LITTLE ROCK — QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Tomorrow’s going to be a nightmare for
us. With everybody out shopping and the drawing on Saturday, we’ll be really busy.”
Roxie Breece,
an assistant manager at a Nebraska convenience store where clerks have sold far more Powerball tickets than usual ahead of a $325 million jackpot Article, 7A
Bloomberg lifts gas rationing
NEW YORK - Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Friday lifted an emergency order that imposed a 1970sstyle, odd-even rationing system for buying gasoline and diesel fuel in New York City.
The mayor’s order is effective today at 6 a.m.
Bloomberg imposed gasoline rationing on Nov. 9 after long lines at gas stations became the norm after superstorm Sandy’s disruption of the gasoline supply chain in the New York region.
The odd-even system, which made use of the last number of a vehicle’s license plate, was designed to cut wait times and reduce price volatility, Bloomberg said.
Gasoline rationing ended at midnight on Nov. 16 on Long Island, as the Nassau and Suffolk county executives lifted emergency orders after gasoline lines disappeared.
As of Friday, 85 percent of the gasoline stations in New York’s five boroughs were “operational” and the supply of gasoline to the city was expected to increase, Bloomberg said.
Probe of pileup continues in Texas
BEAUMONT, Texas - Authorities in Southeast Texas continued Friday to investigate a highway pileup of more than 100 vehicles that killed two people.
Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Chuck Havard told KFDM-TV that investigators will determine whether any drivers face charges.
The Thanksgiving morning wreck occurred on Interstate 10 southwest of Beaumont, on Texas’ Gulf Coast. A crash on eastbound I-10 is believed to have started a chain reaction that left cars and trucks piled on top of each other.
Heavy fog blanketed I-10 at the time of the accident.
Killed in the crash were Vincent Leggio, 64, and Debbie Leggio, 60, of Pearland. The couple’s children said their parents were headed to Louisiana for a gambling trip.
At least 80 people were injured in the crash. Twelve were in serious condition Thursday night.
Fire sickens 24 at NYC skyscraper
NEW YORK - Officials said Friday that a fire at a storm-damaged office skyscraper in New York City’s Financial District left more than two dozen people suffering from smoke inhalation, including a firefighter.
Four people were taken to a hospital.
The Fire Department said it’s not yet clear what caused Friday’s fire. Its tenants include Standard & Poor’s and the city Transportation Department.
In all, 27 people were injured. The firefighter and most others were treated at the scene.
The building’s website said it remains without power after superstorm Sandy. Utilities have largely restored electricity citywide, but some buildings’ own equipment was so damaged that the buildings are still without power.
The 40-year-old tower on the East River is one of the nation’s biggest privately owned office buildings, with 3.8 million square feet of indoor space.
Front Section, Pages 5 on 11/24/2012