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Amway Co-Founder Jay Van Andel Dies Tuesday, December 07, 2004 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Jay Van Andel (search), the co-founder of Amway Corp. (search) who helped parlay neighborhood soap sales into a billion-dollar business and later became a leading philanthropist for conservative causes, has died.

NSPE Member Experiences Fear and Violence in War-Torn Iraq By Jane Byrne Staff Writer NSPE member James Wernicke recently spent two weeks in Iraq avoiding sniper attacks, mortar assaults, and roadside bombs while working to restore order in a land torn apart by violence. He's not a member of the military; he is a professional engineer. For security reasons, Wernicke cannot talk about his company or the specifics of his work. However, the Albuquerque, New Mexico, resident does have a harrowing story to share about his experiences and offers insight into what it's like to live and work in a...

<p>DETROIT — An indictment unsealed Thursday charges a Dearborn man with conspiracy to provide material support to Hezbollah (search), an Islamic militant group listed by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization.</p> <p>The indictment accuses Mahmoud Youssef Kourani (search) of being a member, fighter, recruiter and fund-raiser for Hezbollah who operated in Lebanon and later within the United States.</p>

Update on Local Shooting 1/6/04- Lansing police investigating the city's first murder of the new year. It happened Sunday night around 11 at an apartment complex near Pine Street and West Saginaw. Police say someone called saying they heard gunshots coming from the apartments. When police arrived, they found one man still alive with a gun shot wound. Close by, they found another man dead. Police are still trying to piece together the city's first homicide of the year. They say the biggest challenge is identifying the victim. Police say they found the man dead inside the Ferris Manor apartment...

<p>NAPLES, Fla. — The lead guitarist for the rock band Rush (search) faces criminal charges after a New Year's Eve fight with sheriff's deputies.</p> <p>Alex Zivojinovich, better known by his stage name Alex Lifeson (search), was arrested for what deputies described as drunken, violent behavior at the Naples Ritz-Carlton hotel.</p>

Canadian Beats World at Rock, Paper, Scissors Sun Oct 26, 6:45 PM ET TORONTO (Reuters) - The competitors, in glitzy, off-the-wall costumes, call themselves professional athletes. Some even bring along team doctors to supervise their nutrition and take them through intense warmups. Related Links • 2003 RPS Championships • World RPS Society This, it seems, is serious stuff to the 320 competitors who shook their fists early into Sunday morning at the World Rock, Paper, Scissors Championships at a nightclub in downtown Toronto. The man who did win -- and netted himself a purse of C$5,000 ($3,825) -- was Toronto's...

  Published 2003-10-27 Rogers shooting to the top as rising star in the GOPU.S. representative from Brighton also criticized JEFF FRANKO/Gannett News Service Making a point: U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, works with staff members during a planning meeting this month in his office on Capitol Hill. At left is Kyle Kizzier, a staff assistant. Rogers served six years in Michigan's Senate before winning a U.S. House seat. Advertisement Key positionsU.S. Rep. Mike Rogers holds three Republican leadership positions in the House of Representatives: Member of the Republican whip team that rounds up votes and helps shape legislation. Deputy...

WHO AM I? I attacked and took over two countries. I spent the U.S. surplus and bankrupted the US Treasury. I shattered the record for the biggest annual deficit in history (not easy)! I set an economic record for the most personal bankruptcies filed in any 12 month period. I set all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the stock market. I am the first president in decades to execute a federal prisoner. In my first year in office I set the all-time record for most days on vacation by any president in US history (tough to...

<p>PHOENIX — Democratic presidential hopefuls focused fire on Wesley Clark (search) in campaign debate Thursday night, deriding the retired general as a belated convert to their party -- and indecisive to boot.</p> <p>"I did not vote for George Bush. I voted for Al Gore," Clark retorted in the most contentious of four debates to date in the battle for the Democratic nomination.</p>

What's next for property owner in zoning dispute BY FRED GRAY NEWS-REVIEW STAFF WRITER CHARLEVOIX - Alanson pastor Norm Olson and former Bay Township supervisor Bob Taylor presented a spirited defense of Lyle Barkley inside the closed-door meeting Thursday with parties to the Barkleys' property dispute. Excerpts of their statements, taken from an authorized tape of the session, follow. Olson, who has interceded on behalf of the Barkleys, responded to an opening question from Sheriff George T. Lasater on where the Barkleys stood on the issues: "Both sides are moving too rapidly toward confrontation and that is unwise. Especially for...

Parties agree to talk again after court appeal:Confrontation averted, for the moment BY FRED GRAY NEWS-REVIEW STAFF WRITER CHARLEVOIX - The Barkley family and Charlevoix County and Bay Township officials agreed Thursday to put off any confrontation over a contested zoning violation until after a circuit court judge has ruled on the matter. Lyle Barkley and his daughter, Kim, who have been ordered to remove three manufactured housing units from their property by township officials backed by a district court order, met with the officials at a meeting called by sheriff George T. Lasater. Barkley, backed by militia groups across...

Barkley meeting with officials set for next week BY FRED GRAY NEWS-REVIEW STAFF WRITER CHARLEVOIX - Charlevoix County Sheriff George T. Lasater said today the meeting he promised to set up between disgruntled Bay Township property owner Lyle Barkley and township and county officials will take place next week. Lasater said the meeting had tentatively been set for 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2, in the Pine Lake Room of the county building. He said he had invited the Barkleys, township officials, county prosecutor Mary Beth Kur and county building official Ken Doty to attend. He said he would leave...

<p>WASHINGTON — The war of words hadn't died down in Congress on Wednesday, as one Democratic representative fought back a Republican counterattack against Sen. Ted Kennedy (search), who last week accused the Bush administration of lying about the threat from Iraq.</p>

Barkley edgy but hopeful in zoning dispute BY FRED GRAY NEWS-REVIEW STAFF WRITER HORTON BAY - Bay Township excavator Lyle Barkley, who has vowed to resist by force any attempt to enforce township zoning violations against him, says if he can just be left alone he'll be able to get back on his feet. "It's the slowest year I've had in 15 years of being in business, and now with all of this going on, I can't get out of my driveway to do it," said Barkley, 55. "I have some work lined up and if they'd just leave us...

Showdown averted at sunrise Sheriff agrees to set up meeting with Barkleys and local officials next week BY FRED GRAY NEWS-REVIEW STAFF WRITER HORTON BAY - An armed confrontation in Bay Township over property rights was averted today when Charlevoix County Sheriff George T. Lasater held a sunrise meeting with Lyle Barkley and his daughter, Kim, on the edge of their property and promised not to take any action today to enforce a court order against them. Lasater agreed to set up a meeting next week with the Barkleys, county prosecutor Mary Beth Kur, township and county officials, and Norman...

Sheriff agrees to meet with Barkley on Thursday BY FRED GRAYNEWS-REVIEW STAFF WRITER CHARLEVOIX - Lyle Barkley spent the night bulldozing berms around his 2.6 acres in Bay Township as his legal options to forestall action by Bay Township officials and the county sheriff in a zoning dispute appear to be running run out. But Charlevoix County Sheriff George T. Lasater said this morning that he had agreed to meet early Thursday with Barkley on his property along with Clint Dare, commander of Michigan Militia; Norman Olson, adviser to the militia; and representatives of the press. "Dare made the invitation...

Savage: McClintock 'Most Qualified' Nationally syndicated talk radio host Michael Savage weighed in on the California governor's race, offering strong praise for State Sen. Tom McClintock. The Republican McClintock was interviewed on Savage's show Thursday night and Savage praised the gubernatorial candidate as the "most qualified" to be governor. Savage told McClintock that "without a doubt, you are the clear leader" among the 135 candidates in the race. The nod by Savage may pay huge dividends for McClintock. Savage has a large and growing audience among conservatives and independents. Savage has the fourth-largest syndicated radio audience in the U.S., with...

<p>WASHINGTON — Teamsters President James P. Hoffa (search) is threatening to withhold his union's financial and grass-roots support from congressional Democrats who back free trade agreements this week with Chile and Singapore.</p> <p>"You are either with us or against us," Hoffa said Tuesday on Capitol Hill. "You are either with the American worker or against the American worker. These agreements leave no room in the middle."</p>

<p>SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Authorities were investigating why an 86-year-old man's car plowed through a crowded farmers market (search), killing nine and injuring up to 45 others -- and whether the driver was competent to be behind the wheel in the first place.</p>

Ark. Man Wakes After 19 Years in Coma July 9, 2003 07:56 AM EDT MOUNTAIN VIEW, Ark. - The words began tumbling out - at first just a few nouns and eventually a torrent of phrases. Terry Wallis, who had been in a coma since a 1984 car accident, regained consciousness last month to the surprise of doctors and the delight of his family, including his mother, who heard his first word in 19 years. "He started out with 'Mom' and surprised her and then it was 'Pepsi' and then it was 'milk.' And now it's anything he wants to...