Rock Island resident and Warren County native Barry Clark (Bo) Lavender, 52, died Feb. 25 at River Park Hospital after an extended illness.An employee of Rock Island State Park in campground management, A U.S. Army veteran and a member of Friendship Baptist Church, he was the son of the late Joe A. and Christine Kuhn…

By CURT ANDERSON / Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Nine people with ties to terrorist organizations were identified during a 14-month Coast Guard and FBI investigation into national security threats and document fraud among U.S. merchant ships, officials said Thursday. The investigation also found thousands of cases of potential fraud and identified individuals working…

By ANICK JESDANUN / AP Internet Writer NEW YORK (AP) — If the U.S. Postal Service delivered mail for free, our mailboxes would surely runneth over with more credit card offers, sweepstakes entries and supermarket fliers. That’s why we get so much junk e-mail: It’s essentially free to send. So Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates,…

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (AP) — A dispute at the salad bar turned into a food fracas at an upscale retirement home, with a man taking a bite out of another’s arm and other residents suffering minor injuries. Police said resident Lee Thoss, 62, of the Spring Haven Retirement Community was picking through the lettuce, which…

By ZINIE CHEN SAMPSON / Associated Press Writer RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A judge has resigned after facing disclosure of racially charged remarks he wrote in an Internet chat room, including statements suggesting that blacks have a biological tendency toward violence. Richmond General District Judge Ralph B. Robertson is stepping down after 19 years on…

By DANIEL Q. HANEY / AP Medical Editor SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Youngsters who skimp on milk and other dairy food to avoid calories actually appear to substantially increase their risk of becoming overweight, a study found. Several reports in recent years have shown health benefits of dairy products, despite their fat content. The latest…

By JEFFREY McMURRAY / Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Even if Georgia officials agree to set up an online lottery, Congress might pull the plug on the idea. While there is currently nothing illegal about a state making a lottery available to its own residents via the Internet, a measure moving through the U.S.…

By KRISTA LARSON / Associated Press Writer NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — Living in a college dorm can mean little privacy and exposure to a lot of booze. That can make it a tough place for young adults who are in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. That’s why a growing number of colleges and…

By ROBERT TANNER / AP National Writer Gay marriage has stirred up a passionate whirlwind of moral convictions, religious beliefs and politics, sweeping the divisive question onto the desks of state attorneys general, the top law enforcers in each state. As the issues flare up in small-town New York, San Francisco and counties in New…

By JEANNINE AVERSA / Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer confidence rebounded over the past month as Americans felt better about their current financial situations as well as the economy’s prospects in the months ahead. The AP-Ipsos consumer confidence index rose to 97.7 this week. That’s an improvement from a reading of 91.7 in…