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Urban News

By DENNIS DAILY, United Press International
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(COLUMBUS, Ohio) -- Real estate officials in Columbus may have forgotten one important thing in picking the site for its newest fire station. City inspectors apparently never checked the acreage to see if it could support construction of a building. Now, according to the Columbus Dispatch, it may cost more than $600,000 to fix the oversight.

The problem, according to the paper, is that the lot picked for construction -- two acres with quick access to I-270 -- is marshland. Making it stable for construction of the two-story station and providing a parking lot capable of handling heavy firefighting equipment will not be a cheap venture.

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The city's chief real estate procurer now admits that not all the preliminary steps were taken before the site was purchased and construction plans announced.


(ATLANTA) -- The new mayor of Atlanta, Shirley Franklin, wasted no time in fulfilling some campaign promises Monday. Even before being sworn in, she announced that some 60 city jobs were being axed.

The Journal and Constitution is reporting that Franklin, one of the highest-ranking female public servants in the nation, sent pink slips to the 60 who had served in the regime of the previous mayor, controversial Bill Campbell. The jobs are patronage appointments that are under the discretion of the sitting mayor.

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Some of those losing jobs were members of the outgoing mayor's office staff, the chief of the office handling communications, community affairs, youth services and contract compliance.

Meanwhile, the publication says that many upper level managers have resigned in several city departments, fearing they would be swept up in Franklin's promise to "clean house."


(DENVER) -- Police officials in the Mile High City confirm that busy Interstate 25 was shut down for part of Monday because of an accident involving a big-rig truck and an overpass. The truck, carrying a large crane, was not able to negotiate the Speer Boulevard over crossing and part of its cargo struck the bridge.

Not only was the Interstate shut down for several hours, but one lane of Speer was closed.

Traffic on I-25 was backed up for several miles in each direction while traffic engineers moved the crane out of traffic lanes and checked the structural integrity of the overpass.

The Denver Post says that the driver of the rig was cited in the incident.


(HOUSTON) -- A quickly spreading apartment house fire has left 70 people out on the street in Houston. The fire, according to the Chronicle, raced through a complex on the city's northeast side. Efforts to stop the blaze from spreading were hampered when firefighters discovered low water pressure at hydrants in the neighborhood.

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Experts think that a child playing with fireworks may have caused the blaze when sparks ignited bed linens. The fire spread through the complex so quickly that most of the residents who were burned out escaped only with some clothing and little else.

The 24-unit development on Haverstock Hill is a federally subsidized, low-income housing project.

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