Roach motels under fire
One protester hoisted a sign that read "Cockroaches Don't Pay Rent."

Motels Report Record High Vacancies
Once the choice for truckers, construction workers and lovers with a secret, the small, low- budget motels along the highway have, like many businesses, fallen victim to a sluggish economy. Motel owners say their vacancy rates are at all-time highs.

Daily Crime Blotter
A collection of crimes for Dec. 3 includes a woman fondled by a fake cop, armed robberies at Dallas motels and an $800 hairpiece burglary.

More Bed Bugs Spread Across Central Ohio
HEALTH ALERT: More than a dozen motels and apartments have been hit hard by bed bugs and more outbreaks are expected. Get details.

Homeless for the holidays
COEUR d'ALENE -- Each morning, this mom wakes up and wonders what else will go wrong. Homeless since August, she and her husband and their two young children have been living in motels trying to survive and stay together.

Dog-Friendly Catskills Inn Provides Canine ?Crib,? Marshmallows
Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- On a crisp autumn morning, my husband and I dawdled over blueberry pancakes on the veranda, knowing our golden retriever, Zibeh, was only a few dozen yards away.

Downturn: Berlin Turnpike Motels Report Record High Vacancies
Vyto Treciokas will cut you a deal on a room at the Terra Motel on the Berlin Turnpike, but he won't rent by the hour.

Get lost in your own hometown
So I've had this fantasy, long as I can remember.

Why NBA defenses don't stay in a zone
Why don't NBA teams use more zone defenses? Charley Rosen says there are many reasons, including marksmen like Ray Allen.

Downtowner gets new owner
Long-term residents at the Downtowner Motor Inn will have to move out by the end of the month with a new motel owner who has promised to enforce city code.

Road trip: One 72-year-old, 1 bike, 3 days, 174.1 miles
An old chum offered to say a prayer for Dave Priest three weeks ago on the night before he embarked on a bicycle trip alone from his home in Bloomington to Chicago on the Old Route 66 Trail.

Casino reports $27,000 jackpot
Fire Rock Casino officials report that the 400 slot machines at the Fire Rock Casino are constantly in use with people waiting behind others trying their luck with the one-armed bandits.

Copia's creditors: The list of everyone owed money
Below is the list of the 369 businesses and individuals owed money by Copia, Napa's wine, food and arts center.

Money matters at local food pantry
When it comes to donating, Curtis Viator stresses the advantages of giving money over actual food items.

Tourism industry guards against budget cuts
LAKE PLACID ? Knives banging on the budget table have put the hospitality industry on high alert. Pending cuts to financial resources throughout New York better not include anything of the $21 million I Love New York marketing funds, tourism leaders contend.

Homeless Springfield Student Population Spikes 25 Percent
As the economy falls, the number of people living on streets continues to rise. And that's beginning to take a toll on school systems around here. The number of homeless students in the Springfield Public Schools district rose by more than 25 percent just over the last month.

Provident Bank to aid Route 1 revitalization in Howard County
Provident Bank has signed on to a Howard County loan program aimed at revitalizing Route 1. (PBKS) (BBT) (MTB) (PNC)

Can-do attitudes
?Muscles ? wow!? Sara Waeckerle yelled in encouragement as she shuffled around Stevens High School janitorial staff and fellow students as they loaded heavy boxes onto carts.

Tourism bright spot for Randolph
ASHEBORO ? Tourism has been one of the few bright pictures on the economic scene this year. In Randolph County, the most recent figures show a 4 percent rate of growth.

Editorials from around Pennsylvania
MANAGING GROWTH A REASON FOR REGIONALISM: