The AP says that the state of Michigan would have $10 million more a year for environmental cleanup if it weren't for people from redeeming money on out-of-state containers.

Michigan is the only state with a dime deposit on all carbonated beverage containers — other states have a nickel deposit on most cans — so people buy drinks in Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin and redeem the containers in Michigan.

"It's like a rebate, $2.40 a case for pop and beer," said Jim Wanty, president of O & W Inc., a beer distributorship in four Michigan counties near the Ohio state line. O & W lost about $65,000 last year from picking up more returned containers from stores than it had delivered.

The party may soon be over for bottle deposit fraudsters (some of whom are fairly sophisticated and collect and crush millions of cans), thanks to some new technology. The makers of the machines that collect the cans are working on a method to distinguish Michigan containers from out of state ones.

In Maine, requiring an address discourages out-of-state people from taking advantage —

In Maine, a new company has found success with redemption machines that put people's bottle returns in a debit-card-like account that requires personal information initially.

"People who were coming in from out of state aren't willing to put their name and address down saying what their home address is," said Hal Prince, director of the Division of Quality Assurance and Regulations in the Maine Department of Agriculture. "They try to find other ways to redeem them or they take them back home."

Despite the hassle, bottle deposit laws are popular are effective. Michigan says that 97% of containers are recovered.

States find a can of worms in bottle deposit laws [AP]

KXAN's website has a lobbying section that compares TWC broadcasting their network for free to someone bottling water from a drinking fountain and selling it.

KXAN says:

Here is a basic analogy: If you were to get a drink of water at a public drinking fountain, it is free, but once the water is placed in a package, it is no longer free. The same holds true for local television programming delivered through a subscription-based provider.
...
Time Warner Cable pays cable networks, such as ESPN, TNT, Disney, Lifetime, Nickelodeon, and the list goes on and on. Cable companies often say that local broadcasters have “unreasonable demands” and they are trying to “protect their subscribers from increasing their rates”. If that were true, why are they paying cable networks that have far less viewership than KXAN-TV?

We do not believe that a penny a per day per subscriber is an unreasonable demand for our award-winning news, sports and entertainment programming. It is actually much less than what cable companies compensate many of its cable networks, most of which do not have the high viewing of your local NBC station.

The station also says that they've reached agreements with every other provider — including DISH network, DirecTV, and AT&T.

Time Warner Cable, on the other hand, claims that KXAN is damaging its reputation as a news outlet by "conveying one sided, misleading information to the public." And has set up its own "Anti-KXAN" website.

Time Warner Says:

KXAN is demanding money from our customers to pay for a signal that has been and is free. That's right. They get it free from the Federal Government, but they want you to pay. We don't want that to happen just so KXAN can add to their revenue base.

KXAN is trying to subsidize their business by charging cable customers money. By doing so, they not only add to their revenue base, but take advantage of their viewers by charging for a signal that is FREE.

This may sound familiar to some of you, as the same struggle is going on all over the country, where other stations owned by KXAN's parent company, LIN TV, will also be dropped from TWC on October 2nd if a deal isn't reached.

There are 15 LIN TV-owned stations carried by Time Warner: Austin, Texas; Buffalo, N.Y.; Columbus, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Green Bay, Wis.; Indianapolis; Mobile, Ala.; Springfield, Mass.; Terre Haute, Ind. and Toledo, Ohio.

So what's a consumer to do? Well, you can wait it out and hope that the stations reach a deal with TWC, buy a good antenna, or you can make plans to switch. LIN-TV is encouraging TWC's customers to switch to DISH Network — and also told Multichannel News that customers in the Buffalo area and the Fort Wayne market can switch to FiOS.

If you're in Austin, Buffalo, Columbus, Dayton, Fort Wayne, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Mobile, Terre Haute and Toledo markets you can receive a $50 incentive to switch to DISH.

Retrans Standoff Could Keep LIN TV Stations Off TWC Systems [Multichannel News] (Thanks, Clint!)

The Indiana Association of Mortgage Brokers worked with Rokita's office and lawmakers in drafting the new law, said the group's president, Mike Monaco of Merrillville.

"Make no mistake about it, we had one of the easiest entrance barriers in the country," Monaco said. He said many of the brokers who have lost their licenses likely already had left the business because of the housing industry downturn.

The low standards likely were among the factors leading to Indiana consistently having one of the 10 highest foreclosure rates in the nation, Monaco said.

When you add in the 143 brokerages who voluntarily gave up their licenses, the total number of mortgage brokerages in Indiana has shrunk by half since July 1st.

If you're interested in seeing a list of all the brokerages whose licenses have been revoked, you can click here (PDF).

40 percent of Ind. mortgage brokers lose licenses [BusinessWeek]
(Photo: stirwise )

"360 Steak N Shake" [NCCSites.com] (Thanks to Eric!)

A lot of the data is old and potentially of little value—one hospital says the accounts it passed to the agency were all at least three years old or older. On the other hand, a gas company said that because it only had last known addresses on the accounts it handed over, it actually had no way of contacting the victims to alert them to the theft.

The agency president told the IndyStar, "We're obviously heartsick about this. We've been in business since 1972, and nothing like this has ever happened before." Responses from companies who had passed their customers over to the agency, however, varied from taking it seriously to regretting any inconvenience. We suspect they're not feeling too much concern for their non-paying clients.

"700,000 Hoosier IDs exposed after theft" [IndyStar] (Thanks to Deon!)
(Photo: Getty)

It's too bad they've accused him of check fraud and even Citibank (who issued the check) can't convince them otherwise. Now he's wondering what he should do.

Dan writes:

Hey guys—

This is Dan who gave you the stunning Buffalo Wild Wings chicken fingers fiasco from a few months with a new major ass-frakking I'm getting from Chase Bank.

I recently moved from Chicago to Indianapolis for a new job, and while in Chicago I had a Citibank account. Well those don't exist in Indianapolis, however there is a Chase Bank every 11 feet and were offering a $100 promotion if you open a new checking account with direct deposit. So on August 20th I went to a local branch, did all that, got the hard sell for every other banking product under the sun, declined but the fella was still nice and set me up with everything. I opened the account with my last Citibank paper check for $200.

So a few days later, using my online bill payment on Citibank, close out the account by mailing myself a check for $1000. I receive that on a Saturday, so Sunday morning I deposit my check into my Chase account. A few days later I received my security deposit on my old apartment back in Chicago for $750 and go to the Chase branch on South Keystone and Hanna in Indianapolis to deposit it. I tried to do it in an ATM machine and it refused my card, so I walked into the bank and spoke with one of the bankers (not the tellers) and said my ATM card was funky. She looks up my account and says my account is frozen because of check fraud. Keep in mind, we're not in an office, but a desk in the middle of the bank. I told her that's impossible and she reports that because I had a check for $1000 on a new account that was deposited in an ATM, those are all red flags for check fraud. I was aghast at this idiocy. She then told me that the check number of the deposited check had been flagged as previously used, and thus was fraudulent, so as a result my entire account was frozen INCLUDING the $200 check I had previously deposited and had been cleared with no problems. I told her this was insane, the check was electronically generated BY CITIBANK, it wasn't ripped out of a checkbook. She called the manager over who looked me straight in the eye, again in the middle of the bank and said loudly "All the evidence points to check fraud, and we need to protect ourselves so I refuse to release any of your money". I told her I was a brand new customer for all of a week, my first check cleared fine and quite frankly I make decent money and am stunned she is treating me as though I'm some thief. I asked her to just call Citibank to verify that was a good check and she refused.

So, I left to go to the branch I opened the account. The banker, Brian Long, is a genuinely nice guy and seemed legitimately interested in helping me. After I vented, he took me into a private office and said we'll call Citibank together to fix this. We did a conference call where Citibank thinks Chase are a bunch of idiots. When a check is generated through online checking, the check number is a randomly generated 12 digit number (not the 4 digit number on paper checks) and the odds of that # being the exact number as another check that I had wrote in the past 12 months were astronomical. Brian checked with his manager who said they need some documentation. Now mind you, this is the FRIDAY BEFORE LABOR DAY. Citibank said they were confused because the check was deposited on the 26 and CLEARED on the 29th, so Chase has the money and doesn't understand why they now want proof of payment. Either way to said that proof and to run a trace on that specific check number would take 3 business days, which means a week before anything is done. So even though we have Citibank telling Chase "you cashed the check, the check is good, why are you on the phone with us?" Chase (via the branch manager) would not unfreeze my account without documentation. Now the problem here is, I no longer have a bank. I closed my Citibank account to deposit everything into Chase. So they now have $1200 plus the $750 I couldn't deposit today, and I have access to NONE of this money. So Brian felt bad and offered to give me cash to tide me over the weekend until this was resolved and I could pay him back, which is phenomenal to say the least.

So I come home from work today to be greeted with a letter from Chase informing me my account would be closed in 10 days and they would report my fraudulent activity to the credit reporting bureaus. It was after 6 when I got home from work so obviously I wasn't able to call anyone at Chase and scream at them. Does anyone have any advice what to do?

Dan

You should also contact Chase and let them know what you are doing. Perhaps this will wake them up. If the mistake does end up on your credit report, don't worry. You can dispute it. Here are some instructions for disputing inaccuracies on your credit report from the FTC.

Anyone else have advice for Dan?

(Photo:Meghann Marco)

The change is only the latest in a string of bans on artificial trans fats. Tied to health problems including heart disease, they have been banished by national restaurant chains, snack brands and New York City, which forbids restaurants to use them in food preparation.

But this is perhaps the most unlikely locale yet: the nation's classic summer fair, long seen as one final safe haven from the health police.

Along the steamy thoroughfare here, where only sensitive palates can distinguish among the various cuts of potato (curly fries, ribbon fries and the old standby, French), fairgoers seemed pleased with the switch. The food tasted the same, they said happily. And if this meant they could indulge without guilt or have one more helping, so much the better.

"This is a slice of heaven," said Ryan Howell, 31, as he cradled his Combo Plate, which, for the record, consists of one battered Snickers bar, two battered Oreos and a battered Reese's Peanut Butter Cup — all deep-fried in oil that is trans-fat free, thank goodness.

"This was an issue we wanted to tackle," said Cindy Hoye, executive director of the fair, which spent the winter months testing various oils and, despite the fears of some concessionaires about possible changes to taste or costs or tradition, concluded that trans-fat-free oils created what Ms. Hoye called a better product.

Yes, Deep-Fried Oreos, but Not in Trans Fats [NYT]
(Photo:Darron Cummings/AP)

We made a mistake. We re very sorry for any frustration and embarrassment that we caused our customer at the Logansport, Indiana, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store on Friday, June 29.

Many of our store restrooms are located in areas that are not readily accessible to customers and therefore our policy limits the access to the restrooms. However, we have immediately changed our policy to allow any customer to use our restrooms upon request.

Again, we acknowledge our mistake in handling this matter and sincerely hope that our customers will be pleased by our change in policy.

Darrell Webb
Chairman, President, and CEO
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores

PREVIOUSLY: Jo-Ann Fabrics Refuses To Let Customer Use Bathroom, Even As She Suffers Diarrhea Right In Front Of Them

"Monday, July 2, 2007
Catherine W.
[redacted]

Darrell Webb
Jo-Ann Stores, Inc.
5555 Darrow Road
Hudson, OH 44236-4054

Dear Mr. Webb,

On Friday, June 29th at approximately 2:15 pm I was shopping in the Jo-Ann Fabrics store in Logansport, Indiana. While shopping, I suddenly experienced unexpected and intense diarrhea. I approached an employee and asked her if I could use the rest room. She said she was not allowed to let me use it. I discreetly explained my situation to her and she said I would have to speak to the assistant manager..."

I approached the assistant manager, Carla Cogswell, and again requested to use the facilities. She said no and I told her I was experiencing severe diarrhea as we spoke. She again said no and quoted a recent policy change regarding the rest room facilities not being up to code and that they were not allowed to let customers use the rest room. I told her I understood but that this was an extreme emergency. I again told her I was experiencing diarrhea as we spoke and she again refused saying she could lose her job if she let me use the rest room and that there was nothing she could do.

At this point I was becoming extremely frustrated and feared that the diarrhea was going to run down my legs and drip onto the store floor. I was in tears, desperate for some assistance with my embarrassing and humiliating situation. I told Carla that I could not control what was happening and that the diarrhea was happening right now and that I was afraid it would run down my legs and onto the floor and that I was not going to be the one to clean it up if that occurred. I was put in a situation where I could no longer be discreet and was begging to use the facilities and by this time two other store employees and some customers were listening to our conversation. The assistant manager was extremely insensitive and rude to my personal emergency and directed me to go to the Rural King store next door.

I had to walk to the Rural King and all the way to back to the corner farthest from Jo-Ann Fabrics with my pants stained, dripping and smelling badly and do my best to clean up. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this was the most embarrassing and humiliating experience of my life.

I understand that you have a policy that customers cannot use the rest rooms but is it also your policy to refuse to assist customers whom become ill in your stores? Is it your policy to put your employees in a situation where they may have to clean up a customer's bodily fluids if they become ill in the store and are refused access to the rest room?

What happened to me was out of my control, I didn't choose to get ill in the store and I certainly didn't enjoy having to beg to use the facilities or having to walk through another public place in front of even more people to take care of my problem. If I had been allowed to use the rest room in Jo-Ann Fabrics the problem would not have been as bad, I could have cleaned up more easily and not have had such a mess and avoided the added humiliation of walking through a large department store to the back to find the rest rooms.

I will never shop in that Jo-Ann Fabrics store again. I was publicly humiliated in front of the staff and customers both at Jo-Ann Fabrics and in Rural King. Carla was rude and insensitive and was more concerned about her self than showing me even a shred of respect and human decency.

I hope that in the future, if any Jo-Ann Fabrics customers become ill in one of your stores and needs assistance that they receive better treatment than I did.

Catherine W.

We would love to read the reply letter from Mr. Webb's office. Don't think there's a form letter for that one.

(Photo: jeffooi)

Its customers generate twice as much cash flow as the average subscriber, said Comcast spokeswoman D'Arcy Rudnay.

Insight, Comcast Splitting Joint Venture [Forbes]
Comcast to Buy New Jersey Cable Operator [Forbes]
(Photo: cmorran123)

Police were called to Chase Bank, 1800 E. 80th, about 4 p.m. after Russell tried to cash the check, which was written on an invalid Bank One check with no imprint, White said. Russell had several other checks with him that were signed the same way but made out in different dollar amounts, including one for $100,000.

In God he trusts, but police don't buy it [NWItimes]
(Photo:Maulleigh)

First, the suspect asked 6 strangers (who all turned out to be plain clothes cops), if they'd like to buy some LCD TVs that he had in his trunk.

The cops agreed to take a look at the merchandise, one of them, Officer Keith Gluekert, said that he would look at the "merchandise" after grabbing his coat.

After retrieving the coat, the oh-so-observant suspected noticed the word "police" on it, and asked if the men were cops.

"Gluekert replied that he was. The suspect then reportedly claimed he wasn't trying to sell anything," but still allowed the officers to examine the contents of his trunk, which yielded the following:

Inside were three packaged items that appeared to be LCD TV sets from Best Buy, but upon further examination, were really large pieces of wood sealed up to look like TVs.

One of the St. Joseph County officers, Neil Hoover, is a part-time employee of Best Buy and immediately recognized that the items were not from the store, despite several labels taped to them with the name of Best Buy, according to police. The so-called labels appeared to be cut out from newspaper circular ads and taped to the packages.

Block of wood didn't promise to have good reception [South Bend Tribune]

Jason in Columbus, Indiana writes:

"I stopped in my local Wal-Mart this morning in Columbus, Ind., and happened by the t-shirts to see if the Nazi skulls were still here. There were about 20 shirts still on the shelf. I didn't try to buy one, but thought of you and took a photo instead."

When the guy last week reported that he was able to buy a Totenkopf shirt by making the cashier scan a comparable shirt, we were worried. Were we encouraging what we tried to prevent?

Then we had an image of some guys at a bar, wearing these shirts. Whether they be neo-fascists or hipsters, the value of peoples going around saying, hey, check out my Nazi shirt I got at Walmart could be even greater than simply removing all the shirts. Money can't buy that kind of word of mouth. — BEN POPKEN

Recent updates to this story.
Backstory.

Above is a picture from one of the participant's cellphones, "of the mess they left on the Taco Bell floor."

According our tipster's report, none of the sauce was stolen. One individual simply ate "A LOT" of Taco Bell and stockpiled the extra packets from his meals in the back of his car for three years.

Nobody wore masks, although some of the ten wore baseball caps. The participants were teenagers, not men, the eldest being 18 or 19. And there were eleven 40-gallon trashbags, not six.

"The individual responsible for the stockpiling left a note apologizing for the hoarding and that he felt bad for doing so," says our tipster.

Obviously they didn't think about their action's unintended consequences. In a bid to fight future taco terrorism, Taco Bell announced they will make all sauce packets transparent.

For starters, the the oven doors were expertly packaged using with real flat panel TV packaging.

In the left panel of the picture at right, you can see one of the faux flat panels. Adjacent, one of the victims.

Make of that what you will.

Previously: Don't Take Any Wooden Flat Screens
Image source: WESH2

Consumer alert! Indianans are filing complaints about a new street scam. Reports have trickled in about people being approached on the street to buy a flat screens for $500. A savvy shopper deal, no? Well, when the Hoosiers got home, they unwrapped the package to find it contained a cord, a remote control, and an oven door.

The police department is linking the scam to a scad of house robberies in the area. Among the items stolen are several oven doors.

Oven Doors Passed Off as Flat-Screen TVs [Sun-Times] (Thanks to Morgan!)

His eyes glowing like demonic embers dottling the jet silhouette of his face, Evan Kelsco cackled maniacally into April 1st's setting sun. He explained his master plan: "For ten bucks, I'll change all the clocks in someone's house to the correct time. For an extra buck, I'll install new batteries. I plan to make a killing on old people... they're weak, stupid and feeble-minded, unable to comprehend the science that governs the rotation of the earth around the sun. If they want to take their medicine on time, thus squeezing yet another joyless day out of the desiccated husks of their corporeal frames, they'll have to pay me... nyeah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Actually, we're just kidding. We kind of admire Evan's capitalist spunk, although we think he's got a nightmare on his hands: $10 bucks to change the clock on every device a person owns? We've owned microwave ovens with interfaces that more resembles metaphysical riddles than time-keeping devices. It's not worth it: Daylight Savings Time is a scam anyway. The sooner people come to their senses and realize you don't get more daylight just because the clock reads something different, the better.

Time change is money for Indiana teen [CNN]