Isuzu has announced the start of sales of its new F-Series medium-duty (Class 6-8) truck for the ’04 model year.

The OEM pointed out that refinements of the frame design allow the trucks to accept a wide range of truck bodies, including tow trucks.

Key F-series features for ’04 include standard Allison automatic transmissions, optional Eaton Fuller manual transmissions, improved brake systems, 19.5- and 22.5-in. wheels and tires, new 14.6K front axle (with up to 16K available in January), cruise control and available traction control.

The Isuzu 6HK1 7.8-liter diesel engine is the only powerplant offered. It is now available in 200- to 250-hp versions. In early ’04, 275- to 300-hp ratings will be added.

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RHODE ISLAND -- State police have suspended eleven tow truck operators, including five with ties to Providence's notorious city towing list.

The unidentified offenders face a six-month suspension from the Rhode Island State Police tow list. They have until Wednesday to appeal.

Major Brendan Doherty says six firms face suspension for having employees with criminal records.

The other five face sanctions for their ties to former Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci that was highlighted in his corruption trial last summer.

Several towers admitted at Cianci's trial they made illegal campaign contributions to the mayor to stay on the city's lucrative tow list.

One of them, Richard Leone of Nick's Auto Body, told The Providence Journal the campaign kickbacks seemed like a good business decision at the time.

There are 47 companies on the state police tow list.

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A hosted application for Nextel wireless phones offers time-stamped GPS locations for tow truck drivers, as well as automated dispatch, text messaging and job tracking.

Particularly well suited for small- and mid-sized towing business without IT support staff, GPS TimeTrack V. 1.1 from Xora (www.xora.com) is a Java application that can be downloaded directly to a Nextel phone equipped with GPS and requires no additional software for office PCs beyond an Internet connection.

Time-stamping location information means the service can be used to monitor hours worked by drivers and to automate other timekeeping and billing functions. Other features added with the new version of the service include bar-code scanner integration for the smart phones, improved mapping with fleet-specified landmarks and instant text messaging to individuals, groups or the entire fleet force.

The monthly service fee for GPS TimeTrack is $11.99 for the basic tracking functions with a one-time $25 set up fee per handset. Optional dispatch and messaging functions are not included in the basic subscription. Data transmission fees over the Nextel network are additional.

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KENTUCKY -- Following an incident in which a Louisville Metro Police officer arrested a tow truck driver who was in the process of repossessing his vehicle, department officials have fired the officer.

Third District Detective Matthew Corder was notified of the firing in a letter from Chief Robert White late last week. The notice documented the numerous offenses Corder committed last October, as well as other infractions in November.

Corder was home the evening of Oct. 8, 2002, when Kenneth Weeks, an employee of Bluegrass Towing, tried to repossess his vehicle. Corder placed Weeks under arrest, handcuffing him and charging him with disorderly conduct, only to let him go after striking a deal with a woman overseeing the repossession to keep his vehicle.

In his letter to Corder, White said the officer’s breech of truthfulness codes of conduct “standing alone warrants” termination. Yet, additional violations against Corder were also discussed in the termination notice.

According to White’s investigation, Corder also disobeyed code of conduct rules in November, when he worked an off-duty job although he was told by superiors to stay at home and recuperate from injuries he sustained in a Nov. 6 vehicle accident. “Your failure to go directly home, failure to remain at home during your tour of duty, working off duty without approval and failing to contact your commanding officer as instructed is the basis of the violation,” White wrote.

Given both sets of infractions, White said the only choice was termination. “I find that your conduct was a blatant abuse of authority and a violation of numerous department rules,” the letter said. “The officers of the Louisville Metro Police Department are required to abide by all Rules and Standards of Conduct of the department and all policies and procedures. It is clear through my investigations that you have chosen to violate the Rules and Standards of Conduct and policies of the department for your own personal gain and convenience.” (snitch.com)

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FLORIDA -- When Manuel Quinones' pickup was abruptly towed, in Coconut Creek, and then sold to satisfy a questionable $40 debt, he wondered how it could have happened.

Others could soon be asking the same question.

Tow truck operator Edwardo Gomez's use of a series of state forms to get ownership of Quinones' 1992 truck, which could lead to criminal charges, was the focus of a civil lawsuit filed this month by Quinones. In those forms, Gomez listed an outstanding charge that stemmed from an early November morning when Gomez's assistance was sought, but never used.

Quinones, 44, called two tow companies for help, and Gomez arrived to find the other tow truck already there. Gomez, 51, told Quinones he was owed a service charge for coming to the scene, but Quinones never paid him.

Denied the money, Gomez turned to a state law that allows tow truck operators to dispose of vehicles abandoned by their owners. Citing a debt of $40, Gomez filed papers with the state to obtain a lien on the truck, and weeks later he got the state to grant him title to the truck.

Then, despite having never towed or stored the truck, Gomez went to Quinones' home on a Sunday morning, towed the $5,000 vehicle away and later sold it. Quinones was warned of the lien by certified letter, and a public auction was held for the vehicle, and everything was completely legal, Gomez said.

"I did everything I'm supposed to," he said.

However, one of the forms Gomez filled out indicates possession of the vehicle is a necessary prerequisite to obtaining a lien and then title. Mike Seamon, executive director of Professional Wreckers of Florida, said obtaining a lien on a truck without ever towing or storing it simply was not allowed.

"It's not a gray area," Seamon said. "You can't have a lien on a vehicle you don't have."

Criminal charges?

Also, Gomez said a county ordinance allows him to charge for arriving on a scene, but Mona Fandel, director of Broward County's Consumer Affairs Division, said county law doesn't provide for such charges and in fact only applies to nonconsensual tows.

"What he did was fraud," Quinones said. "He stole my truck, and he's trying to get away with it."

Gomez contended he obtained the truck lawfully and Quinones sued, charging civil theft in Broward County Circuit Court. The Broward County State's Attorney's Office is considering criminal charges as well. Falsifying a lien or title application is a third-degree felony.

The dispute began Nov. 6, when Quinones' truck broke down near his Coconut Creek home. He called one towing company, but after an hour no truck arrived, so he called Gomez Towing. The first tow company, Sun Towing, had arrived and lifted Quinones' pickup off the ground when Gomez arrived and demanded to be paid. Quinones considered paying Gomez $25, but the first tow truck driver and later a service station manager told him he owed Gomez nothing.

"Since he refused to pay, I took a lien out on his truck," Gomez said.

Driver: I followed law

On the form seeking the lien, dated Nov. 17, one line reads "the above described vehicle was towed at the request of Manuel Quinones on 11-6-02 and the above named towing company is in possession of and claims a lien on the ... vehicle for towing and storage charges accumulated in the amount of $40." Beneath that passage, Gomez noted there were no towing charges and no storage charges, just a $40 "admin. fee."

When the form arrived Nov. 23 by certified mail, Quinones was dubious.

"I thought it was just him trying to scare me," Quinones said. "He never did any service for me, and he never had the vehicle. I had the truck.

"The only time he had the truck was on Jan. 5, when he towed it from my house."

Quinones called Coconut Creek police to report the truck stolen, but Gomez came forward with the state-issued title, and police concluded the issue was a civil matter.

The truck's whereabouts are uncertain. Gomez declined to identify the buyer, though as of Thursday state records showed the truck still registered to Gomez. He said he didn't have the vehicle.

Gomez also wouldn't say how much he was paid for the truck, but state law requires any funds above the outstanding debt to be deposited with the county Clerk Of Courts Office. Gomez claimed a debt of $40 and sold a truck valued at between $5,470 and $4,300, but no funds had been deposited with the Clerk Of Courts Office as of Friday.

Robert Sanchez, spokesman for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, said in an e-mail the documents Gomez submitted were largely in order, but acknowledged the department had no mechanism to confirm services rendered or possession of the vehicles in question.

"Over a very small deal, this guy went about filing several documents which are either unauthorized by the law or are pure fabrications," said Quinones' attorney, Matthew Weissing. "It may not be the biggest case in the world, but this is the kind of case where, if Mr. Quinones doesn't get some justice, if the community doesn't see some response from this, it will be happening to others." (Kevin Smith - South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

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MARYLAND -- The parking lot of Eastern Garrett Fire Department looked like a junk yard Saturday as victims of the previous day’s accident reclaimed their cars and their lives.

Less than 24 hours had passed since dense fog contributed to a chain-reaction accident that claimed at least two lives and sent at least 64 people to the hospital.

Maryland State Police said Regina Daudet, 66, of Centreville, Va., was a passenger in a car crushed between several vehicles. Jason S. Howell, 26, of Millerburg, Ohio, was struck when he left his vehicle. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

A third, unidentified, victim was in critical condition Saturday night at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

Bill Sorah, with a white bandage on his forehead, was hoping to be able to rest as the family continued their vacation. Traveling from Douglasville, Pa., to Charlestown, W.Va., Sorah said his van was near the middle of the accident.

Seeing lights and stopped vehicles ahead, he pulled to the side of the highway. He was trying to get his children over the guardrail, when a car hit his van, pushing it into him.

“It sounded like bombs going off,” said Sorah, as he tried to describe the horror. “People were screaming. Glass was shattering.”

His wife Helen said they appreciated the almost “smothering” from volunteers. People offered their homes and bought toys and crayons for the children, she said.

Three-year old-Katie and 18-month-old Jack were frightened and worried about their father and all the blood they saw, Bill Sorah said, but were otherwise unharmed.

The Sorahs were among the 25 people who stayed overnight at the American Red Cross emergency shelter set up at the Finzel fire hall, said Jim Raley, president of Eastern Garrett Fire Department. Another 25 were shuttled to Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort and Wisp Hotel and Conference Center.

Boxes of Pampers, pillows and sheets were scattered on tables at the fire department. Toddlers slept on their parents’ shoulders as they left the shelter to continue their vacation or return home.

“A lot of people came in to eat and get warm and then went back out to work,” said Leona Phillips, of the Red Cross Disaster Team. Closing the shelter, Red Cross was helping those stranded with lodging and travel arrangements.

Robert Brown was on his way to Indianapolis when someone stopped right in front of him. He knew he was going to hit, he said. Suddenly the airbag was in front of him and he was stopped.

“I was alive,” he said. “It was a great feeling. God kept us safe.”

Brown was treated for minor injuries at Sacred Heart Hospital, returned to Eastern Garrett and then was taken to Rocky Gap for the night.

“Everybody was so nice,” he said. “It shows how people help when others are in need.”

Angela Robinson worked with police officers to identify items in her Chevrolet Impala, its front demolished. She made arrangements for a rental car to continue her trip.

Headlights were smashed, windshields broken; deflated airbags hung from dashboards and trunks were pushed all the way into the back seats of cars and vans from New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as Maryland.

People taken directly to the fire department were uninjured or had only minor scrapes, said Raley, who worked until 4 a.m. Saturday and returned to the station at 8 a.m. “Our guys were working there when the chain reaction started,” he said.

Police were trying to slow traffic when the cars began piling up, said J.R. Fazenbaker. “Everyone ran.”

“There was no safe zone,” he said “I was running with a Blazer following me. It was all over in about 30 seconds.”

“The fog was so thick you couldn’t see 20 feet,” said Nick Wiland, who was with the second squad to arrive at the accident, directly from another accident nearby on the opposite side of the highway involving five cars.

Cars were scattered over the highway. Accident photographs show cars and trucks jammed together from guardrail to guardrail.

I-68 remained closed in both directions between LaVale and Grantsville exits during the night as fog and heavy rain hampered police efforts and cleanup. The interstate was reopened at 1:41 p.m. Saturday.

The state police will store any personal property at the barracks, said First Sgt. Scott Trice of the McHenry Barracks, who worked 18 hours Friday. Saturday, he and other officers were helping people identify their cars and list personal property left in the cars.

“Some cars were able to drive away,” he said. Many were towed to secure lots.

Jeff Coleman of Route 36 Towing and Recovery said the company’s tow trucks starting moving cars shortly after 3 p.m. Friday. The last were taken off the Interstate by noon.

“People are taking it pretty good,” said Matt Coleman, who was waiting to tow a car from the Finzel lot. Some people were able to drive their cars away, but many were towed to local lots.

The Maryland State Police Crash Team is being assisted by investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board. A state police veteran said the crash is the worst in Maryland for the last three decades.

No charges were filed, as police wait for crash team results. (Jo Donaldson - Times News)

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DETROIT - General Motors Fleet and Commercial Operations (FCO) will add Gearworks' etrace xt mobile productivity solution, which will run over Nextel's nationwide network, to its commercial vehicle offering in an industry-leading move to exceed customer expectations.

"Teaming up with Gearworks and Nextel allows GM to deliver valuable fleet management capabilities to our commercial customers, providing them complete visibility to field operations so they can better measure and utilize resources," said Tim Cavanaugh, GM FCO marketing product manager.

"We believe customer satisfaction will be increased using the etrace xt technology because it provides real-time visibility into field operations and increases the productivity and response time of workers in the field, helping businesses improve customer service, reduce operating costs and capitalize on additional revenue opportunities," said Cavanaugh. "As well, it's easy - because many of our customers already are using Nextel services so there is little transition and the actual set-up of the installation is user friendly and will be up and running in a matter of minutes."

Beginning second quarter 2003, qualifying GM commercial vehicles and fleet customers will receive a one year subscription to Gearworks' etrace xt application, a GPS/Java-enabled Nextel i58sr phone, and a one year subscription to a Nextel Total Connect data plan when they select the etrace xt package upon purchase of a vehicle through either the GMC Fit For Profit or Chevrolet Commercial Customer's Choice promotional programs. Eligible commercial vehicles include:
* GMC Sierra and HD pick-ups, Savanna/Savanna Pro full-size vans, Safari vans and Sonoma compact pick-up trucks.
* Chevrolet Silverado and HD pick-ups, Express / Express Access full-size vans, Astro vans and S10 compact pick-ups.

etrace xt is ideally suited for vocations with dispatched mobile workers like towing companies.

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VIRGINIA -- Fredericksburg City Attorney Jim Pates has asked the City Council to put more thought into a proposed ordinance that would regulate the towing of cars from private property.

The council was scheduled to adopt an ordinance last week that would cap the towing rates at the states maximum of $85 per tow with a $10 after hour charge, but Pates apparently thinks that is too high.

Pates, in a memo to council members last week, urged the council to "create and enact a law that addresses the situation we face here in Fredericksburg." He was referring to what the city calls "predatory towing practices"

Apparently Pates thinks that a unreasonably low towing rate will root out the less than reputable towing companies, but that is neither true nor fair. In fact when the rate are capped at an unreasonably low rate, legitimate towing companies are forced to stop providing a necessary service for private property owners, and the less than reputable companies are forced to use questionable business practices to maintain a profit. 

Pates, who clearly knows little about modern towing methods wrote, "Remember that we are considering giving permission for someone to hook a chain to your car, without your permission and without your even knowing it is happening, and drag your car to an unknown lot miles away and then hold your car hostage on their property until you pay their price in cash."

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ILLINOIS -- A normally routine matter of Vanderburgh County business - the annual awarding of a vehicle towing contract - is still unresolved after three bidding processes and many political accusations.

Commissioners on Monday appeared ready to award the 2003 contract to Hamrick's Recovery Service after the latest round of bids. But they delayed action for another week when rival company Mike's Towing alleged that Hamrick's did not meet bid specifications.

Republican Commissioner Suzanne Crouch, who took office in January, said a contract should have been awarded long ago. She said the process has had the appearance of favoritism toward Mike's Towing, which has had the county's contract for the last few years.

Competitive bidding "is as basic to our democracy as open-door laws and public records," Crouch told the Evansville Courier & Press editorial board Friday. "The bid process prohibits a violation of the public's trust."

Commissioners President David Mosby denied favoritism and said prospective companies are being scrutinized to protect the public's interest.

Hamrick's has had Evansville's towing contract since January. Mosby said he's heard complaints about the company since getting that contract, and "It's my concern that we're getting somebody not very reputable."

Mosby said Hamrick's charges an environmental cleanup fee for vehicles that leak fluid onto his lot, and the fee is unjustified.

Crouch pointed to a line in Mike's Towing's contract with the county stating that the company "shall not be responsible" for the disposal or cleanup of vehicles.

Hamrick's Recovery Service owner John Hamrick said the Evansville Board of Public Safety has no record of complaints against his company.

The latest delay in awarding a Vanderburgh County towing contract occurred Monday, when Les Shively, the attorney for Mike's Towing, said Hamrick's does not meet county requirements for wrecker service. Among other things, Shively noted a requirement of 4 acres of storage space.

Hamrick's has a little more than 2 acres on its lot at 1277 Maxwell Ave., and leases additional acreage nearby on East Morgan Avenue.

Bid specifications did not specify the storage space must be at one site, but a draft contract drawn up for Hamrick's prior to Monday's meeting said all storage must be at 1277 Maxwell Ave. "This is an attempt to say this guy (Hamrick) didn't meet the specs," Crouch said.

Mosby responded that the contract's language has been changed since Monday to allow Hamrick's to store vehicles on both Maxwell and Morgan.

"As long as they meet all the requirements, I'll pass (the contract with Hamrick's)," said Mosby, whose cousin is the former owner of Mike's Towing. "But they're going to have to stick to the requirements."

Mosby said he will insist, for example, that both locations be secure 24 hours a day as the contract states. "We've got to ensure the safety of the vehicles."

Hamrick said his Maxwell Avenue facility is watched by dispatchers around the clock. He said the Morgan Avenue site, which is used for overflow vehicles and "cars of no value" that go unclaimed by their owners, has security cameras and is always locked.

Two earlier rounds of towing bids received by commissioners were thrown out.

Commissioners discarded the first round of bids because companies did not charge for service in the same manner, and the bids could not be compared accurately.

Hamrick's was the lowest bidder in the second round of bidding. City-County Purchasing Director Phil Lawrence said the company met specifications.

But Mosby and fellow Democratic Commissioner Catherine Fanello didn't award a contract because Hamrick's did not allow vehicle pickup on Sundays, which they said Mike's Towing has always done.

Hamrick's later agreed to have office hours from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. (John Martin - INKY.com)

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CANADA -- The owner of a Guelph local towing company is threatening legal action against the Guelph Police Services Board in a dispute over a towing contract.

Steve Paylor, owner of Bill's Towing, told the Mercury he will speak to a lawyer and may file a legal challenge to the tendering process used by the board last fall, and the resulting contract awarded to Bob's Towing.

Paylor questioned the validity of the process because the board does not pay any money when vehicles are towed at the request of the police.

The vehicle owner pays the towing charge.

"I don't think it's a legal binding contract," he said of the agreement with Bob's Towing owner Bob Goodliffe.

The contract means when police need a tow truck they call Bob's unless the owner of the vehicle asks for another company. For the past seven years, until the end of 2002, such work was assigned on a rotating basis among three companies: Bob's Towing, Bill's Towing and Ken's Towing.

However, when the owners of the three companies could not come to an agreement last year on how to extend the deal, the board called for tenders and ultimately accepted a proposal from Bob's, which was lower than the other two.

Since then, representatives of all three companies have asked the board several times to end the contract with Bob's and revert to the old rotating schedule. Each time the board has refused, and on Thursday Paylor and Ken's Towing owner Ed Arnold were again sent away empty-handed.

Police services board chair Dave Clark told them the board has voted in the past not to end the contract.

"What you're talking about is history," Clark said, suggesting the three companies need to get together and talk about what they will do when the current one-year contract expires at the end of 2003.

An agitated Paylor said in December "we could be in the driver's seat" and board members might be "coming to our meeting trying to get the prices back down." He told the board his company is losing $10,000 per month due to lack of police towing work.

After the meeting, board lawyer Harry Perets said the board is "not happy that the situation is like this; that people are hurting."

However, he defended the tender process and the resulting contract.

Perets said when a public body like the police board is contracting services on behalf of the community "we have an obligation to ensure the fees are reasonable and justified. "If we didn't do it I think we would be dropping the ball."

Perets said tenders and contracts must be taken seriously and cannot be abandoned without good reason. If the board starts letting people back out of contracts, "it would affect our ability to have tenders people can rely on." (Scott Tracey - Guelph Mercury)

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COLORADO -- Two Lakewood tow truck operators just trying to do their jobs are recovering from injuries this morning after an upset driver tried to run them over, 7NEWS reported.

Delux Towing Inc. was called to Kings Row Apartments at South Teller and Alameda in Lakewood Wednesday night to remove several cars that were parked on the street for a party.

As the truck operator was putting a car on go-jacks, the owner of one vehicle ran out and tried to stop him.

"The kid jumps in his car and revved the engine at real high speed and it spun the go-jacks from underneath the car and hit me in the leg," said Don Kunce, a tow truck operator.

The car then spun around and ran over the female owner of the tow company. The suspect tried to flee the scene but police caught him about one block away.

The owner was treated and released from Saint Anthony's Central Hospital. The truck operator said they have had run-ins before but never this bad.

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The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) hinted Friday that it may call for production cuts to ease an overabundance when it meets in June.

"There is too much oil on the market and that has a bad influence on prices which have fallen dramatically," OPEC president Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah told France's Le Monde in an interview published on Friday.

OPEC has previously expressed concern that the global oil glut could swell further after Iraq crude returns to the world market. The UN Security Council met Friday for initial discussion of a resolution that would lift sanctions against Iraq.

Under the current system Iraqi crude can only be sold through a UN-administered oil-for-food program, which expires next month.

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The average price of U.S. diesel per gallon fell to $1.44 per gallon for the week ending May 12, the lowest price it has been since Dec. 23.

Prices have fallen for nine consecutive weeks, but are still 14.5 cents higher than this time last year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

The biggest recent drops have been on the coasts. Diesel prices fell more than 5 cents on the West Coast and 5 cents on the East Coast from the previous week.

New England and the Central Atlantic states have the highest prices of any region, around $1.61 per gallon. The lowest prices are the Gulf Coast states, at nearly $1.37 per gallon.

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FLORIDA -- A tow truck driver was killed and a Miami woman seriously injured Sunday morning when the woman, who was driving north on I-95, ran into the driver as he loaded a car on his truck on the east shoulder of I-95 just north of Commercial Boulevard.

Officers closed I-95 northbound for about three hours while the accident was investigated, forcing traffic off the interstate at Commercial Boulevard, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The tow truck driver, an employee of Sal's Towing in Oakland Park, was not identified by FHP pending notification of relatives. The woman, Sallyanne Bailey of Miami, was in serious condition at North Broward Medical Center.

Employees at Sal's Towing, located 4033 NE Ninth Avenue, had no comment about the accident on Sunday, but people coming and going from the building were visibly shaken.

According to the Highway Patrol, the accident occurred around 9:20 a.m. when Bailey, driving a 1994 Lincoln Town Car, struck the tow truck driver as he loaded an unknown vehicle onto his 1990 Ford F-350 tow truck.

After hitting the driver, Bailey lost control of her car. It flipped onto its roof before stopping in the northbound lanes. The tow truck driver was dead at the scene.

As rescue and investigation proceeded, the FHP closed I-95, causing a traffic snarl at the intersection of I-95 and Commercial Boulevard. Driver Cale Reisnet of Pompano Beach said traffic at one point backed up to Sunrise Boulevard.

"Up ahead, it was just cars as far as the eye can see," said Reisnet. "Based on how it's been going so far, I'll get home in about two hours, but if someone gets hurt you have to let people do their job." (Peter Bernard - Sun Sentinel)

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DELAWARE -- Wilmington will spend up to $40,000 to have about 700 abandoned or nonregistered vehicles towed from city streets, city officials said. Residents and city officials agree the cars are ugly, take up precious parking spaces and sometimes are used by drug dealers to store their wares.

"It's just one more headache neighborhood residents have to deal with that we're trying to get rid of," Mayor James M. Baker said.

City quality control officers Marcia Starks and Arthur Scott cruised the streets over the winter and identified the vehicles, city Communications Director John Rago said.

About 170 vehicles already have been towed by Tow Zone, the city's primary contractor, Rago said. Holly Oak AAA Service Center and C&D Towing recently were hired on a part-time basis to help Tow Zone remove the rest of the 700 cars over the next two months. A fourth company also could be called on to help.

About 60 percent of the vehicles have license plates but are not insured and have expired registrations, Rago said. About 40 percent have no plates and are considered abandoned. Baker said many people simply leave them on the streets when they break down and aren't repairable.

Charles Braxton of the Vandever Avenue Civic Association in Northeast Wilmington said abandoned vehicles are a citywide problem. Public Safety Director James Mosley and Police Chief Michael Szczerba agreed with Braxton that dealers sometimes use the cars to stash drugs.

"They use all of the urban landscape," Szczerba said. "Fortunately, this is one piece of the landscape we can remove."

Baker said some dealers place bogus temporary tags on cars they use to store drugs.

If city and towing officials can determine who owns a car, a $25 ticket is issued. The cost of storage at the tow yards is about $20 a day, but the cost to tow a vehicle is nominal, Rago said.

Marvin Thomas of the Southbridge Civic Association said there are trouble spots in his neighborhood.

"Some of the problem is caused by people with four or five cars," he said. "I hope they start towing in Southbridge soon."

Rago said the program is not popular with people who have had vehicles with lapsed registration stickers towed.

"They've said we're violating their rights, but our streets are not for storage of cars," he said. "It's not fair to the residents who keep their cars running properly." (Adam Taylor - Delaware Online)

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CONNECTICUT -- Owners of two local towing companies in Ansonia say they are considering withdrawing from a list of four wreckers who tow for the Police Department because the terms of a pending contract don’t fairly split up the work.

The Police Department is soliciting bids until May 22 on a contract for repair, maintenance and towing of police vehicles as well as towing for fatal accidents and vehicles towed as evidence. The contract is for three years and will take effect July 1.

For years, multiple towing companies have provided all of the department’s towing needs on a rotational basis while the city’s municipal garage repaired the city’s cruisers.

In 2000, the department stopped using the city garage and awarded a three-year repair contract to Frank’s Service Station, 142 Wakelee Ave. The contract also included towing for fatal crashes and vehicles considered evidence, Corporation Counsel Kevin Blake said.

All other towing needs were split up evenly between multiple certified towing companies, Blake said.

Currently, Frank’s and three other companies provide this service to the department. They are Chippy’s Service Station, 136 Wakelee Ave., Sardo’s Automotive Inc., 522 Main St. and Auto Repair’s Unlimited, 535 Main St.

Bob Barbieri, of Chippy’s, and Paul Sardo, of Sardo’s, both say contracts for repairs and towing should be awarded separately. They said it would ensure equal treatment among local tow companies and preserve the decades-old rotation system.

"Paul and I are ready to resign from the list," said Barbieri, adding that the repair contract excludes garages that do not provide tow service.

Lt. Andrew Cota III said the towing calls that go directly to Frank’s account for only about 10 percent of instances where police call for a wrecker. He said the majority of tow trucks are called in for minor accidents, illegally parked vehicles and other such incidents.

Sardo, who has towed 16 years for police, said that it’s not fair to give any amount of towing work exclusively to one company.

"If it keeps going the way it’s going (police) will have only one towing company working for them," Sardo said. "I just want to get my fair shake."

Barbieri, who has towed 37 years for police, said towing companies receive $73 plus $4 a mile after two miles for any non-consensual call, or call where the person involved with the incident did not request a tow but one is required.

On Friday, Police Chief Kevin Hale showed Mayor James Della Volpe a log of recent tow requests by police. Della Volpe said the log appeared to show equal treatment among the tow companies.

"There were a couple of refusals but otherwise everything looked normal," the mayor said.

Della Volpe said, that he would meet again with Hale on Monday to investigate the issue further.

"We want to make sure businesses are all being treated fairly," he said.

Cota said it would be up to the police chief, police commissioners and corporation counsel to decide if contracts for towing and repairs should be awarded separately.

By Friday afternoon, two companies, Chippy’s and Frank’s, had picked up bid packages from the Town and City Clerk’s Office. (Andy Bromage - New Haven Register)

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recall on some International 4700 trucks.

Some 2,418 trucks manufactured between December 1994 and September 1998 are affected. These trucks have Bostrom driver seat models 910, 910SC or 914, and the trucks have parking brake code 04036.

If someone outside the cab changes the driver seat to its most forward position while the parking brake is set, the seat will release the parking brake level, according to a NHTSA press release. Dealers will install a stop-bracket on the seat track to prevent this from happening.

Owner notification began March 31 on the recall, which is listed as NHTSA Recall No. 03V083/International Recall No. 03503. Affected owners may call International at (800) 448-7825.

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MINNESOTA -- Thanks but no thanks! That was the response of the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District (LMCD) to a request that it use money from the privately-generated “Save the Lake” fund to reimburse a towing company $1,000 for recovering a truck from Lake Minnetonka this winter.

While board members were sympathetic to the plight of Perry’s Truck Repair and Welding Co., which estimated that the salvage operation cost about $2,000, the majority of board members were inclined to heed the advise of Charles LeFevere, the board’s attorney, that such an expenditure would be illegal.

“No matter how worthy a cause, you cannot give away public money” even if the money comes from private sources, LeFevere advised. “You have no contract with him. It is a gratuity.”

Giving money to a private company such as Perry’s is not the same as purchasing equipment worth several thousand dollars for the Sheriff’s Water Patrol because the LMCD has the statuary authority for paying for the water patrol equipment, LeFevere added.

Given LeFevere’s advice, Wayzata representative Bob Ambrose said, “There is no way we can pay this bill.” That sentiment was shared by nearly every board member.

Perry’s, which operates out of Long Lake, had been hired to retrieve a truck that had fallen through the ice on Lake Minnetonka this winter. Upon arriving on the scene, however, the divers discovered three vehicles in the same area.

The divers inadvertently hooked the wrong truck and did not discover their mistake until it was almost halfway up from the lake bottom. The correct truck was later salvaged.

The truck that was inadvertently pulled from the lake had been stolen and the owner balked at paying for the salvage operation.

One board member suggested that Rick Perry, owner of the towing company, sue the truck’s owner in conciliation court to recover some of the cost of the salvage operation. (Johnathon White - Lakeshore Weekly News)

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MINNESOTA -- The city of Brainerd will file a lawsuit against Peterson Towing for operating in violation of the city's zoning ordinance.

The Brainerd City Council Monday unanimously approved having attorney George Hoff, of the Hoff, Barry & Kuderer law firm in Eden Prairie, proceed immediately with legal action against Peterson Towing, which is located at 400 Buffalo Hills Lane.

On June 3, the Brainerd City Council revoked a conditional use permit issued to Peterson Towing and ordered owner Clarence Turner to stop doing business.

The revocation resulted in two legal actions from Turner. On June 13, Turner filed a lawsuit in Crow Wing County District Court claiming that because Peterson Towing was operating before being annexed into Brainerd, it was a legally non-conforming business.

The city of Brainerd argued that a stipulation of Turner's contract when he bought the towing company in 1999 was that he meet the conditions of the conditional use permit.

The seven conditions that went with the conditional use permit when it was issued to original owner Fred Peterson in 1991 were: That he pave areas within the storage yard, that additional drive and parking areas be paved, that parking outside of the storage area be restricted to 48 hours, that he grant the city a 40-foot easement for roadway and utilities on the north 40 feet of the property, that a construction project started without a building permit be restricted until the rezoning had been completed, that a screen fence at least 8 feet high and 95 percent opaque be built around the storage yard and that trees be planted in the boulevard area for landscaping and screening.

Crow Wing County District Court Judge Richard Zimmerman July 2 denied Turner's motions.

The second legal action contested the city's ability to regulate the use of the land. That lawsuit was withdrawn in December.

Despite the court's ruling, Peterson Towing has continued to operate.

"We're very concerned," said Bob Campbell, who lives in a townhouse near Buffalo Hill Lane. "This started 12 years ago, and it's been put off. I'm very unhappy."

Council member Mary Koep said there was discussion in the Safety and Public Works Committee that if Turner was able to move within 30 days, he could avoid a lawsuit. Council member Lucy Nesheim said that wasn't part of the committee recommendation, and it wasn't included in the motion before the council.

"It's drug on too long," added council member Bob Olson. (Matt Erickson - Brainerd Dispatch)

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Diesel prices dropped for an eighth straight week May 5, falling 2.4 cents to a national retail average of $1.484.

The decline brings prices in line with where they were in January before prices spiked dramatically as the war with Iraq loomed. Prices are still nearly 18 cents higher than the same week a year ago.

Prices declined the most in New England, where a cold winter sent prices over $2 a gallon in March. A gallon of diesel now costs $1.635 at the pump there, the second most expensive region in the country. Diesel costs marginally more in central Atlantic states, at an average $1.647. Diesel prices also fell below $1.40 along the Gulf Coast, settling at $1.39.

Fuel prices are falling along with oil prices as oil imports return to normal levels following an end to labor problems in Venezuela and hostilities in Iraq. Diesel prices continued to decline despite moves by oil-producing countries to cut production and strengthen oil prices.

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ILLINOIS -- City of Harvey officials are tightening the city's purse strings this month, holding off on paying a large bill due to a local towing company.

Last week, the Harvey City Council unanimously approved holding payment from the towing company and four other companies until more detailed information about the nature of the bills is received by the city.

"We are going to have stricter guidelines of accountability, we want more details about what these bills are for," Mayor Eric Kellogg said Monday.

In an interview with The Star Wednesday, Kellogg said the city would pay the bills once they were provided with all the information about what Harvey was being billed for.

"Various companies had incomplete invoices," he said. "We are just tying to have some accountability. Vague information may have been okay in the past, but not now. We are trying to be responsible and accountable. What worked in the past won't work now."

Kellogg said a memo had been sent out to all five companies requesting the information the city required from each business.

The largest bill payment is being held on is also the bill most likely to create the biggest political storm. The Harvey City Council approved holding a payment of $566,425 to Royal Towing, a company owned by Rick Graves, son of Nick Graves, Kellogg's political enemy and mayoral predecessor.

Although Kellogg claims the payment hold is not politically motivated, Rick Graves said his company isn't getting paid because of who is father is.

"If they don't want to pay, that's fine. They know they are not paying me because Nick Graves is my father," Rick Graves said Tuesday. "If they want a big court case that's fine. The man on the bench will take care of all of this. This is completely political."

Rick Graves said the half-million dollar plus bill is for the towing and storage of between 70 to 80 cars the Harvey Police requested he tow in April 2002. Graves said the city then became entangled in court action regarding the cars and he was told to hold them on his lot. Finally in March of this year the court ordered all of the cars returned.

"The court ruled the city was wrong, but services were still rendered," he said. "We stored the cars here for 327 days at $25 a day per car, the normal rate anywhere."

Kellogg said Wednesday the payment being held was not political at all and the younger Graves' invoice was a hold over from his father's administration which had not paid him before it left city hall early last month.

"If you look at the invoice it was submitted a year ago. His dad didn't even pay him. This is a year-old requisition and I'm just holding it accountable, it's just good government," Kellogg said Wednesday. "His father didn't pay him, so he must have known something. That right there threw up red flags. I am not going to just come in here and cut him a check for half a million dollars."

Thursday Rick Graves said he received a memo from Kellogg that said the invoice was dated a week after the new mayor took office.

"It says in here 'for the receipt dated April 16, 2003 for towing' and it's signed by Eric Kellogg," Graves said Thursday.

Kellogg could not be reached to clarify his comments or respond to Graves' statements about the invoice's date.

Graves said Kellogg's memo was requesting documents on the autos towed including license information and photos on every vehicle. This is information Graves said the city attorney has had "for months."

Newly appointed city attorney Bettie Lewis said she was not familiar with Royal Towing and could not comment on the manner.

Former city attorney David Dillner did not return phone calls from The Star.

"This is all for political reasons," Graves said. "I don't even know the mayor. I've only met him once after the election. This is just political. It is just a shame."

Other companies payments are being held from include: Windy City Construction; Jay & Dee Builders; Taylor Associates Architects and Marion Inc.

The current mayor said he does not expect any lawsuits to come from payments being held.

"I don't anticipate any lawsuits. We just want to inform companies to provide the city of Harvey with all the information," he said.

Rick Graves said he is already been in contact with his attorney.

"They just want me off my property," Graves said. "It is up to them if they want a big lawsuit or not. It is just all political." (Stephen Stanis - starnewspapers.com)

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DETROIT - General Motors is recalling an unknown number of model year 1998 Chevrolet C/K and GMC Sierra pickups, such as those used to build tow trucks, all equipped with remote power adjustable mirrors. 

GM will repair a mirror control switch condition in the driver's door.

Beginning in April, GM will notify owners of the affected vehicles, instructing them to bring them into their Chevrolet and GMC dealers. Dealers will install a fused jumper harness in the door wiring harness leading to the mirror switch. This will provide over-current protection. The repairs will be performed at no cost to the customers.

In some of the recall vehicles, a short circuit could allow continuous current flow through the switch, producing enough heat to initiate smoldering in the switch, wiring insulation, and adjacent materials. The smoldering could progress to an electrical fire in the door trim panel and other interior surfaces. There are 67 incidents of electrical fires where the mirror control switch was specifically given as the source. There have been three reports of injuries that may be related to the condition, but no fatal injuries.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it had issued a recall for up to 2,418 International Truck and Engine Corp. model 4700 heavy-duty trucks made between 1995 and 1999.

NHTSA said the recall involved some trucks equipped with Bostrom driver seat models 910, 910SC, or 914 and International's parking brake code 04036.

NHTSA said if the driver's seat is moved to its most forward position from outside the cab while the parking brake was set, the seat could release the lever for the parking brake. NHTSA said dealers would install a stop-bracket on the seat track so that the seat cannot release the lever.

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TEXAS -- An Amarillo towing company is reprimanded and ordered to refund money after an investigation reveals they overcharged.

The reprimand comes after the city attorney investigated a residents complaint that the company had charged her a larger towing fee than allowed under an ordinance adopted in October.

The ordinance sets maximum towing fees for "nonconsent tows," which is when a vehicle is towed without the owner's consent at the request of city police or private property owners.

The maximum towing fee for vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds is $100; between 10,000 and 26,000 pounds, $150; and more than 26,000 pounds, $250.

The city attorney determined the resident had been overcharged and sent a letter March 31 to the towing company calling for her to be refunded $60.

According to the city, refusal to refund the money could have resulted in the city taking the company to Municipal Court for violating the ordinance. Violation of the ordinance is punishable by a $200 to $500 fine.

The city also informed the company it would receive no warning letters before action is taken if it violates the ordinance again.

The towing company refunded the resident $60.

Besides fee caps, the ordinance makes it an offense to remove a vehicle from private property unless signs have been posted on the property for at least 24 hours before the nonconsent tow occurs.

The ordinance also requires tow companies to notify the Amarillo Police Department within an hour after a vehicle is removed from any private property.

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PENNSYLVANIA -- A truck driver who said he swerved to miss a reckless driver hit and killed a tow operator working on a disabled car in the median, police said.

Julian V. Wahly, 59, of Danville, died almost immediately when struck Wednesday, Montour County Coroner Scott Lynn said.

The accident sequence began when a silver, two-door vehicle came off Interstate 80 and crossed Route 54 eastbound around 1:50 p.m., state police at Milton said.

The vehicle "abruptly" made a U-turn and crossed back over Route 54 eastbound into the path of a logging truck, police said.

The driver of the truck, Ralph Thomas, 60, of Lewisburg, swerved to avoid the car and lost control. He struck Wahly, the owner of a towing service, who was kneeling beside a disabled car.

Thomas' truck also hit Wahly's wrecker and the car he was working on, police said.

The driver of the silver car that made the U-turn did not stop and police were seeking information on the driver's identity.

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WASHINGTON -- A 63-year-old man was shot several times and killed Tuesday afternoon in his Port Hadlock Towing business.

When deputies arrived about 3:30 p.m. at Smith's Services Towing along Highway 19, they found an armed 30-year-old man who eventually surrendered, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

They also found Frank "Skip" Smith Jr. of Port Townsend, who died as paramedics treated him.

The sheriff's office said the suspect once had been in a relationship with Smith's daughter.

Investigators released few other details of the shooting Tuesday night.

People at businesses along the highway watched as deputies went to the tow company and came out about 10 minutes later with a man in custody. Then an ambulance arrived and finally a coroner's van pulled into the business.

Paul Smith has worked at the lumber yard next door to Smith's for about eight years and went to the same school as Smith's children.

"I don't even know why he'd be killed," Smith said. He was working at the time of the shooting and did not see it, though he heard the beginnings of the rumor cycle soon afterward.

Within an hour people knew that Skip Smith, the tall, slim man who always wore a cowboy hat and waved to passers-by, had been killed.

"He was the nicest guy you would ever meet" and always ready to help, Paul Smith said. (Angela D. Smith - The Sun Link)

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