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New public administrator appointed for Buchanan County
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) - Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder appointed a new Buchanan County Public Administrator on Tuesday, a week after Bonnie Sue Lawson resigned amid an investigation of funds missing from clients' accounts.
Charles Lau is a former tax auditor for the Missouri Department of Revenue. As public administrator, he will act as guardian, conservator, personal representative and representative payee for certain citizens, such as minors, the mentally incompetent and those with disabilities.Lau's appointment, which clears the way for the office to be put on the November ballot, came after the state learned the vacancy prevented distribution of Social Security checks.“This is kind of rushed," Buchanan County Clerk Pat Conway said.Lawson remains at the center of a city, state and federal investigation after the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services received complaints dating to December 2005.Police have said that Lawson, who served about 500 clients, took money from at least three accounts without authorization or court orders.“I want to commend Charlie Lau for stepping up to serve his community during this time of change in Buchanan County," Kinder said in a release.
Around Manatee
The Manatee County Fire Chief's Association will hold the fifth Tribute to Heroes Memorial Service from 9 to 10 a.m. Sept. 11 at the Emergency Services Memorial in Rossi Park along Bradenton's waterfront. A luncheon will follow the memorial service from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Bradenton Municipal Auditorium, City Centre, 1005 Barcarrota Blvd. Tickets for the luncheon are $30 per person, and can be purchased at the Bradenton Fire Department, 1010 Ninth Ave. W. For more information on the luncheon, call 708-6233. Proceeds from the luncheon ticket sales go to the Emergency Services Memorial Fund, which assists families of emergency workers who are killed or seriously injured in the line of duty. Donations of personal checks or money orders to the Emergency Services Memorial Fund may be sent to 5200 26th St.
Boston billboard pins crimes on Vermont guns
Not far from Fenway Park in Boston and visible from some of the busiest highways on the East Coast is a 252-foot-long, 20-foot-high billboard with a message: "Stop Traffic: Background Checks Prevent Crime," alongside enormous silhouettes of handguns. The accused? In equally large letters: Georgia, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, city police leaders and a group called Stop Handgun Violence unveiled the billboard's message to raise public support to change federal law so background checks would be required for private handgun sales. Federal law requires background checks only on purchases from licensed firearms dealers -- primarily gun stores.
Although many states have more rigorous laws, Vermont and 31 other states do not. And the coalition's contention is that Massachusetts is paying a price for the neighboring states that don't require checks.
Sluggish growth predicted for economy
The latest snapshot that the Commerce Department provided of the economy on Wednesday showed that business growth was at just a 2.9 percent annual rate during the April-to-June quarter. Although that was a slight improvement over the government\'s first estimate of a 2.5 percent growth rate, it nevertheless provided vivid evidence of just how much momentum the economy has lost since last winter. In the January-to-March quarter, the economy had grown at a brisk 5.6 percent pace, the fastest spurt in 2 1/2 years. The main culprits in the spring slowdown: belt-tightening by consumers and businesses, the fallout from high energy prices and a cooling of the once-sizzling housing market. Economic growth in the second half of this year is expected to stay subdued, at a pace of around 2.5 percent to 3 percent, according to some analysts\' projections.
Surprise Check On Car Wash Outlets
Bandar Seri Begawan - Following reports of unlicenced car wash premises on the rise, the Brunei-Muara District Office through its Licensing Section together with the Labour Department and Immigration Enforcement Section conducted a surprise check on these business outlets. The inspection was carried out in several places in the Gadong commercial area where many car wash outlets are operating. The Borneo Bulletin in May reported that any car wash that is set up at car parks or outside commercial buildings will be deemed illegal. This was disclosed by the Licencing Secretary at the Brunei-Muara District Office, Hj Hashim bin Hj Abd Rahman. There has been ongoing monitoring on car wash operators and that it is believed that several warning letters have been issued to them.
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