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In Iraq, civilian contractor deaths near 650
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The war in Iraq has killed at least 647 civilian contractors to date, according to official figures that provide a stark reminder of the huge role of civilians in supporting the U.S. military.
The contractor death toll is tracked by the U.S. Department of Labor on the basis of claims under an insurance policy, the Defense Base Act, that all U.S. government contractors and subcontractors working outside the United States must take out for their civilian employees.
In response to questions from Reuters, a Labor Department spokesman said there had been 647 claims for death benefits between March 1, 2003, and September 30, 2006. The Defense Base Act covers both Americans and foreigners, and there is no breakdown of the nationalities of those killed.
Equity Residential completes Lexford sale
Equity Residential Properties Trust of Chicago said Friday it has completed the sale of its Columbus-based Lexford housing division to a private New Jersey investor in a deal worth $1.09 billion. Equity Residential sold its 289 apartment complexes with 27,115 units in 10 states to Empire Group Holdings LLC. The sale price is equivalent to about $40,052 a unit. .
Chiefs off to a good start
LOBATSE - Mochudi Centre Chiefs got off to a flying start in the 2006/07 Mascom Premier Football League after clobbering Lobtrans Extension Gunners 2-0 in Lobatse on Saturday. Mara Moloi found the back of the net for Chiefs just three minutes into the game, immediately after Ofentse Veron Mmipi had struck the back of the net for Gunners but the goal was disallowed for offside. The win makes Chiefs one of the pacesetters in the just-begun league while Gunners are in their familiar position at the bottom of the log. The Lobatse outfit have failed to win their first game of the season for the past decade, and their defeat has already raised the volatile tempers of their thousands of supporters. The team escaped relegation for the umpteenth time last year and are already strong candidates to face the axe.
Jim Thorpe, contractor dispute project bill
The Wilkes-Barre contractor that installed Jim Thorpe's downtown water project says the borough owes an additional $569,000 for the work, but Borough Council says the balance is $25,000.
Borough Council members said Thursday they don't intend to pay the extra money sought by Linde Construction.
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