The Illinois Personal Injury Weblog of Schaeffer & Lamere P.C.

Why Are Natural Gas Prices So High?

From the Associated Press via Yahoo! News: "Lax Oversight Blamed for High Gas Prices," by Sam Hananel--

Too little oversight of financial markets — not supply and demand problems — are to blame for skyrocketing natural gas prices, top law enforcement officials in four Midwestern states said Tuesday.

Comparing natural gas trading to "the wild, wild West," the attorneys general from Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin urged Congress to increase regulation of markets they say are vulnerable to abuse and manipulation.

--Posted by Alton Illinois auto accident lawyer T. Evan Schaeffer of the Alton Illinois auto accident law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Hottest Tickets in Town

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Rush to buy slows Cards ticket sales," by Kim Bell--

Fans competed for about 360,000 tickets for the first season in new Busch Stadium. They lined up at 40 area Schnucks stores and three Team Clubhouse shops or tried to buy by phone or over the Internet.

Cardinals team management said Saturday's opening rush marked the largest one-day total ticket sales in the club's history.

The season isn't a sellout - yet. By 5 p.m. Saturday, an estimated 170,000 tickets had been sold, said Joe Strohm, vice president of ticket sales. Opening day and five Cubs games were sold out, and 44 games were down to standing-room only.

--Posted by Illinois personal injury attorney T. Evan Schaeffer of the Edwardsville Illinois personal injury law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

A Wedding with a Slightly Greasy Smell

From the Associated Press via the Belleville New-Democrat: "Ohio couple tie the knot at McDonald's"--

Do you take this man, and do you want fries with that? A couple decided to get married under the golden arches, as customers continued to place their orders for Big Macs and Chicken McNuggets.

Trisha Lynn Esteppe and Tyree Henderson exchanged their vows on Monday at the McDonald's in Fairborn where they work together and met three years ago.

Esteppe said she couldn't imagine a more romantic spot for their wedding. The couple walked down a white aisle laid on the restaurant's floor and had a traditional ceremony, not far from the counter.

--Posted by Illinois serious injury lawyer T. Evan Schaeffer of the Brighton Illinois catastrophic injury law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Ethanol Research at SUIE

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Ethanol bill could give SIUE millions," by Philip Ewing--

The Illinois Senate voted Tuesday to steer millions of dollars to an ethanol research center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, part of a plan to spur broader ethanol sales over the next few years.

The proposal, which passed 52-3, would provide more money for ethanol research, cut subsidies on ethanol sales, and require 10 percent of fuel sold in Illinois to be ethanol by 2008, and 15 percent by 2012.

--Posted by Illinois Bextra attorney T. Evan Schaeffer of the Edwardsville Illinois Bextra law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.