Coralville Courier

10 car options the law won't let you have - Yahoo! Autos

Back in the 1980s headlight companies developed sealed reflector/lens assemblies that permitted replacement of the bulb. This was a breakthrough: Not only were the replaceable-bulb halogens brighter than the older style of light, but they also meant that burning out a bulb didn't have to mean replacing an entire assembly.

There was just one problem: Federal rules demanded "sealed beams" or all-in-one headlight assemblies with a nonreplaceable bulb inside. It took until 1984 for American drivers to get the better headlights they wanted while regulators got a grip on the notion that the bulbs should be replaceable. 

via autos.yahoo.com

Dolce and Gabbana Sentenced to Jail for Tax Evasion - Yahoo! Finance

MILAN (Reuters) - Fashion design duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were on Wednesday handed a suspended prison sentence of one year and eight months for hiding hundreds of millions of euros from the tax authorities.

The designers, who are nearly as famous as the stars they dress, were not present in court in Milan and have denied the charges. Given the complexity and length of the appeals process, they are unlikely to spend any time in jail.

via finance.yahoo.com

Harmless fun with a catfish nearly turns deadly

What seemed like harmless fun involving a live catfish nearly turned deadly when the sharp barb of a catfish impaled a 13-year-old boy in the neck, coming just a couple of centimeters from puncturing a main artery. “I thought I was going to die,” Aiden Menchaca told KATV of the incident during a Father’s Day fishing outing in Maumelle, Arkansas. KATV, the ABC affiliate in Little Rock, has the story:

via www.grindtv.com

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The White House that never was: A behind-the-scenes tour of the would-be Romney administration | Power Players - Yahoo! News

Though Mitt Romney’s candidacy never turned into a presidency, there was a temporary Romney White House complete with a fully operational staff who were building the blueprints for the early days of a Romney administration months before the election that decided his defeat.

In this special edition of Top Line, the chair of the Romney transition efforts, Gov. Mike Leavitt, R-Utah, takes us on a tour of the White House that never was—where he says the Romney transition team built “a federal government in miniature.”

via news.yahoo.com

Supervisor Janelle Rettig pretends events don't cost money

The content below was written by Johnson County Supervisor Janelle Rettig via her Janelle's Journal, a newsletter she cranks out now and then.  Check out how she seems excited by the prospect of spending even more taxpayer money in a celebration of grants (taxpayer money) and how she describes events as being *free*.  Yes, many events do have sponsors and donations involved, but such events typically aren't *free* because they still require local government involvement when you consider event planning, marketing, city/county employee time and resources.   That all costs money, your money and it's not sustainable.  Rettig's mindset doesn't consider what the proper role of government is, her mindset is about how money can be spent to have fun!  Isn't that great?

From Janelle's Journal, June 18, 2013:

Enhancing Quality of Life in Johnson County: A Celebration of Community Partners

July 1; Reception at 4:30 pm; short program at 5:00 pm

Health and Human Services Building 2nd Floor, 855 South Dubuque Street, Iowa City

This event is an opportunity for the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to recognize and thank organizations that receive a grant of county funds. All are invited to join us as we celebrate the impact that grant funds from the County have on the people of Johnson County

This is the season of fairs, festivals, concerts, parades and community events. I hope you get out and take in some of the fun. I don’t know how anyone could ever attend all the free events in our County, but boredom really isn’t an option around here if one starts attending. All these events take an enormous number of volunteers and many donations and sponsors. I thank them all for making this a great County full of neat events.

Until next time….

The 14-year-old kid arrested over his pro-NRA shirt now faces a year in jail - Yahoo! News

The West Virginia eighth-grader who was suspended and arrested in late April after he refused to remove a t-shirt supporting the National Rifle Association appeared in court this week and was formally charged with obstructing an officer.

As CBS affiliate WTRF reports, 14-year-old Jared Marcum now faces a $500 fine and a maximum of one year in prison.

via news.yahoo.com

7 Dead, 41 Wounded in Wave of Chicago Weekend Violence

CORALVILLE COURIER EDITOR'S NOTE:  Chicago has some of the toughest gun-control laws in the country.......  They don't work.

Seven people were killed and at least 41 others were shot in  violence that plagued Chicago over Father's Day weekend.

Six of the fatalities and 13 other shootings occurred  overnight Saturday leading into Father's Day, including the fatal shooting of a  16-year-old boy.

Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/1-Dead-12-Wounded-in-Overnight-Shootings-211673851.html#ixzz2WTkycG5S

Above the law: America's worst charities - CNN.com

(CNN) -- The worst charity in America operates from a metal warehouse behind a gas station in Holiday, Florida.

Every year, Kids Wish Network raises millions of dollars in donations in the name of dying children and their families.

Every year, it spends less than 3 cents on the dollar helping kids.

via www.cnn.com

Loch Ness Monster: Scottish Tourism Officials Fight About Whether Nessie Is Real

The Loch Ness monster has sparked a fight among Scottish tourism officials about whether the legendary paleolithic monster is real or just a legend.

The business community in Highlands is reportedly split over how to market the monster to tourists. It has become so divided that George Edwards, the owner of Loch Ness Cruises, sent a letter to the 70-plus members of the Drumnadrochit Chamber of Commerce, ripping them for referring to Nessie as a myth.

via www.inquisitr.com

Obamacare Is Turning Walmart Workers Into Temps - Forbes

CORALVILLE COURIER EDITOR'S NOTE: Another example of how big government steps in and screws things up. We need government OUT of health care, not more into it. Only three things happen when the government gets involved in things like this: 1. the cost goes up, 2. The wait gets longer, 3. The quality goes down.

Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) opponents warned it would happen, but now there’s mounting proof that full-time employees are being replaced with part-timers, at least in the retail industry where Walmart is focused on keeping the majority of workers to part-time hours only.

A new hiring policy uncovered by Reuters shows that nearly half of its stores are only hiring part-time employees, thus avoiding the mandate to provide health care or pay a fine.

via www.forbes.com