Free Republic

INDIANAPOLIS, May 28, 2006 – Before drivers start their engines today to run the 90th Indianapolis 500, another long-standing tradition had people on their feet yesterday. A banner for the Defense Department's America Supports You program is carried during the 49th annual Indy 500 Festival Parade, in Indianapolis. Photo by Samantha L. Quigley  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The 49th annual Indy 500 Festival Parade paid tribute to Indiana's rich culture, as well as the nation's military. Marching through downtown Indianapolis, the parade offered colorful balloons and floats as well as opportunities for the crowd to show their...

A $59 million jail featuring art and flat screen TVs in Portland, Ore., has been sitting unused for more than a year as the city can't afford to open it. The Wapato Facility took two years to construct and can house 525 inmates at a cost of $20 million per year, .... The county spent more than $600,000 on art for the jail, including a sculpture out front by the circular driveway. There are 30-foot vaulted ceilings and private showers. "I love coming to an empty $59-million jail," Giusto told the Los Angeles Times. "I get tired of telling people...