“Lufkin man, 20, dies after being struck by truck on loop - Lufkin Daily News” plus 4 more

Lufkin man, 20, dies after being struck by truck on loop - Lufkin Daily News
Tinley Park blotter 10/16 - Southtown Star
J.D. Power says automakers can earn profits at lower sales levels - Saginaw News
Greg Biffle still upset with Joey Logano - Everything Alabama Blog
Florida software engineer computes gasoline savings - Biloxi Sun Herald

Lufkin man, 20, dies after being struck by truck on loop - Lufkin Daily News

Posted: 16 Oct 2009 07:21 AM PDT

A 20-year-old Lufkin man died overnight Thursday after being struck by a Freightliner truck/tractor while walking on Lufkin's south loop, according to a police news release.

Lufkin Police said Justin Michael McCarty, 20, was killed after being struck by the truck around 1:15 a.m. Friday. Another vehicle hit McCarty after he was struck by the Freightliner.

Neither Raul Pereya of Houston, the driver of the truck/tractor, nor the driver of the second car was injured.

"From the preliminary investigation, it appears that McCarty was walking in the roadway with the flow of traffic when he was struck," the Lufkin Police Department stated in its news release. "The accident report has not been completed and information on the second vehicle and driver is not available."

The accident occurred in the 1800 block of South Medford Drive — a section of Lufkin's Loop 287 that is between East Denman Avenue and Ford Chapel Road.

McCarty was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which is under investigation by offers from the Lufkin Police Traffic Division, the release stated. No charges have been filed in the accident.

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Tinley Park blotter 10/16 - Southtown Star

Posted: 16 Oct 2009 06:10 AM PDT

TINLEY PARK

DUI ARREST Sheila Macklin-Jones, 57, of LaGrange Highlands, was charged with drunken driving after a Sept. 27 stop in the 17100 block of 80th Avenue, police said.

RIFLE THEFT A rifle in for service at Freddy Bear Sports, 17250 Oak Park Ave., was stolen between Sept. 29 and Oct. 3.

DRUG ARREST Pedro Rodriguez, 19, 17739 64th Court, was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, driving on a suspended license and having tinted windows after an Oct. 1 stop in the 6700 block of 174th Place, police said.

AUTO BURGLARY A satellite radio and a laptop computer were stolen Oct. 1 or 2 from a 2003 GMC Sierra in the 9100 block of Redcastle Drive.

HOME BURGLARY A wallet was stolen Oct. 2 or 3 from a home in the 17500 block of 70th Avenue.

CAR BURGLARY Tools were stolen between Oct. 2 and Oct. 5 from a 2005 Chevrolet in the 8100 block of 161st Place.

DRUG ARREST Robert Ores, 19, 16749 Hilltop Ave., Orland Hills, was charged with possession of a controlled substance Oct. 3 in the 17800 block of 80th Avenue, police said.

AGGRAVATED BATTERY Two men and a teenager were attacked Oct. 4 by several people wielding baseball bats at Devil's Hill, 17000 Forestview Drive

SUSPENDED LICENSE Robert Flaga, 20, 14733 Blaine Ave., Posen, was charged with driving on a suspended license and having expired registration after an Oct. 4 stop at 183rd Street and Harlem Avenue, police said.

TRUCK BURGLARY A radar detector, GPS device, stereo equipment, clothes and $25 was stolen Oct. 4 or 5 from a 1998 Checker pickup truck parked in the 17300 block of 69th Avenue.

VAN BURGLARY A purse was stolen Oct. 4 from a 2004 Toyota Sienna parked at Walker School, 19900 80th Ave.

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT Scott Siwinski, 26, 17414 Castle Drive, was charged with aggravated assault and domestic battery after an Oct. 5 altercation at his home, police said.

CAR BURGLARY A purse was stolen Oct. 6 from a 2007 Pontiac parked at Odyssey Country Club, 19100 Ridgeland Ave.

SUSPENDED LICENSE Luis Aguilar, 23, 8401 Brandau Court, was charged with driving on a suspended license and driving with only one headlight after an Oct. 7 stop at 183rd Street and North Center Creek Drive, police said.

DOMESTIC BATTERY Darius Thompson, 28, 5890 Lake Bluff Drive, was charged with domestic battery after an Oct. 7 disturbance at his home, police said.

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J.D. Power says automakers can earn profits at lower sales levels - Saginaw News

Posted: 16 Oct 2009 07:00 AM PDT

By Rick Haglund

October 16, 2009, 9:38AM

Domestic automakers have cut costs so much that they can break even next year, even if U.S. industry sales were to fall by 2 million cars and trucks below expectations.

That's according to a forecast at J.D. Power and Associates' Automotive Internet Roundtable, meeting in Las Vegas this week.

And here are a couple of fascinating statistics presented at the conference by Gary Dilts, a J.D. Power senior vice president:

U.S. auto sales fell by 7 million vehicles between 2000 and 2009, representing lost revenues to the industry of $175 billion. That number is equal to the combined U.S. sales revenues for General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. in 2007.

How automakers advertise and market their products also is changing. J.D. Power predicts that Internet-based advertising will comprise 22 percent of all automotive advertising spending by 2011, up from 7 percent in 2008.

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Greg Biffle still upset with Joey Logano - Everything Alabama Blog

Posted: 16 Oct 2009 06:17 AM PDT

By Doug Demmons - The Birmingham News

October 16, 2009, 8:10AM

Greg Biffle shows off a street version of the Ford Raptor truck he will drive in an off-road race in December. (The Birmingham News / The Birmingham News)It's been almost a week since he and Joey Logano clashed at Auto Club Speedway, but Greg Biffle is still toasted about his encounter with the rookie phenom known as "Sliced Bread."

Biffle said he was delivering a little payback when he knocked Logano into the wall during last Saturday's Nationwide race. He wasn't trying to put him out of the race, Biffle said, just teach the rookie some respect.

"I just meant to put a little squeeze on him like he did to me at Kansas" the week before, Biffle said. "I had nowhere to go and I wanted to put him in that situation and see what he thought about having nowhere to go and having to keep the wheel straight with not a lot of room to race."

The lesson didn't quite work. Logano bounced off the wall, hit Biffle's car and went on to win the race. As Logano's father, Tom Logano, was walking toward Victory Lane after the race, he gave a hand gesture in Biffle's direction which resulted in NASCAR taking away his credentials.

Tom Logano later apologized and Biffle said Wednesday he thought taking away the credentials was a bit harsh.

"I don't know that it was that big a deal," Biffle said. As Tom Logano was jogging toward Victory Lane he "gave me the sign that I was Number 1 and kind of veered back out and continued on down to Victory Lane. That was it."

Biffle said he didn't return the salute "because I didn't want to get fined."

For Biffle it's a question of a rookie showing disrespect by not talking to him after the incident.

"What's most disappointing for me is to race a young guy like that has a lot of talent and a lot of ability and something like that goes on on the race track and you don't come over and say anything to a guy," he said. "I think you need to pay a little more respect to the veterans in this sport."

It's the kind of thing he went through when he was a rookie, he said.

"I got talked to by Sterling Marlin and a few other guys and I learned a lot from it because there were things I was probably doing on the race track being a younger guy and not realizing probably what I was doing," he said.

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Florida software engineer computes gasoline savings - Biloxi Sun Herald

Posted: 16 Oct 2009 05:20 AM PDT

He began adding features that tracked mileage trends and incorporated information on how to improve mileage. When he offered the program to friends, he learned they were as interested as he was.

Thus began the Web site FuelClinic.com, which launched in May 2008. It allows free access to the programs Bragg developed. And for that matter, it's still developing because he has quit his job and is working full-time on the next generation of FuelClinic.com.

But if it's free, where's the income? That will happen as he partners with other companies from around the world, including one in Brazil working to reduce air pollution from automobiles, and another in England renowned for its driver training ability but, until now, hasn't been able to integrate that into an effective online presence. Bragg is even hoping to partner with IBM on a project.

Much of this is being made possible because of FuelClinic.com's second-place finish in the IBM-sponsored Intelligent Transportation Society "Congestion Challenge," which drew 116 entries from 20 countries. The award was announced last month at the 16th World Congress on ITS in Stockholm, Sweden.

Unfortunately, second place came with no prize money - first place, awarded to a company in Washington state that helps organize carpools, got $50,000 - but the recognition is helping, Bragg said.

In a nutshell, FuelClinic.com is "a driver-improvement system that helps create safer, smarter, more efficient drivers," according to the company Web site. "In consumer applications this system helps families save money on fuel, reduce (carbon) emissions, find deficiencies in inexperienced or young drivers, and helps motorists become generally safer and more professional drivers."

Bragg also is working on a professional application targeted at businesses and fleet managers that, he said, helps them train employees, reduce fuel expenses and reinforce safety initiatives.

Bragg said one of his goals is to take the idea of fuel savings more mainstream, away from the traditional dedicated, hybrid-driving environmentalist who makes a second career out of saving fuel. Bragg is not telling people that they have to buy a Toyota Prius - he still has that four-wheel-drive truck, in fact - but he is saying that by modifying your driving habits, your routes and other easily manageable changes, you can save a lot of fuel, and a lot of money.

He is even sponsoring a Sports Car Club of America sports car team because many auto races hinge on who can get the best mileage.

Bragg said there are few secret techniques on saving fuel. You know most of them - such as avoid traffic jams, accelerate and brake gradually. "In general, just calm down," Bragg said. "It's amazing how much difference you driving style makes in the mileage you get."

Remember his Toyota four-wheel-drive pickup? Before he started FuelClinic.com, "I was averaging 18 to 19 miles per gallon." Now, following his own advice, he averages 23 mpg.

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