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Gomers: What's going wrong
May. 17, 2010 12:17 am
FATAL FLAWS? No working smoke detectors were found by Cedar Rapids firefighters inside an apartment at 901 Oakland Road NE, where a resident died in a fire Monday. The apartment was not registered with the city, as is required. The last time it was inspected was in 1996, under previous ownership. This type of incident adds support to proposed changes in city code that would raise inspection fees and penalties for non-compliance and toughen registration requirements for landlords.
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STILL OWED: Nearly half of the Iowa Army National Guard members who are owed extra pay for serving tours of duty longer than 12 months after Jan. 19, 2007, still haven't received their money from the Department of Defense. Iowans in the 133rd Infantry, for example, served more than 22 consecutive months, including 16 in Iraq. Of 706 Iowans eligible for the extra pay, 387 have been paid.
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HEAVY CHARGES: Nine Iowa City-area people face federal charges accusing them of accessing President Barack Obama's student loan records during his campaign or after his election. Conviction could bring up to a year in jail and a $100,000 fine.
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