TEXAS -- A tow truck driver is okay but a drunk driver is killed after, according to police, the drunk driver crossed the center line at a high-rate speed and collided head on with the tow truck.

It happened about midnight on Green River Road near Heather Row in northeast Houston. Police say the drunk driver swerved and crossed the middle of the road, hitting the truck head-on. The tow truck driver tried to miss him, but couldn't get out of the way.

"It was coming at a high rate of speed, lost control, and came towards me," said Danarias Mitchell. "I got over in the grass to try and avoid him but he hit me anyway."

The driver of the car died at the scene. Three others in that car were not hurt, and neither was the tow truck driver.

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MICHIGAN -- A school bus driver reportedly lost control and hit a tow truck on westbound Interstate 94 in Detroit Wednesday morning.

Police said the school bus hit the tow truck that was trying to help a disabled car near 10 Mile Road in St. Clair Shores. No children were on the bus at the time.

The bus driver and tow truck driver both suffered minor injuries. The driver of the disabled car was taken to a hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening. (Thanks Kevin)

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FLORIDA -- The city of Orlando has just introduced a new towing ordinance aimed at lessoning the pain for people that park illegally and have their car impounded.

The city claims the ordinance is the result of complaints about the business practices of local towing companies, but could not provide the actual number of complaint they have received.

The ordinance makes several changes to the current law including:

• Requiring towing companies to accept cash

• Allowing vehicle owners to retrieve belonging at the scene or after impound without paying tow fees.

• Changing the time a tow driver must allow a vehicle's owners to procure payment to avoid towing from 10 to 15 minutes.

• Limiting the towing fee to $50 if the vehicle has not moved, $100 if it has.

• Making it illegal for towing employees to wear law enforcement insignia.

• Making it illegal to tow police of fire department vehicles.

• Requiring towing companies to post towing fees in 2" or larger letters where payments are made.

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MICHIGAN -- General Motors has kicked off the 2003 Chevy Towing Tour to inform customers of towing advantages of Chevy trucks at various venues throughout the United States. The traveling exhibit showcases many aspects of towing with Chevy trucks such as acceleration, braking, fuel consumption, and the tow/haul feature. In addition, GM's Vortec V-8 gasoline engines, Duramax V-8 diesel engines, and Hydra-Matic and Allison transmissions will be highlighted.

The tour will make 28 stops at many towing-intensive activities such as boating, fishing, equestrian, outdoor recreation and farm shows. At selected tour stops, visitors will be able to experience the towing capability of a Chevy Silverado with a Duramax Diesel 6600 V-8 engine teamed with an Allison automatic transmission. They will also learn about the competitive advantages of a Vortec 8100 V-8 powered Chevrolet Suburban with a Hydra-Matic 4L80-E transmission while towing. At select locations the tour will also feature demonstrations of its four-wheel steering feature called Quadrasteer.

"While towing is often considered a challenge rather than an adventure, properly equipped tow vehicles, plus a little towing knowledge, bring the experience well within a motorist's comfort level," said Rick Scheidt, Chevrolet marketing director for full-size trucks. "The 2003 Chevy Towing Tour offers customers an opportunity to increase their knowledge about towing and learn about the outstanding towing capabilities of the Chevy Silverado and Suburban."

"With engine sizes and chassis capacities to suit almost any load, Chevy trucks are equipped for most any towing need," said Steve Haener, assistant marketing manager for GM Powertrain. "Product specialists will work with customers individually to help them with any simple or complex towing issues they have. The customer will leave confident that Chevy trucks have the power, and power transfer, to do the job and meet their towing needs."

The tour began at a Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS) tournament in Leesburg, Fla., in January and ends in November in Minneapolis at the Snow Show. More stops are being added as the schedule allows.

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MICHIGAN -- More than a dozen of Monroe County's towing service operators were told last week that changes were in store for the way their businesses interact with the county.

With representatives from 14 towing firms sitting just feet away, Monroe County Central Dispatch Director Ron Berns laid out his case for making changes in the way the firms are dispatched and keeping track of the fees they charge local residents.

The 911 Authority Board is studying several changes in its requirements for towing operators to remain on the county's rotation. Among them would be regular inspections by the Michigan State Police Motor Carrier Division to ensure that each truck on the list - and its driver - was operating safely and in accordance with state standards.

He said some dispatching functions may change to help alleviate problems. Mr. Berns suggested dispatching trucks from the same towing company to multiple car accidents to avoid conflicts over which driver takes which vehicle.

But Mr. Berns said he has no interest in setting the rates that towing companies charge their customers, even when those companies are called to the scene by his dispatchers.

"I'm not going to set those rates. I'm not going to get involved in that," Mr. Berns said.

Mr. Berns said he and the rest of the county's 911 Authority Board became involved in the problem because of complaints from the public that they were being victimized by local towing services. Although the agency doesn't have a direct regulatory role, it does have the power to avoid the appearance of impropriety by imposing certain restrictions on the firms.

Mr. Berns questioned the towing operators as to why they felt they must charge more for calls from Central Dispatch.

"[People] have the perception that we're in cahoots with the towing companies to make more money," Mr. Berns said.

An unscientific survey of several area towing firms showed that the usual minimum charge for service when they are called by dispatchers is between $80 and $100, plus any extra charges that might be incurred to secure the vehicle, and storage. The average price for a privately summoned tow is about $45.

Most of the towing operators who spoke said they felt their rates were fair for the hassles with which they must deal, such as the red tape involved in junking the abandoned cars they are forced to take.

"We have to pay our drivers enough to go out and do the job," said Jim Sottile, of Sottile's Auto Parts in Monroe.

"There are as many tow truck drivers killed on the highways each year as there are police officers."

Mr. Sottile said the rates he charges are in line with his costs.

"Every recovery's different. The thing about towing is that we're always the motorist's best friend until the payment is due," Mr. Sottile said.

He argued that the additional charge for police calls was warranted because he and other towing agencies must respond immediately.

Mr. Berns said emergency authorities are under pressure from the state to clear accident scenes on the highways as quickly as possible, necessitating quick response from the towing companies.

County commissioner Dale Zorn, who owns Zorn's Service in Ida, is a tow truck driver.

He said he did not believe in charging more for calls from central dispatch, but that charges are bound to vary from company to company.

"The one thing you have to understand is that each business has its own costs [to operate] and the costs are different. Someone with equipment that they're paying for with the bank has a higher cost than somebody with equipment that's already paid for," Mr. Zorn said.

Mr. Berns said he probably will hold another meeting with the towing service operators before he makes a recommendation to the 911 Authority Board about changes to the regulations.

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SOUTH DAKOTA -- People who intentionally abandon their vehicles along roadsides should face criminal charges and pay for towing and storage, legislators decided Monday.

The House Transportation Committee unanimously approved a bill to make it illegal to leave vehicles along roads. It also would require people to pay towing companies for removing vehicles and storing them.

Convictions would result in automatic $500 fines. However, judges would have to suspend the fines if towing and storage costs are paid.

Towing companies now tow and store abandoned vehicles at their own expense, legislators were told. The companies also pay for disposing of some vehicles.

"By the time we're all done, we have between $400 and $425 in this vehicle ... which we don't get paid for." said Gary Townsend, owner of Gary's Repair & Wrecker Service in Yankton.

"Someone needs to be held responsible for abandoning these things, and someone needs to pay a fine," said bill sponsor Sen. Garry Moore, D-Yankton.

SB119 bill goes next to the full House.

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CANADA -- After freeing a Toronto man who was pinned against a wall by a car, two heroes watched in dismay as the man died.

Tow-truck drivers Henry Wright and Peter LaChaine raced to Cedarbrae Mall Wednesday morning after hearing the police call over their scanners.

They arrived to find Daniel Mandolidis, 53, trapped by a Toyota Cressida against the wall of the LCBO at Markham Road and Lawrence Avenue.

"The fire captain ran over to me and asked me to pull the vehicle from the man. I put my chains on and I started to pull, but the car wouldn't move. It was stuck," Wright said.

The men, co-owners of Pete's Towing, tried another tactic to free the man, who was conscious and alert, according to Wright. They lifted up the car while emergency workers slid the man out.

"He was talking to the paramedics...then about a minute after he was freed the paramedics and firefighters were doing CPR," Wright said. Mandolidis was pronounced dead at the scene.

"To watch someone pass away in front of you is difficult, especially when we tried to save him," LaChaine said.

LaChaine and Wright will be recommended for a civilian citation for helping emergency crews as they tried to save Mandolidis, a retired teacher and vice-principal.

"Our hearts go out to the family. We're sorry that we couldn't do anything else," Wright said.

The 1991 Toyota Cressida, being driven by a 79-year-old man, is undergoing mechanical testing.

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NEW JERSEY -- After months of controversy and indecision, the Atlantic City Expressway's operating agency finally awarded a towing contract Thursday to a company whose previous bids had been rejected.

Tri-State Towing of Egg Harbor City was given a three-year deal for towing services on the expressway's central sector, between mile markers 14.2 and 30.5. The section of road runs from Hamilton Township to Hammonton.

Although the South Jersey Transportation Authority voted to award the contract, Tri-State's owner remained wary and said he will not declare victory until the pact is finalized.

"We'll see. It isn't signed yet," Keith Bartley said.

Bartley has battled with the transportation authority for two years in an attempt to win towing contracts for three different sections of the toll road.

Each time his bids were rejected after the authority found apparent flaws or raised concerns about Tri-State's ability to perform the job.

On one occasion, Bartley filed a lawsuit in an attempt to force the agency to give him a contract, but the court ruled against him. Just last month, he accused the authority of tailoring the bid specifications for the expressway's eastern section to favor one of his competitors.

In denying Bartley's allegation, the authority said changes were made in the bidding requirements to ensure that contractors could quickly respond to expressway breakdowns.

Towing companies must be located close to the sections they serve and are required to respond to breakdowns within 20 minutes.

It is not unusual for towing contracts to generate more than $100,000 in annual revenue.

Bartley, however, said he isn't sure he ever will be able to recoup the business he has lost in the last two years trying to win the expressway's towing rights.

"I spent a lot of money on legal fees and I lost a lot of drivers who had to wait around," he said.

For months, the authority's board of commissioners has debated whether to hire outside contractors or start an in-house towing service that would be operated by expressway employees.

Some commissioners have argued that an in-house service would protect motorists from unscrupulous towing contractors.

Expressway towing contracts are divided into three main sections - eastern, central and western - each about 15 miles long. The towing operator for the western sector currently has a multiyear deal. With Bartley's company locking up the central section, only the eastern part remains in need of a new contractor.

Currently, Guenther's Mobil Service of Pleasantville is serving on a temporary basis for the eastern sector. Guenther's was the only towing company to submit a bid for the eastern contract last month, but the transportation authority has delayed awarding the pact.

James A. Crawford, the authority's executive director, said there is no hurry to award the contract to Guenther's because the prices it currently charges as the interim towing operator are the same as those in its bid package. (Donald Wittkowski - Press of Atlantic City)

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TENNESSEE -- Bill Geist, popular correspondent on CBS' "Sunday Morning" program, paid a visit to Chattanooga's International Towing and Recovery Museum.

Here's the transcript:

In Chattanooga, Tenn., there are some must-see attractions: the Tennessee Aquarium, the legendary Rock City, and the famous Ruby Falls. But when you exit the interstate, you always find a few surprises.

Yes, it really exists: The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum. A group known as the “Friends of Towing” built it, and it features tow trucks like you’ve never seen before.

It contains towing artifacts, towing memorabilia, and towing exhibits. It’s a shrine that so treasures tow trucks, you’re not allowed to touch them – as curator Frank Thomas has to remind visitors.

And while people are a little surprised to see a towing museum, they actually flock to see the trucks.

Thomas says he was sure that the concept of the museum would be interesting to outsiders. He was right -- about 10,000 visitors tour the facility each year.

One visitor says, “I was looking at the welcome center and said, ‘Towing museum? What's that? Tow trucks? You're kidding me.’”

Another visitor, who traveled all the way from Michigan, says, “I think it's great. I think it's time they got some recognition.”

One young woman took a train from Boston, then a bus from Atlanta to get to the towing Mecca. Her dad drives a tow truck – back in Japan.

Thomas thinks that the museum has great historical significance. He points out a display that includes an army tow truck that was used in World War II.

“It helped win the war. That was one of the wreckers finest hours, I believe,” says Thomas.

The museum’s location in Chattanooga is strategic, Thomas explains. “This was where it was all started by Ernest Holmes. [He] built the first twin boom wrecker and patented it in 1916 just a block and a half from where we are now. He used a 1913 Cadillac touring car; cut the back out of it.”

Chattanooga is the unofficial capital of towing, and people come here on “towing tours” to see the birthplace and the museum.

A deluxe Chattanooga towing tour package could include the site where Ernest Walter Holmes invented the tow truck: the site of the incident that started it all.

In 1916, John Wiley's tin lizzie flew off the road and landed upside down in Chattanooga’s Chicamauga Creek. It took Ernest Holmes 8 hours and six men to recover the vehicle. Vowing never to go through that again, Holmes returned to his garage and invented the tow truck.

The tour could also include a stop at the world’s largest tow truck manufacturer, Miller Industries. John Hawkins is a vice president at Miller, and he’s a member of the Tow Truck Hall of Fame.

“We look at the towing industry here in Chattanooga as what the auto industry is to Detroit. This is the capital without a doubt,” Hawkins says.

There are nearly 300 Hall of Fame inductees, all towing professionals from around the world. They are the Babe Ruths of towing.

The Hall of Fame gives young towers like Jeff from Yates Towing something to aspire to.

“I think you should be someone who has been in it for a long time, does outstanding work at reasonable rates. I just try to be nice, you know, and go out and do my job and not scratch or dent. I don't know if that qualifies as Hall of Fame, but that's what I try to do is be the best that I can be,” Jeff explains.

Thomas says that towers are unsung heroes, and that they don’t receive enough credit. “They're the first ones out there to help people get out of the ditch,” he notes.

Thomas says the museum’s mission is threefold: to preserve towing’s rich heritage, to provide continuing towing education, and to honor towing heroes like pioneer Ernest Walter Holmes, without whom the wheels of the entire world would still be spinning in the muddy ditches of time.

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HAWAII -- Hawaii's lawmakers are considering a number of bills aimed at regulating a federally deregulated towing industry in Hawaii.

Hawaii already regulates non-consensual towing; that's towing where the vehicle owner is not present to agree on the price. Hawaii has also enacted some expensive and un-necessary regulations, such as requiring all towing companies to act like banks and have a cash machine on the premises.

However, Hawaii now wants to regulate consensual towing; something prohibited by federal law.

In 1995 the Federal Government passed the ICC Termination Act of 1995 deregulating the trucking industry and as a part of this, the Federal Government determined that Tow Trucks were classified as common carriers and not subject to regulation, with the exception of non consensual tow rates and clear safety issues.

Many states have attempted to regulate various aspects of the towing industry on the guise of safety and have found themselves facing court action and damages in most cases.

One regulation that Hawaii wants to pass this year is a measure that would require all towing companies to obtain a special license and window decal for every truck, something which has been found illegal by Tocher vs. Santa Ana.

These "special license" scams are used to bully and control towing companies by threatening to deny legal operation or access to rotation lists unless they buy the expensive license and comply with the new, stringent requirements. These "special licenses" are also quickly revoked for any reason including an unfounded complaint.

Hawaii also wants to regulate the fees that a towing company can charge for consensual services, these are the tows where the vehicle owner is present to negotiate a fee, such as a common break-down. This is illegal by federal law, and akin to telling McDonalds how much they can charge for a Big Mac, or telling a mechanic what he can charge to replace your alternator.

Hawaii's Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the department that would usually take action on consumer complaints,  has taken a neutral position on the proposed regulations because they have not received an inordinate amount of towing complaints.

Hawaii's Better Business Bureau received just 17 complaints last year about towing companies, making towing #85 on the list of industries that received inquiries or complaints.

Carolyn Fujioka, a spokeswoman for State Farm, Hawai'i's largest insurer of autos, admitted that truly out-of-line bills are rare. "When we see something that's really exorbitant, we look into it and usually find there's an explanation, like somebody having their car pulled off a cliff," she said.

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From coast to coast, towing companies are facing the highest diesel prices in at least 10 years, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

For the week ending Jan. 17, diesel prices rose to $1.704, up 4.2 cents from the week before and up more than 21 cents in three weeks. The causes for such a spike include below-normal U.S. petroleum supplies, the looming war with Iraq and severe weather.

On the East Coast, where a major winter storm socked Northern states, towing companies were being blitzed by prices above $2 at some locations. The average price in New England soared to $1.885, up 30 cents since the middle of January.

While crude oil prices have fallen some from highs, the international politics and inadequate crude oil imports have taken their toil on diesel prices. The supply problem stems from labor disputes in Venezuela, which accounts for more than 10 percent of U.S. oil imports.

Now a similar dispute in Nigeria, which exports half of its crude to the United States, threatens to worsen the situation. Oil workers there are threatening to strike unless the government makes improvements in pay and labor policies. According to the DOE, crude oil inventories are at their lowest level since October 1975.

Supply is just half the problem, though. Demand for petroleum products is up due to a colder- than-normal winter. A good portion of the diesel supply has been siphoned to keep homes in the Northeast warm. Diesel prices there are more than a dime higher than even California, which usually boasts the nation's most expensive diesel.

Finally, the price of a barrel of oil is still trading well above $30 a barrel, due primarily to war threats against Iraq. During the last Gulf War in 1991, crude oil traded briefly over $40 a barrel.

The national average price of diesel, which has been tracked by the DOE since 1994, is at a record for the last decade. The next highest price for diesel was in October 2000, at $1.67.

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RHODE ISLAND -- Fire swept through Ronnie's Towing and Auto Repair at 519 High Street in Peace Dale Wednesday, shutting down Peace Dale proper for hours as firefighters from throughout South County fought to keep the blaze under control.

Business owner Ronnie Nocito could only watch from a safe distance as the fire spread, consuming the family business started by his father some 20 years ago. He and nine employees were in the building when the fire began.

Nocito told reporters he "heard a pop" and when he saw the flames, he and his employees went through six fire extinguishers trying to keep them from spreading.

"It got worse and I told everybody to get out," Nocito said.

The exterior shell of the building was all that remained after the fire was extinguished, looking rickety and charred the next morning. The interior "is a total loss," said Union Fire District Deputy Chief Bob Prefontaine.

The fire began shortly before 5 p.m., and nearly 80 firefighters from South Kingstown, Narragansett, and Exeter battled the blaze for more than two hours.

One volunteer Union Fire District firefighter Kenneth Boiteau, was injured when he was struck in the head with the nozzle of a hose. He was taken to South County Hospital for treatment of a minor head injury and released. No one else was injured.

Fueled by aged wood, auto fluids, car parts and tires, the blaze gutted the building's interior, spewing giant plumes of billowy black and white smoke which cast a cloud-like haze over nearby downtown Wakefield.

The cause of the fire was still unknown as of press time, but an official from the Department of Environmental Management's Hazardous Waste Unit was on hand surveying the scene as well.

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The possibility of a strike in OPEC-member nation Nigeria, as well as the continued threat of a war in Iraq, combined to push oil prices higher in early trading Friday, Bloomberg said.

Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer and a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, pumps about 2.2 million barrels of oil a day. The professional workers’ union in the country voted to go on strike as early as Saturday.

Oil traders, Bloomberg said, were looking to Friday morning’s report by weapons inspector Hans Blix to the United Nations about the situation in Iraq. A negative report could bring a war more quickly to the region.

In trading Friday morning on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the price of crude oil rose as much as 34 cents a barrel to $36.70, Bloomberg reported.

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PENNSYLVANIA -- Erie International Airport's security director, an Erie police sergeant and three others were indicted by a state grand jury after a nearly 3-year-old probe of an Erie towing business.

All were accused of helping the business illegally take title to 14 abandoned vehicles. At least some of the vehicles were resold, authorities charged.

State police filed the charges Wednesday in the investigation of towing practices and procedures at West End Auto Body Inc., 1702 W. 20th St.

Among those charged were airport security chief David Bagnoni, Erie police Sgt. Mark Sanders, and West End owner Daniel Strong.

The charges involve cars, trucks and a motorcycle, of which West End obtained ownership or tried to obtain ownership between 1996 and 2000, using state Department of Transportation documents.

Authorities said the forms were used illegally; that many of the vehicles were sold without notifying their rightful owners; and that defendants tampered with the state documents, or other records, to cover up the crime.

Charged were:

n Bagnoni, 57, of the 4500 block of Wood Street. Bagnoni has been the airport's public safety director since 1997 and is the son of City Council President Mario Bagnoni. Bagnoni was charged with felony counts of criminal conspiracy, deceptive or fraudulent business practices and tampering with public records or information, and a misdemeanor, unsworn falsification to authorities.

n Sanders, 39, of the 1900 block of West 32nd Street. Sanders is a sergeant in the Erie Bureau of Police's Patrol Division. He joined the force in August 1989.

Sanders was charged with unsworn falsification, deceptive or fraudulent business practices, criminal conspiracy and tampering with public records or information.

n Strong, 58, of the 2700 block of Greenly Avenue. Strong was charged with operating a corrupt organization, theft by deception, criminal conspiracy, securing documents by deception, unsworn falsification to authorities and tampering with public records or information.

n Julie A. Grehl, also known as Julie Strong, 45, of the 12000 block of Fry Road, Edinboro. Grehl is Strong's ex-wife and was an employee at West End at one time, authorities said.

Grehl was charged with operating a corrupt organization, unsworn falsification to authorities, criminal conspiracy and tampering with public records or information.

n Christopher D. Strong, 26, of the 2600 block of Maple Street. Christopher Strong is Daniel Strong's son and was also a West End employee, authorities said.

Christopher Strong was charged with running a corrupt organization, theft by deception, attempted theft by deception and criminal conspiracy.

Four of the five defendants — Bagnoni, Sanders, Daniel Strong and Christopher Strong — plan to turn themselves in to authorities at the State Police barracks in Lawrence Park today, Trooper Jay McKee said.

McKee filed the charges at District Justice John Vendetti's office. "I think it's a good case, a strong case,'' McKee said.

Philip Friedman, who represents Grehl, said she is out of town on vacation and will surrender when she returns.

A statewide grand jury, convened by prosecutors from state Attorney General Mike Fisher's office, handled the West End probe. Fisher will announce more details at a press conference at the Lawrence Park barracks today.

The grand jury began hearing testimony in 2000, and McKee said more than 200 witnesses were interviewed.

According to the grand jury's 44-pagepresentment — a written account of its findings filed with the defendants' arrest warrants — state police started their probe in late 1999. A search warrant was served at West End in March 2000.

The presentment states several witnesses, including current and former Erie police officers, testified about how West End and Erie police handle the signing of MV-952 forms — the state Department of Transportation documents that let towing companies obtain legal title to vehicles that pile up, unclaimed, on their lots.

The presentment states Bagnoni and Sanders, both of whom are friends of Daniel Strong's, signed many forms that allowed Strong's business to take ownership of vehicles.

The presentment states that the involvement of Bagnoni and Sanders allowed Daniel Strong to circumvent the legally required and more expensive procedures for obtaining titles.

But authorities claim neither Bagnoni nor Sanders had Erie police authorization to sign the forms. Authorities also claim Bagnoni's signature appears on MV-952 forms that were rubber-stamped "Erie Police Department.'' Those forms were submitted to PennDOT by West End after Bagnoni retired from the Erie department in 1995, the presentment states.

When McKee interviewed Bagnoni about the MV-952 forms in August 2001, the presentment states, Bagnoni told him "Strong asked him to help out because vehicles were backing up on his lot.''

Sanders, in a September 2002 interview, told McKee "he had given Dan Strong and West End Auto personnel power of attorney to sign his name on MV-952s in his absence,'' and that he "trusted'' Strong when it came to abandoned vehicles.

The presentment also states:

n Daniel Strong, Christopher Strong and Grehl knew the MV-952 forms were being used illegally and played a role in fraudulently obtaining vehicle titles.

n Several vehicle owners whose cars were towed to West End told police about their experiences. Some told police their vehicles were sold without anyone notifying them.

n Former Erie officer Jerome Bednaro testified that towing companies like West End often did not want to go to court to get approval to move vehicles off their lots. Bednaro testified the companies "wanted to take a shortcut."

Bednaro also said he refused to sign MV-952s for West End.

n A former West End employee, Rachel Drakes, testified that West End skirted laws about publicly advertising to find abandoned vehicles' owners by using a computer program that generated "fictitious ads.'' Those ads, which never ran in local newspapers, then were photocopied and sent to PennDOT along with abandoned vehicle paperwork, she said.

None of the five defendants could be reached for comment. But attorneys for some of them spoke about the case.

"I have some of the information on the charges, but not all of it,'' said David Ridge, who represents Daniel Strong. "The only thing I would say at this point is we intend to battle this thing all the way."

Jamie Mead, Bagnoni's lawyer, said Bagnoni was only taking part in the "process of taking care of abandoned vehicles. He never made any attempt to defraud anyone."

Friedman, Grehl's attorney, said his client "will vigorously defend these charges."

Erie lawyer John Garhart, who represents Sanders, said he would not comment on the case until he read the presentment and Sanders' arrest warrant.

Tim George, the lawyer representing Christopher Strong, was unavailable for comment.

City Hall had been closely monitoring the outcome of the grand jury investigation of West End, not only because two of the suspects are in law enforcement, but also because the probe has deeply affected the city's contracted towing operations. Since the investigation started, more than a thousand impounded vehicles have piled up at both West End and at the yard of the city's other contracted towing agency, Bizzarro's Towing and Used Parts, 1626 Raspberry St.

The five suspects charged Wednesday were involved with West End and not Bizzarro's. But the Attorney General's Office, in light of the investigation of West End, has refused to let the city help Bizzarro's or West End clear the thousands of impounded cars and trucks from their lots. The accumulation of vehicles has prompted West End and Bizzarro's to complain about lack of space.

City Council several weeks ago launched a study on how to clear the cars. City Solicitor Paul Curry is researching how the charges against Strong and the others would affect the city's relationship with West End.

The city's five-year contracts with Bizzarro's and West End expired in December, but council extended them for three months, to end in March. The extension was meant to give the city time to revise its towing regulations and to try to resolve the mess that the accumulations of impounded vehicles has created. (Kevin Flowers - Times News)

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CALIFORNIA -- The Napa City Council Tuesday asked the police department to negotiate further with local towing companies who are being forced to pay a fee to be on rotation.

Since many simple break-downs are assisted by police who offer to call them a tow, not being on the police rotation can mean bankruptcy for a towing company. -- Therefore, what the city calls a franchise fee is more like extortion.

The city wants a new agreement that would increase the amount that each company pays the city to $13,000 a year.

Local towing companies are naturally upset about the exorbitant fee because many impounded cars are never redeemed and are worth little or nothing in scrap.

The fee system used by the city last year gave the city a portion of each towing bill -- This was a much fairer system because towing companies did not have to pay if they did not get paid for the vehicle. -- Under the new system the city would get more money.

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VIRGINIA -- Fredericksburg's towing panel holds first meeting to address downtown towing concerns.

A committee looking into towing problems in the city agreed yesterday that new regulations are needed--but lower fees are not.

The panel chaired by City Councilman Joe Wilson met for the first time yesterday to brainstorm solutions. The 10-member committee includes Councilman Matt Kelly, City Attorney Jim Pates, Police Chief Jim Powers, downtown property owners and towing company representatives.

The members agreed that signs for private lots should be more uniform and there should be a limit to how far cars can be towed. But it decided the state's maximum towing charge--$85 plus an $10 after-hours fee--is fair.

Pates said he will prepare a draft ordinance addressing those issues. The committee will take up the ordinance and finalize its recommendations at its next meeting, which has not yet been scheduled.

Wilson pushed for the formation of the group after a McLean man wrote a letter to the editor of The Free Lance-Star saying he would never return to Fredericksburg after having his car towed from a private lot while dining at a downtown restaurant.

Kelly referred to that letter yesterday, reminding committee members that many violators of private-lot rules are tourists who contribute to the city's economy.

"Those types of people, we want them down here spending money and shopping in our stores," he said.

Ted Craver, owner of the Executive Plaza on Caroline Street, said downtown towing from private lots "is a relatively small part of the whole problem."

The office building's two lots are clearly marked for use by tenants and guests only--and the Executive Plaza has a contract with a towing company to remove violators. Craver said towing could be reduced dramatically if the city did a better job promoting its public lots.

But Tommy Mitchell, owner of several downtown properties and the driving force behind an effort to build a downtown hotel, said the main problem is the "lack of parking downtown--period."

The council tentatively plans to build a parking deck in fiscal 2005, but has not yet committed any money to the project. Since the deck is at least several years off and may never be built, Wilson urged the panel to focus on more immediate solutions.

He pointed out that several localities have ordinances specifying the color, size and text of signs in private lots where towing is enforced, but said he's not sure whether better signs will help.

"Regardless of the type of signage, people are going to ignore the signs," he said.

Thelma Gray, who handles impounding for Shanks Towing, said some people will ignore the signs "no matter what they look like."

But committee members agreed that private lots' signs need to be more uniform and should state "24-hour towing enforced" when that is the case.

Wilson also asked committee members for input on limiting towing fees, but they decided against recommending any change. While state law sets a maximum charge, it also allows localities to set their own limits.

Gray said her company has offered to charge lower fees, but property owners told her they didn't think anything less than $85 would deter violators.

The committee also agreed that the city should set a limit on the distances vehicles can be towed, requiring impoundment lots to be in the city or within a few miles of the city limits. Other localities have imposed similar limits.

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CALIFORNIA -- Following a three-day appeal hearing, Baldwin Park Chief Executive Officer Dayle Keller supported police Chief Mark Kling's findings to terminate the towing service's contract, according to a 15-page appeal's record outlining the problems with the company.

According to the document, Budget Tow failed to cure the problems, and no evidence was shown that the company made a "good-faith effort' to correct four out of seven violations.

'They canceled their contract,' said Kenneth Watase, an attorney who represented Keller at the hearing.

Budget Tow owner and operator, Leo and Irma Gonzalez, lost their appeal to continue police towing services for the company. Gonzalez's company has supplied towing services to the city since July 12, 2000.

The hearings took place Jan. 8-9 and Jan. 16 at Baldwin Park City Hall.

"These people were not perfect,' said Attorney Michael Obrand. "They are a young couple, with kids, and I think it is unfortunate they have gotten themselves into this situation. They are honest, hard-working people.'

The hearing reviewed evidence covering seven violations, and found the company failed to correct three. Obrand, the Gonzalezes' lawyer, said the Police Department did not give the company ample notice to correct the problems. He also alleged that certain police officers were biased against the hard- working couple. Obrand was hoping for either a fine or a suspension.

"We feel the Police Department was biased against Budget Towing and went out of its way to single Mr. Gonzalez out for special treatment,' Obrand said. 'They were picking on them.'

A statement of facts found during the hearing states that Budget Towing:

Failed to engage in safe and legal towing services. Evidence was presented that the company violated certain state vehicle codes because it did not have any automobile liability insurance;

Evidence was presented that Gonzalez was convicted of spousal battery, according to a West Covina police report. The Baldwin Park Municipal Code states anyone convicted of a crime cannot do business with the city. Although Gonzalez was not convicted, he was arrested for allegedly possessing drugs.

Forged the signature of Baldwin Park police Officer Kevin Kirkman 10 times on Department of Motor Vehicle forms in order to dispose of a car to a scrap iron processor or "dismantler.'

Obrand said his client never forged any salvage slips. The violation covers a period of time when the company never had a contract with the city, Obrand said.

"Mr. Gonzalez said he never did this,' Obrand said. "Whoever did do it, it was done in 2000. The franchise did not go into effect until 2001.'

This is not the first time the tow company has had problems.

The California Highway Patrol just suspended the company for 30 days for some alleged auto burglaries that occurred in December, said CHP Officer John Escobedo. A probe by the agency found that an employee was stealing personal effects out of cars that were impounded, he said.

The employee was fired and the thefts stopped, Escobedo said. The company has been suspended from the CHP towing rotation for 30 days for theft. The suspension starts March 1 and ends March 30.

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NEW YORK -- More than two dozen tow truck drivers followed a hearse carrying a fellow operator who was killed on the state Thruway.

Wade Eaton, 25, of Schenectady, was struck and killed Saturday by a tractor-trailer after removing a car that rolled over an embankment near exit 24 at Albany.

The driver of the tractor-trailer, James Dale Simpson, 34, of Selkirk, was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

Dozens of Eaton's friends and family remembered him Tuesday at a funeral in his hometown of Valatie, 20 miles south of Albany.

After the service, tow trucks from Albany, Schenectady, East Nassau, Kingston, Ilion and Herkimer joined the procession, which stretched for miles, the Daily Gazette of Schenectady reported.

Eaton's mother, Patti-Jo Wright, said her son wanted to be a tow truck operator since he was very young.

The trucks followed the hearse for eight miles, flashing their yellow and white hazard lights.

As they passed through the village, people came out of their homes and businesses. The drivers were there to honor Eaton, the first tow truck driver from the area to die while on duty this year, and to educate the public about the job's dangers.

"His death was a terrible thing to happen," said Robert Morrison, a tow truck operator for R&J Sales and Services of Johnstown.

Three trucks from Vern O'Brien's Amsterdam company were there.

"We're here to pay our respects to the tow truck driver who was killed," O'Brien said. "It's a tough business because you're out on the road recovering vehicles. People don't slow down, they speed, and they don't pay attention," he said.

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NEW YORK -- A tow truck driver was killed Saturday after being struck by a tractor trailer on the New York State Thruway, state police said.

Wade Eaton, 25, of Schenectady, was killed after removing a car that rolled over an embankment near exit 24 in Albany. The driver of the car was taken away, and a passenger stayed on the scene until a tow truck was called, troopers said.

After removing the car, Eaton tried to get back into the tow truck but was struck by a tractor trailer, which did not stop, police said. A second car struck Eaton again and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are looking for a silver tanker truck with damage to front right of the vehicle.

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