| Senator urges deeper review of CSAR bids
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he fears the Air Force is merely going through the motions in its required review of the combat search-and-rescue helicopter award and is pressing the military branch to "open up the books" on the flawed bidding process. Schumer's bid comes after Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined the ranks of public officials questioning the Air Force's earnestness of the required Air Force review. "I strongly believe that the Air Force should use this opportunity to determine if the industry can offer improved proposals within the same time frame that will provide additional value for the taxpayer," Schumer said in the statement released Monday. "I again urge the Air Force to issue an amended request for proposal, re-open discussions with the bidders, request revised proposals, and hold a fair and open-re-evaluation." The Air Force in November awarded the contract to The Boeing Co.
Diaries of a Madwoman -- Stolen?
New allegations of cheating and thievery in the Anna Nicole saga. Lin Wood, the high-powered bull-dog attorney of Howard K. Stern has sent a notice to Heritage Auctions, Inc. over two of Anna Nicole's diaries listed as available on the site. Wood claims that the diaries were stolen and that the company, and the auction sponsor, Clips4Sale.com, are not legally entitled to hawk the items. "Make no mistake: these items were stolen from Ms. Smith by one or more thieves," claims Wood's letter. "Ms. Smith's Estate intends to vigorously pursue the return of the diaries, will take whatever means necessary to secure their return, and will hold to account those persons and entities that have profited through their reprehensible acts at the expense of the Estate." TMZ spoke with Thomas Riccio, the man claiming to be the original owner of the diaries, who denies Wood's claims, saying that "the facts he mentions in the letter are FALSE -- these diaries are NOT stolen, (They were obtained BEFORE her death) -- he is just trying to steal more money in the name of Anna Nicole." The diaries are handwritten journals from 1992 and 1994, and both auctions start at a whopping $26,000.
Auction/dinner gives a lot back
Thanks to Hitchcock Healthcare, Vindi McMaster says that her 9-year-old daughter Carley is able to walk again. After Carley was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2005, Vindi says that she and her husband Scott, left Aiken and relocated to Atlanta with Carley so that their daughter could undergo intensive care treatment, saying that Carley had suffered two strokes. Once Carley was out of the woods and no longer needed around the clock care, the McMasters' moved back to Aiken and began sending Carley to Hitchcock Healthcare as a patient of their Children's Therapy Program. As Vindi watched Carley, with only the help of a walker, mingle among the hundreds of guests in attendance at Hitchcock's annual dinner/auction held on Friday-where Carley was one of several young ambassadors-Vindi says she can't help but be grateful for the role that Hitchcock has played in Carley's progress.
Foreclosures soar in county
Washtenaw County homeowners are facing foreclosures in record numbers, the result of a weak economy, a glutted housing market, and adjustable rate mortgages that have bit homeowners hard as interest rates jumped. "I used to do five or six foreclosures a week. Now I do 19 to 30,'' said Special Deputy Jimmy Moore, who auctions off mortgage foreclosures every week at the Washtenaw County Courthouse. Experts say the increase in foreclosures has a broader impact because it contributes to the drop in home prices and puts a dent in local tax revenues. Moore, who runs the civil division of the sheriff's department, says the increase he noticed a year ago has gotten steadily worse. The number of evictions from rental properties in the county has skyrocketed as well.
More Than 4000 Bidders Attend the Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Grande ...
GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALBERTA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 04/23/07 -- Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (TSX: RBA)(NYSE: RBA), the world's largest auctioneer of industrial and agricultural equipment, announces the results of its large Grande Prairie, Alberta auction held April 18 and 19, 2007. A record 4,300 registered bidders from 15 countries attended the unreserved auction. They came from all 10 Canadian provinces and two territories, as well as 31 U.S. states, generating over CA$26 million (US$23 million) in gross auction sales. The previous registered bidder record for the site was 2,300 people. "We usually hold separate agricultural and industrial auctions in Grande Prairie in the spring," says Ritchie Bros. Regional Manager Brian Podruzny. "We decided that instead of holding separate sales, we would combine them - which both buyers and sellers seemed to appreciate at the auction last week." More than 2,200 lots were sold over the two-day auction, with the first day concentrating on trucks and industrial equipment.
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