A week after the murder of a truck driver in a road accident near the Shivpuri chowk, the police has shortlisted 22 suspects -- all owners of white Skoda cars of Patiala -- one of whom could be involved in the killing.

The person who had shot the truck driver, Harbhajan Singh, on October 3 evening was driving a Skoda. That is the only clue the police has.

The truck had allegedly hit the rear of the car and the car owner was so angry that he pumped bullets into the stomach of the truck driver. The police claims that a .32 bore pistol was used.

The police concentrated on identifying the owners of Skoda cars in Patiala only after eye-witnesses of the killing reported that the car bore the registration code of that city.

The car number noted down by some eye-witnesses was, however, found to that of a two-wheeler.

Dorel spins into high-end bike realm

Dorel Industries Ltd. says it's aiming to move its bicycle business away from the mass market with yesterday's acquisition of high-end manufacturer Cannondale Bicycle Corp.

Posters Loom Large in Dour Pakistani Poll Campaign

LAHORESecurity fears may have kept Pakistani politicians off the streets, but their faces can be seen every way one turns in the city of Lahore.

With days to go before the Feb. 18 poll for new national and provincial assemblies there doesn't appear to be any room left for more posters in a city regarded as the nerve centre of Pakistani politics.

They peer down from giant posters plastered on buildings and billboards and from banners hanging on lamp posts in the capital of Punjab, the province where half of Pakistan's 160 million people live and from where half of the parliament will be elected.

Yet printers in the narrow streets of small workshops say business is way down compared with past campaigns, even as their presses pump out a blizzard of posters as parties make a final push to sway a public that opinion polls show is tired of President Pervez Musharraf and the politicians who surround him.

LOVE, FRANKLIN-STYLE

FRANKLIN — Four couples gave their significant others the gift of themselves for Valentine's Day.

The couples all township residents were married by Mayor Brian Levine on Thursday morning in a civil ceremony. Each had a different story to tell before exchanging vows in front of two witnesses and a handful of family members.

For Donna Gower, 57, and Ernest Albert Hofer, 64, who live in the same housing development, it was about a year ago when they spotted each other on bicycles.

"We lived in close proximity, so we saw each other bicycling, and so we started bicycling together," Hofer said. "One thing led to another."

The couple chose to get married on Valentine's Day because two of Hofer's sons were born on Valentine's Day during different years. Next, they are planning a honeymoon trip in March to a ski resort out West and plan to travel to Africa in 2009.

Spontaneous catastrophe: Notes from a recent 'Bakken Evening Out'

Behind the thick stone walls and arched windows of an impressive 25,000-square-foot home on Lake Calhoun, one might expect to find fine wine and food, enlightened conversation, entertainment and music. And one would find all of these things in this beautiful structure, mingling with some lunatic dressed as Ben Franklin, a machine that electrocutes you, strange fish, Frankenstein’s monster and a little miniature house that explodes. Welcome to the Bakken Museum, second Tuesday of the month.

The home sits tucked away on the west shore of Lake Calhoun, almost out of sight from those touring the lakes by bike or car. No extravagant sign marks the spot, although being a museum of electricity, the proprietors could surely think of something to grab the attention of passersby.

Mayor has plan for tourism center in old Millbottom area

Mayor John Landwehr laid out his vision for a new tourism center for Jefferson City, asking his fellow council members for help in realizing the project.

Three council members - Jane Smith, Richard Koon and Ron Medin - volunteered to serve on a ad-hoc committee to see if they could bring the idea to life."It's an intricate project and it would be wonderful it if occurred," said Landwehr. "But there's no certainty in it."As conceived by Landwehr, the former AmerenUE site - located west of the Capitol in the former Millbottom - would be the site of the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and perhaps the state's Division of Tourism.Landwehr lamented Jefferson City doesn't have a place where passers-by can learn about the community's amenities. And he noted the state's tourism office is located on the fifth floor of the Truman Office Building - not exactly accessible."Even the Capitol doesn't have a place for strangers to park and find out what's available," he said.The mayor noted the city first acquired the land several years ago when city officials needed land to install a sewer pump station.

Virginia's budget

It comes in the form of a gas tax increase, and it would rise a penny a year to five cents over the next five years, generating about $150 million.

When it comes to paying for roads, the gas tax is direct, simple and relevant. And it helps plug the gap created by the repealed fiasco of abusive-driver fees, which were none of those things. That's smart.

In the big picture, as things stand, divisions remain between the governor and the legislators, between senators and delegates, between Republicans and Democrats. If past proves prologue, this season's budget wrangling may go into overtime, though sunny optimism is the official posture from both sides of the Capitol and from the governor's office, too.

Regardless, you may want to tune in. Because, however the budget turns out, you'll be paying for it — and you deserve your money's worth.

Legally Blonde to woman of will

He calls Witherspoon his "all-American girl Trojan horse". But the actress, despite having the distinction of being a direct descendent of John Witherspoon, a signatory to the declaration of American independence, refuses to be publicly drawn on her own standpoint on the issue.