Last week's flood in the main San Joaquin County courthouse left between $200,000 and $300,000 worth of damage in its wake, officials said Wednesday.About 15,000 gallons of water poured out of a pipe into a construction area on the fourth floor of the Stockton courthouse Feb. 13, and water soon began soaking through the floor. It damaged the third-floor ceiling and poured down elevator shafts, and everyone in the building was evacuated.The exact cause of the flood is still under investigation, said Karen McConnell, public information officer for the county. Whether liability rests on the county or on contractors will not be determined until the investigation is finished, she said.On the morning of the flood, Safety and Risk Manager Richard Pietz said a pipe was left open in an area where the air conditioning system was being replaced.

Ford's new green-er engine isn't a hybrid

Kudos for Ford for taking the lead and rolling out a new generation of advanced gasoline engine technology. The move is fresh evidence that Detroit has more mileage boosting tricks up its sleeve than you may have guessed. The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Ford is set to unveil a new internal combustion gasoline engine that takes a big leap forward in gasoline engine efficiency.

It's not some new advanced hybrid. Rather the engine combines a pair of off-the shelf technologies of the sort long called for by auto experts such as the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Called EcoBoost, Ford's advancement combines turbo-charging and direct fuel injection technology to achieve up to 20% better mileage. The first model to get the green treatment will be the 2009 Lincoln MKS (photo).

Editorial: Labor for LNG

So, I would say in negotiations, the non-union labor item, along with the sale at a bargain price of some of the gas to Oregonians being cheap or free, should be favorable to the State of Oregon. If we can't get a lot or most of these items, then the owner can hit the waves! It appears that this type of opportunity cannot be handled by any of our State politicians, expecially the Governor, so the first hurdle to overcome would be to get someone that knows what they are doing in negotiations. " .

Zumaya a California Wildfire Casualty

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Joel Zumaya is going to be gone for at least half of 2008 after injuring his shoulder moving items in his Chula Vista, California home during last week's wildfires. ESPN.com reports Zumaya underwent shoulder surgery on his pitching shoulder in nearby San Diego and won't begin a new throwing program for at least four months.