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DANIA BEACH, Fla. - Anna Nicole Smith's autopsy report will be released Monday, more than six weeks after the former Playboy Playmate died, authorities said Thursday. The medical examiner for Broward County, Dr. Joshua Perper, and Seminole Police Chief Charlie Tiger said they will hold a joint news conference to discuss the cause of death.Smith was found Feb. 8 in her hotel room at a tribal casino in Hollywood, Fla. An initial autopsy report showed no immediate indication of a drug overdose and ...

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LAS VEGAS - Criss Angel, the punky magician whose "Mindfreak" show is shooting its third season for the A&E network, will team up with Cirque du Soleil on its sixth permanent show on the Las Vegas Strip, it was announced Thursday.

The show will start in summer 2008 at the Luxor, the pyramid-shaped hotel-casino where Angel has been filming some episodes of his show.

Angel said in a statement that he hoped the production would "redefine magic in the same way Cirque du Soleil has redefined the circus."

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DANIA BEACH, Fla. Anna Nicole Smith's autopsy report will be released Monday.The Broward County, Florida, medical examiner and the Seminole police chief will hold a joint news conference to discuss the cause of death.Smith was found February Eighth in her hotel room at a tribal casino in Hollywood, Florida. An initial report showed no indication of a drug overdose and no sign of major injuries to the 39-year-old reality T-V star.The medical examiner delayed the release of the full autopsy report...

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Cherrywood residents had a great day in Clearwater on Friday, March 9, when the Boston Red Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies 11 to 10. The Cardiac Kids lived up to their name by winning by one run after leading easily from the first inning.

Two of the happy Red Sox fans from Cherrywood, Candy and Leo McGrath, said they enjoyed a great game.Gluten GroupLearn more about celiac disease at monthly gluten group meetings on fourth Mondays at 7 p.m.The next meeting is on March 26, and registered dietitian Joy Femilka will be the speaker. For information, call Joan Donsel at 237-2684.Ladies Evening SocialWe have sold about 35 tickets for the Ladies Luncheon in May but we haven’t met our quota yet. We must sell 50 tickets by mid...

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JACK ADAMS & DAVID CARL | ValparaisoThursdays at the Twisted Martini in Gaucho's Restaurant, 597 W. U.S. 30.FYI: (219) 759-1100TOM ADAMSON | DeMotteHosting a monthly open mic night at 7 p.m. the first Friday of each month at Music of Oz, 5th Avenue and U.S. 231.FYI: (219) 987-7161DAVE ALAMILLO | Munster7:30 tonight at Casa Del Rio, 650 Ridge Road.FYI: (219) 836-6499CARL ANTHONY | Hammond7 p.m. tonight and Saturday at Freddy's Steak House, 6442 Kennedy Ave.FYI: (219) 844-1500JOE ARENT BAND | Hamm...

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Steve Biskupic, U.S. attorney, says his office is conducting a second probe into Dennis Troha, Kenosha businessman.

Troha has already pleaded innocent to illegally funneling more than $100,000 in campaign money to Gov. Jim Doyle in the apparent hope of winning a casino project.

Now, Troha, 60, is being investigated for allegedly setting up a deal involving his former trucking conglomerate JHT.

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In the 1980s, University Parkway was to have been a third north-south expressway, linking Broward and Palm Beach counties and continuing into Martin. Opposition from west Boca residents killed it.

Now, the road's final remnant - linking western Broward to west Boca - is holding up Palm Beach County's efforts to rid itself of a 2,000-acre headache. The headache is undeveloped land south of Lox Road on a wedge-shaped property that Palm Beach County, in a deal that the Legislature must approve, wants to give to the Broward city of Parkland. Palm Beach County's sole condition is to eliminate University Drive from consideration.

What's the holdup? State and regional planners worry correctly that the road and the development go hand in hand. Without the road, too much traffic would be forced onto other roads. Road opponents argue, however, that an eight-lane State Road 7 in Broward County can handle the load.

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Make a date is a listing of places to go with your favorite companion.

Listings: To place a listing, call, write or fax before 5 p.m. Monday of the week of publication: On the Town, The Courier-Journal, P.O. Box 740031, Louisville KY 40201-7431.

Fax number: (502) 582-4665.

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* First-time writer: Respect the president, even if you disagree

* No wonder Alcoa is short on electricians

* Former mayor Gibbs seeks 1st Ward seat

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If there's one thing I hate, it's when writers start off their column by saying, "It's that time of year again!" followed by their breathless explanation of exactly what time of year it is. It's always the start of some NCAA tournament season, Oscar season, the holiday season. My point: Writing that is boring.

And that's what I want to talk about - boredom. Boredom when one should be entertained, to be exact. We expect boredom from our classes - I can't imagine anything more worthless than listening to another excruciating lecture when someone should be helping me find an actual job when I graduate in two months.

That's why we turn to entertainment to keep us from a room of padded walls. Watching a movie or listening to music reminds us why we need to work hard and get jobs - so we can buy more movies and music.

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LAS VEGAS — Criss Angel, the punky magician whose "Mindfreak" show is shooting its third season for the A&E network, will team up with Cirque du Soleil on its sixth permanent show on the Las Vegas Strip, it was announced Thursday.

The show will start in summer 2008 at the Luxor, the pyramid-shaped hotel-casino where Angel has been filming some episodes of his show.

Angel said in a statement that he hoped the production would "redefine magic in the same way Cirque du Soleil has redefined the circus."

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LAS VEGAS ? A parade of Democratic presidential candidates soon will descend on the Naked City, where thousands of unionized housekeepers, line cooks, waiters and other Las Vegas service workers want to hear the naked truth. These are the workers who have been cleaning up after and serving tourists for years. Now they're about to see the White House hopefuls cater to them.

Culinary Workers Union, Local 226, with 60,000 members and counting, has long been a powerhouse in local politics and a bright spot in America's bleak labor landscape. Thanks to Nevada's new early slot on Democrats' nomination calendar, it's won a place as a presidential player.

Exhibit A is the lineup scheduled for a Friday rally outside the union's modest hall in an old Las Vegas neighborhood known as Naked City.

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Despite the destruction of the tornado and the clean up now in process, the Americus-Sumter Tourism Council members are marching on . Many highlights for the coming months are well on their way. On Wednesday, March 21, the Tourism Council members met to discuss up and coming venues that will be opening for tourism in Sumter County.

The Andersonville Trail reported that Andersonville and other Sumter County sites have been well promoted by many members of the tourism council. Members of the council visited Atlanta and Myrtle Beach. There, they attended travel shows spreading the news of tourism in the Sumter County area. At Travel South, in Myrtle Beach on March 11-14, bookings were made with 29 various tour groups from all over the United States.

Tourists or families which have visitors this month may want to attend the March 24th event at 7 p.m. at the Rylander Theatre which will feature the “Three Country Comedians” sponsored by the Rotary Club of Americus. The Country Comedian Tour will consists of comedians MG, Benjie Wright and Matt”Casino Kid” Mitchell. All proceeds of this event will go toward the Relief Recovery in the Sumter County area. Tickets are $20. There will also be a tornado benefit coordinated b...

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In response to the March 16 article pertaining to the Sierra Club's protest of the coming train, I'd honestly say they have got a point there.

Development in this area has skyrocketed over the last few years. By doing so, we've suffered increased crime, stress on our regions and environment, and not to mention overwhelming our local school districts with thousands of new students.

So a rail system through the Poconos is only going to push our beleaguered region to its limits. Not to mention the coming casino's which will succeed in turning our home into little more than a ruined miniature of New York city, thus succeeding in changing the peaceful way of life we've enjoyed for generations. Still you never know; since my parents were my age it's been said we'll have a train in five years.

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The Pentwater Friendship/Senior Center is planning an April 26 trip to Grand Rapids to the Gerald R. Ford Museum and Meijer Gardens. More information will be forthcoming.

The Oceana County Council on Aging will host the following trips in 2007:?a two-day casino trip to Wisconsin via the SS Badger, color tour to Vermont via?motor-coach,?European River Cruise aboard a private Grand Circle Travel river ship. Contact 873-4461 for more information.

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On Sept. 30, 2003, three days before a Bush fundraiser in Milwaukee, Troha and seven of his family members all made the maximum $2,000 donation to the president's campaign, Federal Election Commission records show. Another family member gave $2,000 to Bush weeks later, for a total of $18,000.

A grand jury in Milwaukee indicted Troha this month on charges of fraud for allegedly violating state campaign donation limits by funneling political contributions to Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle through family members in an effort to win approval for a casino he sought to build in Kenosha.

The Kenosha casino project, which Troha has quit, needs Doyle's approval to go forward. But the Bush administration must also approve the project's application, which is before a federal agency.

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Lineup: Ethan Cook, lead vocals and guitars; accompanied on the EP Devils Casino by Jeff Bricco, drums and percussion; Adam Fuerst, bass; Ben Picker, backing vocals, organ, piano and guitars.

First a little background: The heart of American Fiction is Cook, who was in many bands playing saxophone and guitar. He started teaching himself guitar in late 2001 but didnt take it seriously until, during a song trade-off session at a friends house, he also found he could sing. He began composing songs, concentrating on lyrics and his voice, and soon began playing at venues such as the Appleton Public Library, Copper Rock Coffee and Harmony Cafe.

In the beginning, Cook played cover songs as he struggled to find his sound, but he discovered it when he wrote the first song from his upcoming EP, Lawyers (And Their Virility). Coincidentally, he wrote the song about the same time he got into Otis Redding, Bright Eyes and Bob Dylan.

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(Created: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 9:26 PM CDT)

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SACRAMENTO (AP) -- A man who stole credit card information from customers at a major gas station chain and then took thousands of dollars from their bank accounts has pleaded guilty in federal court, prosecutors said Wednesday. Claudiu Hotea, 34, of Orange County, used a process called skimming to steal electronic data from credit and debit cards from customers at Arco/AM-PM stations, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. He mounted innocuous black plastic faceplates to gas station debit card rea...

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(Created: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 9:26 PM CDT)

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* Exhibit: "C?sar Ch?vez and the Struggle for Farmworker Rights" can be seen during regular library hours through March 31 at the UTEP Library, second floor. Open to the public. 747-6725.

* Film presentation: "Legacy of Shame: Migrant Labor, An American Institution" at 5 p.m. today at the UTEP Union Cinema, Union East, first floor. Commentary about the film by Ignacio Ibarra, project coordinator, El Centro de los Trabajadores Agr?colas Fronterizos, after film presentation. Open to the public. 747-5462.

* 'Doing Social Justice Work In El Paso': A guided tour of community agencies will take place from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. today. Seating is limited to 20 people. Sponsored by the Student Development Center, UTEP. 747-5670.

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What do the films “Pursuit of Happiness,” “Casino Royale,” “Babel,” “Stranger than Fiction,” “The Departed” and “The Prestige” have in common? With the exceptions of “Casino Royale” and “Stranger than Fiction,” all were nominated for at least two Academy Awards. Quality is the most important factor the Swarthmore College Movie Committee takes into consideration when choosing which films to show on cam...

I join Tatiana Cozzarelli in lamenting the sexism in Hollywood. I wholeheartedly agree that female directors are at a distinct and unfair disadvantage when it comes to getting their stories told. Diversity of film types is certainly a consideration for the Movie Committee. In fact, had Ms. Cozzarelli gone to our website and looked at our schedule for the rest of the semester, which has been finalized and public for weeks, she would have seen that we will be showing “Dreamgirls,” R...

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Ohio's economy stands to gain nearly $1 billion a year and almost 34,000 new jobs, while its cash-strapped public schools would receive at least $186 million annually, if voters in November approve a limited riverboat gambling proposal.

These and other benefits are identified in an economic-impact study conducted by the accounting and consulting firm of Deloitte & Touche. It was released recently in a series of news conferences across the state.

The initiative is being placed on the ballot by the Yes on Issue 1 Committee, a broad-based coalition of Ohio business, government and civic leaders. It would allow for a maximum of eight riverboats statewide in four metropolitan areas: Cleveland, Lorain, Cincinnati and Youngstown.

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Memphis High School class of 1944 - 11:30 a.m., Memphis Housing Authority, 216 S. Fifth St. (806) 799-5846.

JUNE 29-JULY 1

Estacado High School classes of 1967-2007 - Estacado High School and Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. Banquet, dance, church service and more. Linda Davis 747-8389, Irene Silvas 687-5424 or Kay Grant 745-2513.

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When the state Legislature passed the "Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act" last year, critics lambasted the smoke-ban exemptions for well-financed special interests, most notably casinos.

This year, some legislators are working to nullify the casino exemption to the smoking ban. In the interest of public health, smoking is prohibited in all indoor areas except private homes, automobiles if not used for childcare or public transportation of children, privately hired limousines and up to 25 percent of the rooms in a hotel or motel.

To their credit, last year lawmakers resisted special-interest pressure to exempt pool halls, taverns and the like. But they did declare that smoking would be permitted in Denver International Airport's smoking lounge, and also at cigar bars and casinos.

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When Brian Regan spoke to us the last time he came to the Fox Valley, in late 2005, he said he likened his act to a series of really short plays.

I think the way I write, my jokes are basically like little one-minute vignettes, he said. Its usually me and another character. Its me and the school teacher. Or its me and the flight attendant. Or its me and the doctor. Its usually a little play, so I just tend to act them out. And then I realized that maybe Im just the laziest playwright in the world. I cant write a play that lasts longer than a minute. So I string em all together and I call it a comedy show.

Regan, who performs Sunday at the Meyer Theatre in downtown Green Bay, is a master at making something hilarious out of the most mundane subjects. Regan can make a joke out of something as ordinary as buying a refrigerator.

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PRSA Professional Development seminar: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., First Tennessee Oak Court auditorium, 4385 Poplar. Speaker: Leanne Kleinmann, The Diva of iDivamemphis.com, The Commercial Appeal's blog. Topic: "An in-depth look at blogging." Cost: $30 for members and $35 for nonmembers. Registration: Visit prsamemphis.org.

Entrepreneurs Roundtable: Noon, Crescent Club, 6075 Poplar. Speaker: Bob Levey, Hardin Chair of Excellence in the Department of Journalism at The University of Memphis. Cost: $25.

Tennessee Small Business Development Center counseling sessions: 9-11 a.m., Collierville Chamber of Commerce, 485 Halle Park Drive. Speaker: Mark Taylor, business counselor with the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Southwest Tennessee Community College. Appointments required. Reservations: Call 853-1949.

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"0-0-0-07."Graduating in the year 2007 makes high school a little more interesting, yet at the same time, much more annoying. The "0-0-0-07" chant can be heard at various Munster High School formal dances, sporting events, and just by seniors being, well, seniors. It even comprised the Homecoming theme.Needless to say, 007 wore me out before I even viewed the latest movie installment.Throughout the school year I have had thoughts such as, "If I hear that one more time I will have to rip off my e...

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Nov. 28, 1967: Born Vickie Lee Hogan in Houston. One of six children of Donald Eugene and Virgie Hart Hogan.

1985: Smith, 17, marries Billy Wayne Smith, 16.

1986: Daniel Wayne Smith is born.

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Enter Taste of Home Cooking School?s ?Taste of Home Recipe Box Contest? and Win a $1,000 gift pack from Taste of Home Entertaining!

From The Chronicle Marketing

Are friends and family always asking you to bring that one appetizer to any and every gathering? Then it's time to let America in on the delicious secret, by entering your winning appetizer recipe in the Taste of Home Recipe Box Contest. The winner will receive a prize pack from Taste of Home Entertaining, plus, the winning recipe will be featured in a future Taste of Home Cooking School magazine.

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Barbara Hausman knows how to turn the odds in her favor. The 48-year-old real estate agent played in the Ladies' World Series of Poker last year, her first major tournament, and placed in the top 9 percent.Now, she's raising the stakes, hoping to try her hand as a professional poker dealer.

"It's a ground-floor opportunity," said Hausman, of Delray Beach, who just graduated from the Casino Dealer's Academy in Hollywood. "The writing on the wall is that there will eventually be full-scale gaming in Florida."

Poker dealing is becoming a hot job in South Florida as the opening of new casinos brings more people to both sides of the poker table.

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ORLANDO, Fla. A date is set for the trial of a former astronaut accused of trying to kidnap another woman in what police call a love triangle involving a fellow astronaut.A spokeswoman for a Florida state attorney says Lisa Nowak's trial is expected to last two weeks.An arraignment is scheduled for Thursday. Nowak is not expected to appear since her attorney has filed a not-guilty plea to attempted kidnapping, burglary with assault and battery.Nowak was arrested in February on suspicion of confr...

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“Fusion,” a show billed as “the perfect blend of comedy, magic and illusion” will end its run in the River Sands Theatre within River Palms Resort Casino Saturday, March 31. The show features a mix of talented magicians and illusionists who each bring a little something different to the table. The featured performer is illusionist Joseph Gabriel who is assisted by Katalin; and also includes magician Danny Cole; and comedy/juggler Bryson Lang.In this issue of the Laughlin entertainer we take a closer look at cast member Bryson Lang.

Bryson Lang is an anti-star-if, when you say “star” you mean “flash and glitter, George Clooney chin and tuxedos”...you know, show biz. He's pretty much the guy you'd expect to see in the buffet line. He's not the guy you'd expect to see making crowds laugh as part of a casino show.But Bryson Lang is that last guy. Forget the chin and the tuxedos, he's show biz all the way.

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Several people were arrested Monday night on suspicion of robbing two men selling iPods out of their car and shooting one of them in the foot, deputies said.

The incident occurred just before 10 p.m. at the corner of Highway 111 and Jefferson Street.

Two suspects were buying iPods from the victims when two other suspects pulled up and allegedly joined in robbing the men, according to a press release.

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The Journal Sentinel recently requested Busalacchi's calendar going back to January 2003, but the Department of Transportation said his calendars for 2003 and 2004 were accidentally destroyed because of a problem with a computer server. Deputy Secretary Ruben Anthony Jr.'s calendars also are missing for those years.

Busalacchi has said he never talked to now-indicted Kenosha businessman Dennis Troha about tax troubles faced by companies Troha owned at the time. Busalacchi was to meet with Troha on the issue in April 2004, but Busalacchi said Troha - a major contributor to Gov. Jim Doyle - did not show up for the meeting.

The Journal Sentinel asked for Busalacchi's schedule to see how involved he was in the tax cases affecting Troha's firms. But the Department of Transportation said this week that it did not have the calendars for 2003 and 2004.

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Today we call this region Northwestern Wisconsin, but what was it like before white men first paddled canoes down the St. Croix, Namekagon, and Yellow rivers, singing songs of the French fur trapper and carrying goods to exchange with the native people of the region?

This is a place rich in the history of the Native Americans who once crafted stone axes and huddled by campfires telling stories of the hunt, stories of battles and glory, stories literally as old as the hills and the wind that blows through them

The story of the earliest Indians in Northern Wisconsin is written not on paper but in fragments of tools and weapons, utensils, ornaments, remains of old dwellings, and objects placed in graves discovered by accident thousands of years after burial.

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CINCINNATI, Ohio -- An elderly woman is hospitalized after being attacked and robbed in broad daylight, and police said the teenage robbers were caught on video.

Annette Liebing, 83, was shopping with a friend in College Hill, Ohio, on Monday, when two teens attacked her and snatched her purse. Police said security cameras caught the teens hanging out behind Bacall's Cafe just before the attack.

"Of course, that time of day, had I known, I would have thought something of it, because they were obviously school-age, and they should have been in school," said Diane Pugh, manager of Bacall's.

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Charlene Hunt is passionate about building the Gracie Haught Softball Classic into one of the finest high school competitions in Arizona.

The event is a way of honoring the memory of a 3-year-old girl, who was killed Feb. 6, 2004 in a tragic accident in Star Valley.

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Kayla Metheany of Santa Ynez stands in the back of the meeting room at the Solvang Veterans Hall Tuesday night watching a rebroadcast of a 󈬬 Minutes” television show on Indian gaming. Metheany and others were on hand voicing their objection to potential expansion of the nearby Chumash Casino.

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ST. LOUIS -- Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. said Monday it has agreed to buy Casino Aztar in southeast Missouri for about $45 million from an affiliate of Kentucky-based Columbia Sussex Corp.

The deal still needs to be approved, but the development could be welcome news for the Missouri Bootheel town of Caruthersville, which was hard hit by a tornado last spring and where the casino employs about 300.

St. Louis-based Isle of Capri does not anticipate any layoffs in Caruthersville, said spokeswoman Jill Haynes.

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BREWSTER Minutes before a fiery fatal crash on Highway 97 Saturday, two motorists called emergency dispatchers to report that a man was driving a white van erratically, authorities say.

The head-on crash killed two: An Oroville woman who was ejected from the motor home she was riding in, and the man in the white van, whose name authorities will not release until he is positively identified in an autopsy.

Others stopped to rescue Earnest L. Filbeck, 69, of Oroville, from his burning motor home. He was in satisfactory condition Tuesday at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, a hospital spokeswoman said. Filbeck had burns over 25 percent of his body, according to the Washington State Patrol.

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My wife and I relocated to San Angelo about four years ago. We came here from Houston, where we lived for many years and call it our hometown. I mention Houston only as a reference point. This letter is in reference to legalized casinos and gambling in Texas. First, let me say, no group and/or particular causes sponsors my input. It is strictly my opinion.

There are several large cities in Texas. Of course, Houston is the largest. Texas already has horse/dog racing and a state lottery, which are both gambling anyway you look at it.

It is my opinion that our state will have legalized gambling at some time in the near future. However, it might not be present in the form many folks first think of.

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When Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter arrived in South Florida this month, he vowed to save his trademark trash talk and controversial tendencies for a later time.

''I can do all the trash-talking, but I am not playing against anybody,'' Porter said during his initial news conference. ``I haven't even practiced yet. In due time, it will come.''

Apparently, 11 days later, he had waited long enough.

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There's really no good way to complete that thought. And even if someone made one up, you wouldn't read it here. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has it right when he calls adults who would sexually abuse children "monsters."

"Not in Texas," he says.

Yet that doesn't mean Mr. Dewhurst and the Legislature should rewrite Texas law to punish these monstrous acts with the death penalty, a punishment reserved for the most heinous crimes that result in a victim's death.

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New Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter reported to work on time Monday, but with a new piece of baggage.

The night before the start of the club's off-season conditioning program, Porter got in trouble at a Las Vegas casino.

Porter, who is known for his talent as well as his trash-talking of opponents, was issued a summons for misdemeanor battery, police said. Around 6 p.m. Sunday, an argument at a blackjack table with Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Levi Jones escalated in the valet area, where Porter allegedly punched Jones in the left eye.

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ROCKFORD — She hasnt taken a vacation in months and works a night job to stay afloat, but somehow Betty Bondio makes owning a business look easy.

Her business, My Secret Garden, is her getaway. Tucked away from East State Street across from Sweden House Lodge, it is Bondios brightly painted shop, her second home filled with all the things she loves. Inside are wreathes, cloches, angels and ceramics.

Outside the shop at 4614 E. State St., she plants iris and bee balm flowers. And she gets to work with her best friend, Cindy Piper, her only employee.

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Dawn of the Dead: Early Sunday morning on SXSW's final weekend is always like something out of a zombie flick. Dodging the bleary-eyed, possibly brain-dead hordes stumbling down Sixth or Red River streets is akin to waking up in a George A. Romero movie. But that doesn't mean it wasn't worth risking life and limb to uncover new music this year. Spain's The Pinker Tones took the stage at midnight at Karma Lounge and quickly got the crowd jumping with their sly Latin techno. But the live show, wit...

-- Cary Darling

Musical Youth: It's often silly to moan about why a band doesn't perform one of its more popular songs, but Australia's Youth Group really should have played its soaring cover of the '80s Alphaville hit Forever Young at its showcase at Latitude 30 on Saturday. It would have been the perfect ending for the brief set, which was much more hard-hitting than Youth Group's recent Casino Twilight Dogs album might indicate. If the band is compared with the downcast Death Cab for Cutie on CD, it's much more in your face live. Just goes to show that you can't always judge a band by its record.

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It was "Mardi Gras" with a brogue Saturday at the Phoenix Club Mardi Gras Party and Casino Night at the University Club of Memphis.

Guests wore green in honor of St. Paddy’s Day at the fund-raiser for Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis. Alisha Scoggin wore a green quartz necklace, Christopher Prest was in a green-and-white jacket, Andrew Vescovi had on a lime green shirt and the appropriately-named Erin Greene wore a green dress.

"Brown" also figured prominently in the party. Brown Gill and Brown Dudley were party chairmen. Coincidentally, their mothers, while pregnant, told each other they were naming their sons "Brown" while sitting around the University Club swimming pool 30 years ago. The two Browns are best friends.

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Today is Monday, March 19, the 78th day of 2007. There are 287 days left in the year. This is the date the swallows traditionally return to the San Juan Capistrano Mission in California. Today?s Highlight in History:

On March 19, 1945, during World War II, 724 people were killed when a Japanese dive bomber attacked the U.S. carrier Franklin off Japan; the ship, however, was saved.

On this date:

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The annual brouhaha in Topeka over whether to legalize casino gambling is under way.

Casino gambling, of course, has been legally under way in the Sunflower State since 1996 at four tribal reservations just a few rural miles north of the state Capitol.

Because of feeble negotiating on the part of state officials a decade ago, however, Kansas reaps absolutely zero gambling tax dollars from this activity, which experts conservatively estimate enriches tribal treasuries by more than $170 million a year.

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* FREE -- Andy Schneider: Guitarist Andy Schneider will perform from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday at Cactus Caf? & Bookshop, 7500 N Mesa, Suite 107. 833-2233 or www.cactuscafeandbookshop.

* Crash Kennedy: Crash Kennedy will play at 9 p.m. Wednesday at Uncle Paulie's, 106 Shadow Mountain, free; 9 p.m. Thursday at Chic's Bar & Billiards, 9809 Montana, $3; and at 10 p.m. Friday at Zeppelin's, 111 E. Robinson, $5. 21 and older. 867-2023.

* FREE -- Jazz guitar: Tim Kilpatrick will perform from 8 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Cactus Caf? & Bookshop, 7500 N Mesa, Suite 107. No cover. 833-2233 or www.cactuscafeandbookshop.

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The folks at the Oregon Department of Human Services say they are shocked shocked by the results of a new study that indicate middle school students who gamble are far more likely to dabble in other risky behavior later in life.Well, actually, the precise quote from Jeff Marotta, the problem gambling services manager in the Oregon Department of Human Services, was “The data are startling.” For example:

 Eighth-grade gamblers are nearly twice as likely to engage in sex as non-gamblers while 11th-grade gamblers were 25 percent more likely to do so. At both grade levels, gamblers were three times as likely to carry handguns. Fist-fights, serious assaults and drinking all were greatly increased among young gamblers.Shocking? Yes. Surprising? Hardly.The state of Oregon itself is so addicted to gambling as a revenue source that the state now is devoting public information spots aimed ...

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* Where: The Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino Event Center, Mescalero, N.M.

* How much: $15.

* Information: 545-9011 or www.innofthemountaingods.com.

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DVD REVIEW: Craig brings thrills back to an aging franchise

02:24 PM CDT on Monday, March 19, 2007

I was relieved when I discovered that Entertainment Weekly critic Owen Gleiberman ranked Casino Royale in his 2006 Top 10 films list. I thought maybe I had gone too far out on that critical limb. But with the exception of best-picture winner The Departed, I had no better time at the movies this year than with this smart, savvy reboot of the James Bond franchise.

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