| Rural homes foreclosed, but not near number of urban, suburban home ...
Foreclosures, which have roiled housing markets across the state and the nation, have had a smaller impact in Pennsylvania's rural communities, where subprime loans were rare and lenders and borrowers work hard to avoid defaults. "Because of the nature of the rural buyer, they tend to be more conservative in how much debt they carry," said Dan Duffy, chief executive officer of United Country Real Estate in Kansas City, Mo., one of the largest rural real estate agencies in the United States. Also, lenders who specialize in serving rural communities keep most of those mortgages on their own books rather than sell them on the secondary market. Thus, they will go to greater lengths to help property owners avoid foreclosure. For the most part, the lenders tend to be small outfits, often nonprofit organizations with relatively few accounts.
NFL Experience puts fans on the field - sort of
Nearly 50 games and exhibits were offered at the NFL Experience, but the football challenges were clearly the most popular. Dean and Lorna Angelo followed their 6-year-old son, Dean, as he kicked, passed and ran his way through the park. "We've had a blast," the Phoenix family said. While children filled much of the lines, many adults were just as willing to get in on the action. Challenges were set up to test nearly every football skill. Fans were trying to thread the needle like their favorite quarterback, cut through running-back obstacle courses, boot game-winning field goals, and test their speed in simulated races against the pros. However, many enjoyed activities less physical in nature. Lines poured from several autograph stations and as many as 50 NFL stars and Hall of Fame players will sign autographs this week.
Tsonga aims to be greatest like Muhammad Ali
Even through his broken English. Tsonga's near-faultless display on Thursday night was as close to tennis nirvana as imaginable. It was brutal yet sublime - as awesome as it was artistic. "I don't know how to explain it," Tsonga said. "Everything was perfect. My backhand worked a lot, my serve, my forehand, my volley, my drop shots, everything. "I was moving on the court like I never have before. It's ridiculous, because it's the first time I've played at this level." The only thing Tsonga mistimed in his 117-minute dissection of the world No. 2 had nothing to do with his game. Twice he excused himself during breaks in play to head for the toilets. How Nadal must have wished he'd stayed there. This seismic shift in tennis was further validated 24 hours later when world No.
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