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OKLAHOMA CITY – A group of college students who boasted about their keg parties on a MySpace page clashed with state tax officials in a hearing over tens of thousands of dollars in tax assessments the state is seeking. Kegheadz, a loosely organized party business formed by University of Central …

A coroner ruled Friday that a common childhood vaccination was not responsible for a baby’s death, but the boy’s parents disagree, the Guardian reported Friday. Eighteen-month-old George Fisher died after doctors vaccinated him with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine while he was sick, the baby’s parents told the coroner at an inquest …

FERNIE, British Columbia – Police have recovered the eighth and final body from western Canada’s backcountry after back-to-back weekend avalanches buried 11 snowmobilers. Police said Tuesday that Daniel Bjarnason’s body was recovered by search-and-rescue personnel using probes. Click here for photos. The bodies of seven men were recovered Monday near …

Sugary soft drinks accounted for less than a quarter of the beverages sold in schools last year, demonstrating that a voluntary transition toward healthier drinks is working, the beverage industry said Wednesday. The current school year will mark the final year of a three-year, voluntary program designed to lower the …

MONTGOMERY, N.Y. – Authorities are investigating the death of a Hudson Valley woman who was struck by a police car while crossing a road to get a snack. Town of Montgomery police say 19-year-old Tiffany Weddle was crossing Orange County’s Route 208 to get to a convenience store Sunday night …

WASHINGTON – The Interior Department says at least 49 offshore oil or natural gas production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico were destroyed by Hurricane Ike, and some may not be rebuilt. It said in an assessment Thursday that the platforms accounted for 13,000 barrels of oil and 84 million …

JEWETT CITY, Conn. – Court documents show that moments before a Jewett City toddler fatally shot himself, his mother warned him not to touch his father’s gun because of the “bad boo boos” it could cause. An arrest affidavit details how 2-year-old Wyatt Matteau grabbed the gun from a nightstand …

SHANKSVILLE – Searching for an economic boost and home to perhaps the most compelling story of 9/11, rural Somerset County is trying to pull off a balancing act: Remembering the victims of United Airlines Flight 93 in a way that encourages development and job growth without devolving into tackiness and …

LANSING, Mich. – The AARP, the national advocacy group for older Americans, is being accused of age discrimination by a 63-year-old woman from Michigan. Bonita Brady says the group passed her over for a series of jobs because she was too old, despite excellent job reviews. She joined the AARP …

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine: Settle Up Some high-profile Hillary Clinton backers are expressing disappointment that Barack Obama has not done more to help his former rival retire her campaign debt. Federal Election Commission records show that the Clinton campaign was almost $24 million in the red …