The best little subsidized whorehouse in Fall River?

Did you hear the one about the woman in subsidized housing who apparently tried to turn her home into a mini-brothel? She got arrested and lost her subsidy. Then she brought a civil-rights action that went up to the Massachusetts Appeals Court. And get this: She won. Huh? Well, a woman named Gale Costa rented a single-family house on a residential street in Fall River. She participated in the Section 8 assistance program, with the local housing authority paying her private landlord $395 of... More

Massachusetts has had its share of…

If former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer is criminally charged for his alleged tryst with a high-priced prostitute, he will hardly be the first prominent attorney to have had a serious run-in with the law. Massachusetts alone has had its fair share of such lawyers, including:   1. Thomas Finneran — In 2007, he former House speaker pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in an indictment that arose out of his testimony in a civil lawsuit over an alleged racially disproportionate redistricting... More

One breast implant, not two, covered by workers’ comp

  A woman who was involved in a car accident at work is entitled to have workers’ compensation pay for one new breast implant, but not two, according to the North Carolina Court of Appeals.  Penny M. Rumple Richardson claimed that the collision caused her breast implants to become smaller. But the court determined that only her right implant had become smaller due to the accident; the left one was simply losing size due to “underinflation.” Therefore, although Richardson... More

Woman says being declared dead ruined her life

  A Nashville, Ken., woman who was declared dead eight years ago because of a typo at the Social Security Administration is still unable to prove that she’s alive. For the second time, the IRS has told Laura Todd that it is withholding her tax refund on the grounds that she’s deceased. The government mixed up Todd’s Social Security number with that of a Florida woman who passed away in 2000. After that, she had her health insurance cancelled and was turned down for a... More

Virginia lawmakers vote on site of toilet race

  The Virginia Legislature has passed a bill recognizing the town of Independence as the official home of the state’s annual toilet race. Since 1994, the “Grand Privy Race” has featured contestants riding bathroom fixtures on wheels around the town’s main streets, along with “plenty of delicious food” and “a parade featuring the winner of the ‘Potty Princess Pageant,’” according to the legislation. Declaring the locale the official... More

TIPS for not getting bilked when using a credit card

If you hate to carry cash and rely on plastic to pay for your purchases, you could be getting ripped off at the register. You’ve probably seen those little signs taped to the checkout counter at the corner store announcing credit-card minimum purchase amounts or extra fees. Can they do that? Credit-card users who don’t know their rights could wind up paying more than they should for using their plastic. 1. Can a store require me to make a $10 minimum purchase if I use my credit... More

Dialing for dollars

“Congratulations! You have won an all-expenses paid …” Click. “You have been pre-approved for …” Click. “Are you in debt?” Click. “Are you looking to refinance …” Click. If you’re one of the dwindling number of Americans who still has a land line, those annoying phone calls — usually made during the dinner hour — have become part of your daily routine. Despite a national and state Do Not Call Registry unveiled... More

The foreclosure nightmare: Could it happen to you?

 noah.schaffer at exhibitAnews.com Thousands of Massachusetts homeowners are expected to face the frightening reality of foreclosure this year as they find themselves unable to meet mortgage payments. In the good-news department, there are some positive signs on the horizon. Attorney General Martha Coakley recently convinced a Superior Court judge to hold off on the foreclosures facing customers of an out-of-state sub-prime lender. And advocates are urging legislation that would help... More

Should women be allowed to breastfeed in public?

“Yes. It’s just natural, and I don’t see anything wrong with it.” — Kevin Moore; London, England   “Yes, because it’s a natural thing.” — Eileen Sill; Boston “Yes, because when it comes down to necessity, I think women should be able to feed their babies.” — Molly DeShazo; Jamaica Plain “Sure. Why not? It doesn’t offend me.” — Kim Greulich; Boston  Read More →

Case of 'vendor' and his ropes dismissed

A Boston Municipal Court judge has dismissed a criminal charge against a performance artist accused of being an “unlicensed transient vendor” because of a 2007 performance he staged in front of a branch of Bank of America in Boston where he displayed a sign reading “Nooses on Sale” and offered ropes tied to look like nooses in protest of the subprime mortgage crisis. Despite the fact that Milan Kohout never sold any of the “nooses” and never intended to, Boston... More

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