JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Members of St. Ephrem’s Syriac Catholic Church say the message was clear and it seems to be one of hate. Someone spray painted 666 on the front of their church. There were tons of question marks and comments as if the graffiti artists were questioning Christianity.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating a traffic accident involving an SUV and a 4-Wheeler all terrain vehicle. It happened on Highway 49 near Florence just south of Jerry’s Fish House shortly after 9 p.m.

In the wake of summer school cutbacks, the Summer Night Lights recreation program is seen as critical. Words failed Roslyn Haywood-Broadnax, and that doesn’t happen often. Her eyes softened and she pointed to the ceiling — or, rather, through it, toward the heavens.

Fraud complaints, lawsuits and probes have dogged a firm offering one-stop recovery services. In the top-floor ballroom of a downtown San Francisco hotel, Steve Slepcevic took the podium to share the story of his success.

Backers believe Alex Sanchez, who is facing racketeering charges, is incapable of betraying the community s trust. Shackled and sitting at the front of a courtroom, Alex Sanchez looked on with somber eyes as the judge called him a danger to society and a potential flight risk. The anti-gang worker who could face life in prison if convicted in a federal case was ordered held without bail.

New growth sprouts from scorched earth, along with disputes over the botanical center’s future. Evidence of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s rebound from a devastating wildfire less than two months ago is all around.

The sheriff made similar threats seven years ago when told to trim his budget. This time, supervisors weigh other factors. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca has been locked in a budget battle with county supervisors in recent weeks, threatening to close a jail and release prisoners early if he is forced to cut $25 million from his $2.5-billion budget.

Only 17,500 will get tickets for the service at Staples Center. Authorities warn others to stay away. Facing overwhelming demand for tickets to Michael Jackson’s memorial service, officials are warning those who do not win seats for Tuesday morning’s Staples Center event to stay away as police plan a massive deployment around the downtown arena.

Reggie Cole will remain in prison after killing a man while incarcerated. Prosecutors and the investigators maintain he is guilty of the 1994 murder of Felipe Gonzales Angeles. Fourteen years ago, Reggie Cole was sentenced to life without parole for a murder during a botched robbery in South Los Angeles.

If you’re the wife — but not the soul mate — why even bother to try to recover? I suppose a woman could take some comfort from the predicament of the governor of South Carolina, who vanished last week for a secret tryst in Argentina with his lover.

Separating truth from rumor and figuring out who represents the singer aren’t easy in an era of nonstop news. The past week has been filled with breathless rumors and revelations from supposed intimates of Michael Jackson. Hyper-competitive news outlets are lapping up supposedly inside information from a motley cast of supporting characters, including Deepak Chopra, Lou Ferrigno and Al Sharpton, …

Reports from Sacramento, San Diego, Los Angeles, East Los Angeles and Temecula SACRAMENTO

Police and state fire marshal officials are urging Vermonters to be careful with the things that go pop this July Fourth. … - By CRISTINA KUMKA STAFF WRITER

At least two Rutland County bridges will get deck repairs using federal stimulus money. … - By GORDON DRITSCHILO Staff Writer

Police said a traffic stop led to a felony crack bust late last month when a state trooper said he became suspicious because a motorist didn’t appear upset at getting a ticket. … - By GORDON DRITSCHILO Staff Writer

AA Meetings: Rutland, Group meetings discussions for Alcoholics Anonymous and alcohol abuse, 775-0402; Bennington, 447-1285; Manchester, 362-3824; Middlebury, 388-9284. ACORN Support Group: Lebanon, N.H., Support for individuals infected or affected with HIV/AIDS, (800) 816-2220. …

The number of homeless schoolchildren is now equivalent to the population of Fountain Hills.

Feds have extended a program to aid borrowers.

Twelve-year-old Alex Lopez is ready to die on the operating table, opting for a risky surgery to repair his heart so that he can be a normal boy.

Arizona’s been lucky this year, with an earlier monsoon season and lower temperatures credited with among the slowest wildfire seasons in recent memory. Fire crews around the state are thinning fuel to protect high-risk cities.

AssetFair.com, a barter Web site based in Fountain Hills, is evolving into a forum for sellers to trade high-priced antiques, art - even their homes - in the turbulent economy.

Authorities are reminding outdoor enthusiasts to avoid leaving valuables in their cars after a string of vehicle burglaries at a recreation area near Camp Verde.

Elderly and disabled residents living in unincorporated areas around the Valley won’t be left without rides to medical appointments thanks to emergency action this week by Valley Metro.

Cities and public safety agencies across the Valley increasingly rely on digital methods of keeping their citizens informed, with some also using the Internet as a crime-stopper. Scottsdale Police Department recently began using a sophisticated Nixle system.

They included nine extreme DUI cases, in which drivers’ blood-alcohol content is 0.15 percent or greater.

Mayor Bloomberg yesterday took his fight for control of city schools to the airwaves. Bloomberg — seeking re-election to a third term this fall — released two new campaign ads touting progress in improving student performance since he took…

The man being eyed as the real killer in the Tankleff double-murder case on Long Island has been arrested for an unrelated theft, police said. Joey Creedon, 50, was busted Thursday. Martin Tankleff served almost 20 years for the 1988 murders of…

Authorities are looking into whether a newly discovered trove of letters to one of baseball’s founding fathers contains documents that disappeared long ago from the New York Public Library. They are 19th-century letters to Harry Wright, who put…

Say what?! Noise from screeching brakes and roaring trains on subway platforms is so harsh on the ears that it can cause “permanent, irreversible, noise-induced hearing loss,” a new study in a top medical journal found. Researchers said that…

A motorcycle rider died Friday near Jeremy Ranch. The rider’s name was not released. About 1:30 p.m., a car traveling east on Interstate 80 had to slow for traffic and the driver swerved into another lane.