By The Associated Press
IRS goes by book, 24,000 to 1 family

CHIMACUM, Wash. (AP) – Brian and Jackie Lawson hope the Internal Revenue Service is as understanding of the error on their income tax form as they were for a glitch that sent them 24,000 copies of a wrong instruction booklet.

Twelve boxes of booklets for 2005 showed up at the Lawson’s door Wednesday, three weeks after they called for the 2003 form to help fix the error on their returns.

The wrong booklets were sent from Bloomington, Ill., and arrived at the right place, despite being addressed to Chimacum, D.C., instead of Chimacum, Wash.

Brian Lawson, a self-employed market analyst, said he was unable to get the IRS to return his calls.

He did get one call about the booklets, though.

Shipping giant UPS Inc. called Thursday to say another 12 boxes had just arrived for him at a warehouse.

Lawson told her not to bother delivering them.

He said he and his wife had learned one lesson from the episode: “We should have had someone else do our taxes.”

Ohio town finally wets its whistle

WESTERVILLE, Ohio (AP) – This central Ohio city, once known as the “dry capital of the world,” is dry no more.

A pizza parlor on Thursday became the first establishment in Westerville’s uptown business district to legally serve a beer since 1875.

“Here’s to a new tradition in Westerville,” local jeweler Bill Morgan said as he raised his plastic cup of beer at Michael’s Pizza.

Westerville’s temperance history dates back 131 years, when the town’s saloon was blown up during what’s known as the “Whiskey Wars.”

The Anti-Saloon League moved its headquarters to Westerville in 1909, and the city became known as the “dry capital of the world.”

Voters in a portion of Westerville approved licenses to sell alcohol in 1998, but uptown had remained dry.

Business and city leaders pushed for the serving of alcohol in uptown establishments as a way to compete with restaurants and bars at two new retail developments near the Columbus suburb.

Voters on Nov. 8 approved licenses for beer and wine to be sold at Michael’s Pizza and Pasquale’s Pizza & Pasta, whose owner plans to start serving libations Feb. 1.

Strip bars tell N.J. to butt out on ban

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – With curious office workers gawking and strip-bar standards playing in the background, several hundred people joined a handful of exotic dancers in front of the Statehouse on Thursday to rally against New Jersey’s new indoor smoking ban.

About 20 of the women – who, to the disappointment of some in the crowd, didn’t reveal anything more risque than their midriffs – said the ban will result in lost clients and lost money.

“It’s going to murder our business,” said Dominique Hernandez, 24, who dances at a lounge in Florence. “A lot of people want to get off of work, have a drink and a smoke and watch some pretty girls. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

The rally, trumpeted by two radio shock jocks, featured signs that read “Defy Anti-Smoking Nazis” and “Tobacco Control Is Out of Control.” In the background, a loudspeaker blared typical strip bar tunes such as “You Can Leave Your Hat On” and “Girls, Girls, Girls.”

The ban, which affects bars and restaurants, is to be signed into law Sunday by Gov. Richard J. Codey.

Sick teen reunited with birthday dog

NEW YORK (AP) – A $6 million lawsuit about a Yorkshire terrier was settled with a cancer-stricken girl reclaiming her pooch.

Martin Klein filed the lawsuit, saying former friend Ted Kohl gave the dog to his daughter for her 11th birthday.

Court papers said Kohl was taking care of 4-year-old Hershe while the Klein family was on vacation in London. But Kohl gave the dog to his girlfriend, Gayle Fisher Worth, after he was sent to prison Nov. 28.

Klein sued Worth last week in Manhattan’s state Supreme Court to get the dog back.

His lawsuit said his daughter, now 15, had been diagnosed with malignant melanoma and Hershe “gave her great comfort and assisted in her recovery efforts.”

Klein’s lawyer, Hayley Greenberg, said Friday, “The only thing we can say is that our client has the dog now.”