Bay area vessels submit security plans to Coast Guard - 2004-01-04
There are roughly 1,000 U.S. flagged vessels in the Bay area, varying from casino boats to tankers and other large shipping vessels.

All of them were requested to submit security plans to the U.S. Coast Guard, effective January 1. If those plans aren't authorized by July 1, a $25,000 fine could be assessed.

The security plans will force companies and vessel operators to require an employee identification system and enforce a controlled access policy for who and how people gain access to sensitive areas.
Read the full story at Bay News 9

Casino expansion not sure bet - 2004-01-04
Expanded gambling would be beneficial for Kansans, and the first step should be a premier casino adjacent to the Kansas Speedway in Wyandotte County.

That recommendation is the decision of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' task force on expanded gambling. But enacting it, or something similar to it, promises to be one of the most complicated and politically wrenching issues of the 2004 legislative session, which commences Jan. 12.

"This session will be key," said Sebelius, who supports expanded gambling as part of a solution to the state's budget shortfall.
Read the full story at Lawrence Journal World