A tornado or hurricane rips through your town. Or a crazed gunman opens fire at a nearby school or shopping center. Or an Interstate highway bridge collapses.Whatever, the news in your backyard can suddenly become the focus of public attention all over the nation and world – and the doorway to the big news could be your online newspaper. And for 24 to 48 hours your Web site will become one of the busiest news sites in the world. Your page traffic might increase 10-, 20- or even 100-fold.Sounds wonderful, right?Not necessarily. Some online newspapers, such as the Omaha World-Herald during a recent mall shooting, can’t handle the traffic and suffer embarrassment.But even if all goes well technically, what’s the business proposition for the newspaper that provides the news coverage to the world?"How to monetize windfall Internet traffic" was the subject of a session at the NAA’s annual Marketing conference in late February."Everything happens so fast," said Al Gibes of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, "that there’s no real way to sell more advertising.

Wild Card -- Tuesday PM

David Postman/Seattle Times continues to blog the Washington guv election trial (last update: 11:55 a.m. today) here.

4. Spectators at the annual Dayton Days parade in tiny Dayton, Wash., got more than they bargained for last weekend when a team of horses bolted, according to the Walla Walla Union Bulletin, here.

SCOTTY'S 'BIRTHPLACE' IN STAR TREK PREMIERE BID

Scripts from the original series reveal Starship Enterprise engineer Montgomery Scott was born on June 28, 2222.

News of Hydetown

The Hydetown Firemen's Festival is June 13 and 14. We at the Hydetown Volunteer Fire Department are starting the plans for the Firemen's Festival 2008. We would like to include the coverage area of the fire department. Who would like to help or take part? Come to our festival meetings which will be held the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Hydetown Volunteer Fire Department Social Hall. Let's make it bigger and better this year. Come and help! We need your help, support and ideas. We are now accepting Parade Entry forms for our parade on June 14. You can sign up by calling Buddy Edwards or Jennifer Edwards at 827-2267, e-mail to jenbuddy@zoominternet.net or by going to the news Web site at http://hydetown.bravehost.com and go to parade entry, print it and send it to the fire department.

Pop Go the Bubbles

The key, quite bluntly, is getting the plants in and across the desert to the Darfur region. Ed is very good at getting critical items to where they need to be in very difficult if not dangerous conditions. The stories he can tell.

Readers of my letter may be familiar with Walt Ratterman. I have mentioned his work in Thailand where he goes to refugee camps (mostly the minority Christian Karin tribe) along the Burma border, bringing solar power to clinics there. As one doctor said, it is hard to do an amputation by flashlight. They are now bringing in more powerful units capable of providing enough power for small medical devices, vaccine refrigeration, with power outlets that will allow them to operate a laboratory, a computer, and a surgical room that will accommodate minor surgery and cataract eye surgery.

Tips for Booking Your Hotel Room for New Year's Eve in Philly from ...

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Last-minute hotel booking is a New Year's Eve norm, and gophila.com, Philadelphia's official visitor Web site, is offering some tips on how to get the December deed done for the festive, four- day weekend, which features the New Year's Eve fireworks show at Penn's Landing and the beloved Mummers Parade along Broad Street on January 1.

Here are a few more reasons why Philly's More Fun this New Year's Eve and Day:

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region's vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.

Tracy mayor Ives to seek re-election

TRACY — Mayor Brent Ives has decided he wants to keep his job for another two years, so he has thrown his hat into the ring in a bid for re-election this fall and set up a rematch with slow-growth activist Celeste Garamendi.

But the wild card this November could come down to Tracy City Councilwoman Evelyn Tolbert, who has yet to announce whether or not she's going to run.

Late Thursday afternoon, in front of a small group of friends and family at the Great Plate in downtown Tracy, Ives announced his intentions to seek a second term as the city's mayor.

He said he made the decision to run "a couple of weeks ago," driven by several challenges currently before the City Council, including dealing with a budget deficit while maintaining public safety, getting a youth sports park built, the redevelopment of downtown and creating a college consortium.

Claims that a controversial by-pass route "disappeared off the agenda ...

Former transport minister Tavish Scott yesterday spoke of "outrageous mud-slinging", while leading LibDem donor Ian Suttie threatened legal action if anyone suggested he had acted improperly.

Climate change is a challenge, say Scots

Gordon also leaves computers, stereos, televisions and video game machines on for hours when not using them. Instead of putting on a jumper, he turns up the heating in his room. Family holidays involve flights to France and Egypt.• EARLY ADULTHOOD: Buys a seven-year-old old Ford Escort as a student, flies to Thailand on holidays. On getting a job, he upgrades to a VW Golf GTI, goes to a large out-of-town shopping centre, buying food from all over the world, and takes holidays in Spain.• FAMILY MAN: Buys a Volvo V70 estate car, food bill and miles rise as children are born. Holidays are in the United States. Children leave home, reducing emissions, but Gordon buys a Mercedes Benz S500 and now holidays in Peru. He consumes 33kg of food from around the world a week, resulting in 4,370kg of greenhouse gases a year from transport costs.• RETIREMENT: Buys a Jaguar XJ8, takes annual holiday in New Zealand.• DEATH: Chooses a brushed steel coffin and elaborate concrete catacomb.Lifetime emissions of greenhouse gases: 1251 tonnesAWARE AMY• CHILDHOOD: Wears washable nappies, saving 12kg of greenhouse gas emissions a year, compared with disposables.

American Dream alive and well

A funnel emerged from just above his cape, connected to a hidden pipe that protruded from his open fly. A big bloke, Bruce, from outback Western Australia, was the first to answer his call. Unfazed by the brazen man-on-man imagery the traveller poured the contents of his Budweiser pint into the funnel and guzzled his drink through the spout. The pub erupted. Both men were instant champions. Related Sections And the reality we were on night two of a Contiki tour of the US West Coast hit quicker than the beer that slapped the Sandgroper's tonsils. The American Dream is alive and well We were tracking a course from San Diego to Tijuana, Mexico, then to the deserts of Phoenix, the Grand Canyon and historic Route 66 towards Las Vegas. We got our first taste of Americana at a Hooters restaurant near the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Hilary Clinton sacks campaign manager

Solis Doyle announced the shift in an email to staff today.

"I have been proud to manage this campaign and prouder still to call Hillary my friend for more than 16 years," Solis Doyle wrote.