Local governments news and stories by mail.com

Local governments

Juror dismissed in Bell, Calif, corruption case
A weeping juror was dismissed Thursday for committing misconduct during deliberations in the public corruption trial of six former officials of the ...
Iowa meatpacking town fears impact of federal cuts
Automatic federal budget reductions set to take effect Friday could fall like a meat ax on the small Iowa town of Columbus Junction, where a sprawling ...
Calif. mayor puts lock-picking class in newsletter
The mayor of a California city struggling with a spike in burglaries and other crimes is apologizing for promoting a class about how to pick locks in ...
IOC panel sets off on visits to 2020 bid cities
Seven months before the vote, the International Olympic Committee is sending a panel of experts on a series of site-inspection visits that could prove ...
Mexico plays hardball in jailing of union boss
The arrest of Mexico's most powerful union leader echoes the hardball tactics of Mexico's once-imperial presidency while pushing forward an education ...
Homicide suspected in Miss. candidate's death
A Mississippi mayoral candidate was found dead Wednesday and the case is being investigated as a homicide, authorities said. Coahoma County Coroner ...
Justices voice skepticism of voting rights law
The Supreme Court's conservative justices voiced deep skepticism Wednesday about a section of a landmark civil rights law that has helped millions of ...
3 dead in Swiss workplace shooting
A longtime employee opened fire at a wood-processing company in central Switzerland on Wednesday, leaving three people dead, including the assailant, ...
Fire at illegal market In India kills at least 19
A fire broke out at an illegal six-story plastics market in the Indian city of Kolkata early Wednesday, killing at least 19 people, police said.
2nd major snowstorm paralyzes parts of Midwest
For the second time in a week, a major winter storm paralyzed parts of the nation's midsection Tuesday, dumping a fresh layer of heavy, wet snow atop ...
Mexico says 26,121 missing during drug war
An official count shows at least 26,121 people were reported missing during the term of President Felipe Calderon, who launched the country's ...
NJ's highest court hears 'joking judge' appeal
It may have been his toughest crowd yet. In a decidedly humorless proceeding Tuesday, New Jersey's Supreme Court heard arguments over whether a ...
Counties cope as indigent burials increase
Kate Hopkins didn't know the man in the casket, never met him or his family. Yet, Hopkins stood watch over 48-year-old Francisco Carmona's funeral on ...
Subcontractor in deadly KC blast lacked permit
A cable company subcontractor suspected of rupturing a natural gas line before a deadly Kansas City restaurant explosion didn't have an approved ...
Voters ponder guns, ethics in Jackson Jr. district
Candidates for Jesse Jackson Jr.'s former congressional seat made their final push for votes Monday ahead of a high-stakes primary, but turnout was ...
Jobless, cities could be first to feel budget pain
Who'll be the first to feel the sting? Jobless Americans who have been out of work for a long time and local governments that are paying off loans to ...
Maine man can whistle, but he must keep moving
A man charged with disorderly conduct for his loud whistling in downtown Portland has reached a deal with the city — he can whistle, but he can't ...
Eager Israelis send invites to Obama ahead of tour
President Barack Obama is coming to town, and it seems like everyone in Israel wants to be a part of the historic visit. From West Bank settlers to ...
Can escape clause save voting rights provision?
The Obama administration and civil rights groups are defending a key section of the landmark voting rights law at the Supreme Court by pointing ...
Race, ethnic lines less visible as LA picks mayor
The election that made Antonio Villaraigosa the city's first Hispanic mayor since 1872 confirmed the clout of a fast-growing Latino population and ...
Vatican blasts 'false' pre-conclave reporting
The Vatican lashed out Saturday at the media for what it said has been a run of defamatory and false reports before the conclave to elect Pope ...
Talk of peace with Pakistan Taliban angers victims
Hazratullah Khan, who lost his right leg below the knee in a car bombing, answers immediately when asked whether the Pakistani government should hold ...
Calif. city corruption case goes to jury
The corruption case against six former officials of the scandal-ridden suburban city of Bell was placed in the hands of the jury Friday, with a ...
More than 200 kidnapped Syrian villagers released
Gunmen from rival Sunni and Shiite Muslim villages in northern Syria have freed more than 200 people snatched in tit-for-tat kidnappings this month, ...
Unemployed complain they need a job to find a job
Help wanted. Qualifications: Must already have a job. It's a frustrating catch for those out of work in an era of high unemployment: looking for a ...