WASHINGTON – If lenders temporarily freeze low introductory interest rates on home loans made to risky borrowers before they soar, it would be a modest fix for the country`s fractured housing market. The problems are so far-reaching, analysts say, that an emerging Bush administration-backed plan – nicknamed “teaser-freezer” by one economist – won`t spare many [...]

ELYRIA – Animal lovers are blaming what they say is the biggest deluge in memory of homeless, hurt and unwanted pets on Ohio`s foreclosure crisis. For months, shelters and other animal control agencies have been struggling to find the space to take in abandoned and stray pets, especially cats. WANT TO HELP? To volunteer, e-mail [...]

It doesn`t take long to realize that the 7-month-old Wal-Mart Supercenter in Chestnut Commons isn`t your father`s Wal-Mart. Sure, the high ceilings and spacious 200,000 square feet of merchandise are familiar, but a second glance proves that this new store is a vastly different shopping experience and perhaps a harbinger of the retailer`s shifting future. [...]

A weekend of fender benders continued Sunday with a two-car crash on state Route 82 that sent four people to the hospital. It happened about 6 p.m. Sunday near the Circle K convenience store. That`s when the Elyria Post of the State Highway Patrol reports that 56-year-old Patricia A. McClain of Columbia Station failed to [...]

Lorain police Saturday, Nov. 17 12:54 a.m. – 2200 block E. 42nd St., victim reports someone used identity to steal $260 from his bank account. Sunday, Dec. 1 3:10 p.m. – 3700 block Oberlin Ave., Ralph C. Mettler, 64, Lorain, charged with operating vehicle intoxicated, driving under suspension and failure to control. Sunday, Dec. 2 [...]

She`s only in seventh grade, but 12-year-old Callie Sullivan of Avon Lake is a force to be reckoned with. The Learwood Middle School student already has starred in several plays, including Disney`s “High School Musical,” has sung with rock star Pat Benatar and bands including Yes and Styx, and belted out the national anthem in [...]

CLEVELAND – Investors are on a fast track for profits from stocks whose companies` drugs are given fast track status by the federal Food and Drug Administration, whether further research bears fruit or not, a newspaper reported Sunday. Since 1998, fast-track announcements for almost 200 drug treatments resulted in single-day stock price increases that averaged [...]