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Fire-related deaths in Maryland dropped by 22 percent last year, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshals.
Preliminary figures show that 52 people died from fire injuries in 2012, down from 67 in 2011, the fire marshal's office reports. Safer cigarettes are a leading factor in the downward trend since 1988, State Fire Marshal William Barnard says.
A state law passed in 2007 requires that cigarettes sold in the state be designed to extinguish more quickly than standard cigarettes. Barnard says a 20-year-old requirement for fire sprinklers in newly built, multi-family dwellings is another significant factor in the decline.
Book News: Stephen King's New Bogeyman? Digital Publishing
Also: the legacy of Kierkegaard; the creator of Lyle Crocodile has died; Aussie airliner Qantas commissions flight-length books.Washington State Butcher Spikes Pig Feed With Weed
Despite its name, the "pot pig" experiment isn't an attempt to develop a new meaty treat for stoners. Instead, a Seattle butcher is feeding marijuana seeds, stems and root bulbs to swine as a cheeky money-saving measure.'I Was Dismayed' To Learn What Agency Did, Ex-IRS Chief Says
Under Douglas Shulman's watch, IRS personnel singled out some conservative groups for extra scrutiny. That, he conceded Tuesday, has "justifiably led to questions" about the tax agency's motivation.My Social Security Number Is Posted Where?
Sensitive personal information for thousands of applicants to a government phone program was easily available online, according to a new report. Isaac Wolf, of Scripps Howard News Service, talks to host Michel Martin about finding applicants' social security numbers, home addresses and more online.Leave a Comment
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