The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
Ford Sales Up
Ford Motor Co. on Monday posted its first monthly sales increase in two years, a boost it attributed in part to the government's "Cash for Clunkers" trade-in program. Chrysler, General Motors and other major automakers did not show gains, but the popular clunker program appeared to have eased their losses. Sales plunged 9.4 percent for Chrysler, 17 percent for Honda, 19.4 percent for General Motors and 25 percent for Nissan. Germany's Daimler AG said its U.S. sales dropped 24 percent in July because few gas guzzlers were being traded in for Mercedes Benz models. (Washington Post)
As Many as 1000 Post Offices to Close
The postal service is considering consolidating or closing as many as 1,000 local offices as it battles staggering financial problems. The post office has been struggling with a sharp decline in mail volume as people and businesses switch to e-mail both for personal contact and bill paying. The agency is facing a nearly $7 billion potential loss this fiscal year, despite a 2-cent increase in the price of stamps in May, cuts in staff and removal of collection boxes. (AP/Washington Times)
He's Not Dead
Baltimore police say a burglary suspect laid on the floor of a convenience store for about a half-hour with a gunshot wound to the head before officers noticed he was still alive. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says 51-year-old Michael Quarles was shot after he lunged at an officer with a long screwdriver early Saturday. The officer initially thought Quarles was wielding a knife. (WTOP)
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Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
Bones Found
John Pearce, a Fredericksburg historian and member of St. George's, was called, and he urged alerting the police. Two officers came, followed by a detective, and they carefully whisked the human remains off to a safe place. The work site was back to normal this weekend. "I'm guessing these bones go back to the 1700s," Hicks said. "1752 is the earliest church burial that I know of. We're hoping to determine the age of this person, and to allow their reburial in our graveyard." (Fredericksburg.com)
School System to Sell Buses on eBay
With nearly 130,000 students and more than 200 buildings, Prince George's County Public Schools has a lot of inventory — some of which is no longer used. So school officials have decided to turn their trash into someone's treasure by selling it on the online auction site eBay. "Each year, there's tons and tons of stuff that we're throwing away … in some cases nobody's going to ever use them again, or so we thought," said Keith Miles, director of purchasing and supply services for county schools. (Gazette.net)
From Showgirl to Entrepreneur
While working as a showgirl for the Carnival Cruise Line ships in the 1990s, Frederick resident Taryn Sisco would help out as a seamstress with the costumes and accessories. More than a decade later, the Frederick resident is using those skills to create rings, necklaces, hair pins and earrings. They are pieces in two lines of vintage jewelry she makes by hand called Beauty Mark Beads and Poppy Chic Designs. (Frederick News-Post)
