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Businesses in North Carolina will soon have a new way to advertise, and it's coming straight from the Department of Transportation. A new sponsorship program will allow businesses to attach corporate messages and logos on DOT property, starting with the DOT's yellow Incident Management Assistance Patrol Trucks and expanding to ferries, shoulders, websites and rest areas. Even the DOT helplines may eventually be sponsored by a business. Officials are hoping that the deal will generate millions of dollars a year for the Department of Transportation. The yellow IMAP trucks are a common sight on busy North Carolina freeways, serving as responders to stranded motorists and major accidents. Now, when residents see them arriving in their rear view, they might catch a glimpse of an advertise...

A concrete company based in Christchurch, New Zealand will soon be paying $130,000 in fines and damages after the forklift-related death of one of its workers. According to a 3 News article published on September 16, Anthony Wells, 47, died after being run over by a defective forklift that was being operated by a trainee with "no formal qualifications" at Busck Prestressed Concrete. Busck Prestressed Concrete will have to pay $70,000 in fines and $60,000 in reparations for failing to take the needed steps that could have prevented the February 2013 incident, according to 3 News. An MSN New Zealand article reports that when Worksafe New Zealand examined the forklift, they found the forklift's headlights, front indicators, brake lights, front hazard lights, horn, screen washers and front ...

The idea is as simple as their name. Povertees is a not-for-profit organization that creates and sells stylish t-shirts, putting their proceeds towards helping Los Angeles' homeless rebuild their lives. Soon, the Povertees team will be taking their mission on the road.“I began to think about starting up during a time when social justice was becoming fashionable, especially among college students, and I happened to be a college student with an idea for T-shirts,” says Tyler Patterson, CEO of Povertees."T-Shirts are a great fundraising opportunity because when designed properly they will provide a huge return on investment," says Eric Uzelac of The Shirt Printer. Back in their college days, Patterson and his friend Hughie Hughes, who'd later go on to become the president of Povertees, wou...

In Norristown, PA, residents may have noticed that the streets were a little less clean this past June. That is because one of the area’s street sweepers was out of commission for 19 days for repairs. The 2007 Elgin Pelican street sweeper had to be in the repair shop from June 9 to June 27. Norriston, located just six miles North of Philadelphia, is home to 25,000 residents. “We had to replace a number of different motors that operate the brooms. One was the main broom motor and some of the other motors run the side brooms,” explained Norrison public works director, Robert Glisson. “Grand Turk in Bridgeport, the manufacturer’s authorized repair facility, did the repairs for $24,000.” While the Pelican was out of commission, the second street sweeper attempted to handle some of its route...

It isn't exactly surprising anymore when studies are released showing that the most common household items tend to carry the most bacteria -- but new research conducted by medical experts at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, WA shows that the type of bacteria carried on these items is more worrisome than the amount of bacteria. This research, published in JAMA Pediatrics on September 8, shows that the strain MRSA (Staphylococcus aureus), which happens to be resistant to most antibiotics, is very prevalent on common household items. In the past, this bacterial strain seemed to be "caught" by patients who were already in hospital environments; now, however, the latest research shows that this bacteria is often found in homes with children and/or pets. The items mos...

In the U.S. schooling system, shop classes often have a reputation for being the "slacker classes" -- the easy A's that students take to fill up space, rather than for the purpose of truly learning a skill. That perception, though, might not be based in reality as the market for auto mechanics heats up throughout the U.S.Evan Fischbach is one example of a success story. Two years out of high school, he is already making $40,000 a year -- with expected earnings of $60,000 once he gains more industry experience. Fischbach took an automotive class during his junior year of high school, and right away realized he wanted to work on cars.His parents, both college-educated, weren't sure about his career options. But before he even graduated, a local auto dealer with too few mechanics on hand offe...

Apple claims that the recent celebrity photo leak scandal that affected over 100 celebrities was not the result of a security breach in its systems. Rather, they say, it was a targeted attack on celebrity usernames, passwords and security questions. After being notified of reports of an iCloud breach, Apple spent over 40 hours investigating its systems involved with the attack that led to the leak of compromising photos of celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence, Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Kim Kardashian and Kate Upton. The photos were stolen early last week and posted to the web forum 4chan. Users offered to exchange the photos for paypal and bitcoin payments. Soon after the photos were leaked, they began to circulate on Twitter, as well. Several Twitter account holders have already faced su...

David Lee, a 76 year old veteran who was collecting disabled veterans donations for other local disabled vets, had nearly $1,000 in donations stolen from right under him in front of a Massachusetts supermarket last week. The suspect is a homeless white male in his late 20s or early 30s. The man was riding a bicycle, when he approached Lee and asked him, "What's that?", while pointing in another direction. When Lee looked where the man was pointing, the suspect proceeded to grab the donation bucket and pedal away on his bike. The man is known by other area homeless people. Police are still investigating. However, Lee was not at all discouraged or deterred. In fact, this event simply fueled his resolve to help other veterans. He was back outside the supermarket where he was robbed the ...

Michael Pritchard saw two things: a running bus with its door open, and a small child riding by on his bike. What happened next might sound like a scene ripped right out of a family comedy."I looked in my mirror and I saw a little head in the driver's seat of the bus," said Pritchard. Yes, a 9 year old boy from Canada stole a bus and then took it out for a joyride while still in his pajamas -- because he could. "He had an opportunity to take it," said police spokesman Sgt. Ryan Smith said. "And he did." The littlest bus thief, who had to stand to operate the vehicle because his legs were too short to reach the pedals, joyrode the bus for about three blocks, turning right at least twice. "My wife looked out her window and saw a city bus and said, 'There's a boy driving that bus,'" ...

The faulty air conditioning system in the Galleria Borghese isn't just a burden on visitors: now it's damaging the paintings as well, including Raphael's Desposition, a priceless High Renaissance painting from 1507. The masterpiece, which was one of the highlights of the Rome museum's collection, has been severely damaged by the overwhelming heat, possibly past the point of repair. According to reports from the Independent, the extreme heat of the Italian summer warped the wood panel behind the painting. Director Anna Coliva described the air conditioning system as "completely worn out" and said there was little they could do other than open windows and use fans and dehumidifiers to encourage the painting straighten itself out. These efforts weren't enough to restore the painting ...