NEWS
June 17, 2013
An unoccupied patrol vehicle rolled backwards into a Goodyear Service Store in the 2300 block of Welsh Road in Northeast Philadelphia early Sunday morning, a police spokeswoman reported. The driver, an Eighth District officer, had left the vehicle unattended at about 2:30 a.m. to run after a man wanted for aggravated assault. No further details were reported. – Walter F. Naedele
NEWS
June 17, 2013
Cameras have become so common in public places that motorists might assume they are headed straight to video any time police make a traffic stop. That's not always true, but perhaps it should be. A video record of what took place could be good for the motorist, as well as the officer, to combat false accusations. That's why a bill that would make video-recording devices standard equipment for all municipal police patrol cars in New Jersey makes sense. The legislation, sponsored by Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D., Gloucester)
NEWS
June 14, 2013 | By Jane M. Von Bergen, Inquirer Staff Writer
The cars were used, but they were fine. A silver 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL550. A black 2008 Mercedes S550. A brown 2010 Range Rover - all bound for the Tin Can Island port in Nigeria via Newark and Elizabeth, N.J., and Florida. They were also stolen, from homes and car lots, in North Jersey, part of what federal prosecutors say was an international stolen-automobile smuggling ring - headed, they say, by a 43-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y., woman known on the streets of Jersey City and Newark as "the Lady.
BUSINESS
June 13, 2013 | By Andrew Maykuth, Inquirer Staff Writer
A city panel Tuesday approved a Philadelphia Gas Works request to buy 24 natural-gas vehicles, even though the utility acknowledges it would cost less to buy conventional gasoline cars. The Philadelphia Gas Commission voted to tack $438,000 onto the utility's $3.1 million budget next year for new vehicles to pay for the higher cost of the sedans, along with a compressed-natural-gas fueling station. Despite a huge price advantage, natural gas is only slowly moving into the motor-fuel market because of high up-front costs.
NEWS
June 13, 2013 | By Carolyn Davis, Inquirer Staff Writer
A block party just isn't the same when the U.S. Open is in the neighborhood. Don't bother setting up a volleyball net or wheeling the old grill around to the front of the house - that could fritter away as much as $100 a day that can be earned from drivers wanting to park near the Merion Golf Club. These are days not only of golfing glory, but also of ordinary people in scruffy shorts and wrinkled T-shirts making a buck off this 113th national golf championship. It's not just the U.S. Open.
NEWS
June 12, 2013 | By Thomas J. Sheeran, Associated Press
CLEVELAND - Cleveland police fired a sergeant and meted out demotions and suspensions Tuesday for a car chase last year that involved five dozen cruisers, 137 rounds of ammunition fired by 13 officers, and the death of two people who, it turned out, were probably unarmed. A captain and lieutenant were demoted, and nine sergeants got suspensions ranging from one day to 30 days. They and the fired sergeant will appeal their punishment, according to Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 8, which represents police supervisors.
BUSINESS
June 4, 2013 | By Mike Armstrong, Inquirer Columnist
Not many students go to Wharton to get their MBAs and become used-car salesmen. Jean-Mathieu "Jim" Chabas and Venkat Jonnala did, but then again, they aren't working a weedy lot wearing plaid jackets. They used their previous business expertise to start ZenKars L.L.C. , an online retailer of used cars that has an inventory, but not actual possession of any vehicles. Rather, ZenKars taps the cars and trucks owned by fleet-management companies that are constantly culling their holdings via the auction circuit.
NEWS
June 3, 2013 | By Patricia Mans, For The Inquirer
Benson loves to play with toy cars and proudly shows off his racing track, which he builds into different shapes. The 9-year-old has many other interests, including playing basketball, soccer, and dodgeball. When he is indoors, he spends many happy hours playing video games and watching television. Outdoors, he delights in running around and riding his bike and scooter. Although he is shy when meeting new people, he soon warms up. Benson does very well in school, where he receives special-education services.
SPORTS
June 3, 2013 | BY BILL FLEISCHMAN, For the Daily News fleiscb@phillynews.com
DOVER, Del. - Jimmie Johnson appeared to be cruising to his record eighth NASCAR Sprint Cup victory at Dover International Speedway. Johnson led 143 laps of the 400-lap race. Then, on a restart with 19 laps to go, Johnson was caught surging ahead of leader Juan Pablo Montoya. With Johnson serving a pass-through penalty on pit road, Montoya tried to hold off Tony Stewart. Montoya was seeking his first oval victory in seven Cup series seasons. Stewart, off to the worst start in his Cup career, seized the lead with three laps remaining and went on to gain his first win of the season yesterday.
NEWS
May 31, 2013 | By Adam Schreck, Associated Press
BAGHDAD - Officials in Iraq are growing increasingly concerned over an unabated spike in violence that claimed at least 33 more lives on Thursday and is reviving fears of a return to widespread sectarian fighting. Authorities announced plans to impose a sweeping ban on many cars across the Iraqi capital starting early Friday in an apparent effort to thwart car bombings, as the United Nations envoy to Iraq warned that "systemic violence is ready to explode. " Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, meanwhile, was shown on state television visiting security checkpoints around Baghdad the previous night as part of a three-hour inspection tour, underscoring the government's efforts to show it is acting to curtail the bloodshed.