NEWS
April 18, 2013 | By Katie Zezima, Associated Press
BOSTON - They were wed in Boston in August, an unlikely match who fell in love and shared a passion for running. Monday, watching the Boston Marathon - a race one had run before - the couple each lost a leg after one of the two explosions that killed three and wounded scores more. Patrick and Jessica Downes each "sustained amputations below the left knee," according to an e-mail sent to friends. A page hosted by GiveForward.com, which helps users create fund-raising sites, was established to raise money that will go toward the couple's medical bills and related costs.
NEWS
April 18, 2013 | By Barbara Boyer, Inquirer Staff Writer
The number of disposal facilities for unneeded prescription drugs is being expanded in New Jersey, and state officials are encouraging residents to clear their homes of dangerous drugs. Concerned about a dramatic increase in the abuse of prescriptions, the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs announced the expansion Tuesday of "Project Medicine Drop. " It now includes 40 locations statewide, a significant increase since the project reached all 21 counties last fall, officials said.
NEWS
April 16, 2013 | By Abdi Guled and Jason Straziuso, Associated Press
MOGADISHU, Somalia - A barrage of bullets and two car bomb blasts rattled Mogadishu on Sunday when nine al-Shabab Islamic extremists stormed Somalia's main court complex, officials said, in a two-hour attack that shows the country's most dangerous militant group may be down but not defeated. A preliminary death toll stood at 16, including all nine attackers. The government didn't immediately publicize the number of security forces, government employees. and civilians who died. The assault was the most serious in Mogadishu since al-Shabab was forced out of the capital in August 2011.
NEWS
April 15, 2013
Today, we debut Inquirer.com - a site that brings you unequaled coverage of the region and unlimited access to the best work of our award-winning staff. For the first time, all the news from the print edition of The Inquirer will be available on an easy-to-navigate site that will be updated throughout the day. Current subscribers to the print edition or the digital replica edition simply have to register to gain access. For details on registration or information on how to subscribe and join the Inquirer com- munity, see our guide on Page A8. As a member, you'll get the first look at our award-winning investigative journalism and the most comprehensive coverage of local, sports, and entertainment news in South Jersey, the Pennsylvania suburbs, and Philadelphia.
NEWS
April 15, 2013 | By Brett Zongker, Associated Press
WASHINGTON - There are probably more free things to do in the U.S. capital than in nearly any other major city in the world. The most popular museums and the zoo are free, thanks to government funding, as well as the picturesque memorials and monuments. With so many free options, the biggest challenge might be narrowing down what to see. Smithsonian Institution No visit to the nation's capital is complete without stopping at the nation's museums. First-time visitors learn fast that the Smithsonian is not one place.
NEWS
April 15, 2013
The definitive iPhone app for learning about and touring Normandy, France, and D-Day sites. Name: Normandy D-Day 1944 Available for: iOS What it does: Offers practical travel tips and historical information for visiting the five invasion beaches, pluus 100 other locations throughout Normandy. The information is categorized and color-coded by topic: museums, battlegrounds, memorials, cemeteries, and historical interest. Cost: $4.99 What's hot: The content was written by journalists who specialize in battlefield tourism, and every location has been visited and researched by the developer, On the Spot Locations.
NEWS
April 14, 2013 | By Jonathan Lai, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
An annual street cleaning volunteer event Saturday turned up a gun that may have been used in the fatal shooting Thursday across from Overbrook High School that left one student dead and another injured. The weapon was found around 12:50 p.m. near North 59th Street and West Columbia Avenue, less than a block away at the other corner of the school's baseball field. Police were running ballistics tests on the weapon to see if it was involved in the shooting, police said. Test results were not expected over the weekend.
NEWS
April 10, 2013 | By Kevin Riordan, Inquirer Columnist
Let's hear it for the volunteers who collected enough branches, brush, and trash from Laurel Lake's waters and shoreline Saturday to fill two Dumpsters. "I'm ecstatic," says Laurel Springs Councilman Jim Redstreake, who organized the cleanup. "We hauled away 40 cubic yards of stuff. " By any measure, the efforts of nearly 50 firefighters, public works crews, and residents from Laurel Springs, Stratford, and Lindenwold were a success. But the future of a lovely stretch of land on the Laurel Springs side of the lake remains murky.
NEWS
April 6, 2013 | By Mari A. Schaefer, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Montgomery County officials are taking an extra step to combat drug addiction, establishing 10 permanent locations to drop off unused prescription medications. Drug addiction can begin in the home where supplies of powerful narcotics are left unattended in medicine cabinets, official say. It gives minors easy access to steal the unused medications and turn underage drinking parties into "pharm parties. " A nationwide program "Got Drugs," sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency, holds two yearly drug collection days for the public to turn in unused prescriptions drugs.
NEWS
March 30, 2013 | By David OReilly, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Sunday was to supposed to be the last day for Rancocas Nature Center and Park in Westampton, forced to close after 35 years for lack of funding. But the Cub Scouts visiting the 130-acre site Friday had no thoughts of farewell as they labored on their forestry merit badges. "We're still here," said John Courtney, a volunteer since the center opened in 1978. Projecting a $55,000 deficit at the site in 2013, the New Jersey Audubon Society, which has operated it for years, announced in December it would close March 31. Earlier this week, however, the Burlington County freeholder board announced a shared-services plan to keep the center and its trails and summer camp open.