dog” in the process. I haven’t spoke...
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Celebrities
Report: Swayze says he’s almost over pneumonia NEW YORK (AP) — Days after checking himself into a Los Angeles hospital for pneumonia, Patrick Swayze says his condition is improving. The 56-year-old actor, who is battling pancreatic cancer, tells People magazine: “I am alive and plan on continuing to stay that way. ... I am almost in the clear.” Swayze says he checked into the hospital Jan. 9 because of a cough that he suspected was the re...
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Winter wheat planting down across state, nation
WICHITA (AP) — As wheat prices plummeted from once historical highs, Kansas farmers planted the fewest number of winter wheat acres in the past 52 years, a new report shows. In Kansas, the nation’s top wheat producer, farmers seeded 9 million acres, the National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday. “This is the lowest number since 1957 for Kansas — and that was a drought year when over 4 million acres were placed into a land ba...
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Sheriff says father killed children, self
SCRANTON (AP) — After his wife left for work, Michael L. Shirley killed his three children at their home in this small northeast Kansas town, set fire to the living room, then shot himself, investigators said Wednesday. Osage County Sheriff Laurie Dunn said Shirley, 52, suffered a shotgun wound in the upper torso but died as a result of the fire. Dunn said other evidence determined the death was a suicide, but would not elaborate. The sheriff...
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Heloise
Dear Readers: Before tossing out that 2008 calendar, take a quick look inside. There might be a beautiful picture that would be perfect for framing! You can have expensive-looking art without the high cost. For a child’s room, look for photos with kittens, puppies, flowers or sports themes. Some calendars have photos of famous paintings that would look nice in a living area or entryway. Framed photos also make lovely gifts for friends, co-...
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Governor outlines budget plans; GOP critical
TOPEKA (AP) — Gov. Kathleen Sebelius proposed Tuesday that the state freeze school funding, cut universities’ spending and slash aid to cities and counties to eliminate a projected budget deficit. Sebelius kept a promise not to seek higher taxes, but she wants to cancel reductions the state has promised in business and estate taxes. She’s also seeking a grab-bag of changes to generate savings and to divert fees and other dollars normally de...
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Celebrities
TORONTO (AP) — Howie Mandel has been hospitalized in Canada with an irregular heartbeat, his publicist said. Mandel was in Toronto taping his new show “Howie Do It!” Monday when he was taken to the hospital, said Lewis Kay, publicist for the 53-year-old comedian and game show host. “Howie is in the hospital being monitored for an irregular heartbeat but doctors expect him to be released and back to work tomorrow,” Kay said in a statement. ...
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Oddities
Atlanta thieves nab two bicycles from Jimmy Carter ATLANTA (AP) — Not even a former president is immune from thieves. Two bicycles belonging to President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, were snatched from inside the Carter Center near downtown Atlanta earlier this month. The couple likes to ride bicycles in nearby Freedom Park when they have free time. Peter Wicker, the owner of a local bike shop, donated the bicycles to the Carters in 2...
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Ask Amy
Dear Amy: In the last couple of years I lost my best friend in an accident and my job (along with my health insurance and pension). Then I took in my elderly mother, whom I cared for until her death. I also lost my beloved little dog around the same time. I am not a young woman, and in this economy I have not been able to get so much as an interview, much less a job. I am almost out of savings. My remaining dog is very old, so I know I will l...
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Heloise
Dear Readers: If you are looking for employment and have job applications out or will be going for an interview, be aware that your credit report, driving record and criminal record may be checked. Even a page or a posting on a social networking site is fair game! Be as accurate as possible on a resume, because employees can and do check the facts! If you’re fortunate enough to get a phone call to schedule an interview, ask about the approp...
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