Argentina vs. Germany worthy of final

It is a quarterfinal with all the makings of a final. Capricious Diego Maradona's Argentina and precocious Germany have already produced the beautiful game that any World Cup thrives on.

Yet memory shows Saturday's game also has all the trappings of an ugly clash.

And for an added twist, the world's greatest player, Lionel Messi, was said to be suffering from a touch of a cold, less than 48 hours before kickoff.

The game however, already reached fever pitch without any potential illness.

For all the sweet moves of Messi and Germany's Mesut Oezil, the wild push-kich-and-shove melee at the end of Germany's penalty shootout quarterfinal …

Parkersburg man named to House seat

Gov. Joe Manchin has appointed Daniel Poling of Parkersburg tofill the vacant 10th District seat in the House of Delegates.

"I have every confidence that he will work hard to serve all ofthe citizens of Wood County in a fair and unbiased manner and …

Sunni lawmakers walk out of Iraqi parliament to protest leader's "house arrest"

Lawmakers from parliament's largest Sunni Arab bloc walked out of Saturday's session to protest what they called the house arrest of their leader following the discovery of a car bomb near his compound.

U.S. and Iraqi officials said the keys to the vehicle were found on one of Adnan al-Dulaimi's bodyguards. Al-Dulaimi's son, Maki al-Maliki, and about 30 other people were arrested Friday.

The political storm over the alleged house arrest of one of Iraq's most powerful Sunni politicians and the detentions have threatened to inflame sectarian tensions at a time when U.S. officials are pushing Iraqi politicians to take advantage of a recent decline in violence …

Firefighters OK contractraising pay 10% over 5 yrs.

By a nearly 8-1 ratio, Chicago firefighters and paramedics voted Wednesday to ratify a new contract that gives them a 10 percent pay raise over five years in exchange for manpower changes that will help the city reduce overtime costs.

The final vote was 3,036 to 421.

"We feel we did the right thing as an executive board and the members [agreed] with conviction. . . . They feel we did pretty good in this economic environment," said Michael O'Neill, secretary-treasurer of the Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2.

As for the union's concession on a staffing issue that triggered the bitter 1980 firefighters strike, O'Neill said, "There's some give-and-take on both sides. …

South Carolina law makes glass violations punishable as a misdemeanor

Auto glass repairers across the country have been feeling the pinch of a tight market for some time, which has led some facilities to offer an abundance of incentives to lure customers to their facilities and drive up sales figures.

Enticements can range from a steak dinner to a deep discount of up to $500, and many in the industry are not just crying foul, but are relying on their state legislators to stop the practice. Insurance fraud is a large part of the problem, with auto glass repair facilities sometimes offering consumers a $20 or $30 coupon to have their undamaged windshields replaced, and then they stick the insurance company with the bill.

South Carolina's …

Text of French Resistance Hero's Letter

Text of the farewell letter written by 17-year-old Resistance hero Guy Moquet and read in schools across France on Monday:

My dearest Mother, my beloved little brother, my beloved father.

I'm going to die! I'm asking you, especially Mother, to be brave. I am being so and I want to be just as brave as those who have gone before me. Of course I would have preferred to live. But what I want with all my heart is that my death serves some purpose. I haven't had the time to embrace Jean. I embraced my two brothers in arms Roger and Rino. Alas, I wasn't actually able to embrace my real brother. I hope all my things are sent back to you, they will be of some use to Serge, who I …

Guo Jingjing leads 3-meter springboard semis

Overwhelming favorite Guo Jingjing of China has finished first in the women's 3-meter springboard diving semifinals at the world championships.

Guo totaled 368.10 points Monday, Jennifer Abel of Canada was second with 351.65 points and He Zi of …