| Mike Deeson, Senior Reporter
Mike is active in several community events. For several years he hosted the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon in both Norfolk and Tampa. In addition to daily news stories, Mike is a songwriter. He wrote the title song Way Too Hot to Handle on Gene Garrett's debut album, Way Too Hot! And he has several songs signed with publishers in Nashville and Los Angeles. Mike has written numerous songs that have aired in news stories including Lotto Fever; Magic In The Air; Everyone's Home For Christmas and Got To Keep The Bucs in Tampa Bay. Mike has also written several other songs in the country, pop and children category. In his free time, Mike is an avid golfer. Mike and his wife Laurie live in Tampa with their two children Andrew and Megan. .
Chase Bank Accuses Florida Law Firms of Running Debt-Relief Scam
Chase Bank USA is suing two Coral Springs, Fla., attorneys specializing in reducing consumer debt and South Florida affiliates, claiming they are engaging in blatantly illegal and fraudulent practices. The federal suit filed Friday in Wilmington, Del., accuses Hess Kennedy Chartered, lawyer Laura Hess, Edward Kennedy, affiliated companies and others of using "an unlawful debt elimination scheme" relying on lawsuits challenging valid credit card charges. Attorney Jeffrey Campos of Coral Springs and the Legal Debt Center, which has the same Coral Springs address and suite number as Hess' law firm, also are named as defendants. In addition, attorneys general in Florida, North Carolina and West Virginia are looking into Hess Kennedy's operations, and the Florida Bar has moved to suspend Hess' license.
MFS admits debt blowout
BANKERS were circling property financier MFS yesterday after the company revealed debt had nearly quadrupled to almost $1.7 billion over the past six months. MFS told the stock exchange it had total debt of $1.69 billion compared with about $426 million as shown in the group's 2007 annual report, released in September. The debt -- held in a complex series of subsidiary companies and funds -- has escalated out of control since the end of the financial year. The company has yet to explain the blowout and yesterday requested trade in its scrip be suspended. Property development spin-off MFS Diversified sought to distance itself from the mess yesterday, dumping former MFS director Michael Hiscock as chairman. Hopes that the Commonwealth Bank would refinance a $150 million debt to US hedge fund Fortress were also dashed yesterday, with the bank telling the ASX it "has not agreed to refinance this or any other MFS debt facility".
J Kooman from Canada writes:
Jean-Pierre De Montigny from Montreal, Canada writes: I don't know why people complain so much about a fee of $10 per month. It is peanuts for the value. You will go out one night and spend a multiple of this for beer.
Interest rate on credit card? There is no charge if you pay your balance. If not, get a loan instead!
Your joking right? President's Choice Financial does not charge anything
for writing checks or paying bills and they have a higher savings interest rates. The only catch is you have to bank online or use CIBC ABMs Posted 29/02/08 at 12:01 PM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment .
Mervyns to brighten mall
Mall managers announced to merchants this week that Mervyns will open a department store in the building Macy's used to occupy. The 94,000-square-foot site will be San Bernardino's second Mervyns and bring 100 retail jobs to the mall. The other store in town has a Highland postal address. "It'll bring in shoppers during the off-season," said Lindsey Basbas, who's worked at the Vans skateboard-apparel store for two years. "That's usually February to May." Her boss is just as optimistic - and with good reason. "We had really good foot traffic up until January," said Jessica Delaney, assistant manager of the skate shop. "A lot of people are just browsing right now. They don't want to buy anything." But when customers do open their wallets, several of them are using pre-paid H&R Block tax refund debit cards, not cash or credit, Basbas said.
Crime Stoppers: Break-Ins At Best Plumbing
This week Crime Stoppers is looking for help in identifying a man wanted in a business burglary at Best Plumbing at 4231 Bonny Oaks Dr.
On Nov. 28, 2007, sometime during the night the suspect entered the business by breaking out the front glass door. The suspect stole cash from a cash box and a desk drawer. He also stole the companys Visa card which carried the owners name and business name. The suspect then took the credit card and made purchases at Kangaroo Market on Amnicola Highway, Murphy Gas station at Wal-Mart in Hixson and ABC Grocery at 2600 Harrison Pike.
The Wal-Mart in Hixson has provided a surveillance video which shows the suspect and a female making a $626.46 purchase of food and miscellaneous items.
The suspect is a black male who looks to be in his 30s or 40s.
Yahoo may consider an alliance with Google
Yahoo management is considering revisiting talks it held with Google several months ago on an alliance as an alternative to Microsoft's bid, that source said. At $31 a share, Yahoo believes the bid undervalues the company, two sources said. A second source close to Yahoo said it had received a procession of preliminary contacts by media, technology, telephone and financial companies. But the source said they were unaware whether any alternative bid was in the offing.
In a memo to Yahoo employees on Friday, Yahoo leaders wrote: “We want to emphasise that absolutely no decisions have been made — and, despite what some people have tried to suggest, there's certainly no integration process underway." Few natural bidders exist besides Google that could engage in a bidding war, and Google would be unlikely to win approval from antitrust regulators, some Wall Street analysts said on Friday.
Practicing Safe E-Commerce
If you're headed to a brick-and-mortar store or a restaurant, don't leave a receipt on the table, and be sure to check your credit card bill to make sure the staff didn't heist your credit card number. Those are common-sense behaviors for real-world commerce, but similar security measures are in order when shopping online. Better Email Security Just Got A Whole Lot Easier. And Cheaper. Introducing Security Software As A Service From Webroot. Free 14-Day Trial. .
Hollywood is getting hit where it hurts
Some people in Los Angeles are finally having to cut back on the bare necessities of life. I hear there has been a precipitous drop in business for tanning salons, trichologists and pet astrologers. The already unstable property market in the city is looking as shaky as the earth-quake-prone ground the properties stand on. A television producer told me that he has even made his wife stop her Botox injections. This measure has had the dual benefit of cutting doctor’s fees and shopping bills since his wife now won’t leave the house with her face in its natural state. .
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