Augusta Chronicle, The

Today in History

1806 The Holy Roman Empire went out of existence as Emperor Francis II abdicated.

Life Funds Might Be Cut

COLUMBIA - South Carolina college freshmen receiving $5,000 LIFE scholarships this fall could see their lottery-funded grants reduced before they graduate if demand for the awards continues to grow. And in Georgia, tighter standards for lottery-funded scholarships have cost 18,000 students their free rides.

In the Spotlight

White House hopefuls crowd 'Daily Show' NEW YORK - Four presidential candidates are lined up to visit Jon Stewart on The Daily Show over the next three weeks as Comedy Central's satirical news review ramps up its "Indecision 2008" coverage.

Former Fire Chief Offered Alabama Job

Ronnie Few, the former Augusta fire chief who finished second in a mayoral election late last year, could be named chief of the Demopolis, Ala., fire department as soon as today. "I haven't signed on the dotted line, but I am the fire chief," Mr. Few told The Augusta Chronicle in a Sunday telephone interview. He said he thought details of the new job could be completed today.

Army Offers Bonus to Boost Enlistment

CHICAGO - Struggling to fill the ranks in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Army is now trying a new incentive: offering new and returning enlistees up to $20,000 "Q.S." bonuses in exchange for a promise to report to basic training within 30 days of signing. The bonus - "Q.S." for "quick ship" - has already had some success in the weeks since the Army started offering it, aiming to meet recruiting goals of 80,000 new active soldiers before Sept. 30.

The World

Holocaust survivors slam Israeli stipend JERUSALEM - Holocaust survivors in Israel demanded Sunday that the Jewish state raise what they consider a laughable new offer of $20 monthly stipends.

Student Grants Might Be Cut Legislators Consider Capping Life Scholarships

COLUMBIA - South Carolina college freshmen receiving $5,000 LIFE scholarships this fall could see their lottery-funded grants reduced before they graduate if demand for the awards continues to grow. A similar trend has already happened in Georgia, where tighter standards for winning lottery-funded scholarships have cost 18,000 students their free rides.

Unpaid Taxes May Be Erased Commissioners Expected to Make Decision Today

When the Augusta Commission meets Tuesday, it will probably vote to declare $484,855 in unpaid personal property business taxes dating back to 1999 un-collectible. Most of the people and businesses owing the taxes either can't pay or no longer exist. "We have made every effort to locate the account," said Deputy Tax Commissioner North Williamson. "The business has closed up, moved out of the county, gone into bankruptcy or in some status where we deem the account is not going to be coll...

Allies No Closer in Hunt for Bin Laden

WASHINGTON - In the hunt for Osama bin Laden, the United States and its allies have essentially gotten nowhere lately, says Afghan President Hamid Karzai. "We are not closer, we are not further away from it," Mr. Karzai said before his two-day summit with President Bush at Camp David, Md. "We are where we were a few years ago."

The Nation

Doctors find protein that causes rosacea Researchers have solved a medical mystery that has eluded them for hundreds of years, demonstrating that an abundance of an abnormal skin protein causes the blotchy skin condition called rosacea.

Hopefuls Agree On Iraq, Not Abortion

DES MOINES, Iowa - Repub-lican presidential contenders sparred over abortion on Sunday while generally agreeing the United States must remain in Iraq to help win the war on terrorism. "Just come home," dissented Texas Rep. Ron Paul, the lone advocate of a quick troop withdrawal on the presidential campaign debate stage. He said there had never been a good reason to go to war in the first place.

Investigators Use High-Tech Tools to Discover Why Bridge Collapsed

MINNEAPOLIS - A helicopter with a camera like those used to film Hollywood movies will soon peer into the wreckage of a collapsed bridge. Laser-guided surveying equipment has already helped produce a detailed map of the debris. Software re-creating the disaster on a computer screen may even pinpoint the exact piece of bridge that gave way. Even with the water still filled with debris, investigators are already using this technological arsenal to get answers about why the bridge collapse...

Lawyer Fought 'Separate but Equal'

RICHMOND, Va. - Oliver W. Hill, a civil rights lawyer who was at the front of the legal effort that desegregated public schools, has died at age 100, a family friend said. Mr. Hill died peacefully Sunday at his home during breakfast, said Joseph Morrissey, a friend of the Hill family.

Secret Call Log Is Key to Case

SAN FRANCISCO - In open court and legal filings it's referred to simply as "the Document." Federal officials claim its contents are so sensitive to national security that it is stored in a bombproof safe in Washington and viewed only by prosecutors with top secret security clearances and a few select federal judges.

Investigators Use High-Tech Tools to Discover Why Bridge Collapsed

MINNEAPOLIS - A helicopter with a camera like those used to film Hollywood movies will soon peer into the wreckage of a collapsed bridge. Laser-guided surveying equipment has already helped produce a detailed map of the debris. Software re-creating the disaster on a computer screen may even pinpoint the exact piece of bridge that gave way. Even with the water still filled with debris, investigators are already using this powerful technological arsenal to get answers about why the bridge...