Botanical garden carved in wilderness

Lee Iacocca said this of philanthropy: "In business, you're tryingto make a buck. God was good to me and blessed me. I made some moneyand started this foundation years ago, and it has grown in size. Withthe foundation, it's a lot different because the bottom line isn'thow you can make more money or get a better return, it's helping theprojects that you feel strongly about move forward."

For Daniel Stowe, running the family business at R.L. Stowe Millshad been his life. He was raised amidst the industry of NorthCarolina textile mills. Established a century ago, some of the millsare still active today in the town of Belmont.

With retirement, Daniel and his wife, …

APSyFI protects Indian antidumping move

According to the Indonesian Synthetic Fiber Makers Association (APSyFI) Indonesia will lodge a formal protest to the WTO against India's move to impose temporary antidumping duties (32.744.1 US cent/kg) on Indonesian polyester partially oriented yarn …

Sri Lanka army: Rebels fleeing northern stronghold

Rebel forces were retreating Wednesday from the town of Kilinochchi and the government expected to capture the Tamil Tigers' administrative capital imminently, a senior official said.

The fall of Kilinochchi would be devastating to the separatist group, which once controlled a large de facto state in northern Sri Lanka but has been forced into a rapid retreat in the face of a massive military offensive.

Though the town has little military importance _ and the rebels would almost certainly fight on without it _ it is seen as one of the most significant symbols of the rebels' decades-long fight to create an independent state in the north and east of this …

First big test no problem for Thornton

Thornton coach Jimmy Daniels missed his team's performanceyesterday in the Bloom invitational. While Daniels was taking a testfor an advanced degree, his team was passing its first big test ofthe season.

The Harvey school firmly established itself as the leadingchallenger to favored Wheeling for the Class AA title by winning the16-team event with 81 points. Lincoln-Way was a distant second with17. The meet included three other top 10 teams.

"Everything came out the way we wanted it to, or better," saidThornton assistant Rich Stein, who was filling in for Daniels. "Therelays were where we wanted them to be. (Cynthia) Broughton ranoutstanding today."

…

Alaska Ends Plan for 'Bridge to Nowhere'

JUNEAU, Alaska - Gov. Sarah Palin ordered state transportation officials Friday to abandoned the "bridge to nowhere" project that became a nationwide symbol of federal pork-barrel spending.

The $398 million bridge would have connected Ketchikan, on one island in southeastern Alaska, to its airport on another nearby island.

"Ketchikan desires a better way to reach the airport, but the $398 million bridge is not the answer," Palin said in a news release.

She directed the transportation department to find the most "fiscally responsible" alternative for access to the airport.

Ketchikan is Alaska's entry port for northbound cruise ships that bring more than 1 …

Democrats Split on Iran Letter

Hillary Rodham Clinton and 29 other senators wrote to President Bush on Thursday to tell him he has no congressional authority for war with Iran _ and sparked debate among the Democratic presidential candidates.

The four Democratic senators running for the White House split over whether to sign the letter. Chris Dodd of Connecticut added his support, while Barack Obama of Illinois and Joe Biden of Delaware declined.

Clinton's campaign accused Obama of playing politics by refusing to support the letter circulated by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va. Instead, Obama introduced a measure Thursday to make the case in law, said spokesman Bill Burton.

"It will …

Favre: If Pack needs me, 'I could be enticed' back

If the Green Bay Packers are ravaged by injuries this season, Brett Favre might consider returning should the team reach out to him.

''It would be hard to pass up, I guess,'' he told the Biloxi (Miss.) Sun Herald. ''But three months from now, say that presents itself, I may say, you know what, I'm so glad I made that decision. I'm feel very comfortable in what I'm doing and my decision.

''Yeah, I can probably be up there doing that and playing, but again, I don't know. It's only speculating. I think the world of that team. I had a lot of fun, not only this year, but over my career.''

But if Aaron Rodgers went down with an injury?

''Aaron has fallen into a …