Urban News

(CHICAGO) -- Now that people are having to arrive earlier at major airports because of increased security concerns, officials at Chicago's two major jetports -- O'Hare International and Midway -- report that vendors say that sales are up. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that because people are spending more minutes in concourses, the shops and restaurants there are benefiting.

The publication reports that concession sales at O'Hare are up about 15 percent compared to this time a year ago. At Midway the numbers are even more impressive. Vendors in that airport -- Chicago's "second" or "back-door" airport -- have seen a rise of some 30 percent.

Chicago's airports are not the only ones reporting big increases in concession sales. The figures are much the same all over the country, though in some cases not as dramatic.

(SEATTLE) -- It's an issue that won't go away: What to do about possible future expansion of monorail tracks in and around Seattle. In a recent issue, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer again puts the question of future expansion to its readers and notes that because of the complexity of the issue and the fact that two plans are vying for approval many voters feel as if they are in a fog about the matter.

Meanwhile, there remains a question as to whether any bond issue relating to subway or monorail construction will be on the November ballot for voter consideration.

The Seattle City Council has again delayed implementation of a plan that would put the issue before voters.

The director of the city's Ethics and Election Commission tells the publication that he is anxious to go forward with a referendum. At the same time the president of the city council admits that the issue is "in a dilemma."

(DENVER) -- Fans of the Denver Broncos NFL franchise have said a loud and sad farewell to Terrell Davis. The award-winning, long-time football player got a standing ovation he as walked into the stadium, in uniform, for the final time as a player. It was the Monday night game between the Broncos and San Francisco.

After walking out through the tunnel and receiving the adulation of the crowd, he then sat out the game on the sidelines. Because Davis was being placed on the injured reserve list -- at his request -- the Monday night game was his last.

During his career Davis was named the MVP during both a regular season in the NFL and after one of his more successful Super Bowls.

According to his Web site -- td30.com -- he's had injury problems for the past few years, mainly knee problems that have required surgery.

It became apparent in the past few months that the worsening condition of his knees would force his retirement.

Davis began his career as an obscure late-round draft pick and rose to become one of the game's great modern-day superstars.

(HOUSTON) -- A group of teens says that the Houston police went too far in a roundup of young people in and around the parking lot of a popular Kmart in that city. The parents of many of the teens joined their offspring in telling the Houston Chronicle that police arrested too many "innocent bystanders" when they swept through the parking lot during a raid in the wee small hours of Sunday morning.

Police records show that more than 420 people were arrested on charges of criminal trespassing.

Since the store is open 24-hours-a-day, many of those arrested complained that they were at the store to shop, not to join in the usual overnight "gathering" that often takes place in good weather at what has become a popular meeting area.

Others complained that they were also in the process of "being a customer" at a Sonic Drive-In, adjacent to the Kmart parking lot.