Transgender people find their voice at NC school

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Nicole Hatch had spent six figures on her transition from a male to a female, including flying to Thailand for sexual reassignment surgery and spending at least $20,000 on facial hair removal.

But her voice still gave her away — callers would refer to her as "sir" when she answered the phone.

So Hatch came to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where speech pathologists teach transgender people how to speak like the people of the sex they're becoming or have become.

"To me, there's nothing worse than seeing someone dressed as a woman, a beautiful woman," said Hatch, 57. "Then she opens her mouth and she sounds like a sailor. It's very …

The B-Pillar Problem

VEHICLE SAFETY

Proposed new rollover regulations and an increased emphasis on side-impact protection are forcing manufacturers to significantly strengthen the B-pillar. How will the collision industry meet this challenge?

The B-pilar might best be regarded as the "Lone Ranger" of the automotive world. Few nonindustry people are aware of its name, yet this important piece of metal running from the roof down the side of their vehicles to the chassis bottom has protected millions of motorists from death and injury. Now, safety advocates and federal regulators have plans that could compel manufacturers to re-engineer this part - making it even stronger to help protect vehicle …

4 Dead, 3 Missing in Central US Floods

Flooding forced hundreds of people to flee their homes and closed scores of roads Wednesday across a wide swath of the nation's midsection as a huge storm system poured as much as 10 inches of rain on the region.

Four deaths were linked to the flooding in Missouri, a search was under way in Texas for a teenager washed down a drainage pipe, and two people were missing in Arkansas after their vehicles were swept away by rushing water.

The National Weather Service posted flood and flash flood warnings from Texas to Pennsylvania on Wednesday.

Heavy rain began falling Monday and just kept coming. About 10 inches had fallen by Wednesday morning in …

Walshe on hand for derby

Old Sulians Bath and England scrum-half Nick Walshe will be on thetouchline on Saturday when Old Sulians make the short SomersetPremier trip to take on Avon.

And Sulians will be hoping Walshe, who is coaching their backdivision this season, can help bring about a change in theirfortunes.

Despite being Somerset Premier's …

INNOVATION CENTER LAUNCHES SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

Rosemont, Illinois

The Innovation Center for U.S. Daily, in cooperation with the Dairy Research Institute, has launched a U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards program to recognize dairy farmers, businesses and collaborative partnerships delivering outstanding economic, environmental and social benefits that help advance sustainability in the dairy industry. The awards are divided into three categories: dairy farm, dairy processing/manufacturing and energy conservation/generation. Nominations for the inaugural awards …

La. airport showing posters from area movie shoots

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — Posters from at least 26 movies made in the Shreveport-Bossier City area are being shown off at the Shreveport Regional Airport.

Movies filmed in the area since 2005 include "The Guardian," ''Drive Angry" and "Battle Los Angeles." The airport itself has been used as a location for more than a dozen movies.

"One of the top questions you get, whether it's local or visitors, is 'What are some of the movies that have been filmed here?' said Kelly Wells of the local tourism office.

Shreveport Film Commissioner Arlena Acree said people are always telling her, "I didn't know that …

Can No. 1-seeded Colts, Saints get to Super Bowl?

For all the talk about the importance of home-field advantage in the NFL playoffs, the cruel truth for top-seeded teams is this: The last time both of them made the Super Bowl was 1993.

The Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints can't like hearing that. Plus, both of them lost at home late in the regular season, albeit not in critical games.

Even so, both are favored to reach the Super Bowl on Sunday when they host conference championships.

The Colts welcome the surprising New York Jets for the AFC crown, while the Saints stage their first NFC title game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Only the Colts and Jets have won a Super Bowl, …