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Seeing the price of copper steadily increase, Dennis Washington's uncle gave him an idea to make some extra cash.

So this week, Washington and his buddy, Ryan Zickafoose, both 22, spent one morning going to area construction sites to ask for any leftover copper wire.

For three hours, they used razor blades to strip rubber insulation around the wire they were given and filled a bucket with 11 pounds of copper. In the afternoon, the college students collected about $36 at Savannah Recycling in the 4400 block of Tremont Road.

"It's a little bit of work," said Zickafoose, a Savannah Technical College student. "But it's worth it."

The price of copper - about $3 a pound locally - also has created new potential for crimes of opportunity among thieves, said Judy Pal, a Savannah-Chatham police spokeswoman.

FORT STEWART

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Inadequate training, outdated tactics and aging equipment helped lead to the deaths of nine Charleston firefighters fighting a furniture store blaze last year, according to a long-awaited analysis by fire experts released Thursday.

The report said firefighters did not follow standard safety practices and had obsolete equipment when battling the Sofa Super Store blaze. Earlier reports also have characterized the department as under-trained and overmatched as a small blaze in the store's loading dock spread through the building and eventually overwhelmed firefighters.

The June 18 fire at the Sofa Super Store killed more firefighters than any emergency since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. A panel of experts commissioned by the city composed the report, and The Associated Press obtained a copy ahead of the scheduled release late Thursday.

Presbyterian (USA) leaders in South Georgia have removed a proposal to punish pastors who provide ministry to former members.

Nine months after negotiations began, the city of Savannah and Chatham County have not agreed on how to divvy up the cost of the merged police departments.

Former Gov. Roy Barnes on Thursday joined a chorus of Democratic Party leaders who say Hillary Clinton should exit the presidential race.

"I think for the good of the party, she needs to come out," Barnes said in an interview at a Savannah Democratic fundraising event.

"Barack Obama is the nominee," he said of the frontrunner, a U.S. senator from Illinois. "I don't see any way mathematically Hillary Clinton can win."

That reflects the view of most experts, who argue that barring some dramatic development, the senator from New York and former first lady can't catch up.

(Scroll to the bottom to see video of Thursday night's meeting.)

Some Savannah landlords Thursday expressed reservations about the vague nature of a proposed ordinance to identify and fix derelict rental properties.

A group of about 30 property owners questioned specifics of the idea, which is so preliminary it isn't even a draft ordinance yet. The ordinance would seek to punish landlords who let their property become run down, overgrown or develop criminal activity.

"There are a lot of holes in the concept and a lot of things that need to be tightened up," said Mike Vaquer, who represents the Homebuilders Association of Greater Savannah and the Savannah Board of Realtors. "I think we all understand what the city is trying to do, and that is protect those who cannot protect themselves from landlords that are unscrupulous."

Savannah Fire & Emergency Services promoted 48 firefighters who were recognized during a promotions ceremony Thursday at the Savannah International Trade Center's Oglethorpe Auditorium.

ALLENHURST - An early morning fire Wednesday gutted an Allenhurst home, but no one was injured.

All that remained of the Jessica Court home of Juanita Martinez were the brick walls. Inside, the charred remains from the 3 a.m. fire reflected a lifetime of memories.

Martinez, who is military nurse at Wynn Army Hospital at Fort Stewart, was away in Savannah at the time of the fire. She and her two grown children - Wilfredo Roldan, 21, and Janice Roldan, 20, both of whom were in the home when the fire started - sifted through the debris Wednesday afternoon in search of items that they could salvage.

Janice Roldan found a guitar inside its charred case. The guitar was not damaged - only a little water moisture was beading on it. She also found some pottery made by her uncle.

ATHENS - Customers are trickling back to nurseries and landscaping businesses and are buying with a new water-wise attitude, even as 2008 is delivering more spring showers than 2007.

ATLANTA - Legislation intended to help military children move more easily between interstate school districts was among the 17 bills Gov. Sonny Perdue vetoed Wednesday.

More than 200 local law enforcement officers, family members and government officials gathered Thursday morning for a memorial service honoring the lives of 49 Savannah-area law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty since 1868.

The memorial service - filled with prayer, reflection and remembrance - took place outside the police barracks at the Police Officers Monument on Oglethorpe Avenue and Habersham Street.

"As we're here honoring the men and women who gave their lives serving our community, we're about to make our jobs more dangerous," Police Chief Michael Berkow said.

Berkow was referring to a bill Gov. Sonny Perdue later in the day signed into law. The new law will allow about 300,000 Georgians who have concealed-carry permits to wear their guns in restaurants, on public transportation and at state parks. While they can take their firearms into restaurants, they cannot consume alcohol while doing so. Bars remain off-limits.

Reverend Horton Heat was on the road with his seminal psychobilly band in the early '90s, when the electrical controls on his guitar, a Gibson ES175, started to show their age.

"We were playing 27 days in a row, playing every night," recalls the "reverend," whose real name is Jim Heath.

The Gibson had a wide, hollow body with a thick sound, perfect for rockabilly musicians. Seeking a six-stringed stand-in, Heath visited the Guitar Center in Charlotte, N.C.

Hanging on a wall was something that would not have been available a few years earlier: a new Gretsch, a reissue model of one of the legendary guitars made popular in the 1950s by musicians such as recording star and record producer Chet Atkins.

Gretsch drum factory Production Manager Paul Cooper walks you through a few drum-making techniques.

It will be an especially busy next few weeks for Savannah's maritime community, beginning with the Savannah Propeller Club's 75th anniversary celebration on Thursday, which coincides with its annual National Maritime Day activities.

The festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the S.S. Savannah monument at the foot of the Barnard Street ramp on River Street. There, members will gather to offer a prayer and lay a wreath in the river, recalling those who have lost their lives at sea. The public is always welcome to attend this moving ceremony.

From River Street, the observance will move to the DeSoto Hilton's HarborView room, where members will honor past presidents and hear from Propeller Club International President Rockney Nigretto.

A whirlwind week

The Savannah Airport Commission voted Thursday to raise the flat rates taxi drivers can charge between the airport and Hilton Head Island.

ATHENS, Ga. - Air Midwest, the only commercial airline operating out of Athens-Ben Epps Airport, will stop offering flights out of Athens next week as its parent company begins shutting down the subsidiary in a money-saving move.

COMING SATURDAY: Columnist Sarah Todd offers advice for nonprofit organizations.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The head of the nation's largest consumer bank said Thursday the country's economic downturn will accelerate consolidation across the banking industry.

MILWAUKEE - Department store stalwarts J.C. Penney Co., Nordstrom Inc. and Kohl's Inc. all reported steep drops in first-quarter profits on Thursday as Americans snub apparel to focus on basic necessities at discounters in a challenging economy.

WASHINGTON - Industrial output dropped in April as factories making everything from autos to heavy machinery felt the adverse effects of the weak economy.

WASHINGTON - Commercial banks and other financial institutions need to beef up their ability to detect and protect themselves against risks like the credit and mortgage debacles, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Thursday.

NEW YORK - Oil futures ended a whipsaw session slightly lower Thursday as the expiration of options played havoc with prices, driving crude near record high levels at times and down by more than $3 a barrel at others. Retail gas prices, meanwhile, advanced past $3.77 a gallon.

WASHINGTON - If only beleaguered motorists and shoppers could make their gas pains and food sticker shock go away with the ease that the government can.

How can government data say inflation seems tamer when milk and gas both cost almost $4 a gallon? Wednesday's Consumer Price Index showed overall prices edging up a smaller-than-expected 0.2 percent even though food prices shot up by 0.9 percent, the biggest one-month gain in nearly two decades.

It makes you wonder if the government is performing a statistical sleight of hand. The same Labor Department report showed that gasoline prices fell 2 percent in April - after seasonal adjustments - when motorists were paying a lot more at the pump.

While it almost looks like the government's number crunchers are cooking the books so that the politicians don't get blamed for soaring prices, the real answer lies more in economics than politics. It reflects how the Bureau of Labor Statistics goes about gathering and then presenting the thousands of prices of goods and services that it collects every month.

NEW YORK - CBS Corp. is acquiring a big online reach with its acquisition of CNet Networks Inc. but also a company that's faced heavy criticism from investors. Those concerns, as well as the hefty $1.8 billion price tag, helped send CBS's shares down after the deal was announced Thursday.

SAN FRANCISCO - Yahoo Inc. Chief Executive Jerry Yang spent months fending off Microsoft Corp.'s unsolicited takeover bid. Now he may only have a few weeks to persuade the software maker to revive its last offer of $47.5 billion, or risk being fired in a shareholder mutiny led by activist investor Carl Icahn.

Dear Prima,

COLUMBIA, S.C. - As more communities look for ways to pay for new schools, supporters of school-impact fees are hoping a bill to let developers choose whether to pay higher fees will fizzle in the last ten working days of the session.

NEW YORK - A notorious "Spam King" and his partner now owe MySpace about $230 million in damages after a federal judge awarded the popular online hangout what is believed to be the largest anti-spam judgment ever.

Cheryl Haworth still gets looks from fellow pedestrians as she walks Savannah's streets.

Six Savannahians will participate in this weekend's United States Olympic Weightlifting Trials on the Georgia Tech campus.

PHILADELPHIA - Cole Hamels finally finished what he started.

The Savannah Sand Gnats rallied for three runs in the sixth inning to beat the Asheville (N.C.) Tourists, 4-3, and extend their winning streak to three games Thursday night at Grayson Stadium.

HOUSTON - Armstrong Atlantic State freshman Tim Johannsen beat Lynn's Lorenzo Cava to win at No. 1 singles and clinch the Pirates' 5-3 win Thursday in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Men's National Tennis Championships.

Carl Edwards heads to the Lowe's Motor Speedway for Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Challenge and the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25 as the favorite since his car already has won at Lowe's sister tracks - the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway.

KEY FIGURES

While longer races draw - and have more room for - bigger fields, the Savannah Mile is finding its niche in the local running community.

ATLANTA - This was just what the Atlanta Braves envisioned a year ago.

CONCORD, N.C. - Part of the festivities during Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Challenge is a special burnout competition among selected drivers.

Jake Eigsti married his college sweetheart, Melissa Ullenbruch, on Feb. 3, 2007.

LOCAL/AREA

There is another youth fishing tournament coming up this weekend, this one in the Statesboro area. The Bulloch BassMasters and the Statesboro-Bulloch Recreation Department has scheduled its annual BassMasters Fishing Rodeo for Saturday at the Mill Creek Park Complex.

Located on Georgia Highway 24 East, the tournament is open to youth ages 5-15. Gary Oglesby, president of the Bulloch BassMasters, said gates will open at 7 a.m. and fishing is set for 8-11 a.m.

A host of prizes are in store for those who attend, including cash awards for those who catch tagged fish.

Tagged fish

According to Gary, 60 fish have been tagged and released in the pond, and each is worth $50 to the child who catches one during tournament hours.

"If they happen to catch one that was tagged last year, that fish will be worth $5," he said.

Jake Howard's dream come true was Joey Lupus' nightmare.

Lupus, Calvary Day's freshman pitcher, had an otherwise stellar performance ended by Brookstone's sophomore third baseman. Howard belted a two-out, eighth inning walkoff home run to give his team a 2-1 victory and eliminate the defending Class A champion.

"It's a dream situation," Howard said of his second career home run. "Tie game, extra innings, second round of the state playoffs. It's kind of a dream come true."

(Scroll down to see a video from Calvary Day's game.)

Calvary, which lost the first game 6-3, saw its streak of 12 straight playoff victories snapped in the opener and its run of three consecutive champions series appearances, with two championships, ended the second.

"It's disappointing, but these seniors graduating, they've had a pretty good career here at Calvary," said Cavaliers coach Kevin Farmer. "They've been involved in a fifth straight region championship and two state championships. That's nothing to hang their head about."

ADEL - Savannah Christian entered the second round of the Class AA state baseball tournament on Wednesday with a hitter's chance.

Contribute to Vox Populi by calling 652-0370 or e-mailing us at vox@savannahnow.com. Be sure to write Vox Populi in the subject field. Not all responses are used.

Tied together by fate and their name, two pioneering ships - the SS Savannah and the NS Savannah - will be the subject of a symposium at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum next week.

"Tale of Two Savannahs" ties in with National Maritime Day, a celebration with deep ties to the SS Savannah.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the resolution establishing National Maritime Day in 1933. "Whereas on May 22, 1819, the steamship 'The Savannah' set sail from Savannah, Georgia, on the first successful transoceanic voyage under steam propulsion, thus making a material contribution to the advancement of ocean transportation: Therefore ... May 22 of each year shall hereafter be designated and known as National Maritime Day," read the proclamation.

LOS ANGELES - It's not easy doing a standing-up rowing maneuver with a stretchy band while holding on to two leashed dogs, each doing its seeming best to yank your arms from their sockets. But this is what you get on a Bow Wow Workout.

MIAMI - The instructions are simple: Read the Prayer ... / Drink the Water ... / Believe in God! / Believe in Yourself!

Combining antebellum history with arboreal delights, the Savannah-Ogeechee Canal Museum & Nature Center will stage its 16th annual anniversary celebration.

Carl and Tony have lived in their charming, semi-detached house for 14 years. They are the social butterflies of their neighborhood and are always hosting get-togethers, poker games, barbecues and even Easter-egg hunts. The duo recently decided they had outgrown their small home - especially their dark, cramped living and dining rooms - and started contemplating a move into bigger and brighter digs.