Postcards
Raising a stink
To determine the intensity of odors emanating from a Northampton, Mass., landfill, officials commissioned what is being dubbed a “sniff squad” to determine if nearby residents can withstand the site’s pungent stench. The city, following a state order to test landfill odors, contracted with an environmental company to provide trained sniffers to determine the strength of landfill odors, including rotting trash and gases, according to The Associated Press (AP), rating them on a scale of one to eight. If the city fails, it could be fined or ordered to take action on the issue.
The need for speed
During the final eight months of 2007, Montgomery County, Md., speed cameras captured 224 incidents involving police vehicles traveling more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit — 76 of which were found to be officers responding to calls or other incidents. However, nearly two-thirds of the remaining 148 citations have not been paid, according to AP. The police union says that the county is responsible because it owns the vehicles. Officers who refuse to pay may face disciplinary action. “We are not above the law,” Police Chief Thomas Manger told AP.