ANCHORAGE, Alaska | Sarah Palin unlawfully abused her power as governor by trying to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper, the chief investigator of an Alaska legislative panel concluded Friday. The politically charged inquiry imperiled her reputation as a reformer on John McCain's Republican ticket.

COLUMBUS, Ohio | Barack Obama is playing it safe. Leading in polls with 25 days to Election Day, the Democratic nominee is offering careful proposals to address the economic crisis while letting allies respond to John McCain's sharpest charges.

Keith Wells looks nothing like Polk Sheriff Grady Judd, but he's serving an 18-month prison term for forging the plain-talking sheriff's signature on three checks last year.

The Haines City Police Department reported these criminal activities from Sept. 24 through 27:<br><b>BURGLARY</b><br><B>Burglary and grand theft</B> were reported Sept. 24 at a residence in the 100 block of Minihaha Circle.

IRVING, Texas | Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said Thursday that cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones will play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals despite his latest incident involving police.

The League of Women Voters of Polk County has two more election forums before the Nov. 4 general election.<br>The forums will be in the Polk County Administration Building, 330 W. Church St., Bartow, in the commission chambers on the first floor.<br>Dates and times of the forums are:<br>Tuesday:

GAINESVILLE | The Bright Futures scholarship program should be phased out over the course of a decade, state Sen. Steve Oelrich told a University of Florida community group Wednesday.<br>Most UF students use the program despite a lack of financial need, said Oelrich, a Cross Creek Republican who chairs the Senate Higher Education committee.

When oil surpassed $100 per barrel earlier this year, and gasoline prices soared above $4 per gallon, Americans cried out for relief.

SAN FRANCISCO | With its iconic stagecoach, Wells Fargo &amp; Co. has evoked images of the wild West throughout its 156-year history.

"All of our costs are absolutely going through the roof - chemicals, fertilizer, diesel. With all those costs going up, there's no way to make money on these (farm) prices."